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Articles by Shawn Tester
Guest Column: Patriotism is not a dirty word
A few months ago, rummaging through some old memorabilia, I came across a large bronze commemorative medallion my grandfather gave me during our nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. I was only 5 years old at the time, but I still remember the exuberance and pride that seemed to fill every corner of our community — flags waving from front porches, parades winding through town, and fireworks lighting up the summer sky. Even our little town of Kirby joined in the celebration.
Patriotism is not a dirty word
Commentaries are opinion pieces contributed by readers and newsmakers. VTDigger strives to publish a variety of views from a broad range of Vermonters. Commentaries give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a commentary, follow the instructions here. This commentary is by Shawn Tester, the chief executive officer of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital.
Commentary | Shawn Tester: Our independent schools aren't a luxury — they're a lifeline
I grew up on my grandparents' farm in the Northeast Kingdom. It's where I learned what community means — not as an abstraction, but through tangible examples – as the neighbor who helps you pull a tractor out of the mud, the teacher that sees something in a kid that no one else does, the hospital that's there when everything else falls apart. My grandparents are buried on that land. I have always hoped I would be, too. For me, like many rural Vermonters, that hope feels less certain every year.
Our independent schools aren’t a luxury, but a lifeline
Commentaries are opinion pieces contributed by readers and newsmakers. VTDigger strives to publish a variety of views from a broad range of Vermonters. Commentaries give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a commentary, follow the instructions here. This commentary is by Shawn Tester, who is the CEO of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. I grew up on my grandparents’ farm in the Northeast Kingdom.
Tester: Independent schools not a luxury, they're a lifeline
I grew up on my grandparents’ farm in the Northeast Kingdom. It’s where I learned what community means — not as an abstraction, but through tangible examples — as the neighbor who helps you pull a tractor out of the mud, the teacher who sees something in a kid that no one else does, the hospital that’s there when everything else falls apart. My grandparents are buried on that land. I have always hoped I would be, too. For me, like many rural Vermonters, that hope feels less certain every year.
Tester: Our independent schools aren't a luxury — they're a lifeline
by Shawn Tester, CEO, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital I grew up on my grandparents' farm in the Northeast Kingdom. It's where I learned what community means — not as an abstraction, but as the neighbor who helps you pull a tractor out of the mud, the school that sees something in a kid that no one else does, the hospital that's there when everything else falls apart. My grandparents are buried on that land. I had always hoped I would be, too. That hope feels less certain every year.
Shawn Tester: Our Independent Schools Aren’t A Luxury — They’re a Lifeline
I grew up on my grandparents’ farm in the Northeast Kingdom. It’s where I learned what community means — not as an abstraction, but through tangible examples – as the neighbor who helps you pull a tractor out of the mud, the teacher who sees something in a kid that no one else does, the hospital that’s there when everything else falls apart. My grandparents are buried on that land. I have always hoped I would be, too. For me, like many rural Vermonters, that hope feels less certain every year.
Frank & Tester: Rural Vermonters deserve great health care
by Tom Frank & Shawn Tester For North County Hospital (NCH) in Newport (Orleans County) and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) in St. Johnsbury (Caledonia County), collaboration and team work to protect local access to services, keep costs down and provide great care to our neighbors in the Northeast Kingdom is essential to serve the vast region we cover.
The NVRH Budget Season Is Upon Us
Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is your local community hospital. We are committed to ensuring access to the primary, specialty, and critical healthcare services that you need in your own backyard-all in service of our mission, "Committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all." The recent tragic flooding that has impacted our region, both in the last month, as well as last year, highlights just how important local access to care is.
Working Together For Solutions To Unique Challenges Of Our Health System
It's easy to take local healthcare for granted. However, our systems are under tremendous strain. These challenges are well-documented: lack of workforce, especially in nursing; a strained mental health system; an aging population in need of more care... These challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic and made more complicated by significant inflationary pressures in the years that followed. Our healthcare system - locally and nationally - is both complex and fragile.
Strong, Local Healthcare Vital To Patients And Community
Two years ago, I turned 50. And although celebrating that half-century mark during the pandemic meant there was no big birthday bash, there was one ritual that I could not miss: my first colonoscopy. This routine procedure involves complex systems and highly trained professionals. Although the actual procedure takes a couple hours, it requires an Operating Room, supportive nursing staff, diagnostic imaging technicians, a nurse anesthetist, and surgeon.
Shawn Tester: The Importance Of NVU To Our Community And Workforce
My relationship with Northern Vermont University and the Lyndon campus runs long and deep. My mother, in her 20s, chose to focus on raising my sister and me while working in the family business, and never attended college until her early 30s. Always a hard worker, by the early 80s she had enrolled in business classes at Lyndon State College and was able to balance work, raising a family and attending classes to receive her associate’s degree.
Shawn Tester & Michael Rousse: Please Wear A Mask
Like all of you, those of us working in healthcare have scrambled to change our behavior and modify our procedures as information about the coronavirus has evolved. Especially confusing was the information about wearing a mask. Initially we were told we didn’t need to wear a mask, doing so might make the mask shortage for essential workers worse, and it wouldn’t make much of a difference in stopping the spread of COVID19 anyway.
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