Bennington, Vt.— Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation Northshire Regional Advisory Board welcomes two new members: Regina Downer and Parker Rice. 

 

"We are delighted to have Regina and Parker join our family of compassionate volunteers," said Northshire Regional Advisory Board Chair Keith Michl, MD. "Each of them has all of the qualities we look for in a member of the Regional Advisory Boards, most importantly, a deep commitment to this community."

 

Regina Downer, RN, MS, PNP-C, holds a master's degree in maternal-child health from Boston University and a certification as a pediatric nurse practitioner from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She works for My Community Nurse Project, a non-profit agency providing home visits, wellness/safety checks, and advocacy at no charge to seniors residing in six mountain towns. She worked in pediatric care and health education in Dutchess County, New York, for 45 years before retiring to Weston. She lives there with her husband and enjoys her three grown children and four grandchildren.

 

"I am happy to serve on the Northshire Regional Advisory Board," said Downer. "I hope that I can offer a healthcare perspective that is unique to the mountain towns of southern Vermont.

 

Parker Rice is a life-long resident of the Northshire and the co-owner of Equipe Sport, an outdoor sport store, which has four locations in southern Vermont. Rice graduated from Hobart and William Smith College. He lives in Manchester Center with his wife Karen and son Pearson. He has served on numerous civic boards, including the Stratton Foundation.

 

"The quality of the health system here is part of what makes our corner of Vermont such a wonderful place to live," Rice said. "I am proud to lend my support though service to the SVHC Foundation's Northshire Regional Advisory Board."

 

The SVHC Foundation Northshire Regional Advisory Board consists of 12 members. Members are nominated by members of the group or by the health system. Other Regional Advisory Boards represent patients from the Berkshires in Massachusetts, the Deerfield Valley area of Vermont, and Hoosick Falls and surrounding towns in New York. The SVHC Foundation's mission is to engage in development and fundraising activities exclusively for the support of the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Corporation.