Merrimack Valley Magazine

NoteWorthy – 9/15/19

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(Pictured above, L-r: Earl Bonett, MA chair of ESGR; Elaine Bussey, clinical director; Jane Breslau, OT; Jerelyn Brousseau, clinical manager; Taylor Sands, OT; Diane Farraher-Smith, chief clinical integration officer of Home Health Foundation; Karen Gomes, president and CEO of Home Health Foundation.)

 

AROUND THE VALLEY

Jerelyn Brousseau Receives US Department of Defense Patriot Award

On September 10, Earl Bonett from the US Department of Defense presented Circle Home Clinical Manager Jerelyn Brousseau, RN, with a Patriot Award. Brousseau was honored for this prestigious award for her support and assistance with flexible scheduling and time off during the military trainings and deployments of Occupational Therapist Taylor Sands. The award also highlights Circle Home as an employer supportive of military employees, their spouses and families.

“We are so proud of Jerelyn for going above and beyond in support of Taylor’s mission of service to our country,” said Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ, president and CEO of Home Health Foundation. “By their ongoing support of a fellow employee, Jerelyn and her team demonstrate all the qualities of “RiseHI, our agency-wide commitment to a positive and supportive work environment.”

Patriot Awards are awarded to supervisors of employees serving the National Guard or Reserves.  It reflects the efforts made to support service members by providing a wide range of support and assistance such as flexible schedules, time off and leaves of absence if needed. Brousseau was particularly helpful, ensuring Sands had the time off he needed to fulfill his mission to the National Guard.

Home Health Foundation (HHF), which is comprised of Home Health VNA and Merrimack Valley Hospice, has joined forces with Circle Home and Hallmark Health VNA in the development a new, regional, home health and hospice post-acute continuum with a relentless focus on transforming home-based care.

HHF is a highly respected member of the Wellforce health system, which includes four community hospitals campuses, an academic medical center, a children’s hospital, and more than 2,000 physicians who strive to bring care to your community

Methuen Village Unveils Wall to Honor Veterans

Nearly 5,000 veterans reside in Methuen, representing approximately 10% of the town’s population. Methuen Village Assisted Living & Memory Support recently held a barbecue for their residents who are veterans and invited members from the larger community who have served their country. Also in attendance was Thomas Hargreaves, veterans services director for Methuen.

Research Aims To Improve Night Shift Workers’ Sleep

A UMass Lowell expert on sleep is examining strategies to help night shift workers get more restful shuteye, critical to preventing ill health effects.

She is partnering on a four-year, $1.7 million research project funded by the National Institute of Aging to examine how different sleep schedules for night shift employees age 50 to 65 may help them be more productive on the job.

“By next year, a quarter of the workforce will be over 55 years old,” said Yuan Zhang, an associate professor in UMass Lowell’s Solomont School of Nursing. “Inadequate sleep is one of the most difficult problems facing American night workers. Given our increasing understanding of how sleep deficiency contributes to adverse performance, health and safety, finding solutions to this issue has never been more important.”

You can read more about Zhang’s work and the science of sleep here.

Emmaus Launches “Hopeful Soles” Fitness Program

Emmaus, in partnership with the Haverhill YMCA, is hosting a six-week walk-to-run health enrichment mentorship program called “Hopeful Soles” to benefit adults residing in Emmaus housing, the YMCA and the YWCA. The program is designed to help those who are currently experiencing or have formerly experienced homelessness.

Emmaus is seeking enthusiastic, qualified volunteers to assist in leading this program as “Fitness Buddies” who will provide ongoing support to participants. The program will meet at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and each day focus on working toward health and wellness goals.

Artist of the Month Series at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is looking for artists for the 2020 season of the Artists of the Month series. The refuge is inviting one local artist each month to display and sell their artwork. Artwork is displayed in the auditorium of its visitor center and is available for viewing from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. There is no cost to view or display the artwork and a portion of all artists’ proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Parker River NWR. Donated monies help further environmental education and public events on the refuge. Anyone interested in having their artwork displayed can contact Jean Adams at (978) 572-5622 or by e-mail at Jean_Adams@fws.gov.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Seeks Request for Proposals for 2019 Discretionary Grants

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation will open its 2019 Discretionary Grant Cycle on October 1 and is seeking requests for proposals from nonprofit organizations. The foundation will award $140,000 through the discretionary grant cycle. Funding areas for 2019 include children’s services, elder services, water resources, and social education.

