WESTON, Vt. – Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray met with community leaders, nonprofit service providers, and some of their clients at the New Thought Vermont facility in Weston to discuss local needs and ways that the state government can help.
The primary focus of the forum was to have a dialogue with the Lt. Governor about the unique health and social service needs of residents of the mountain towns. These Vermont towns – Londonderry, South Londonderry, Weston, Andover, Peru, Landgrove, in particular – are minimally 25 miles from any hospital, 45 miles from Southern Vermont Medical Center, 65 miles from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and 100 miles from University of Vermont Medical Center.
This presents residents with a myriad of issues including equitable access to healthcare specialties, mental health services, and transportation. This geographic area is underserved in terms of services that are available in the more densely populated areas of the state. As stated during the forum, “Being labeled a ‘gold town’ does not translate into improved access to or availability of services.” Besides health and social services, discussions touched on lack of broadband, internet difficulties, poor cell phone service, and Covid-related loneliness, isolation, and sadness.
A number of community members shared stories of how they have been helped by the organizations represented at the meeting, including My Community Nurse Project, HCRS, Neighborhood Connections, Mountain Valley Health Clinic, and Vermont Center for Independent Living.
Lt. Governor Gray was especially moved by a 94-year-old veteran of World War II, Mark Cosmedy, who spoke poignantly and eloquently about the isolation he experienced during this pandemic, especially after the passing of his wife, his family living far away, and the deaths of many friends. He said, “My Community Nurse Project gave me a connection, a feeling of hopefulness and a reason to live.”
Lt. Governor Gray responded, “Mark got his life back thanks to a community organization that cared. I will take this message back to Montpelier with my commitment to doing what I can to increase recognition and support for these local efforts.”
Acknowledging the limited resources available, suggestions focused on streamlining existing systems to allow people in distress to have more immediate access to assistance. Lack of affordable housing for workers was mentioned in conjunction with difficulties in recruiting and retaining healthcare and social service providers.
The Lt. Governor listened, asked questions, took notes, and emphasized her commitment to representing these concerns to the Legislature. She also suggested organizing a fact-finding visit by legislators to provide them with a better grasp of the unique needs of the mountain towns as well as to celebrate the grassroots efforts of our local health and social service agencies on behalf of residents.