Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC), a Dartmouth Health member, has named Lori Vitali, a housekeeper, the hospital’s Employee of the Month for August 2024. The hospital recognizes employees who consistently exceed expectations with reliability and daily dedication to their work.
In her role, Vitali helps maintain patient rooms, offices, hallways and other areas of the hospital. She regularly interacts with patients, visitors, other staff and the community at large. She joined MAHHC in January 2023, and Maggie Moore, MSN, APRN, nominated her for this recognition.
James Newhall, Vitali’s supervisor, also had positive experiences with Vitali: “Last month, a patient made the difficult decision to move towards comfort care only and was started on a morphine drip. Today, upon visiting the patient, I observed Lori taking her coffee break at the patient’s bedside to bring them comfort. This did not surprise me, as Lori always has kind words, and I love that she still maintains contact with what she calls ‘my patients’ from the Pedi floor at DH, where she previously worked,” said Newhall.
“Lori is an asset to our hospital, and her kindness makes the hard days easier. Lori works hard at her cleaning job and does it out of love and respect. Her wonderful attention to detail is proven by often being observed cleaning things twice to make sure they look good for patients and visitors. Lori will do anything asked of her with a smile on her face. It is an honor working with Lori,” Newhall continued.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.
About Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
Founded in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) is a not-for-profit community hospital network in Vermont, including the critical access-designated Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Historic Homes of Runnemede, a senior residential care campus, in Windsor, as well as the Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock. A member of the Dartmouth Health system, MAHHC provides primary care and a comprehensive suite of specialty services, along with 25 inpatient beds, a therapeutic pool and an acclaimed, fully modernized 10-bed Acute Rehabilitation Center. Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is dedicated to improving the lives of those it serves and is at the hub of a wide network of community resources that have partnered to cover gaps in services and improve overall population health. One of the largest employers in the area, MAHHC acknowledges its employees as its greatest asset and has been recognized by the Governor's Office with an Excellence in Worksite Wellness award.
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), is a recent recipient of Best Practice recognition by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) for health care quality, and is recognized by the American Hospital Association (AHA) as one of the "Most Wired" hospitals for integration of technology to boost clinical performance. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded MAHHC with Level 3 status, the highest level of medical home designation.