The Summer Gala—Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation’s signature fundraising event and the region’s premier philanthropic occasion—netted nearly $1 million to support a Dartmouth Health Family Medicine Residency at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in downtown Bennington.
The event, which raised more than $981,000 and welcomed nearly 350 guests to the 1768 Hubbell Homestead in Bennington, launched a new capital campaign to build a Family Medicine Residency in downtown Bennington as part of Phase II of the Putnam Block project. The residency will serve as the anchor tenant of the five-story building.
“This is the launch of a momentous project for our region that will improve access to primary care for years to come,” said SVMC President and CEO Estevan Garcia, MD, DrPH. “We could not do this without the backing of Dartmouth Health and the support of our community. The excitement and optimism surrounding this project were evident in the generosity our Gala guests demonstrated.”
The residency, which is expected to welcome its first cohort of physicians in 2029, will attract six resident physicians each year for a three-year training program. Nearly 60% of residents remain in the communities where they train, creating a pipeline of providers who will live and work in the region.
Dartmouth Health President and CEO Joanne Conroy, MD, and Andrew Perron, MD, associate dean of graduate medical education at the Geisel School of Medicine, attended the Gala in support of the official launch of the residency campaign.
“This is truly the first step in transforming SVMC into a teaching hospital, where we can foster future generations of clinical experts who will be invested in this region,” Garcia said.
The event included presentation of SVMC’s Vision Awards. The Sean L. Casey Distinguished Community Service Award was presented to long-time SVHC Trustee Wayne Granquist for his work in healthcare and nonprofit governance. The Health Care Leadership Award was presented to Trey Dobson, MD, for his 20-year career at SVMC, furthering clinical excellence.
Leslie Keefe, vice president of corporate development, congratulated the winners and thanked the generous sponsors, donors, and committee members who made the evening possible.
“Our volunteer committees made this an exceptional evening,” said Keefe. “They embraced the importance of this project and helped us deliver that message to our Gala guests. Together with our sponsors, staff, and vendors, they helped create an evening that truly exemplified the theme of ‘Growing Our Own.’”
The Summer Gala Committee included co-chairs Caroline Maran Ivanov and Monique Geannelis, along with Rachel Caswell, Vicki Jerome, Carol Patterson, Caryn Packard, and Janet Thibodeau.
The Summer Gala Honorary Committee included co-chairs Susie Hunter and Doug Watson, co-chairs Sallyan and Steve Pelletier, Susan and Lael Kellett, Topsy and Andrew King, Wenke and Bill Sterns, Mary-Anne and Bob Van Degna, Debbie and Bill Wight, and Susan Willetts and Alan Pritz.
Summer Gala event sponsors were Tom Green and Kristen Johanson, Susie Hunter and Doug Watson, and Sallyan and Steve Pelletier.
Title sponsors were Allaire Health Services, Mack, and Salas O’Brien.
Presenting sponsors were Alfred Weissman Real Estate, LLC; Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Bevin; Coggins Auto Group; Kathy Fisher and Rocco Maggiotto; Hubbell Homestead; Deborah and John Larkin; rk Miles; Wenke and Bill Sterns; and Susan Willetts and Alan Pritz.
Lead sponsors were Joanne Conroy, MD; George and Jackie Keady; and Norene Peck.
Supporting sponsors included The Rowley Agency, a Gallagher Company; Allison & Walker Kimball; and SMRT Architects & Engineers.
Host sponsors included Bank of Bennington; Cardinal Land Properties—Scott Seidel and Diane Cardinal-Seidel; Drs. Carol Conroy and Anders Rhodin; Jenny and Leon Coutu; The Gift Garden; William Hoyt; Caroline and Vlad Ivanov; and VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region.
Shuttle sponsors were Jason P. Morrissey, Attorney at Law, and Mt. Anthony Primary Care, Gregory King, MD.
The SVHC Foundation’s Community Business Partners include Ihasz & Associates, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Tyler Electric Security, and Wassick Tire Service.
Learn more about the event at summergala.com.
About Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
For more than a century, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) has delivered world-class care and comfort to every patient. Today, SVMC encompasses eight locations across Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts, including a 99-bed hospital and 23 primary and specialty care services. SVMC’s exceptional health teams possess expertise in everything from oncology to orthopedics. Our clinical strength has earned national attention, including six consecutive designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. Since joining Dartmouth Health in 2023, SVMC has expanded treatment options and services to keep patients closer to home for world-class care. As the largest employer in southwestern Vermont, SVMC is deeply invested in the region, engaging with the community through wellness initiatives, support of local nonprofit organizations and involvement in economic development. SVMC has robust volunteer leadership, at many levels, that help guide and govern the organization, ensuring SVMC continues to serve the patient and staff needs of today, and tomorrow.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.