Southern Vermont AHEC

Dr. Morris and Dr. Angier are to be commended for their interviews. They presented an excellent summary of the primary care landscape, and how AHEC has played an integral role in helping to build and sustain that workforce through its pipeline programs spanning middle school to medical school, including the AHEC Scholars Program.

National AHEC Organization Vermont Department of Health

Airing today!

A new episode of UVM Extension's Across the Fence featuring Anne Morris, M.D., associate dean for primary care and AHEC at the University of Vermont Office of Primary Care and AHEC Program, associate professor of family medicine at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont, and family medicine physician at University of Vermont Health, and Robin Tucker Angier, M.D.'26, resident at the University of Vermont Medical Center - Family Medicine, is going live this afternoon.

The duo weighed in on and reflected on the question of "How do we Keep More Family Medicine Practitioners in Vermont?"

Ways to watch:
- Tune in to WCAX-TV-3 at 12:15 pm following the news at noon
- Access the WCAX-3 Livestream at 12:15 pm
- Download the WCAX-3 app on your phone and watch the livestream at 12:15 pm
- Watch the prerecorded episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4y4ft6a

We’re so grateful to writer Nicholas Boke for shining a light on Ashton’s inspiring story in this week’s Chester Telegraph!

The article beautifully captures Ashton’s resilience, determination, and drive to shape his future career choices. His experience with Southern Vermont AHEC’s MedQuest Summer Program at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center gave him the opportunity to explore health careers field firsthand—and to begin seeing what might be possible for his future.

We are happy to be part of Ashton's journey.

Read Ashton's inspirational story by clicking on link below.

A Perspective on Growth: A boy forges path to adulthood with help from family, organizations | The Chester Telegraph : The Chester Telegraph By Nicholas Boke ife now seems to be coming together for 18-year-old Ashton Briere, unlike just a few years ago when he could barely read or write, living in Claremont, N.H., with little adult supervision and almost never attending school. “I had behavioral problems,” Briere says today. “And I...

25 years ago today.....

Our AHEC Scholars and Research Track Mentors, Alannah Garrison and Michael Mosqueda, rising second-year students at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont, (LCOM),recently presented their project, “Impact of Legal Recreational Cannabis on Motor-Vehicle Crash Rates in Vermont: A Decade-Long Analysis (2015–2025),” to 50 attendees at the AHEC Summer Research/QI Track Presentations and Closing Meeting held at LCOM. Alysia Straw, Director of Programs (Faculty) was present at this event along with collaborator, Corey Burchman, MD, Managing Partner, Pavilion Group LLC and Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. We want to extend a special thanks to Dr. Charlie MacLean with LCOM who helped guide the researchers by connecting them with resources as well as providing and analyzing important data and participating in their weekly team meetings.

The study examines Vermont crash trends before and after recreational cannabis retail sales began in October 2022, accounting for factors such as traffic volume, seat-belt use, and alcohol consumption. Findings may help inform traffic safety policies, prevention strategies, and public health interventions. Their research will be published at a later date.

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Meet CSHIP Rising Star Interns Alana Harty and Ella Stainton and the dynamic duo behind a delicious and nutritious internship project!

Alana Harty, a recent graduate of the University of Vermont majored in Nutrition and Food Science with a minor in Chemistry. Her internship partner, Ella Stainton, is a rising junior at the of Richmond, studying Biology, with minors in Entrepreneurship and Public Health.

Together Alana and Ella brought their science, nutrition, and problem solving skills to the Central Vermont Council on Aging in Barre, Vermont where they took on the challenge that was much more complex than simply coming up with tasty recipes.

Their mission? Create a series of healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes for older adults and people with diabetes-recipes that balance low sodium with plenty of protein and fiber, while still being delicious.

The recipes will come to life through a series of cooking videos for “New England Cooks-Tasty Bites,” hosted by Brielle Sedergren, and broadcast on Central Vermont Television in Barre.

Check the videos out at https://newenglandcooks.com/tasty-bites

From researching ingredients to meeting nutrition standards to making sure it all tasted good, Alana and Ella proved healthy eating doesn’t have to complicated.

Alana shared, “It was gratifying to create an educational resource like these videos that so many people can easily access.”

Ella added, “I love to cook, and this internship deepened my knowledge about food preparation, and how important food can be tied to overall health.”

Both Alana and Ella plan to pursue careers in medicine with a focus on rural and underserved communities. Very inspiring!



