The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine (Larner) has trained medical doctors to practice and serve in Vermont since 1822 and is the seventh oldest medical school in the United States. The college provides patient care, research and medical education in partnership with the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC)—part of the UVM Health Network (UVMHN), Vermont’s largest health care facility and teaching hospital. These interconnected institutions, and our dedicated doctors and researchers, form the state’s only academic health system: our compassionate state-of-theart care goes hand in hand with the highest quality medical education and pioneering research.
Physicians caring for patients at UVMMC also serve as University of Vermont (UVM) faculty at Larner, where they
contribute to novel education and research initiatives to benefit Vermont and northern New York. Along with our non-physician scientific faculty, they advance and improve health and health care for the people and communities of our region. Our activities embrace the lifespan, from the newborn baby to caring for our elders; from preventative primary care to complex or emergency care of serious diseases and injuries.
We are honored to serve our community and neighbors, on both sides of Lake Champlain. From communitycentered care to groundbreaking research, to the training of our next generation of physicians, here are a few examples of the valuable contributions of Vermont’s only academic health system.
CHILD HEALTH
Making a difference for Vermont’s children
A nursing assistant tests a newborn’s hearing at Central Vermont Medical Center.
Children are our most precious asset! Our Pediatric care spans from prenatal care and healthy child visits in our five outpatient practices to complex neonatal intensive care at UVMMC’s Children’s Hospital. Doctors from all specialties trained in the care of children improve child health care outcomes throughout the region and nation. They are deeply dedicated to training Larner’s medical students - many of whom will go on to serve our community as trusted Pediatricians and Family Practitioners - in delivering compassionate, family-centered care to infants, children and adolescents.
Since 1999, the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) has led statewide efforts to improve child health and wellness. Through data-driven tools and collaboration, VCHIP improves healthcare delivery, outcomes, and support systems for children and families - from perinatal care to specialized services for children with complex medical needs.
Other key pediatric research initiatives address urgent and emerging challenges, including childhood firearm injuries, prenatal opioid exposure, and the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children and adolescents.
As part of her research, Leslie Young, M.D., neonatologist at the UVM Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, assesses care approaches for newborns exposed to opioids in the womb. This research benefits infants and families in our region, and across the nation.
Since 1995, Dr. Lewis First, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics has highlighted weekly tips to ensure child health in his “First with Kids” television segments. From the importance of car seats to tricks to soothe teething, Dr. First’s program has been a reliable source of sound advice for almost thirty years and 1,500 episodes.
“A” Grade on the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card
America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024 – Newsweek
UVM Children’s Hospital ranked 16th 2025 list of Best Hospitals for Pediatric Care – Money magazine
Research led by Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.Ed, MPH and colleagues has shown that many children experiencing acute allergic reactions due to food allergies, insect stings or medication can be safely treated and discharged from the Emergency Department without prolonged observation. By using a new risk stratification method, clinicians can identify low-risk patients more accurately, reducing unnecessary hospital stays and minimizing stress for the child and family.
VACCINE CLINICAL TRIALS
Advancing discoveries, with the help of our community
A UVM Vaccine Testing Center clinician draws blood from a volunteer participating in a clinical trial.
Vaccine Testing Center Facts
2001
Founded in 2001 by UVM faculty, the VTC was launched to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide
60
VTC studies successfully performed to date; all clinical trials have a placebo arm
7,500
Number of local volunteers who have partnered with the VTC
2021
During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont, the VTC (with support from UVMMC) swiftly reopened a large clinic in Essex, VT to ensure that our community could participate in the region’s first and only COVID-19 vaccine study. Over 3,000 Vermonters volunteered.
Emerging infectious diseases, such as the sharp rise in Lyme disease across Vermont and northern New York, need new solutions! And, one of the most powerful tools we have is prevention.
Researchers at Larner are dedicated to the study of Immunology, Microbiology, and safe use of human vaccines. For over two decades, the UVM Vaccine Testing Center (VTC) has played a vital role in evaluating the safety and effectiveness of new vaccines—made possible through the invaluable partnership of community volunteers across the region. This research is carried out with exceptional care by a highly trained research team, specializing in the clinical, regulatory, and ethical management of human research and vaccine development. The VTC has studied vaccine candidates for significant diseases including anthrax, Lyme disease, COVID-19, and West Nile virus infection. The VTC also studies new vaccines essential for travelers’ health and urgently needed in impoverished countries, including those targeting diseases such as dengue and cholera.