Washington Savings Bank Partner to Finance 21 units of Affordable Housing in Lowell

MassDevelopment has participated with Washington Savings Bank to provide a $3,062,700 loan to Mill Square LLC, an affiliate of Degmar Development Corp. Degmar used proceeds to buy a parcel at 27 West Third Street in Lowell, where it plans to build a 21-unit affordable rental housing facility to be called Residence at Mill Square. MassDevelopment also enhanced the bank portion of the loan with a mortgage insurance guarantee.

Mr. Mac’s “Mac Gives Back” supports Kids Cafe

In May of 2019, Mr. Mac’s Macaroni and Cheese in Manchester announced their “Mac Gives Back” initiative to support the Manchester Salvation Army “Kids Cafe” program. Mr. Mac’s team has donated $1 for every Take and Bake ordered from May through July. On September 10, the team presented Salvation Army Captain Michael Harper with a check for $2,000 to support the Kids Cafe program. Along with the cash donation, Mr. Mac’s also provided dinners to the children.

NoteWorthy – 8/18/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Women Working Wonders Fund Helps Lowell Community Health Center Build ‘Strong Women, Strong Families’

Thanks to a $5,000 grant to Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) from the Women Working Wonders Fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, more young mothers-to-be in recovery for substance use disorder (SUD) will have access to supports to improve outcomes for themselves and their child.

The health center’s “Strong Women, Strong Families” project supports Women Working Wonders’ objective to assist women in transition. The new grant will provide as many as 40 low-income pregnant and postpartum women with SUD with access to a specially designed support group and health-related services to promote their transition into recovery and strengthen families. The project is a component of the Supporting Healthy Families collaboration between Lowell CHC and Lowell General Hospital.

Achieve TMS East Celebrates The Opening Of Its Haverhill Location

Achieve TMS East, Massachusetts’ largest provider of deep TMS therapy for the treatment of depression and OCD, announced the opening of its newest center in Haverhill. Achieve TMS East celebrated the opening of its Haverhill office with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on August 9. Among the distinguished guests were Achieve TMS East psychiatrist Renee Snow, Achieve TMS East’s Director of Marketing Anita Taylor, and members of the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce.

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Megan House Foundation Awarded $5,000 through The Women Working Wonders Fund

The Women Working Wonders Fund, a permanently endowed fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, recently named the Megan House Foundation as one of five recipients of $5,000 through their annual grant program.

The grant award will help supplement the Megan House Foundation’s “Coming Home” project at Emma’s Place, which provides a sober living environment for parent-child reunification and bonding. 

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Lowell Community Health Center Announces New Chief Financial Officer

Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) announced the appointment of Brenda Rodriguez as chief financial officer. Rodriguez will oversee the health center’s financial planning, accounting and reporting. As a member of the leadership team, Rodriguez reports directly to CEO Susan West Levine. 

Rodriguez has served in various leadership positions in education, health care and media, modernizing financial practices, driving business strategies and overseeing the implementation of new lines of business. Prior to her roles as CFO at College Bound Dorchester and Big Picture Learning Inc., Rodriguez spent more than 10 years at the New York Times Company.  

Pentucket Bank Welcomes New Branch Officers

Scott D. Cote, CEO/chairman of the board, Charles A. Walker, president, and the senior management team of Pentucket Bank welcomed four new branch managers to the Westgate, Stadium, North Andover and Salem locations.

Jeannette Abi Samra Maroun, branch manager, joined Pentucket Bank in May in the Westgate location, taking over for longtime branch manager Patti Guerin following her recent retirement. Maroun comes to Pentucket with over seven years of banking experience specializing in business development, customer service and team coaching.

Susie Resendes is the assistant branch manager in the bank’s North Andover location. Resendes joined the Pentucket Bank team in May with over a decade of retail banking experience. Resendes is a graduate of Merrimack College.  

Nicole Molesso is the assistant branch manager in the Salem branch. Molesso joined the team in May bringing ten years of industry experience. Molesso is responsible for managing daily branch operations.  

Nancy Diaz is the assistant branch manager of the Stadium branch. Diaz comes to the bank with over a decade of retail banking experience and looks forward to applying her knowledge to her role with Pentucket.  

NoteWorthy – 3/19/17

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NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be reminded when the news goes up each week!

