Our Health & Wellness Programs

Core Program

Preventive Wellness Screenings

Program Director: Dr. Margaret Holloway, MD, FAAFP
VT Board of Medical Practice License #042-0081947

Our preventive wellness program forms the foundation of Catamount Health's mission. Every patient begins with a comprehensive annual wellness examination aligned with the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Grade A and B recommendation framework. During your visit, a licensed provider will conduct a complete physical examination, review your personal and family medical history, perform biometric measurements including blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, and resting heart rate, and order age-appropriate laboratory panels. For patients aged 45 and older, we include cardiovascular risk scoring using the Pooled Cohort Equations calculator, colorectal cancer screening referrals, and lipid panel analysis with statin candidacy evaluation.

Beyond the annual physical, our preventive team offers seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccination clinics, travel health consultations, adult immunization catch-up schedules, and tobacco cessation counseling with pharmacotherapy support. We proactively track every patient's screening timeline through our electronic health record system and send courtesy reminders when upcoming screenings are due, so nothing falls through the cracks.

What to Expect at Your Visit

• Complete history and physical examination (approximately 60 minutes)
• Point-of-care glucose, lipid panel, and hemoglobin A1C testing when indicated
• Depression and anxiety screening via PHQ-9 and GAD-7 instruments
• Personalized prevention plan with screening calendar and referral coordination
• Follow-up telehealth visit within 14 days to review lab results

Eligibility: Open to all community members aged 18 and older. Pediatric well-child visits are available through our partnership with Green Mountain Pediatrics.

Core Program

Behavioral Health & Counseling

Clinical Lead: Karen Ostrowski, LICSW, LADC
VT Office of Professional Regulation #059-0004821

Mental health and substance use disorders are among the most significant health challenges facing rural Vermont. At Catamount Health, behavioral health is not a separate department but an integrated component of every patient's care plan. Our team of licensed independent clinical social workers (LICSW), licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADC), and licensed professional counselors (LPC) work alongside primary care providers to deliver same-day warm handoffs, collaborative treatment planning, and co-located therapy appointments.

Individual therapy sessions use evidence-based modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training, motivational interviewing for substance use disorders, and trauma-focused therapy for patients with PTSD or adverse childhood experiences. Group programs include a twelve-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, a peer-led substance recovery support circle, a new mothers' support group for perinatal mood disorders, and a caregiver resilience workshop for family members supporting loved ones with chronic illness.

Key Services

• Individual therapy sessions (50 minutes, in-person or telehealth)
• Psychiatric medication management coordination with UVM Medical Center
• Substance use disorder screening, brief intervention, and referral (SBIRT)
• Crisis safety planning and 24-hour crisis line access through Vermont Care Partners
• Group therapy: MBSR, DBT skills, recovery support, perinatal mood

Eligibility: Open to all ages 14 and older. Parental consent required for minors under 18. No referral needed for initial intake.

Specialized Program

Chronic Disease Management

Care Coordinator: Nathan Birch, RN, CDE
ADA Certified Diabetes Educator #48291

More than thirty percent of Catamount Health's patient population lives with at least one chronic condition. Our Chronic Disease Management program applies evidence-based protocols from the Chronic Care Model developed by the MacColl Center, combining proactive clinical outreach with structured patient self-management education. Each enrolled patient receives a dedicated care coordinator who serves as their primary point of contact, schedules follow-up appointments, tracks medication adherence, and coordinates specialist referrals.

For patients with Type 2 diabetes, we offer our ADA-recognized Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program, which includes hemoglobin A1C monitoring every three months, individualized meal planning with our registered dietitian, foot and eye examination referral tracking, and home blood glucose meter training. Patients with hypertension participate in our home blood pressure monitoring program with biweekly telemonitoring check-ins, medication titration protocols, and the Heart-Healthy Living workshop series. For patients with COPD, asthma, or chronic respiratory disease, we provide pulmonary function testing, inhaler technique education, smoking cessation support, and pulmonary rehabilitation exercise prescriptions.

Conditions We Manage

• Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes (DSMES program, A1C tracking, MNT)
• Hypertension and cardiovascular disease (home BP monitoring, statin management)
• COPD, asthma, and chronic respiratory conditions (PFT, rehabilitation)
• Congestive heart failure (weight monitoring, diuretic management, cardiology co-management)
• Chronic kidney disease stages 1–3 (eGFR tracking, nephrology referral coordination)

Eligibility: Enrollment requires a confirmed diagnosis and primary care provider referral. Sliding-scale and uninsured patients are welcomed with the same access as commercially insured members.

