Virginia Alvord, MD

"I have always wanted to practice medicine in a small New England town where I could be an active member of the community and get to know my patients and their families. The Upper Valley is a great place to make this happen. It is an amazing place to live and work, providing a healthy lifestyle for my family as well as access to museums, theatre and great schools. I am certified with the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). What does this mean? I completed a residency program in Family Medicine (3 years of training after medical school) and I recertify with an examination every 7-10 years. In order to recertify, I have to take courses through the ABFM between testing times. I have been licensed with the NH Board of Medicine since 1997. During the past two decades, I have worked in private practice at Summit Medical Group, in an employed physician practice as part of a small rural hospital, Littleton Regional Hospital, and most recently for a large health system, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. After 20 years, we are still in love with the natural beauty of the Upper Valley, the Lakes Region, and the White Mountains. We share our somewhat chaotic home with our three children and two dogs, and are grateful to have found a place where all of them can pursue their interests and dreams."

"Over the years, physicians and patients have been subject to depersonalization of their relationship as the administrative burdens of our current system seem to grow endlessly. Opening Monarch Family Medicine as a Direct Care Practice is our effort to bring the doctor-patient relationship back into focus as the cornerstone of good primary care. Our transparent pricing model frees the doctor-patient relationship of conflicting incentives of fee-for-service. Medical decisions are guided solely by what is best for the patient. We are very excited to offer Direct Primary Care to the people of the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont, which we have called home for over 20 years."