Reported cases of Lyme disease
2013–2022
Lyme disease can cause serious illness, including joint, heart and brain complications. Since around 2008, Vermont has experienced a dramatic rise in Lyme disease cases tied to the expansion of the blacklegged tick’s habitat
Chart courtesty of Vermont Department of Health Case numbers in 2020 and 2021 are low due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Lyme vaccine
In 2023, over 1,000 local volunteers signed up for the VTC’s clinical trial testing a new vaccine against Lyme disease. A total of 226 adult and children have been enrolled and are actively participating in the two-
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the second leading cause of death in infants, with one in every 500 hospitalized due to infection. Until recently, no treatments were available. Now, thanks in part to the work of VTC scientist Sean Diehl, Ph.D., a protective antibody, Nirsevimab, is licensed to protect infants throughout RSV season dramatically reducing hospitalizations.
CANCER RESEARCH AND CARE
World-class cancer care, close to home
UVM Cancer Center member Emma
uses an epifluorescence microscope inside their new BioMobile Lab and Outreach Van.
Vanacore
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Vermont, with nearly 40% of Vermonters expected to develop the disease in their lifetime. The most common cancers in the region include breast, lung, prostate, colon and skin (melanoma). Although cancer risk increases with age, Vermonters of all ages need complex care for wide range of cancers; from childhood blood cancers to difficult-to-treat brain cancers. Delivering this care takes a multidisciplinary team of specialists including primary care providers, oncologists, nurses, radiation specialists, pharmacists and technicians; all working together across Vermont and northern New York. Advancing cancer prevention, treatment and cures takes decades of research and innovation, and spans science disciplines from epidemiology to molecular biology.
Established over 50 years ago with a strong focus on patients across Vermont and northern New York, especially those in rural communities, the UVM Cancer Center is committed to advancing cancer care, research and community outreach to make our world cancer-free.
In 2023, following a recurrence of diffuse large B cell lymphoma involving the brain, Eric Bergeron underwent CAR T-cell therapy treatment at UVMMC. The treatment was successful and he has since achieved and remained in remission.
Novel immunology-based treatments, known as immunotherapies, are providing hope to patients with cancers that were once difficult to treat. One such breakthrough is CAR T-cell therapy, which involves reprogramming a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, particularly in blood cancers such as lymphoma. Launched at the UVM Medical Center in 2023 under James Gerson, M.D., this treatment has shown remarkable promise with many patients achieving full remission or significant diminishment of their disease.
Vermont has the third highest rate of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, in the United States. In response, Larner faculty members Melanie Bui M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and clinicianinvestigator and Steven Roberts, Ph.D., a biochemist specializing in cancer-causing mutations, are leading a groundbreaking study to understand how ultraviolet (UV) light exposure from the sun contributes to skin cancer mutations in Vermonters. This work will help determine how best to protect and treat Vermonters from Melanoma.
The UVM Cancer Center is hitting the road—literally. It’s Outreach and Education Van brings cancer education and support services directly to rural communities in Vermont and six counties in northern New York. Equipped with a high powered epiflorescence microscope, the van offers high school students a hands-on introduction to cancer research and STEM, including real-time visualization of how medications affect cancer cells. The van will also appear at local fairs and farmer’s markets, expanding the Cancer Center’s reach and impact.
UVM Cancer Center Facts
1974
Founded to support cancer care and research in Vermont and northern New York
3,500 new cancer cases treated yearly across the UVM Health Network
10 dedicated clinics and sites providing comprehensive services for cancer patients
180 doctors, researchers, and scientists-in-training
87 ongoing clinical trials of new cancer therapeutics
31 observational and ancillary cancer studies
88 active cancer grants and research projects totaling $17 million in funding
CARDIOLOGY
The innovators in our network
David Schneider M.D., treats a patient at the UVM Medical Center.
Physician-scientists and cardiologists at UVMMC continue to advance groundbreaking and transformative techniques to improve patient care. Discoveries, often made in cross-campus partnerships with UVM engineers and other scientific colleagues, have led to the creation of new and innovative companies.
