RANDOLPH, Vt.—Emily Pizzale, a licensed independent clinical social worker who specializes in geriatric care, has joined the Behavioral Health team at Gifford.
Emily Pizzale, LICSW
Pizzale brings to Gifford a passion for addressing inequities in health care, which fueled her decision to pursue a career in social work, and a commitment to older patients. She describes her approach to care as solution-focused with extensive trauma-informed support.
While Pizzale spent the last several years in Delta, Colo., serving as a hospice and palliative care social worker at HopeWest Hospice, she grew up in the Mad River Valley and was eager to return to Vermont.
“I always knew I wanted to return to the area, to use my skills here and be close to family,” she said. “And I had heard really good things about Gifford—I was a patient here when I was a little girl—and enjoy working for a nonprofit, community hospital.”
Pizzale’s clinical interests and experience span palliative and end-of-life care, geriatric care, and memory care. In addition to her position at HopeWest, where she served as a lead social worker and was presented a “Heart of Hope” award by her colleagues, her previous experience includes a clinical social work fellowship at YWCA Boston Youth Leadership Initiative in Boston, Mass., and clinical positions at VA Boston Health Care System in Boston, Mass., and Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston in Newton, Mass. Her advocacy experience includes research and program assistance positions at the Rape Crisis Center Cape Town Trust in Cape Town, South Africa; at Family Center of Washington County in Montpelier, Vt.; and at UConn Women’s Center in Storrs, Conn. She earned a master’s degree in social work from Simmons College in Boston, Mass., and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.
When not at work, Pizzale enjoys outdoor recreation, including hiking, skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, as well as cooking, reading, and spending time with her dog and cat.
For more information about Gifford services and providers, visit giffordhealthcare.org.
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Reminder during COVID-19: All Gifford clinics are open. We encourage patients to schedule and keep their medical appointments. It is vital that we continue to provide care and treat members of our community so that medical conditions do not escalate. If a patient does not have a mask upon arrival for an appointment, Gifford will provide one. For more information about COVID-19 and answers to frequently asked questions, visit giffordhealthcare.org/coronavirus-covid-19, cdc.gov or healthvermont.gov.
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Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, Rochester, and White River Junction; and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; a day care; two adult day programs; and 30-bed Menig Nursing Home, which was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best 39 nursing homes in the country in 2012. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries, and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. The hospital’s mission is to improve individuals’ and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.