AROUND THE VALLEY

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Linnehan (second from left) presents a check to Zack’s Team President Louise Griffin and Vice President Michael Gys.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Awards Grantees

Several nonprofit grantees of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s Discretionary Grant Program have received funds critical to their missions this week, including the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Lowell Housing Authority and the Zack’s Team Foundation.

Funds received will be used by these organizations to support, respectively, the MVFB’s Mobile Pantry Program, which is designed to help maintain the good health of homebound elderly and disabled Greater Lowell residents; Lowell Housing Authority’s Science on Wheels: Traveling STEM Workshops, which provide youth with structured, hands-on activities exploring STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields; and by the Zack’s Team Foundation to build a sober house specifically designed for young men in early recovery.

Through its most recent Discretionary Grant Program, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation supported 17 nonprofit organizations with $131,500. Last year, the Community Foundation awarded $1.2 million to nonprofits and students in total grant distributions.

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“Khmer Women Leading the Way” attendees listen as Bora Chiemruom shares her story.

Element Care Holds “Khmer Women Leading the Way” Event

As part of Lowell Women’s Week celebrations, Element Care, in collaboration with the Lowell Community Health Center, sponsored “Khmer Women Leading the Way.” The event, the first of its kind, attracted an audience of 50 community leaders who gathered to hear about the journeys of successful Khmer women.

The event’s keynote speaker was Bora Chiemruom, executive director of the Commonwealth’s Asian American Commission, who was born in Cambodia and grew up in Lowell. Other speakers included Lada Lau, a career and co-op advisor at UMass Lowell, and Nicole Klays, a Mill City entrepreneur.

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A guitar-shaped cake was created by Melanie’s Sweets in order to celebrate the opening of Tupelo Music Hall’s new Derry, N.H. location.

Tupelo Hosts Party At New Derry Venue

Tupelo Music Hall owner Scott Hayward held an invitation-only “sneak peek” party at his new Derry, New Hampshire location on Friday, with several hundred friends, family, long-time Tupelo supporters and media attending. The new venue has a capacity of nearly 700, almost triple the size of the original venue in Londonderry.

Upcoming performers include Blue Oyster Cult, Peter Frampton, Melissa Etheridge, Robben Ford and many others. Parking capacity at the new venue exceeds 200 spaces, and new bar and food services are expected to greatly enhance the experience for concert goers. The new venue will also be available for private events according to Hayward.

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Donates Care Packages to Lowell’s Homeless

Just in time for Winter Storm Stella, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union’s Member Service Center and other employees donated 48 care packages to Living Waters, a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless in the Greater Lowell area. Each bag was filled with hand warmers, gloves, hats, water, snacks and other necessities, including toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant.

“It’s so nice to see individual departments come together to help those in need in our community,” said Mark S. Cochran, president and CEO of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union. “As an organization, social responsibility is integral to our overall mission, and it really shows just how caring our employees are when they take initiative in this way.”

Living Waters provides meals, therapeutic recreation and other services to provide support to those struggling with homelessness or loneliness. The donated items allow the Jeanne D’Arc employees to extend their support to the mission, as well as the individual clients, of Living Waters.

NoteWorthy – 1/29/17

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NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be reminded when the news goes up each week!

AROUND THE VALLEY

Lawrence CommunityWorks Celebrates Opening of Duck Mill Apartment Complex

Today, Lawrence CommunityWorks celebrated a ribbon cutting at the opening of the Duck Mill apartment complex in Lawrence. Speakers included State Rep. Niki Tsongas, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera LCW Executive Director Jessica Andors and Marquis Victor of the Elevated Thought Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helped decorate the newly renovated former mill building.

Andors cited Marge Piercy’s poem, “To Be of Use,” and the lines: “The work of the world is common as mud./Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust./But the thing worth doing well done/has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.” She then introduced an emotional Tsongas, who noted, amidst the brickwork of the new building, “We’re all entitled to some beauty in our lives.”

The new union street complex will provide housing for 73 low-to-moderate income families, as well as 10,000 square feet of commercial space.

These four graduates of NECC’s Sleep Technology Program are now working in the Neurocare Sleep Lab at Lawrence General Hospital. Front row, L-r: Mariuxi Cabrera of Lawrence, Adlin Siri of Haverhill and Viveno Moreno of Haverhill. Back row: Jesus Chico of Lawrence.

