When the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital emergency room opened 50 years ago, it was serving about ten patients per day. Over the past five decades health care needs have changed, and the ER now serves an average of 38 patients each day, with some days seeing up to 50 to 60 patients. This dramatic increase in patient visits has caused an enormous strain on the facility and presented daily challenges for its dedicated staff. NVRH determined that the situation was untenable and needed to be addressed. As such, plans were developed to expand capacity and overhaul the ER. A new laboratory and pharmacy were also included in the planning and fund-raising efforts for this “West Wing Project.”
Union Bank saw this expansion as a chance to give back to the community in a way that would make a substantial impact. As Emily Hutchison, M.Ed., Director of Philanthropy at NVRH states, “Over the years, Union Bank has been very generous to NVRH and our commitment to wellness and well-being. Their funds are really playing a significant role to help meet the changing healthcare needs of the community.”
Union Bank donated to the hospital in support of the creation of its Cancer Center in 2005, renovations to the Birthing Center in 2016, and Covid relief in 2020. During the pandemic, Union Bank also supported the hospital in unconventional ways, including suspending processing fees for credit card transactions, as a way to reduce overhead during that trying time. As Hutchinson explains, “They didn’t even ask, they just went ahead and did that on their own!”
