Health Professionals | Vermont Department of Health CLOSE Translations for you Health Professionals In this section: Community Health Workers Dental and Primary Care Health Care Workforce Census J1 Visa Waivers Loan Repayment & Scholarships Public Health Nursing Shortages and Designations Vermonters usually get their basic health care in a primary care setting – in the office of a family physician, pediatrician, obstetrics and gynecology or general internist practice, or dental practice. Primary care practitioners screen for disease, counsel patients about their health-related behaviors, treat illness, refer for specialty care, and manage an individual's or a family's total health care. These practitioners may be physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physicians' assistants, or dentists. A long-term relationship between a patient and provider or provider group ensures that a complete medical history and other health information are easily available, and that care is consistent and coordinated over time. The place where a person receives these primary care services can be called a "medical home". Public health professionals are concerned with creating the conditions in which everyone can have an equal chance at health. The Vermont Department of Health employs public health nurses who work in our central office and in the 12 local health offices around the state to promote and protect the health of whole communities and populations. We also work to attract and retain an adequate supply of health care professionals so that every Vermonter can have a medical home. Important Links Look up a Health Professional Health Care Workforce Data Hospital Report Cards Substance Use Health Professionals Opioid Resources for Patients & Providers Naloxone Hospital Discharge Data (GMCB) Community Health Workers Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in the health of our communities. They... Dental and Primary Care A wide variety of dental and primary care practices work to keep Vermonters healthy. This... Shortages and Designations We gather data on 40+ health care professions. From this we can calculate ratios of... Loan Repayment & Scholarships A variety of federal and state funded educational loan repayment and scholarship programs are available... J1 Visa Waivers Each year, up to 30 J-1 visa waivers are granted to foreign-born physicians who agree... Public Health Nursing Public health nursing is the practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations using... Health Care Workforce Census The health of Vermonters depends, in part, on access to health care. The Health Department... Subscribe to Health Professionals April 20, 2026