Central Vermont Council on Aging Vermont Health Careers National AHEC Organization Vermont Department of Health New England Cooks

A huge thank you to the communications department at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont for spotlighting our Vermont AHEC Summer programs, and the incredible medical students and Vermont AHEC Scholars who mentor this next generation of health professionals.

https://www.uvm.edu/larnermed/medcommunications/news/larner-medical-students-mentor-vermont-high-schoolers-interested

Vermont Health Careers National AHEC Organization North Star Health Governor's Institutes of VT Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center

Larner Medical Students Mentor Vermont High Schoolers... | The University of Vermont

Meet CSHIP Rising Star Intern Amina Ali!

This summer, Amina Ali, a rising sophomore, biological sciences major at the University of Vermont, turned her passion for health and wellness into meaningful action as a wellness coach with Come Alive Outside's Free Summer Wellness Coaching Program through our College Student Health Internship (CSHIP) Program.

As a CSHIP intern, Amina connected with 15 individuals across Vermont, meeting with them every other week to help set realistic wellness goals — from reducing stress and improving overall health to becoming more physically active. Along the way, she checked in, listened, encouraged, and celebrated progress with her clients.

For Amina, the experience was about much more than coaching.

“Each scenario with my client was unique. I loved hearing their stories and guiding them to reach their goals.”

Through her internship, Amina strengthened her time management, communication, and active listening skills — and discovered something important about her own future.

“My time as a wellness coach helped me to realize I wanted to work in the medical field.”

Come Alive Outside Executive Director Arwen Turner saw that same dedication firsthand.

“Amina brought a warm, thoughtful, and encouraging presence to her work with participants. She has a natural ability to make people feel comfortable and supported, while also helping them think about wellness in a way that feels realistic and accessible.”

Amina’s commitment, compassion, and genuine investment in others made a lasting impact on the participants she worked with — and on the Come Alive Outside team.

We’re so proud to celebrate Amina as a CSHIP Rising Star and wish her all the best as she continues her journey toward a career in health care!

Vermont Health Careers National AHEC Organization Vermont Department of Health Community Health Northern Vermont AHEC Workforce In Motion

Meet CSHIP Rising Star Intern Sophia Hamm!

We’re excited to shine a spotlight on Sophia Hamm, a Brattleboro native, rising junior, and nursing major at Simmons University, who has been making a meaningful impact through her College Student Health Internship Program (CSHIP) with The Collaborative in Londonderry, VT.

Over the past few months, Sophia has taken on an important project ,helping to revise four one-page policy guides focused on alcohol, cannabis, to***co, and equity. These guides will be used by the Bennington County Regional Commission

Sophia has been collecting data, redesigning layouts, and making sure the information is relevant, accessible, and useful to communities. The guides will help towns better understand how municipal planning and environmental ordinances can support substance misuse prevention and healthier communities.

“I have learned so much in this internship like project management and self-discipline. More importantly, with my supervisor’s guidance, I have made this project my own. I now see the broader role of nursing in a community setting, and what a career in public health nursing might look like.”

Victoria Silsby, Prevention Coordinator and Sophia’s supervisor, has been impressed by her dedication:

“Sophia has embraced the important and often overlooked third component of substance misuse prevention—policy, also known as environmental strategies.”

Victoria adds that Sophia’s diligent research and attention to detail have helped her understand how policy can create lasting, positive impacts on community health.

Sophia’s work is a great example of how prevention, public health, nursing, and community planning intersect to build healthier communities.

We’re proud to have Sophia as part of the CSHIP family and can’t wait to see where her passion for public health takes her next!



Vermont Health Careers Northern Vermont AHEC Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) Vermont Department of Health North Star Health

A powerful new exhibition is on display at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

"Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories—Vermont" opened July 11 and runs through November 1, 2026. This free exhibition shares the personal stories and original graphite portraits of Vermonters who lost their lives to substance use disorder, putting human faces and voices at the center of the addiction crisis.

Created from photographs, memories, and stories submitted by families across Vermont, each portrait and narrative honors a life while challenging the stigma surrounding addiction. More than an art exhibition, it is an opportunity to foster understanding, compassion, and meaningful community conversation.

This exhibition was created from Vermont lives, for Vermont communities. Following its Brattleboro run, a reproduction of the exhibition will travel throughout the state so more Vermonters can experience these powerful stories.

Admission is free. We hope you'll join them in honoring those we've lost and helping to end the stigma surrounding substance use disorder.

Learn more:
🌐 https://www.intolightproject.org/
🌐 https://www.vamhar.org/

Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Brattleboro Retreat The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery