FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2014
Contact: Susan Noon
603-228-2830 x 144
snoon@bistatepca.org
THE MOUNTAIN HEALTH CENTER TO RECEIVE AWARD AT BI-STATE CONFERENCE
VERMONT - MAY 7, 2013 – At its Primary Care Conference at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT, on May
13, 2014, the board of directors of Bi-State Primary Care Association will present the Vermont
Community Service award to The Mountain Health Center of northeastern Addison County. This award
honors a person or organization whose volunteer efforts have made a significant impact on the
vulnerable populations of New Hampshire or Vermont.
The Center’s board of directors is a group of citizens from Five Town areas in northeastern
Addison County, Vermont. They come from a variety of backgrounds, within and outside of healthcare.
They are interested in community building and furthering the wellness of families, neighbors, and
friends through improving access to primary care, dental care, and mental healthcare services. They
believe that healthy communities begin with healthy families, neighbors, and friends, and that receiving
support from a primary care physician, dentist, or mental health clinician should not be limited by the
ability to pay. They recognize that healthcare is a basic right to which all are entitled, and are motivated
to turn this belief into reality.
Board members include Jill Mackler, Nancy Marnellos, Barbara Torian, Elissa Close, Michael
Fernandez, Paul Forlenza, Mary Holland, Sarah McClain, Dechen Rheault, Dave Sharpe, and Jen
Peterson.
In 2006, Bi-State became involved with a group of citizens from the Five-Town area surrounding
Bristol, VT. This was an idealistic steering committee that wanted to better the access to primary care
and oral health services in northeastern Addison County. After evaluating various options, the
committee set its sights on the comprehensive Federally Qualified Health Center model. This grassroots
group met monthly, planning community forums, working on needs assessments, developing
relationships with community partners, trying to get traction. In 2008, this group organized as a formal
(and Section 330 compliant) board of directors, the Five-Town Health Alliance, chaired by Starksboro
resident, Elissa Close.
This was a board without a health center, still struggling to get a designation of “underservice”
(which originally was denied) – yet the board persevered, knowing that the health center model was
what the community needed. In 2010, this board, then chaired by Lincoln resident, Nancy Marnellos,
recruited an independent practice, the Mountain Health Center, to this vision and, working with BiState, submitted an initial New Access Point application. This application, while strong, was not funded,
but still the board preserved, even more sure of the model and vision.
In fall 2012, the board together with the independent providers took a leap of faith, and
Mountain Health Center came under the governance of the Five-Town Health Alliance, becoming
compliant with all FQHC requirements and enabling the submission of a New Access Point and a LookAlike application, under the leadership of current board chair Jill Mackler.
On September 26, Five-Town Health Alliance (D/B/A Mountain Health Center) was approved as
a Look-Alike; a month and a half later, the organization was approved as a New Access Point. The
persistent and resolute efforts of the volunteer Mountain Health Center board and the leadership of
these three visionary chairs, through thick and through thin, has resulted in a new health center in
Addison County, significantly impacting health care and access in the region.
The Mountain Health Center will join seven other leaders and organizations from New
Hampshire and Vermont in receiving awards at Bi-State’s 2014 Annual Primary Care Conference at Lake
Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont on May 13th.
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. For more information, please visit www.bistatepca.org.
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