Building a Healthier Vermont,
One Community at a Time
Since 2009, Catamount Health has served as central Vermont's trusted community health and wellness center, delivering accessible preventive care, behavioral health services, chronic disease management, and nutrition counseling to individuals and families regardless of income or insurance status.
Mission, Vision & Values
Every decision we make is guided by three foundational principles that have defined our organization since the beginning.
Our Mission
To improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities across central Vermont by providing comprehensive, culturally responsive, and affordable health services rooted in evidence-based practice and compassionate care delivery. We believe that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege determined by socioeconomic circumstance.
Our Vision
A central Vermont where every resident has equitable access to preventive health services, behavioral health support, and wellness education, where chronic disease is proactively managed rather than reactively treated, and where community health outcomes consistently rank among the strongest in the nation. We envision a model of integrated care that other rural communities can adopt and adapt.
Our Values
Accessibility: Sliding-scale fees and multilingual outreach ensure no one is turned away. Evidence-Based Care: Every protocol aligns with USPSTF, CDC, and AMA clinical guidelines. Dignity & Respect: We honor every patient's autonomy, identity, and lived experience. Community Partnership: We collaborate with schools, employers, and faith organizations to extend our reach beyond the clinic walls.
Our History: From Small Clinic to Community Health Center
Catamount Health was founded in 2009 by Dr. Margaret Holloway, a board-certified family medicine physician who recognized a critical gap in accessible primary and preventive care services for uninsured and underinsured residents of Washington County, Vermont. What began as a modest two-room clinic operating three days a week out of a shared office space on Main Street has grown into a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary community health and wellness center occupying the entire third floor of the historic Pavilion Building at 238 State Street in downtown Montpelier.
In its first year, Catamount Health served 340 patients with a staff of three: Dr. Holloway, a registered nurse, and a part-time office coordinator. By 2012, the organization had secured its 501(c)(3) designation (EIN: 03-4718296) and received its first major grant from the Vermont Department of Health, enabling the expansion to five days of clinical operations and the addition of a licensed clinical social worker for integrated behavioral health services.
The pivotal year of 2015 saw Catamount Health achieve NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Level 3 recognition, the highest tier of primary care quality certification. This distinction, renewed continuously through the present day, confirmed the center's commitment to coordinated, patient-centered care with measurable quality outcomes. That same year, the organization joined the Vermont Blueprint for Health, the state's nationally recognized initiative for integrated community health and wellness improvement.
In 2018, the center relocated to its current 4,200-square-foot facility at 238 State Street, Suite 310, featuring six dedicated exam rooms, a behavioral health consultation suite, a community education classroom, and a nutrition counseling office. The expansion enabled the launch of the Chronic Disease Management Program, the Community Health Education Series, and the award-winning Move More Vermont walking initiative.
Today, Catamount Health employs a multidisciplinary team of 14 clinicians and support staff and serves more than 3,800 patients annually across Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. The center received the 2023 HRSA National Quality Leader recognition for achieving clinical performance in the top ten percent of all community health centers nationwide, and continues to expand its reach through telehealth services, school-based wellness partnerships, and free community education programming.
Our Leadership Team
Catamount Health's clinical and administrative leadership brings more than 90 combined years of experience in community medicine, behavioral health, public health policy, and nonprofit management.
Dr. Margaret Holloway, MD, FAAFP
Founder & Executive Director
Dr. Holloway is a board-certified family medicine physician and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She graduated from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine in 2001 and completed her residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland. With more than 20 years of clinical experience spanning rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and academic medicine, Dr. Holloway founded Catamount Health in 2009 with the conviction that every Vermonter deserves access to compassionate, evidence-based primary care. She holds Vermont Board of Medical Practice License #042-0081947 and serves on the Vermont Medical Society's Committee on Rural Health Equity.
Karen Liu, LICSW, LADC
Director of Behavioral Health Services
Karen is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor with 16 years of experience in integrated primary care behavioral health. She earned her MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and completed post-graduate training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. Karen oversees all individual counseling, group therapy programs, substance use disorder treatment, and crisis intervention protocols at Catamount Health. VT LICSW License #089-0043281.
James Okafor, RD, CDE
Lead Registered Dietitian & Diabetes Educator
James is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator specializing in medical nutrition therapy, weight management, and diabetes self-management education. He completed his dietetic internship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and holds a Master of Science in Nutrition from Tufts University Friedman School. James leads the Healthy Kitchen Vermont cooking workshops and manages the center's partnership with local food shelves for food-as-medicine prescription programs.
Suzanne Moreau, FNP-BC
Family Nurse Practitioner & Prenatal Care Lead
Suzanne is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with advanced training in prenatal and postpartum care. She graduated from the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences and brings 12 years of community health experience. Suzanne manages Catamount Health's maternal wellness program, including preconception counseling, routine prenatal monitoring, lactation support referrals, and postpartum mood disorder screening. VT APRN License #026-0059104.
David Stern, MHA
Chief Operating Officer
David oversees daily operations, grant administration, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning for the organization. He holds a Master of Health Administration from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and previously served as operations director at a federally qualified health center in Burlington. David manages the center's NCQA accreditation process, HRSA reporting, and sliding-scale fee program administration.
Accreditations & Recognition
Our commitment to clinical excellence and community impact is validated by independent national and state-level quality benchmarks.
NCQA PCMH Level 3
Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition at the highest tier, first achieved in 2015 and continuously renewed. Demonstrates coordinated, patient-centered care with measurable outcomes.
HRSA National Quality Leader
Recognized in 2023 for achieving clinical quality performance in the top ten percent of all community health centers nationwide, with particular distinction in chronic disease management outcomes.
VT Blueprint for Health
Active participant in Vermont's nationally recognized model for integrated community health teams since 2015, contributing to population health data, care coordination, and preventive wellness outcomes.
Board of Directors
Our volunteer board provides governance, fiduciary oversight, and strategic direction for the organization. Board members are drawn from healthcare, education, business, and community leadership across central Vermont.
Patricia Vandermeer, JD
Board Chair
Healthcare attorney; partner at Vandermeer & Collins LLP, Montpelier
Robert Chen, PhD, MPH
Vice Chair
Epidemiologist; Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences, University of Vermont
Maria Gonzalez-Reyes
Treasurer
CPA; Director of Finance, Washington County Mental Health Services
Rev. Thomas Abernathy
Secretary
Senior pastor, First Congregational Church of Montpelier; community health advocate
Janet McAllister, RN, BSN
Member
Retired Director of Nursing, Central Vermont Medical Center
Aaron Blackwood, MBA
Member
CEO, Green Mountain Community Credit Union; former VT State Legislature
Join Our Mission
Whether as a patient, volunteer, donor, or community partner, there are many ways to support the work of Catamount Health. Together, we can ensure that every Vermonter has access to the care they deserve.