Dartmouth Health

"I fervently believe that zero-sum game is a choice," shared 2024 Political Drivers of Health Symposium featured speaker Philip Alberti, PhD. Alberti is the Founding Director of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)'s Center for Health Justice (AAMC Center for Health Justice). Political determinants of health include the governmental systems, structures, and policies that impact health outcomes. In collaboration with various healthcare stakeholders and partners, our Office of Government Relations hosted a day-long symposium on December 16, 2024, to explore the political determinants of health, discussing how laws and regulations influence the health and economic prosperity of Granite Staters. This event was open to the public, and all interested in the health and well-being of our communities were welcome to attend. What issue or political determinant of health will you be following in 2025?

Congratulations to Karen L. Huyck, MD, and her occupational and environmental medicine team at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics for receiving the Resilient Workplace Innovation Award by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Huyck and her team worked with the Vermont Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (VT RETAIN) to develop VT RETAIN’s Resilient Workplace Certification program, to support workers with mental health conditions, recognizing gaps in available resources and addressing them. https://lnkd.in/e25ufzbp

Dartmouth Health was well represented at last week's Organization of Nurse Leaders (ONL) Winter Quarterly Meeting. Paula Seaman, MSN, DA, RN, CENP, Chief Nursing Officer at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD), Karen Beinhaur, MSN/Ed, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, New London Hospital (NLH) Chief Nursing Officer, Amy Visser-Lynch, MSN, RN, CENP, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) Chief Nursing Officer, and Susan Odden, therapist with Trivium Integrative Mental Health presented a poster, "Trauma Informed to Trauma Active: A Mental Health Program for Nurses," at the conference. This poster presentation highlighted the partnership with Trivium Integrative Mental Health for embedding mental health, and includes the results of a pilot with this model using evidence-based interventions at APD. The program team is now replicating the model for use at MAHHC and NLH. The presentation team focused on the impact on nursing, but this program is available to all employees at these locations. We appreciate this example of the incredible work throughout the Dartmouth Health system that is transforming nursing practice and patient care in our region.

Congratulations to Jeffrey C. Fetter, MD, who has been recognized with New Hampshire Medical Society’s prestigious Advocate of the Year Award. Through Dartmouth Health’s longstanding contract and partnership with the State of New Hampshire to provide New Hampshire Hospital clinical services, Fetter serves as chief medical officer for the state’s acute psychiatric institution. His recognition as Advocate of the Year celebrates Fetter’s dedication to advancing the medical profession and advocating on behalf of patients and communities, for the betterment of public health.

“This year’s class of fellows reflects the remarkable talent, resilience, and dedication that women leaders bring to healthcare,” said Anne McCune, CEO of The Carol Emmott Foundation. Congratulations to our System Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services here at Dartmouth Health Tonya Carlton PharmD., MHA, BCPS, for being named to the ninth cohort of the Carol Emmott Fellowship Class of 2025. This fellowship elevates women leaders in healthcare by providing them a platform to expand their visibility and equipping them with mentorship, professional networks, and resources to address complex issues in the industry. Carlton earned a spot as one of only 24 fellows in a select group of accomplished women leaders who will be representing some of the nation’s top health organizations in the program.

Medicine is transforming as the capabilities of artificial intelligence expand at lightning speed. AI models can see patterns humans can't, but without the human reason AI lacks, there can be erroneous findings. A study led by Dartmouth Health researchers examined highly accurate yet potentially misleading results—a phenomenon known as "shortcut learning." Using knee X-rays from osteoarthritis patients, the research showed AI could "predict" unrelated traits in patients, like whether they abstained from drinking beer. While these predictions have no medical basis, the models achieved surprising levels of accuracy, revealing their ability to exploit subtle and unintended patterns in the data. "The burden of proof just goes way up when it comes to using models for the discovery of new patterns in medicine," said Brandon Hill, a Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics scientist who was on the research team. "Part of the problem is our own bias. It is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of presuming that the model ‘sees’ the same way we do. In the end, it doesn’t. It is almost like dealing with an alien intelligence." https://lnkd.in/eeyG8mCF

Congratulations to Dartmouth Cancer Center, recently named in Becker's Healthcare’s 2024 list of hospitals and health systems recognized for excellence in oncology. The list highlights over 100 institutions with oncology programs driving innovation, research and discovery. Patients have consistently ranked Dartmouth Cancer Center in the top 5% of healthcare organizations nationwide in delivering exceptional experience, thus earning the Press Ganey Human Experience Pinnacle of Excellence Award for four consecutive years.

While still a baby, Connor Ponce was not making progress toward sitting up, and his parents sensed something was wrong. A brain scan at Dartmouth Health Children's revealed a tumor in his brain stem. His treatment team, including his pediatrician at Cheshire Medical Center, has been his advocate ever since. In our patient story series, Your Way Forward, we are privileged to provide an opportunity for Dartmouth Health patients to share their experiences in their own words. Learn more about Connor's Way Forward at https://lnkd.in/dqXRsZ6h

Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) recently recognized the achievements of its team members at an Employee and Volunteer Appreciation event. Congratulations to Tammy Tarsa, Bethany Yaeger, Dawna Lawrence and Heidi Smith for their awards, and for being amazing members of the VNH team! “For all of us, the mission of caring for our patients always comes first, so it’s easy to overlook the extraordinary things our team members accomplish every day. During events like this, we have the privilege of pausing to recognize the dedication, resilience and heart that our team brings to everything they do,” said VNH President and CEO Johanna L. Beliveau.

Last week, we asked if you knew your calcium score. Only 16% of those polled said yes. Why does it matter? Erica Houskeeper shares her experience with heart disease in her family and getting a calcium score test to pinpoint evidence of plaque in her arteries. She recently sought advice from Dartmouth Health cardiologists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics & Southwestern Vermont Medical Center on prevention that goes beyond the typical recommendations of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure. Knowing and measuring your risk of heart disease can assist personal prevention efforts. Learn more in this edition of Living Better.