Burkland opens medical practice in Chester; SMCS honors nurse; Stettner recognized for BRAT environmental work; photographer featured in Saxtons River

 Burkland opens medical practice in Chester

Dr. Greg Burkland has opened an office in Chester.

Greg Burkland, ND has opened an office at 295 Main St. in Chester, home of Moon Dog Café, SongYard Children’s Playspace, Sama Yoga and The Art Garden, VT. Dr. Burkland continues to practice Naturopathic Medicine and CranioSacral Therapy at Green Mountain Family Medicine in Rutland, where he has been treating patients for more than seven years.

He has practiced in Chester before and is a Chester resident.

As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Burkland has access to the same diagnostic tools and many of the same treatments as conventional medical doctors, but with a holistic approach to health. Dr. Burkland uses natural therapies such as herbal medicines, diet and lifestyle counseling, nutritional supplementation, hydrotherapy and CranioSacral therapy. He treats patients of all ages and with a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions.

Dr. Burkland received his N.D. from Bastyr University in Seattle, Wash., and is licensed by the state of Vermont. He is in network with and accepts most health insurance plans, including BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont, MVP, Cigna, VHAP, Dr. Dynasaur and Vermont Medicaid.

At his new Chester practice, Dr. Burkland is currently seeing patients as a specialist and not as a primary care physician, asking that his patients maintain their relationships with their current PCPs.

Appointments with Dr. Burkland can be made by calling his office is at 802-289-3072. He is seeing patients in Chester on Mondays from 9-5 by appointment. Additional information on Naturopathic Medicine can be found at www.naturopathic.org. You can also find him on Facebook as Dr. Greg Burkland. A website will be coming soon as well as information on the upcoming free workshops set to begin this summer at The Art Garden, VT, 295B Main St., Chester.

Foster honored with Spirit of Nursing Award

Sherri Foster RN has been honored by Springfield Medical Care Systems

SPRINGFIELD

Springfield Medical Care Systems celebrated National Nurses’ Week last week by recognizing members of its nursing staff, nominated by peers and other employees through out the system. Among the nominees, one nurse was recognized with the Eileen Austin Neal Spirit of Nursing Award. That award, according to Jan Sherer, chief of Patient Care Services at Springfield Hospital, “honors the contributions of Eileen Neal, RN, who spent 60 years caring for patients at Springfield Hospital, and inspires others to love the profession as much as Eileen did.”

This year’s nominees were:

Lori Amato RN – Inpatient Care Unit
Jackie Amidon RN – Inpatient Care Unit
Debbie Brooks RN – Inpatient Care Unit
Nicole Bush RN – Inpatient Care Unit
Deveney Clifford RN – Springfield Hospital Perioperative Services
Heidi Clough-Agoes RN – The Windham Center Inpatient
Sherri Foster RN, BSN – Springfield Area Adult Day Service
Cathy Kurkul RN – The Windham Center Inpatient
Gemma Pentland RN – Inpatient Care Unit
Brook Sherwood RN – Rockingham Medical Group

Sherri Foster was the recipient of the 2014 Eileen Austin Neal Spirit of Nursing Award. Foster’s nomination stated, “The care she gives to her patients at the Adult Day Center is stellar. Many of our clients are elderly, frail, and have both cognitive and physical disabilities. Sherri never fails to understand the pathology of the disease a patient is going through. To her patients, she is their ray of hope, extending a caring hand or a gentle touch to help ease their pain/worries.”

Foster said, “I was extremely honored to be nominated for this special award. … I am so grateful to be able to do the work I do at Springfield Area Adult Day. I am privileged to work with a great team of co-workers. Together we all love the work we do and enjoy helping others improve their emotional and physical well-being and therefore their quality of life.”

Kelly Stettner recognized for environmental work.

BRAT founder given state environmental award

MONTPELIER

A Springfield woman who led efforts to clean up the Black River has been presented the GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award at a Statehouse ceremony.

Kelly Stettner, who founded the Black River Action Team, which celebrates, cleans up and protects the Black River in southeastern Vermont, was selected from eight nominees for the annual award, named for famed osprey advocate Meeri Zetterstrom. The award comes with $2,500 to continue BRAT’s work.

“Kelly’s spirit, determination and commitment to improve the Black River region inspired hundreds of people,” said Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power. “Through force of will and incredible optimism, Kelly built a broad coalition that collaborated to clean up the river.  And her ongoing focus on environmental education and stewardship will help protect the river for generations to come.”

Stettner founded the Black River Action Team, which began annual river sweeps to clean up pollution in 2000. Just four volunteers helped out that first year, cleaning up just 100 feet of the river; hundreds of people now volunteer for BRAT, and help clean up miles of shoreline annually.

BRAT, which Stettner runs as a volunteer even as she works full time, created a nursery to grow plants for bank stabilization, collects thousands of printer cartridges for recycling to raise funds, operates a fishing line recycling program, cleans up after local parades, helps with fuel spill issues in the region, conducts monthly water sampling at 11 sites on the river and manages an “Adopt a Swimming Hole” program.

Over the years, Stettner has facilitated collaboration with dozens of groups and agencies, ranging from the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The award, first presented in 2010 shortly after Zetterstrom’s death, was created to honor her legacy and recognize others who follow her example.  Past award recipients include Sally Laughlin, a leading wildlife advocate and scientist whose work was instrumental in restoring three species of endangered birds in Vermont; Michael Smith, the founder of Rutland’s Pine Hill Park; Margaret Fowle, who led Vermont’s peregrine falcon restoration program; and the Lake Champlain Committee, which for five decades has used science-based advocacy, education and collaboration to protect and improve Lake Champlain.

Linda Carlsen Sperry

Photographer featured at Saxtons River Co-op

Linda Carlsen Sperry has been named as artist-of-the-month at the River Artisans Cooperative in Saxtons River. Sperry is a photographer who specializes in nature scenery, capturing the color and beauty of her subjects on both paper and canvas prints.

As a teenager in northern Vermont, Sperry began her art career in calligraphy that she continues to do under the business name of Vermont Scribes. A few years ago she diversified into the field of photography and decided to join the River Artisans Co-op to offer her prints for sale in this area. She and her husband bought a cottage in Townshend.

The River Artisans Cooperative is located in the center of Saxtons River village, at 26B Main St. Open year-round, RAC hours are noon to 5 p.m., weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. New artists are welcome and may apply for membership at any time. For more information on Sperry’s work or the River Artisans, call 869-2099, visit www.riverartisans.com or visit the store.