The University of Vermont Medical Center

Tony Williams: Invisible No More "As a Black kid growing up in inner-city Queens, becoming a doctor felt impossible. I’d simply never seen a doctor that looked like me, except occasionally on TV. But in eighth grade, when some of my peers were joining gangs or getting pregnant, I decided to aim for the unattainable: I would become a doctor. I learned early that my appearance would shape how many people perceive me. I was 8 when I was first stopped by the police because I looked like another boy who had gotten into trouble. My father was 15 when he witnessed his friend, Randolph Evans, murdered by a police officer. “Don’t die today. Stay out of jail. Finish elementary school. Be invisible. Be invisible.” These are the things I told myself as I tried to make it out. I am privileged to have loving, supportive parents. They helped me believe I could achieve anything. I first volunteered at a hospital when I was 13, an experience that ultimately led me to medical school and, finally, residency. It looked like my dream was becoming a reality, but in these predominantly white environments, I found myself talking differently, being more conscious of my appearance and less likely to be open about what I knew or what I didn’t. I didn’t like to ask for help. I didn’t find it easy to be myself. Be invisible. It was holding me back: I twice failed my Step 2 examination – the “gateway” exam to becoming a doctor – before finally moving on to my residency. After the 2020 George Floyd murder, I began to find my voice. I realized that I would never succeed professionally, nor be able to support others, if I wasn’t open about my vulnerabilities and challenges as a Black man and physician. Today I proudly wear my life experience. It makes me a better doctor, helps me find common ground with my patients and be empathetic to the students. I still go to Queens regularly with my wife and kids to visit my family. It makes me grateful for where I have come from and hopeful that with the right support." Tony Williams, MD, is a physician at Colchester Family Practice and an assistant dean of admissions at University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2024 Health Equity Summit a massive success! Hundreds of community members from all walks of life attended the two-day event, which focused on addressing inequities in health care. Participants engaged with subject experts and explored innovative ways to make a difference in clinical, academic, community and leadership spaces.

Today we kicked off the Health Equity Summit with University of Vermont. It is undeniable that health disparities and inequities exist within our local and global communities. This summit brings together groups and individuals focused on creating sustainable solutions and partnerships to advance health equity. The event kicks into full swing tomorrow with a packed schedule.

Jodi Gibbs: Community Champion "I love to organize. Plan. Help. During the holidays, I organize volunteers to ring the bell four or five days a week at our local Walmart to raise money for the Salvation Army. I’m the chairperson of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors. I serve on the board of directors for the TrailNorth Federal Credit Union. And I volunteer at my church. I am a greeter every Sunday. It’s so much fun to see the same people week after week. They always tease me because I know almost every single person’s name who comes into the church. They always comment, “Oh my word, how can you possibly keep track of everyone’s name?” It’s just a little trick I have. I keep busy throughout the year. Everyone can use some help now and then, and that’s really all I want to do. There’s a sense of connection to my community that brings me joy. I’ve been on the planning committee for Memorial Day events for my hometown, Crown Point, for 30 years. We have a parade, fireworks, a carnival and music. Every year for my entire life, my family has gone to my aunt’s house – she lives on the main road and the parade goes right by – so we have lunch and watch. It brings me joy to see happy children, families and generations of people come together. It’s fun to be able to ensure that tradition continues. That’s a big part of why I keep volunteering. It brings such joy to my heart to help others with no expectation of a return. " Jodi Gibbs is the quality and population health assistant at Elizabethtown Community Hospital. She’s been with us for six years. Her story is part of The Mosaic Project, a collection of short stories about the people of University of Vermont Health Network.

Casey Kolb Nava: A Lasting Legacy. "Almost every time I’m in the car with a relative, I learn something new about my family’s history. "Sometimes it’s a small graveyard with the remains of one of our 1700s ancestors. Sometimes it’s an unexpected link to historical figures like Ethan Allen or George Dewey, who was from Montpelier and became Admiral of the United States Navy. Sometimes it’s something humbler – a pasture with a beautiful view that was once owned by another branch of the family. "I wasn’t born and raised here – I grew up near Washington D.C. – but these connections to Central Vermont have been important to me since I was a kid. We often visited family here and soaked up stories about the past from older relatives. When I moved here with my family in 2015, I saw all this history with fresh eyes and started to appreciate how much the past is tied up with the present and the future. "The place where this all comes together for me is what my family calls the “Old Farm,” at the end of Slaughterhouse Road outside of Northfield Falls. It’s all the way at the top of the hill there. "My great-grandfather had this idea in the ’60s to turn the land into a red-pine farm that could be harvested for telephone poles. My grandparents, my dad and his five siblings spent a lot of time planting trees on this 160-acre piece of land. Every school break they would be out there planting. "By the ’90s, the trees were grown, but no one wanted to cut them down. The land was too beautiful and filled with wildlife – we see moose tracks up there and “our bear” comes through regularly. It’s one of those places where Vermont’s past and present coexist." Casey Kolb Nava, MD is the medical director of the Central Vermont Medical Center hospitalist group. She’s been with us for more than nine years. Casey's story is part of the Mosaic Project, a collection of short stories about the people of University of Vermont Health Network.

Our people. Their stories. Introducing the Mosaic Project. The Mosaic Project is a collection of short stories about the people of University of Vermont Health Network. These are your coworkers, caregivers, neighbors, family members, friends – each with unique life experiences that are part of the vibrant mosaic of who we are. This ongoing series comes from interviews conducted by the storytellers on our Communications and Engagement Strategies team. UVMHealth.org/Mosaic

Respiratory Therapists deliver care that helps people manage a wide range of breathing problems caused by disease, accident, or illness. These professionals provide care whenever and wherever breathing is an issue. They work in hospitals or other acute care settings, or are employed in clinics, physicians’ offices, or skilled nursing facilities.

It can't rain on this parade! We are always so inspired to see the love and community on display every year at the annual Burlington Pride Parade and Festival. Thank you to all the groups and individuals that make this wonderful event possible.

At this point, the easy answer to high health care costs would be to reduce next year’s hospital budgets and call it a win for affordability. But in truth, it would shortchange Vermonters and only further drive up costs overall as we tried to catch up. As nonprofit hospitals, funding to make investments in access for our patients and to support our workforce come from limited sources. Shrinking those sources significantly reduces our ability to make forward progress, let alone preserve what we already have, for the patients who need us today.

Residents of Vermont and northern New York have been warned: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is in our area. The mosquito-borne illness has infected several people across New England. Local health experts recommend the following prevention measures to stay safe.