2020 Annual Report

Healthcare in the
Time of COVID-19
In September of 2020, as Rutland Regional Medical Center closed
out its fiscal year, the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic remained
uncertain. Vaccines were still several months in the future, and
the health system and our communities continued to focus on
preventing the spread of the virus.
“If we could put the star
up, maybe it would raise
the spirits – even if it’s
only one person.”
Howie Stratton, Lead HVAC Technician
Maintenance & Engineering
The year began with optimism and hope. We were looking ahead to
completing the renovations of the Foley Cancer Center, not to mention
the grand opening of the Thomas W. Huebner Medical Office Building,
slated for June. In addition, we launched needed renovations for our Psychiatric Services Inpatient Unit. Then everything
changed, and the fight against COVID-19 began. This hospital responded in so many ways, and we could not be more proud.
Together, we worked to protect our patients, our community, and one another, and to ensure that Rutland Regional continued
to be available to anyone who needed care throughout the pandemic. Soon, the abnormal became routine, and we learned
how to navigate the storm. After the initial shutdown, we reopened our clinics, opened the Medical Office Building, and
established a new normal.
Hope is on the horizon. Each day, more people are vaccinated, and our community moves closer to a return to normalcy.
Although the pandemic is far from over, we can look ahead to brighter days of backyard parties and filled sports arenas.
Through it all, Rutland Regional has played a crucial role. We protected our staff and through them the community; provided
reliable information on the pandemic and the vaccine; and led the way in community vaccinations.
This year brought unprecedented loss and struggle to every community and every hospital in the world. And still, there is no
place we would rather have been than standing alongside the dedicated caregivers of Rutland Regional.
Sincerely,
Claudio Fort,
President and CEO
Joe Kraus,
Chair, Board of Directors
“I respect and enjoy working with our Board
of Directors and our outstanding leadership
team. My hope is that we continue on our
path to becoming the best community
healthcare system in New England.”
Joe Kraus
2020–2021 Board of Directors & Bios
A Sign of Hope
Early on in the pandemic, at the end of March, Howie
Stratton had an idea: to relight the holiday star on the
roof of the hospital. Howie, who has worked in the
Maintenance & Engineering Department at Rutland
Regional for 25 years, said “I just wanted to build
people’s spirits up and show a sign of solidarity.”
Little did he know that this gesture would start a global
movement. A Facebook page was started, Help Vermont
Light Up the World, and a movement took hold around
the globe. Soon, lighted and painted stars began to
appear on front lawns, windows and front doors worldwide.
This single idea pulled communities and people
together and brought hope and light during a very dark
and uncertain time. Howie tells the story of lighting the
star: A Sign of Hope.