M&T Bank Contributes to SVHC's Vision 2020 Campaign

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Left to right: SVHC’s President and CEO Thomas A. Dee, FACHE; Michael McKenna, financial advisor with D.B. McKenna, secretary of the SVHC Foundation Board of Directors, and a member of the corporate committee for Vision 2020; M & T Senior Vice President Remus Preda; and M & T Senior Vice President John A. Conlon, CFA, CFP.
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation accepted a $25,000 donation from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation last week. 
 
The contribution will help fund Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation Capital Campaign, the hospital's largest project in more than 30 years. The funds will help enhance the emergency and cancer care services available to residents regionwide.
 
"Southwestern Vermont Health Care is more than a medical and health resource in southwestern Vermont," said M & T Senior Vice President John A. Conlon, CFA, CFP.  "It is part of the heart and soul of the community."
 
The Vision 2020 project includes the renovation and expansion of the health system's Emergency Department and the construction of an all-new regional Cancer Center. The new Kendall Emergency Department and Hoyt-Hunter Regional Cancer Center will impact care for residents of southern Vermont, northern Berkshire County, and eastern New York.
 
"Support from our local business community is so very meaningful as we attempt this major transformation of two of our most important services," said SVHC's President and CEO Thomas A. Dee, FACHE. "We are grateful for M&T's contribution and their demonstrated commitment to the health of our communities."
 
The newly expanded Kendall Emergency Department will nearly double the size of the current Emergency Department, which was designed to accommodate 14,000 patient visits a year but currently sees nearly 25,000 annually. The project will further enhance patient safety, infection prevention, and patient privacy. Vertical treatment areas will allow for highly efficient treatment of low-acuity conditions. The project also includes an expansion to the Emergency Crisis Area for those experiencing mental health distress and increased telehealth connectivity with Dartmouth-Hitchcock.
 
The new Hoyt-Hunter Regional Cancer Center will have double the number of exam and infusion rooms. The design focuses on patient comfort in addition to clinical excellence.
 
Those interested in learning more about the project should visit svhealthcare.org/vision2020.

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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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