About Us

About Us:  Our History, Governance & Stratetic Initiatives

Wednesday, October 7, 1908
News & Citizen
“This may be sufficient for an introduction at this time when we would pause hesitatingly and reluctantly on the threshold of that severest of seasons--winter, and  almost unthinkingly ask what it has in store for us, that season when there is more pain, sickness and misery, than at other times, on account of climactically conditions, that season when we should all have the greatest charity toward our fellow men, and the spirit of charity especially toward those who are the most needy, I am going to introduce the topic of this article--A Consideration of the Founding of a Hospital in Morrisville.”
Dr. George. L. Bates

Through the energy of Dr. George L. Bates and the philanthropic support of Alexander Hamilton Copley, the idea introduced in 1908 became a reality in 1932, as Copley Hospital first opened its doors. For more than 72 years, Copley has been serving the needs of the community. Over time we have grown as the community has gown and changed to meet the changing needs of those we serve.

Copley is a non-profit provider of health care in both Lamoille County and the towns that surround it. As members of our community, you govern over your community hospital by electing volunteer trustees each year to overseeing management, setting strategic direction and creating policy that ensures the community is well served.

Copley Health Systems is made up of several different businesses. The first and most obvious is Copley Hospital. In addition to the hospital, we have an orthopedic practice, Mansfield Orthopaedics (www.mansfieldorthopaedics.com), and two residential properties, Copley Terrace and Copley Woodlands, who do not offer any direct healthcare but insure the community stays healthy & well.   Our core services; Primary Care, Women's and Children's Services, Emergency Services, General Surgery and Orthopedics is made up of  primary and specialty care health providers who work side by side with the many private (physician owned) affiliate providers in our community that together make up the Copley Medical Staff.  Last...but certainly not least, Copley Hospital Foundation works within the community to solicit philanthropic support for the hospital ensuring that it will be here to meet its mission as we move into the future.

GOVERNANCE
2010 Board of Trustees
Elizabeth Rouse (Board Chair), retired professional, Hyde Park
Dana Wildes (Vice President), business owner, Morrisville
John Steel (Treasurer), business owner, Stowe
Anne Vitaletti-Coughlin (Secretary), physician, Stowe
Michael Alexander, financial consultant, Stowe
Bryce Breton, professional, Morrisville
Brian Coles, computer programmer, Morrisville
Willa Farrell, social services, East Hardwick
Elaine Nichols, professional, Stowe
 Melvyn Patashnick, president of Copley Hospital,  Morrisville
Nancy Putnam, professional, Jeffersonville
Jan Roy, retired educator, Wolcott
 Joel Silverstein, MD, president of Copley Medical Staff, Hyde Park
Brian Smale, MD, physician, Morrisville
 Mark Woodward, business owner and former legislator, Johnson
David Yacovone, professional and Selectboard member, Morrisville

Copley Hospital is a private non-profit organization that believes in holding ourselves accountable to the community we serve and our governance structure reflects those values. The hospital is governed by bylaws and a volunteer Board of Trustees. Each trustee is a corporate member and lives or works in Copley Hospital's service area and provides professional expertise pertinent to the governing of a community non-profit organization. They serve as volunteers; they are not paid for their service on the board.

Corporate Members guide the governance of the hospital by approving proposed bylaw changes and electing trustees representative of the community to govern the hospital.

Corporate Members are asked to serve a three year term and are invited to attend the annual meeting in January and the community forum in September. As with trustees, Copley strives for membership representative of the community with a range of skills and talents pertinent to the governing of a community non-profit health care resource.  People interested in serving as a corporate member must be 18 years or older and live part or full time in Copley’s service area or be employed in Copley’s service area. In the case of physicians or other health care professionals, they must also be credentialed by Copley. An application for membership must be submitted by November 1. The application is available by contacting the Executive Assistant to the President of Copley at 802-888-8157.  The hospital also promotes the application process each fall in local newspapers.

Board Meeting Times
The full board of trustees meet on the second Monday of every month (except August) at 5:00 p.m. to discuss and make policy decisions.

Contact the board
For more information on Copley’s governance and board activities, please contact Nancy Sweeney, Executive Assistant to the President at (802) 888-8157, email nsweeney at chsi.org or write to Copley Hospital, 528 Washington Highway, Morrisville, VT 05661.

To receive a copy of the annual report
Visit www.copleyvt.org or contact Copley’s Community Relations office at (802) 888-8302 or write to Copley Hospital, 528 Washington Highway, Morrisville, VT 05661 Attention Community Relations.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Reaching out to the community to achieve meaningful public participation is integral to Copley’s success and mission of meeting the healthcare needs of the community.
 
