SVMC Emergency Nurse Recipient of Daisy Award

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Registered nurse Bentley Munsell was the February recipient of the DAISY Award
BENNINGTON, Vt. — Bentley Munsell, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, was the February recipient of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care.
 
"Bentley's combination of skill and experience, along with his gentle and compassionate manner, are so reassuring to patients," said Pamela Duchene, SVHC's chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. "He is able to set people at ease and deliver the important information patients need in a way they easily understand, even when they are initially quite scared or upset. We are so grateful to have him on the team."
 
Duchene gave the award during a surprise presentation in the Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center on the morning of Feb. 17.
 
Munsell received two nominations from patients.
 
The first nominators are a couple who arrived to the Emergency Department distraught at having discovered a new symptom of a serious condition. 
 
"Bentley was very reassuring and guided us through the process," the nominators wrote. "The empathy this nurse showed to us [made] a huge impact on how the rest of the visit went."
 
The second nomination was from a family whose 3-year-old son needed stitches. 
 
"Bentley was the first [person] we met… upon entering [the Emergency Department], and I am grateful for that," the family wrote. "It was scary for us, but [Bentley] kept his cool and made us feel so comfortable."
 
Munsell was "shocked" when he received the award during a surprise ceremony in the Emergency Department.
 
"I just come to work and try to give the best nursing care I can," he said. "My colleagues who have been recognized are exceptional. To be recognized alongside them … I am honored."  
 
Munsell holds bachelor degrees in biology and psychology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Mass., and a bachelor's in nursing from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a student in the master's degree program in nursing at Chicago-based Rush University. He has worked at SVMC since 2015, when he started as an Emergency Department technician. He became a nurse at SVMC in 2018, after having earned his nursing degree.
 
Munsell serves on the Night Shift Council and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and chairs the Nursing Advisory Council, a committee that works to advance nursing and nursing care across the health system. In addition, he is a certified emergency nurse with the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing.
 
The Daisy Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the Daisy Foundation. It celebrates nurses' education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the Daisy Award winner. Daisy Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.

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Fish and Wildlife Department: Take Down Birdfeeders, Secure Food from Bears

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has begun to receive reports of bears coming out of their dens and is urging Vermonters to remove their birdfeeders and take additional steps now to prevent conflicts with bears over the spring and summer.
 
"Do not wait to take down your birdfeeders and bearproof your yard until a bear comes to visit," said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's Bear Biologist.  "You need to act now to head off bear conflicts over the spring and summer, even if you have never had a bear visit your property before."
 
Bear incidents have been on the rise over the past several years.  Officials believe this trend is a result of Vermont's healthy black bear population learning to associate people and food over multiple generations.  Even with a steady increase in the number bears harvested by hunters in recent years—including a record harvest in 2024—Vermont's bear population has been stable over the past two decades and shows signs of growth over the past five years.
 
Shorter winters also mean that bears are emerging from their dens earlier in the spring.  In recent years bear activity has begun in mid-March.  This is roughly two weeks earlier than what is traditionally considered the start of "bear-aware season" in northern New England.
 
"Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals," said Comeau. "Bears can be found in every corner of Vermont other than the Champlain islands.  Put bluntly, most Vermonters live in bear country."
 
The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive steps for coexisting with bears: 
 
  • Take down birdfeeders between mid-March and December.
  • Store garbage in bear-resistant containers or structures, trash cans alone are not enough.  
  • Follow the steps on our web page for composting in bear country. 
  • Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe. 
  • Request a bear-resistant dumpster from your waste hauler. 
  • Feed your pets indoors. 
  • Never feed bears, it is illegal.
 
"Deep snow may delay some bears from emerging from winter dens until April, but mid-March is the time for Vermonters to prepare for the early risers by taking down our birdfeeders, making sure garbage is secure, and protecting backyard chickens and bees with an electric fence," said Comeau.  "This will help teach bears that our yards and neighborhoods are not good places to search for food, but it will only work if everyone does their part."  Taking these precautions will also help reduce the chance of attracting other wildlife species such as raccoons, skunks and rodents.
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