Wendy Vann is an extraordinary nurse, and Vermont is lucky to have her! She consistently goes above and beyond for patients on a daily basis.

We frequently receive calls about complicated patients who poorly manage their diabetes. This one patient called with her blood sugars crazy high and no way to monitor them. Her CGM was broken, and she was waiting for a replacement, and she did not have a meter at home. This patient is on a fixed income, and her insurance would not cover a new meter. Wendy not only handled the critically high sugar levels, but she also called HOPE and organized a free meter for her to monitor her sugar levels at home. After telling the patient the great news, she learned that the patient did not have transportation to pick up the testing supplies. Wendy then arranged with the Project Independence nurse to pick up the supplies at HOPE and bring them to the patient at Project Independence. Wendy did this over her lunch break, and just to add to her dedication, it was a torrential downpour.

There was also another patient who was having a lot of mental health problems. Wendy talked with him, and through their conversation, he said he was willing to seek inpatient treatment. He did not want to go to the ED or UVMMC. He had agreed to seek inpatient treatment at RRMC. Wendy called the ED intake and was told she could fill out a form and fax it back, and he would be placed on a list. He recently came to the office to see his PCP and asked to see Wendy. I assume to thank her for the empathetic treatment she provided him in his vulnerable state.

I am lucky that she is my coworker, and I am able to work with and learn from her. The patients at Primary Care Middlebury are truly blessed that she is a part of their medical team as well.