As the only tertiary care medical center in Vermont, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Division of Neurosurgery provides comprehensive surgical management of disorders of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. Since the division's establishment in 1948, we have been committed to translating leading-edge research into improved patient care.

Residents

Medical students and neurosurgery residents participate in a variety of research activities and provide care and an array of treatment options for patients who have brain and spinal disease. By facilitating critical thinking, we advance the knowledge needed to treat neurologic disorders and enhance the quality of clinical care.


 

Academic and Clinical Excellence

Surgery

As physicians and scientists, the Division of Neurosurgery faculty brings intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and fundamental concern to our patients, our trainees, our colleagues, and the communities we serve in northern New England. 

We advance knowledge and innovation, and enhance efficiency through clinical, translational, and biomedical research studies designed to improve the care of patients with neurologic disease. We are dedicated to patient-and family-centric treatment of individuals with neurologic disease, and to developing the next generation of neurosurgical physicians. The UVM Neurosurgery Residency Program if fully accredited by ACGME and committed to training future leaders in the field to be outstanding clinicians, active investigators and experienced educators.


Surgery News

McNally Comments to WCAX about Expanding Scope of Practice for Vt. Optometrists

November 8, 2023 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(NOVEMBER 8, 2023) Ophthalmologist Jessica McNally, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, was interviewed by WCAX-TV for a story about lawmakers looking to extend some surgical permission to optometrists, in response to a shortage of fully trained eye surgeons.

Ophthalmologist Jessica McNally, M.D., assistant professor of surgery

(NOVEMBER 8, 2023) Ophthalmologist Jessica McNally, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, was interviewed by WCAX-TV for a story about lawmakers looking to extend some surgical permission to optometrists, in response to a shortage of fully trained eye surgeons.

In a new report issued this week, the Office of Professional Regulation recommends that optometrists be able to perform surgery if they complete additional training, apply for a special endorsement, and report all advanced procedures and their outcomes to the state. Vermont health care officials say their goals are to balance cost, quality, and access, and that eye care is no different. Dean Barcelow, O.D., president of the Vermont Optometric Association, said, “We are well equipped to move forward with these recommendations and bring them to Vermont.”

But ophthalmologists—who, unlike optometrists, are specialists who also perform eye exams and surgeries but receive years of additional training—say they have concerns about how the proposal will impact patient safety. “Looking at the people I take care of and thinking about what the best thing for them is, I really do think they need to have someone who is fully trained in surgery to do these surgeries,” McNally said.

It’s not yet clear if and when lawmakers will take up the proposal.

Read full story at WCAX-TV