NECC Expands Partnership with Neurocare, Largest Employer of Sleep Techs in State

Because of a shortage of sleep technologists, students in Northern Essex Community College’s Sleep Technology Certificate Program are getting jobs before they graduate. Eager to hire more sleep technologists, Neurocare, Inc., the largest employer of sleep technologists in Massachusetts, recently expanded its relationship with the college.

A clinical site for Northern Essex students for the past seven years, Neurocare is now hiring students for paid, entry-level positions. Last spring, half of the graduating class of 18 was hired by the company.

The shortage of sleep technologists is being driven in part by the closure of at least two sleep technology programs in recent years. Northern Essex is currently the only college in New England graduating sleep technologists.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Awards $131,500 to 17 Nonprofit Organizations

This month, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation granted 17 nonprofit organizations funds to support programs improving the quality of life in Greater Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. As part of its discretionary grant cycle, nonprofit organizations were awarded funds in the areas of opioid abuse prevention and treatment, clean water initiatives, elder services, and children’s services.

A seventeen member grants distribution committee representing nonprofit, civic, academic, and private sector interests selected the recipients. This year, $131,500 in discretionary funds was available through this grant-making program. The nonprofit organizations awarded include Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Megan’s House and Clean River Project.

MCC Awarded Grant to Help Refugees Earn Health Credentials

Middlesex Community College has been awarded a one-year, $79,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Bridges to College Program to support the college’s new Health Career Credentialing for Adult Refugees program.

The program is designed to help the employment outlook for Lowell’s significant adult refugee population, explained Denise Garrow-Pruitt, assistant dean of allied health.

“Many adult learners entering the country have previous experience in the health care field, but do not have credentials recognized by the U.S. government,” said Garrow-Pruitt. “This training can enhance the adult-refugee students’ employability at higher wages in local hospitals, offices, nursing homes or clinics.”

Health Career Credentialing for Adult Refugees will provide intensive student supports to 30 adult learners of diverse ethnicities, and give them access to academic coaching and a bilingual advisor. Students can enroll in one of three AHP programs: Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomist and Medical Office Assistant.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Emma Brooks has been promoted to director of member and community relations at the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. Brooks has been an essential part of the GLCC team for the past two years, and in her new role, will be representing the Chamber at community events, play a vital role in developing and implementing marketing campaigns and strategies and continue to be the key conduit between the Chamber and its members.

 

 

Covenant Health Announces New Appointments

Covenant Health has appointed four senior healthcare professionals to key leadership roles:

John Emerson has assumed the position of vice president of the Integrated Medical Group. His past professional experience includes serving as principal and practice leader for a nationally-known strategic consulting and marketing firm serving the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, as well as vice president of a Fortune 500 global research and advisory firm. His educational credentials include degrees in Computer Science from Purdue University and Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business.

 

 

Gerard J. Foley has been appointed vice president of post-acute care. Foley brings to the position many years of experience including tenure as president/CEO of Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services; as CEO of Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore and as executive vice president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital. He holds a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, a Master of Public Health from Yale University School of Medicine and a B.A. in Philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross.

 

 

Jason VanDiver has joined in the capacity of vice president, strategy and marketing. In this role, his responsibilities include system-wide strategic planning, identification and execution of innovative business opportunities and cross-functional program development. VanDiver is a senior marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He earned a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from the University of Kentucky and an M.S. in Business Communications from Spalding University.

 

 

Katherine Bechtold will be assuming the position of chief nursing officer effective next month. In this newly created position, Bechtold will have direct responsibility for, and provide overall organization and strategic direction to the nursing management team. Her focus will include the development, implementation, and coordination of programs and initiatives that combine to provide consistent, optimum patient care across the Covenant Health system. Bechtold earned a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Wyoming and an M.S. in Healthcare Administration from the University of Denver.

 

Six Holy Family Hospital Physicians Named Top Doctors for 2017

Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. has announced its Top Doctors for 2017, and six physicians on staff at Holy Family Hospital made the list.

Holy Family Hospital’s Top Doctors for 2017 are Orthopedic Surgeons Eric Arvidson, Barry Bickley, and Tahsin Ergin; Urologist Steven Previte; Plastic Surgeon George Chatson; and Otolaryngologist Daryl Colden.

Castle Connolly publishes its regional list of Top Doctors to help consumers find high quality health care providers. Castle Connolly Top Doctors are rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in their medical specialty in their geographic region, and considered physician leaders within their communities.

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