Office of Medical Communications

(NOVEMBER 8, 2023) Vermont Medicaid is partnering with the UVM Medical Center in a pilot program that will allow Medicaid members with chronic pain to participate in integrative, holistic treatment through the Osher Center for Integrative Health’s Comprehensive Pain Program, according to the Rutland Herald.

A new collaboration between Vermont Medicaid and UVM Medical Center’s Comprehensive Pain Program allows Medicaid members with chronic pain to participate in complementary therapies including health coaching, massage, yoga, nutrition, acupuncture, and meditation. This pilot is an important step toward eliminating disparities in access to effective, integrative care for pain.

(NOVEMBER 7, 2023) Timothy Plante, M.D., M.H.S., assistant professor of medicine, is a co-author of a study offering critical insights into the assessment of orthostatic hypotension among older adults, according to News Medical.

(NOVEMBER 7, 2023) A study by rheumatologist Brendan Thoms, M.B.B.S., assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues shows that key details of patients’ inflammatory arthritis were often missing from rheumatology referral letters, and that only a minority of these patients were seen within the target of six weeks, Healio reports.

(NOVEMBER 6, 2023) Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.Ed., M.P.H., assistant professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed by STAT for an article about a new study on the lasting effects of gun violence on young survivors.

UVM’s Novel DNA Extraction Technology Goes to the International Space Station: Tighe, Tracy, and Dragon to Support ISS Astronauts’ Experiments

(NOVEMBER 6, 2023) Vermont Health Access and the UVM Medical Center announced that Vermont Medicaid is entering a pilot program that will allow its members to participate in the Partners Aligned in Transformative Healing program at UVMMC’s Comprehensive Pain Program, according to WCAX-TV.

(NOVEMBER 2, 2023) The University of Vermont Medical Center is the number one hospital in the state, according to data collected by Newsweek, in partnership with Statista, which published its ranking of America’s Best-in-State Hospitals for 2024.

(OCTOBER 31, 2023) Steven Schlozman, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, spoke with WCAX-TV about what parents should know about fun vs. fear when it comes to trick-or-treating—and scary things in general.

(OCTOBER 29, 2023) Lewis First, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of pediatrics at Larner College of Medicine and chief of pediatrics at the UVM Medical Center, was interviewed by ABC22 for a story on trick or treating. Inclusivity—for kids with allergies or special needs—is one consideration health experts are highlighting.

(OCTOBER 27, 2023) Julie Vieth, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine and assistant medical director of the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center, was featured in a story on WCAX-TV about a UVM Health Network project spotlighting violence against frontline health care staff.

(OCTOBER 24, 2023) Michael Hehir, M.D., professor of neurological sciences, spoke to Nicholas Silvestri, M.D., host of Medscape’s In Discussion: Myasthenia Gravis podcast, in an episode titled “Managing Myasthenia Gravis in Primary Care: Best Practices.”

These awards, supported wholly by funds from UVM entities, provide $200,000 over 2 years to fund meritorious research from early career faculty. We are very grateful to Deans from the Colleges of Medicine, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Nursing & Health Sciences, Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Mathematical Sciences, LCOM Deans Office, and the Graduate College, as well as the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont, for their support of this program. In addition, we would like to acknowledge matching fund support from the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurological Sciences.

(OCTOBER 24, 2023) A powerful video on violence in the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center by Roland Kielman and Ryan Mercer, communications specialists with the University of Vermont Health Network, with text by Helen Ouyang, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor at Columbia University, was featured in the New York Times Opinion section.

(OCTOBER 20, 2023) Rachel Lee Cummings, M.P.H.’20, executive director of Counseling Service of Addison County, spoke to VT Digger about a new “living room” model of mental health urgent care that aims to reroute as many people as possible from the emergency room and link them directly to organizations that provide counseling and psychiatric services.

There are currently no approved vaccines available to prevent Lyme disease in humans, but one may be on the way. UVM’s Vaccine Testing Center recently launched a clinical study to investigate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a Lyme disease vaccine.

(OCTOBER 16, 2023) Karen George, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for students at the Larner College of Medicine, contributed to a Physician’s Weekly article on what residents and program directors think is needed for a successful transition to residency.

(OCTOBER 16, 2023) Nataniel Lester-Coll, M.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Vermont Medical Center, commented to Renal & Urology News about a study of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) as a treatment for prostate cancer.