Copley gathers and analyzes information about the greater Lamoille Valley community and its healthcare needs through various means, including: 

            -Copley Hospital is governed by a volunteer board of trustees comprised of local citizens representing a cross section of the community served. These community members donate their time to guide the implementation of Copley Hospital’s mission. They provide direct community input into the decision making of and strategic planning for Copley Hospital.

-Community needs are assessed on an ongoing basis utilizing an annual Community Forum,  the annual meeting, an informal community needs assessment process, discussions with business leaders, patient satisfaction surveys and an annual review of the summary of Vermonters’ health, health practices and behavioral risks in our service area as outlined by the Vermont Department of Health.

            -Copley Hospital maintains a strong level of involvement in the majority of community groups within our service area, collaborating with community leaders, business owners, legislators and other healthcare providers and local government officials.  These include but are not limited to civic organizations such as the Rotary, battered women’s shelter, chambers of commerce, downtown business groups, select boards, school boards, rescue squads and more.  We encourage our staff to be ambassadors of Copley within their home communities. This supports a broader approach to having a two way dialog with people we serve.

-Copley Hospital works collaboratively with other organizations to identify and meet community health needs.  Our collaborations include but are not limited to:   Blueprint for Health Community Activation and Support Work group, Friends of Lamoille Youth led by the United Way; 4-H; Lamoille Family Health Coalition with the Vermont Department of Health, Lamoille Valley Fit & Healthy Council, Lamoille Valley Tobacco Task Force, Leadership Lamoille, Morristown Recreational Committee, and Nutritional & Physical Activity Policy State Wide in partnership the with American Heart Association.

Copley Hospital also achieves openness and inclusiveness through its corporate members who hold the responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the community are represented. Our members are included in Copley Hospital’s twice yearly community meetings which are open to the public: the Annual Meeting in January and the Community Forum in September. Both meetings are publicized in the local newspapers and on local radio stations in advance.

In addition, Copley has an active volunteer program, with more than 135 volunteers performing a variety of roles. In 2009, more than 17,000  hours of service were donated.

Copley publishes a quarterly newsletter, Copley Courier,  that includes news about the hospital, wellness and health education-related articles and a calendar of Wellness classes and events. The newsletter is distributed as a newspaper insert throughout our service area.  We also utilize news releases to local media, some direct mail and email, Copley’s website (www.copleyvt.org) and the hospital’s Annual Report to keep the community apprised of opportunities to participate with the hospital.  

Copley Hospital also hosts other events and meetings throughout the year that allow community members to be directly involved in our work. These are advertised in our local newspapers, on our website, via email and mail. Information is also available by calling Community Relations at 802-888-8302.

Based upon Copley Hospital’s service area needs, the strategic planning process identified several initiatives that are currently planned or underway.

In the area of Improving Access and Affordability of Health Care Services in the community, Copley has contributed in several ways.

            -The Hospital continues to recruit providers, collaborating with other area hospitals to share the services of one provider so both communities’ needs are met.

            -Our Hospitalist program frees family practitioners to spend more time providing office-based care, increasing access to community members.

            -Copley Hospital expanded its Outpatient Services Center, including its Sleep Study Clinic, to better meet the area’s need for Sleep Medicine.  The expansion will also enable more access to more Outpatient Services, including Urogynecology and Cardiology.

            -Copley is implementing an Electronic Medical Record

            -Our Patient Account Representatives assist the public in identifying and applying for insurance programs where needed.

 
In the area of promoting Wellness and Prevention:

            -Copley’s Wellness Center offers Tobacco Cessation, Diabetes Management Education, Childbirth, First Aid and other prevention-related classes.

            -Copley collaborates with AHEC to bring Healthier Living Workshops to our community.

            -Graduates of our Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs may continue to use our Rehabilitation Gym for their ongoing physical fitness program. They also have access to our “Better Breather Support Network,” a support group for those living with COPD.

            -Copley Hospital is participating in preparing for integration of Vermont’s Blueprint fro Health.

            -Copley successfully piloted a Workplace Wellness program with one of the area’s largest employers.  The program, which offers 1:1 care and group classes at worksites, is now expanding, working with more businesses in the area, impacting families throughout the region.

            -Copley’s Wellness Center offers free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings monthly in Johnson and Hardwick.

Copley continues to improve the coordination of care between the hospital and other community healthcare providers, organizations and agencies. Current initiatives are related to Women’s Services, Cardiology, Oncology and Orthopaedics.
 
To obtain a copy of our Annual Report, strategic and capital plans, depreciation schedule, volunteer and/or obtain information about public events, please contact:

 
Copley Hospital
Attn:  Community Relations
528 Washington Highway
Morrisville, VT 05661
Phone:  802-888-8302