Over the last two years, I have learned a lot about the different health services, and health care in general in Windham County. It amazes me that I lived there for over 15 years, and still was able to learn more about the area. The people of Windham County are both resilient and resourceful. After Tropical Storm Irene hit, much of the state was a mess, including many places in my study county. My heart ached for the home I had grown up in, but it also gave me fantastic insight into the profession that I have been working towards for so long. The RMSP elective also allowed me to delve deep into health care, and learn the basics of what is there in the county.
I think I was most impressed to see all of the services that the two hospital's, Brattleboro Memorial and Grace Cottage provide. Grace Cottage is a critical access hospital, but it has the bare minimum in terms of services and only recently added an MRI machine for imaging. This means that Grace Cottage has to work closely with Brattleboro to provide the extent of care that many of their patients need. The working relationship with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center also impressed me. The way trauma patients are quickly airlifted to Dartmouth, and the way emergency services responds quickly is incredible, considering much of Windham County can be considered isolated.
I was also very pleased to work with Dr. Elizabeth Linder at Otis Family Healthcare for my final project. I had been a patient at this facility attached to Grace Cottage since I was little, and it was refreshing to be able to see if from another view point. I learned about the incredible health disparities in such a small area that I knew existed, but had not realized how poignant they were in every day life. It was both a tough and rewarding experience to have.
Overall, I look forward to moving back to the beautiful area, and I know where I can send my patients when the time comes. There are many tobacco cessation, weight loss, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. Brattleboro can provide basic surgical needs, Grace Cottage has access to physical and occupation therapy, and if one of these hospitals cannot provide the necessary care, Dartmouth is 1.5 hours away, and Boston is only 3 hours away. The remoteness of the are is definitely a challenge, but one that I look forward to overcoming in leaps and bounds. There is so much potential in every patient encounter, and I believe that someday I will be able to help and care for these people as the many wonderful practitioners of Grace Cottage Hospital and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, as well as the many other doctor's offices do for the area on a day-to-day basis.