Peter Spector, M.D., a cardiologist and professor at both the Larner College of Medicine and UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, is advancing research to restore normal heart rhythms and improve outcomes for patients with heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation. His pioneering
work has led to the founding of two cutting-edge companies: VisibleEP, which enables computer modeling of cardiac electric pathways for research and education, and CoreMap, which delivers advanced diagnostic technology allowing doctors to identify and eliminate the drivers of complex arrhythmias.
Research by Larner Professor of Medicine David Schneider, M.D., chief of cardiology at UVMMC, medical director of Cardiovascular Services at UVMHN, and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont, focuses on a specific protein found on platelets—components in blood that help form clots. This research led Dr. Schneider to co-found Prolocor, a company that developed a novel biomarker test designed to predict heart attack risk and provide patients with precision cardiac care.
IMAGE: COREMAP SCIENCE
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RURAL HEALTH
Exceptional healthcare from wherever you live
Wilderness Medicine medical students practice emergency medicine on Mt. Mansfield.
With 65% of Vermont’s population living in rural areas—the highest percentage in the nation—local health care providers are essential in delivering care across the state. In small towns throughout Vermont, these physicians and clinicians optimize patient care through 24/7 access to UVMHN colleagues and specialists, including those at the state’s largest hospital, UVMMC. This essential provider-to-provider peer collaboration allows quick responses to urgent clinical questions, whether managing a heart attack or stroke, making a middle-of-the-night surgical decision, or determining the best course of care for a sick child.
The University of Vermont and the University of Southern Maine jointly lead the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research Network, established in 2017, to improve health outcomes in rural areas. Team members study important rural health issues, build community engagement, address communication strategies for rural health services, and advance the careers of professionals focusing on rural health improvement.
UVM medical students have proposed to launch a mobile clinic to provide postpartum care to rural regions in Vermont and to provide education in health care using realistic simulation of critical health events.
Rural communities face persistent barriers, specifically to cancer care. In June 2025, the UVM Cancer Center hosted its inaugural Rural Health and Cancer Conference. Attended by health science professionals from across the country, and featuring more than a dozen speakers, the conference gathered professionals to share and learn about strategies for improving cancer care delivery and patient outcomes in marginalized communities.
2024 Numbers
256,000+
Provider-to-provider calls were made to the UVMMC call center, reaching doctors of all specialties for their expert advice
5,700+
Patients with emergent medical needs were transferred to UVMMC from hospitals across Vermont and northern New York
8,500+
Urgent and emergent medical phone consultations were performed by our physicians, with many thousands more for non-critical consultations
1,300+
For stroke care alone, over 1,300 consultations were performed in 2024, including more than 300 from outside UVMHN. On average, 100 patients per month are transferred to UVMMC for advanced stroke care
TRAIN IN VERMONT
Stay in Vermont
Training the next generation of physicians and scientists
100%
All Larner medical students training in Vermont work in the practice of a Vermont Primary Care provider
31% of Vermont’s doctors received training at Larner and/or UVMHN
38% of Vermont’s primary care doctors were educated at Larner and/or trained at UVMHN
Medical student Varsha Pudi, Class of 2027, listens to a patient’s heart during a Doctoring in Vermont learning session.
29% of Vermont’s specialty physicians are trained in-state
Medical training in Vermont is the strongest predictor of staying in Vermont. Training and keeping the next generation of physicians and scientists in Vermont is a vital mission of the Larner College of Medicine, especially for primary care. Each year, Larner graduates approximately 120 students with medical degrees.
The UVMHN completes the training of new physicians through 18 accredited residency programs including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery and Psychiatry. UVMHN also has 24 accredited fellowship programs, which include Palliative Care, Child Psychiatry, Geriatric Medicine, and Cardiovascular Disease. 307 doctors began in these residency or fellowship programs in July 2025.
In Vermont (2020), approximately one-third of primary care doctors are over the age of 60. Graduates of Larner and UVMHN are essential to sustaining Vermont’s health care workforce.
