Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical center, serves all of
Vermont and the northern New York region. Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the University of Vermont.
Fletcher Allen Donates $138,000 and Supplies for Irene Recovery
November 18, 2011
Michael Carrese
Marketing and Communications
802-847-2886
Employees also volunteer for relief efforts across the state
Burlington – Employees at Fletcher Allen Health Care have donated $69,000 for Tropical Storm Irene recovery efforts, an amount which has been matched by the organization. The $138,000 total is being distributed through the United Way’s Vermont Disaster Relief Fund and the Vermont Red Cross for use throughout the state.
"My thanks to the employees of Fletcher Allen Health Care for their generous gift and to the organization for matching these contributions,” said David Coates, chair of the Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group. “All of these funds will go directly to Vermonters who were victims of Irene to not only help rebuild their homes, but just as importantly to help them begin the process of rebuilding their lives."
In addition to financial assistance, these are some of the contributions Fletcher Allen and its employees made to recovery efforts:
• Delivered 10,000 masks, 820 bath blankets, 200 bath towels, and 24 cases of hand sanitizer to the Vermont Red Cross in Rutland.
• Staffed a wound care clinic in cooperation with the Waterbury Ambulance Service, and donated tetanus vaccine to the clinic.
• Provided hundreds of sandwiches and other food to volunteers in Waterbury.
• Volunteered to answer calls made to the Vermont Emergency Response 2-1-1 hotline.
• Continue to provide care to patients displaced by the flooding of the Vermont State Hospital.
Employees also donated 800 hours of time-off to colleagues directly affected by the storm – a value of more than $20,000 – and $825 has been contributed to the LeRoyer Fund which offers financial assistance to employees with emergency needs.
Fletcher Allen Contributions to Irene Recovery
One example of volunteer activity involves five employees from Acute Therapy who spent a day clearing tons of silt and rocks from the yard of Jill Jesso-White of Hancock. Becky McQueen, Johanne Fradette, Judy Brodowski, Andrea McBride and Heather Collins used shovels, wheelbarrows and a tractor to clear debris that was one to two feet thick.
“I like to help and I knew so many people were worse off than I was. It was great to see how appreciative they were of our efforts,” said Physical Therapist Assistant Becky McQueen.
“When I stepped out onto my front porch in the flood’s aftermath and saw what lay before me, it took my breath away,” said Jesso-White. “Even though we were not as seriously affected as some, I didn’t have any idea where to start to cleanup. To have these Fletcher Allen volunteers arrive and lend a hand was just wonderful. Their spirit as they dug-in was infectious. It was then I knew that we would recover.”
“These efforts are a natural extension of what we do every day at Fletcher Allen - work together to help the people and communities we serve,” said John R. Brumsted, M.D., interim president and CEO. “I’m proud of the generous response of our employees and want to thank everyone who has given of themselves to support victims of this devastating storm.”
About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia.
Photo Information
Fletcher Allen Health Care staff cleared tons of dirt and rocks from the yard of a Hancock resident as part of flood recovery efforts made by the organization. L to R: Judy Brodowski, Heather Collins, Becky McQueen, Johanne Fradette, Andrea McBride
Tractor Photo: Johanne Fradette of Fletcher Allen Health Care drives a tractor while clearing tons of dirt and rock from the yard of a Hancock resident as part of flood recovery efforts made by the organization
