Home health agency honors Waterbury Ambulance Service

October 5, 2023  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Members of Waterbury Ambulance Service and Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice. In the center is Lisa Podgwaite (with certificate) between CVHHH President Sandy Rousse (left) and Waterbury Ambulance Executive Director Maggie Burke (right). Courtesy photo

Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice has named Waterbury Ambulance Service its Partner of the Year. 

Members of the agency presented the ambulance service with a certificate this week recognizing its role in assisting with transporting hospice patients from the hospital to their homes. 

“We can rely on any member of the team to ensure that our hospice patients receive the best care and support possible during transport at such a delicate time in their lives,” the hospice agency said in its announcement. 

It also noted that Waterbury Ambulance played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic providing vaccinations to Central Vermont’s homebound population. 

Attending the award presentation was Lisa Podgwaite whose late husband was Waterbury Ambulance Executive Director Mark Podgwaite, who passed away in October 2022. The home health agency highlighted his leadership during the pandemic in particular. 

“Mark was so easy to work with through such a stressful time and made the task at hand seem easy with his jovial attitude and sense of humor,” said Sandy Rousse, president and chief executive at Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice. “I looked forward to my daily calls with Mark.  His positive outlook on any given day just made things seem easier. Once you knew Mark, he would do anything for you if you called him for help. Not only was he a colleague, but he was a friend.”