Woodstock, Vermont native, Jessica Crothers, M.D., received her undergraduate degree from UVM, her M.D. from the Larner College of Medicine and completed her residency in Pathology at UVMHN. She now works as a clinical microbiologist at UVMMC and performs essential research toward eradicating polio throughout the globe.
Alumni practicing in Vermont
56% of residents and fellows who trained at UVMHN and started practicing as physicians in 2025 stayed in Vermont
Anja Jokela, M.D.’16 (Family Medicine)
Kelley Collier, M.D.’18 (Family Medicine)
Daniel Bak, M.D.’21 (Emergency Medicine)
Tim Plante, M.D.’11 (Internal Medicine)
Anne Dougherty, M.D.’09 (Ob/Gyn)
READ CENSUS REPORT LEARN MORE ABOUT FELLOWSHIPS LEARN MORE ABOUT RESIDENCIES
THE VALUE OF THE UVM ACADEMIC HEALTH SYSTEM
M.D. and Rachel
M.D.’25 treat a patient at the UVM Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Center.
Jessica Johnson,
Thompson,
NEW YORK
• FitzPatrick Cancer Center
(Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital)
• Reddy Cancer Center (Alice Hyde Medical Ctr.)
• Elizabethtown Community Hosp.
Vermont’s academic health system, including the UVM Larner College of Medicine and the UVM Health Network, proudly serves communities across Vermont and northern New York. We provide exceptional care with a focus on quality and efficiency. We are committed to advancing biomedical research, discovering new treatments, and educating the next generation of physicians and scientists who will shape the future of medicine.
• Richard E. Winter Cancer Center (Ogdensburg)
• Merrill Center for Oncology (Saranac Lake)
• Center for Cancer Care, Canton-Pottsdam
• CR Wood Cancer Center (Glens Falls)
VERMONT
• UVM Cancer Center
(UVM/UVM Medical Center)
• Central Vermont Medical Center
• Copley Hospital
• Gi ord Medical Center
• Northwestern Medical Center
• Porter Hospital
• Rutland Regional Medical Center
• Southwestern Vermont
Regional Cancer Center
• Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Along with our beautiful and welcoming environment, our academic health system’s commitment to the region inspires our faculty, students and trainees to build lasting careers and thrive in Vermont and northern New York. Supporting retention of future physicians and scientists is a priority, especially as we work to strengthen and stabilize our healthcare workforce into the future.
Our academic health system helps keep our region flourishing. The collegiality of our teams, access to world class research and scientists, and proximity of our campuses draw undergraduates to the University of Vermont and are a magnet for families to live and work here. Our work boosts local businesses, supports our local airport and fuels innovation through innovative start-up companies.
We play a vital role in Vermont’s economy. As the state’s largest employers, our academic health system contributes nearly 5% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product and supports more than 20,000 high-quality jobs, adding $1.2 billion in labor income. With $123 million in annual research grants and a steady stream of innovation, we help launch new ventures and drive economic growth across the region.
Fully integrated into our communities and with a far-reaching impact, Vermont’s academic health system is committed to the health of our population, and a future in which our state and region thrive.
Contributions from the Academic Health System
$1.2B Adds $1.2 billion in labor income to the state of Vermont $123M
123 million externallyfunded research, annually
Thank you to the many individuals who helped compile the data for this report
American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Elliot Bent, UVMMC Director of Communications and Engagement
• Charles Cashatt, UVMHN Care Coordination System
• Vanessa Goodwin, Resident Program Director, UVMHN
• Ann Howard, UVM Larner College of Medicine, Medical Communications
• All the physicians, faculty, staff, students and trainees represented in this report 5% Contributes nearly 5% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product 20,000+ Supports more than 20,000 attractive, high-quality jobs
• Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., Professor, Department of MMG and Medicine
Roland Kielman, Communication Specialist
Stephanic Knific, UVM Larner College of Medicine, Director of Medical Communications
• Steve Leffler, M.D., UVMMC CEO
• Jessica Moore, Vermont Department of Health, Division of Health Statistics and Informatics
• Richard Page, M.D., Dean, UVM Larner College of Medicine
Tara Pacy, Director UVMH Care Coordinator System
Molly Peet, R.N. UVMHN Transfer Center
• Sandra Pucillo, UVMHN Care Coordination System
• John Turner, UVM Larner College of Medicine, Medical Communications
