Three Vermont residents, including a legislator, nurse, department chief, and a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing and maintaining Vermont’s health care workforce, are being recognized for making outstanding contributions to Bi-State Primary Care Association’s mission to “promote access to effective and affordable primary care and preventive services for all, with special emphasis on underserved populations in Vermont and New Hampshire.” Bi-State Primary Care Association will present the awards at its 2015 Primary Care Conference attended by nearly 200 health care industry leaders, educators, and practitioners.
The Chair Award, honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Bi-State’s mission of ensuring access to health care for vulnerable populations, will be presented to Rep. George Till, MD, Vermont House of Representatives.
The Public Service Award, honoring individuals whose position allows them to make extraordinary contributions in the area of public health and primary care access, will be presented to John Olson, M.Ed, Chief of the VT State Office of Rural health and Primary Care in the VT Department of Health.
The Outstanding Clinician Award, honoring primary care clinicians whose exemplary skills and service have made a significant impact on the health of underserved populations and the community in which they serve, will be presented to Marlene Bristol, Family Nurse Practitioner, Little Rivers Health Care.
The Community Service Award, honoring individuals and organizations whose volunteer efforts have made a significant impact on vulnerable populations, will be presented to Elizabeth Cote for the Vermont Area Health Education Center Network.
The Senator Bernie Sanders Leadership Award will be presented to Dan Hawkins, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Research in the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Established in 1986, Bi-State Primary Care Association is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Bi-State’s annual Primary Care Conference features experts in health care policy and practice at the federal, state, and local level and attracts a large audience of primary care administrators, clinicians, and policymakers.