SVHC Recognizes Nursing Advisory Council Leadership

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BENNINGTON, Vt. — The nurses of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), would like to acknowledge the inspired leadership of Bentley Munsell, BSN, RN, CEN, who has served as the chair of its Nursing Advisory Council (NAC) for the last three years and to welcome Deborah Mone, RN, as the incoming chair-elect for 2022 – 2023. The NAC works to advance nursing and nursing care across the health system. Mone will take on the role of chair in May 2023.
 
"We are so grateful for the astute leadership Bentley has offered to our nurses throughout the pandemic," said Pamela Duchene, APRN, PhD. "His ability to articulate the needs of nurses and work across interests to meet needs has been integral to our success."
 
Munsell is an emergency nurse. He holds bachelor's degrees in biology and psychology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 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.  In addition, he is a certified emergency nurse with the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing. Munsell also serves on the Night Shift Council and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
 
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve nurses at SVMC in this capacity," Munsell said. "I aim to stay involved and look forward to all that SVMC nurses can accomplish together in the future."
 
Mone has been a nurse at SVMC for 42 years and takes great pride in helping countless birthing families throughout her tenure. She is a clinical expert, designee, and preceptor for novice nurses learning high-risk obstetrics. She is an electronic fetal monitor instructor with the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses and the counselor and coordinator for SVMC's inpatient and outpatient perinatal bereavement program. She is a past chair of the Staff Nurse Council.
 
"I look forward to continuing to advocate for nursing responsibility, autonomy, and accountability, while embracing family-centered care," Mone said. "I aim to facilitate the dissemination of critical communications, promote shared decision making, and embrace the changes that will carry on SVMC's tradition of exceptional care."  
 
Mone received her nursing degree at Columbia Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Hudson, NY. She holds an inpatient obstetrics certification from the National Certification Corp.

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Coggins Auto Group Celebrates Five Years

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The family-owned Coggins Auto Group is celebrating five years of operations: Coggins Toyota of Bennington and Coggins Honda of Bennington, and Coggins of the Berkshires in nearby Massachusetts.
 
Mike Coggins purchased three dealerships — Honda, Toyota and Ford — in 2020 with a goal to restore trust and a "true sense of community-minded dealership culture." 
 
"My primary focus from day one was bringing back that connection to the region," Coggins had said back in 2021. "This area values real relationships. They want to know the people they're doing business with. We set out to rebuild that trust."
 
The Ford dealership was sold off in 2023 and Coggins of the Berkshires, with sales and services for used cars, opened the same year in Pittsfield, Mass. 
 
According to Coggins Auto Group, the dealerships had social media ratings of two stars when they were purchased; now all Coggins locations are garnering more than four stars in customer satisfaction reviews. 
 
"We sell cars, and we fix cars, and our goal is just to make our customers happy, and keep our employees happy, and that's what's made this really work these last few years," said General Manager Scott O'Connell.
 
Coggins Auto Group is also involved in events that benefit the community, including its popular annual charity golf tournament that funds local charities and organizations such as the Bennington Little League.
 
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