Core Program

Nutrition & Dietitian Services

Lead Dietitian: Amanda Chen, RDN, LDN, CDE
Commission on Dietetic Registration #CDR-1148302

Good nutrition is one of the most powerful and accessible tools for disease prevention, chronic disease management, and overall quality of life. Catamount Health's nutrition program is led by a registered dietitian nutritionist who provides individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT), weight management counseling, diabetes-specific carbohydrate counting education, heart-healthy eating plans for cardiovascular risk reduction, and prenatal nutrition optimization. Every nutrition plan is developed in coordination with the patient's primary care provider to ensure alignment with medication regimens, lab values, and clinical goals.

Beyond individual counseling, we address food insecurity as a core social determinant of health. Through partnerships with the Vermont Foodbank, Hunger Free Vermont, and local community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms, we connect patients to supplemental food resources, SNAP enrollment assistance, and our seasonal Farm Fresh prescription program, which provides eligible patients with vouchers for locally grown produce at participating farmers' markets. Our monthly community cooking classes teach practical meal-preparation skills, budget-friendly healthy recipes, and safe food handling techniques.

Services Offered

• Individual medical nutrition therapy sessions (60 minutes, covered by most insurance)
• Diabetes carbohydrate counting and meal planning workshops
• Heart-healthy eating for cholesterol and blood pressure management
• Weight management and metabolic health counseling
• Prenatal and postpartum nutrition support
• Community cooking classes (free, second Saturday of each month)
• Farm Fresh prescription program and SNAP enrollment assistance

Eligibility: Open to all patients. MNT referral from a primary care provider is recommended for insurance coverage but not required to schedule.

Specialized Program

Maternal & Prenatal Wellness

Program Lead: Lisa Drummond, CNM, APRN
VT Board of Nursing License #026-0090183

Catamount Health's maternal wellness program provides comprehensive support for expecting and new parents through every stage of pregnancy, delivery planning, and the postpartum period. Our certified nurse-midwife (CNM) conducts prenatal wellness visits at regular intervals aligned with ACOG guidelines, including first-trimester dating and viability assessments, second-trimester anatomy scan coordination, gestational diabetes screening between 24 and 28 weeks, Group B streptococcus testing, and third-trimester birth planning consultations.

Postpartum care includes a two-week recovery check-in, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening at the six-week visit, lactation counseling with a certified lactation consultant, and referral to our behavioral health team if perinatal mood or anxiety disorder symptoms are identified. We coordinate closely with Central Vermont Medical Center for delivery planning and high-risk pregnancy referrals, ensuring continuity of care when specialist intervention is needed. Our monthly new parents' circle provides peer support, infant care education, and community connection during the transition to parenthood.

Program Highlights

• Prenatal visits following ACOG schedule (monthly through 28 weeks, biweekly 28–36, weekly 36+)
• Gestational diabetes screening and management with dietitian support
• Certified lactation consultant appointments (in-person and telehealth)
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screening at 2-week and 6-week postpartum
• New Parents' Circle peer support group (first Thursday each month, free)

Eligibility: Open to all pregnant and postpartum individuals. Medicaid, Dr. Dynasaur, and DVHA Green Mountain Care cover all prenatal and postpartum visits at no cost to the patient.

Community Program

Community Fitness & Movement

Coordinator: Michael Aube, ACSM-CEP, EP-C
ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist #EP-40218

Physical activity is a cornerstone of chronic disease prevention and mental health. Catamount Health's Community Fitness and Movement program removes barriers to exercise by offering free and low-cost group fitness activities open to all community members, whether or not they are established patients. Our programs are designed to be inclusive, low-impact, and welcoming to participants of every fitness level, age, and ability.

The Move More Vermont walking group meets every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:00 AM at the Montpelier Recreation Field for a 45-minute guided walk at a conversational pace, followed by a brief stretching cool-down. Our chair yoga class, held every Wednesday at 10:30 AM in the Catamount Health community room, is specifically designed for seniors and individuals with limited mobility, focusing on gentle range-of-motion exercises, balance improvement, and breath-based relaxation techniques. For patients recovering from cardiac events, our supervised cardiac rehabilitation exercise program provides medically monitored, progressive aerobic exercise under the guidance of our certified exercise physiologist, in collaboration with the patient's cardiologist.

Weekly Schedule

• Tuesday & Thursday, 8:00 AM: Move More Vermont Walking Group (Montpelier Rec Field, free)
• Wednesday, 10:30 AM: Chair Yoga for Seniors (Community Room, Suite 310, free)
• Monday & Wednesday, 3:00 PM: Supervised Cardiac Rehab Exercise (by referral, insurance covered)
• Saturday, 9:00 AM: Family Wellness Walk (seasonal, Hubbard Park trail, free)

Eligibility: Community walking groups and chair yoga are open to everyone at no cost. Cardiac rehabilitation requires a physician referral and active cardiac diagnosis.