Emanuele "Chip" Chiappinelli, M.D.'75, FAAP

After graduating from Brown University in 1971, Dr. Chiappinelli went on to receive his medical degree from the University of Vermont in 1975. He then completed his Pediatric Residency at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. From 1978-1980, Chip served in the United States Public Health Service in Mount Edgecumbe, Alaska. He recalls taking care of both children and adults, including merchant marine sailors and commercial fishermen in the area, as the only pediatrician within 1,000 miles!

In 1980, Chip began practicing as a pediatrician in Franklin County, Vermont. In 1992, the county suffered a series of suicides in several high schools. As a preventative measure, he started to meet with all the regional high school nurses every Friday to identify high-risk individuals, and then take measures to further evaluate and treat. In 1993, he helped start a program called Project Phoenix for teens. This involved mentoring, fun activities, leadership, community service projects, internships in various professions, etc. The goal was to help teens become the best they could be with the talents they had.

Working together with teens and the community, Chip was involved in helping to build the first Skate Park in St Albans, Vermont. Even more impressive was renovating an old, abandoned school building into a community center. This project involved teens from start to finish. They literally worked side-by-side with adults to gut the entire building. The teens also went to multiple meetings both at the local and state level to acquire grant funding - leading to a free-to-all teen center.

In 1999, Chip started a full-service pediatric office one day a week at Swanton's Missisquoi Valley Union High School, grades 7-12. In 2000, he helped found a teen risk behavior group called RAIDers (Raising Awareness Involving Drugs). They made public service announcements and made two movies which are still used as teaching videos in the local schools. One concerning smoking, ("Enough Already! Stop Smoking!") and one on alcohol prevention ("Enough Already! Stop Drinking!"). Both movies are copyrighted at the Library of Congress. With strong support from the community, Chip was also involved with renovating the Swanton Veterans Memorial Building. This was the largest teen center in Vermont and even had three working bowling lanes!

Currently, Chip works as a Board Member and Director of After School Programs for Middle School students at the Jimmy Messier Memorial Youth Center (JMMY Center) in Georgia, Vermont. He also continues to do volunteer work with patients in Franklin County - both treating them medically and as an advocate.

As Chip says, "I am definitely blessed and so lucky to still be part of all this!"