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Brattleboro Retreat Launches Healthcare Professionals Program
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — The Brattleboro Retreat, a specialty psychiatric hospital
for people of all ages, is now accepting patients for its Healthcare Professionals Program.
Launched as a remote clinical service, the program offers partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programming for currently employed and former nurses, physicians, dentists, EMTs, social workers, LNAs/CNAs, therapists, technologists, and other healthcare professionals who experience PTSD, anxiety, depression, stress, or substance-use disorder as a consequences of their jobs.
In a group therapy format, healthcare professionals address their personal challenges exclusively among peers, other healthcare professionals who understand the pressures of providing healthcare. The program’s partial hospital option consists of five groups per day, five days per week, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2
p.m., while the intensive outpatient op- tion features three groups per day, five mornings per week, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Participants receive personal orientations to establish individual treatment goals, as well as a consultation with a medical doctor. Group sessions are supplemented by one-on-one sessions to focus on personal needs and goals and to develop personalized after- care plans. Time spent in the program varies according to individual needs.
According to Program Manager Jim Ostendarp, the Healthcare Professionals Program at the Brattleboro Retreat comes as professional caregivers are under more stress than ever before, leading many people to leave the field.
“People who got into healthcare an- swered a call to care for others, typically investing years of time and significant ex- pense in education and training,” he said. “Yet they face a confluence of challenges
in the form of drastically increased de- mands on their time and a perceived lack of respect that can lead to mental-health issues and substance misuse that damage lives and jeopardize hard-earned careers. Burnout is a real concern, and as more people leave the healthcare field, pressures only increase for those who remain.”
Ostendarp said the program’s goals are to “help people learn coping skills to man- age their internal and external stresses, how to reduce their tension, how to build supportive relationships, and how to recognize and change unhealthy patterns of behavior — all so that they can live better, sleep better, and feel better about themselves. It’s all about caregivers caring for other caregivers in a group of peers who understand because they’ve been there too.”
As a remote clinical service, the Health- care Professionals Program is available to caregivers wherever they live. “Telehealth
has made significant advances in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic
has only accelerated the embrace of the technology,” Ostendarp said. “We have demonstrated success in caring for pa- tients via remote connection, and we can provide the group therapy and one-on- one sessions at the heart of the program via telehealth with convenience and in complete confidence.” As the program proceeds, he added, an in-person version is being studied.
Those wishing to learn more about the Healthcare Professionals Program should visit brattlebororetreat.org/hpp. Those in- terested in participating may fill out a pre- intake form online at brattlebororetreat. org/admissions or call (802) 258-3737 or (800) RETREAT. Verification of insurance acceptance is provided free of charge by Brattleboro Retreat.
Bulkley Richardson Supports Baystate Children’s Hospital’s Newborns
SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the course of a year, the Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baystate Children’s Hospital cares for more than 800 newborns. These babies are fighters, but they require essential care. Many have come into the world too early; others emerge with medical challenges that need to be addressed in the moments after birth. All of them deserve the best chance for a healthy life.
Bulkley Richardson, a Springfield-based law firm, recently made a $10,000 gift to support that essential care through the
purchase of a transcutaneous CO2 moni- tor. This device provides a non-invasive and efficient way to monitor newborns’ exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) when they require a ventilator to assist their breathing. It also allows the team to review and respond to impor- tant health details in real time instead of through multiple painful blood draws.
“We are so appreciative of Bulkley Richardson for their generous support of this technology,” said Stephanie Adam, manager of the NICU and Continuing Care Nursery. “For newborns in our care,
being able to monitor and respond to changes in a way that does not put them in any discomfort is one more way that we can provide the highest level of compas- sionate care. This technology is a game changer for our sickest infants.”
With one in 10 families needing the NICU in their lifetime, this type of equip- ment will be used by many and provide
a more comfortable experience for Bay- state’s youngest patients.
“We wanted to contribute to the care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Peter Barry, partner at Bulkley Richardson.
“These CO2 monitors provide essential data in a non-invasive manner, eliminat- ing additional pain and discomfort to newborns who may already be struggling. I understand the helplessness of seeing your child or grandchild in distress and hope that our gift will bring some peace of mind to those with children in need of monitoring.”
Anyone who would like to support care for infants in the NICU, can contact the Baystate Health Foundation at (413) 794- 5444 or bhf@baystatehealth.org.
Cooley Dickinson Earns Top Score for LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality
NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickin- son Hospital received an evaluation of 100 and the designation of LGBTQ+ Health- care Equality Leader in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmark- ing survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employ- ees.
Cooley Dickinson is the only hospital in Western Mass. — and one of 14 in the Commonwealth — to earn the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation.
According to the Human Rights Cam- paign Foundation, 906 healthcare facilities
actively participated in the 2022 HEI sur- vey, and 496 of those earned an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation.
“We are here for all patients, no mat- ter who they love, what they believe, or where they come from,” said Dr. Lynnette Watkins, Cooley Dickinson Health Care president and CEO. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the health inequalities that have existed for decades. I am so proud of our teams at Cooley Dick- inson who put equitable, inclusive, and affirming care at the center of the services we provide here. They are to be com- mended for doing this critical work every day, and earning this designation from the Human Rights Campaign validates their efforts.”
Cooley Dickinson-affiliated primary- care providers and specialists complete continuing-education training to better understand and serve LGBTQ+ patients. Some medical practices, such as Oxbow Primary Care, offer routine screening and health maintenance, including hormone therapy and other gender-affirming medi- cal care. Northampton Plastic Surgery provides top surgery or gender-affirming mastectomy and chest contouring for transmasculine patients. Vocal coach-
ing is offered through Cooley Dickinson Rehabilitation Services.
A Positive Place of Cooley Dickinson, which has been providing comprehen- sive HIV services for more than three decades to gay and bisexual men and
other same-gender-loving men (among with other clients), has more recently been partnering with healthcare providers and community-based human-services programs in providing transgender health navigation for individuals at risk of HIV/ HCV/STI.
Within the Mass General Brigham system, Cooley Dickinson partners with specialists for local patients to receive other gender-affirming surgeries in Boston. Across the Mass General Brigham system, staff are in the process of finalizing a transgender-inclusive rooming policy.
Cooley Dickinson has earned an overall score of 100 on the past five Healthcare Equality Index benchmark surveys.