Originally published in the October 2025 University of Vermont Health Giving newsletter

Program: The newly established Moseley Family Pediatric Rural Health Endowment addresses Vermont’s workforce shortage in rural pediatrics by delivering resources to help increase residency exposure and promote careers in rural pediatric primary care. (“Rural” is defined as any Vermont county except Chittenden.)

Location: Pediatrics Residency Program, UVM Medical Center 

Challenge: Rural pediatric practitioners are on the decline and many barriers, including medical school debt, deter medical students from pursuing rural pediatric practice. Early exposure to rural practice and the children and families they serve is a powerful and proven magnet for recruitment and retention but rural clinics in Vermont face myriad hurdles to committing time and financial resources to teaching students and residents. Statistics show that residents often establish their medical careers in the regions where they complete residency training, making it exponentially more important for our pediatric residency programs to include immersive learning experiences in rural communities.

Response: Newport, Vermont pediatrician Thomas Moseley, III, MD’79, SM Hyg, has over 45 years of experience in rural practice. His wife, the Rev. Christine Moseley, RN, has served as a Public Health Nurse, Pediatric Nurse and Educator in Vermont's Orleans County and as the ordained priest of Newport’s St Mark’s Episcopal Church. Rooted in their years of providing exceptional care to rural Vermont youth, beloved Dr. Moseley and Rev. Moseley have established an endowment to increase pediatric residents’ exposure to rural medicine— grounded in community, purpose and real impact—to help inspire and attract talented early career pediatricians to settle and practice in rural Vermont.

How to Get Involved: Make a gift or contact Shelby McGarry to explore investment opportunities that address critical health care needs among our region’s youth.