Bill Shaughnessy
Bill Shaughnessy

Valley Regional Holds Annual Meeting

Claremont — The public is invited to attend Valley Regional Healthcare’s Annual Meeting from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Claremont Savings Bank Community Center, 152 South St. in Claremont.

Peter J. Wright, Valley Regional’s president and CEO, will recap the 2018 fiscal year. Tom Roberts, the executive director of Vital Communities and Clayton Adams, president and CEO of Mascoma Bank and corporate counsel at Vital Communities also will speak.

Wright will be joined by board chairwoman Patti Putnam to honor an outstanding trustee, volunteer, nonprofit partner and business supporter.

Department managers and staff will be on hand to meet the public and discuss Valley Regional’s programs.

Mt. Ascutney Announces Employee of the Month

Windsor — Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center named Bill Shaughnessy, general maintenance technician and safety specialist, as Employee of the Month for December 2018.

Shaughnessy performs maintenance and servicing operations throughout the Mt. Ascutney Hospital campus, including carpentry and plumbing, as well as preventative maintenance and equipment inspections for water, HVAC, electricity and communications systems. He also provides security, assuring the safety of patients, staff and visitors with snow removal; hourly rounds; and regular monitoring of alarms, pathways, doors and more.

“Quality patient care happens when the spaces where people work and heal are safe, strong, and well maintained,” Joe Martaniuk, Shaughnessy’s supervisor, said in a news release. “Bill understands this responsibility, and you can find him everywhere, ensuring the proper maintenance and security of the hospital, all with a smile on his face.”

Shaughnessy lives in Cavendish, Vt., and has worked at Mt. Ascutney since 2013.

Gifford Offers Bereavement Support Course

Randolph —The volunteer Chaplaincy Program at Gifford Medical Center invites community members to attend “Four Fridays in February: Living Through Loss,” from noon to 1:30 p.m. beginning Feb. 1 in the Red Clover Conference Room at the medical center, 44 S. Main St., Randolph.

The free, weekly bereavement series is open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, whether in death or a relationship change such as divorce.

Each of the Friday sessions will be facilitated by Gifford volunteer chaplain Anna Mary Zigmann, a registered nurse, ordained minister and spiritual care provider specializing in trauma and loss. Sessions will feature area guest speakers and provide time for discussion.

“We encourage anyone who has experienced a major loss to join us for this important new series at Gifford, whether you can drop in for 10 minutes or an hour, for one or all four of the sessions,” Rev. Timothy Eberhardt, spiritual care coordinator for the Chaplaincy Program at Gifford, said in a news release. “Anna Mary has a unique way of connecting and getting people talking and sharing their stories — or just listening — enabling participants to take healthy steps to cope and move on from loss. All are welcome.”

Specifically, Zigmann will teach participants the importance of networking and how to form a network of five common people who can help the bereaved through what can be overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, anger, hurt and sadness. Such a network can be utilized be in addition to counseling.

For more information about the program email Eberhardt at teberhardt@giffordmed.org or Zigmann at azigmann@gmail.com, or call 802-728-2107.

— Compiled by Kelly Burch