Every one of our clinical and administrative employees, especially those who have weathered the past three years together, are among the strongest individuals I will ever know, or have had the pleasure to work with.
Johanna L. Beliveau, DNP, MBA, RNVisiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH), a member of Dartmouth Health, recently recognized the achievements of its team members at an Employee Appreciation Day event. VNH President and CEO Johanna L. Beliveau, DNP, MBA, RN, bestowed top awards and the organization celebrated employee anniversaries.
Held at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, this was the first in-person Employee Appreciation Day hosted by VNH since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One VNH employee, hospice specialist Carole Lechthaler, RN, was recognized for her 50 years of service to the organization. She joined VNH in 1973 and is currently working on a per diem basis.
In 2018, VNH named one of its most prestigious employee awards after Lechthaler; the Carole Lechthaler Award for Exemplary Professional Practice, in recognition of her lifetime of dedication and service.
“These past few years have been some of the most challenging for healthcare workers across the country, and the experiences of those providing care in the home tell a particularly harrowing story,” said Beliveau. “Like many healthcare organizations, we saw an increase in staff turnover as people transitioned from direct care roles during the pandemic, but VNH has held fast, continued to serve as many patients as possible and now I can confidently say our most difficult challenges are behind us as we look toward a more hopeful future. Every one of our clinical and administrative employees, especially those who have weathered the past three years together, are among the strongest individuals I will ever know, or have had the pleasure to work with.”
The following employees were recognized during the celebration.
- Heather Grob, RN, Hospice After-Hours Nurse: Carole Lechthaler Award for Exemplary Professional Practice
- Jess Cheney, BSN, RN, Director, Home Health and Hospice: Excellence in Leadership Award
- Wendy Taitague, Personal Care Assistant: Paraprofessional of the Year
- Shawna Lynch, Long-term Care Case Aid: Administrative Professional of the Year.
“I am so honored to receive this award in recognition of the work both I and the entirety of the VNH do every single day,” said Grob, a resident of Lyme, New Hampshire. “Every time I’m asked why I do what I do, my answer is always the same; I hope that my presence helps create a comfortable, safe and loving environment for those at the end of their journey in this life, and a caring and supportive one for their family. I feel like everyone on this team feels and behaves the same way, and I am honored to work with a group that brings such care and compassion to those we serve.”
VNH is currently hiring exceptional people for its interdisciplinary team. Visit vnhcareers.org to learn more about its available openings, competitive pay and benefits, as well as sign-on bonuses for certain positions.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.