Brattleboro Retreat Honored for Excellence in Communication and Education
by Mary Wilson // June 5, 2025
The Brattleboro Retreat is proud to announce two prestigious Lamplighter Awards from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo), as well as a major teaching honor for its Medical Staff President, Dr. Jarred Zucker. Together, these recognitions highlight the Retreat’s deep and ongoing commitment to education, both in the public sphere and in training the next generation of mental health professionals.
The Unravelling podcast was recognized with a Silver Lamplighter Award. The podcast brings together expert insight and lived experience to tackle complex mental health topics. Launched in June 2024, the show has reached listeners in over 25 countries and earned a 5-star Apple Podcasts rating. It is also being used in professional development settings, such as at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
“This recognition is a testament to the power of storytelling,” said Kurt White, co-host of Unravelling and Vice President of Communications and Community Partnerships at the Retreat. “We may be a small department, but we are deeply committed to telling the story of the Retreat in a way that resonates beyond our campus, reaching hearts, changing minds, and moving the conversation around mental health forward.”
Meanwhile, the Retreat’s 2024 Annual Report, Strength in Care. Bold in Growth., earned a Excellence Award for its compelling narrative of growth and innovation in the wake of COVID-19. It highlights expanded adolescent services, innovative treatments, and a renewed focus on community collaboration.
In addition to communications accolades, the Retreat celebrates Dr. Jarred Zucker, Medical Staff President, for being named the 2024 Faculty Teacher of the Year by Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
“I’m humbled, honored, and proud to be part of the educational program at Geisel, shaping the doctors of tomorrow,” said Dr. Zucker. “I’m also very grateful to the Brattleboro Retreat for recognizing the importance of academia and the benefits it brings to our patients and community.”
This prestigious award, based on student feedback, recognizes Dr. Zucker’s exceptional ability to mentor and teach medical students, even remotely from California. He previously received the same honor in 2022, underscoring his consistent impact.
One student wrote: “Dr. Zucker embodies everything a teaching award should honor—a dedication to not just training future doctors, but truly mentoring the next generation of compassionate, skilled, and thoughtful clinicians.”
“These awards affirm that education, both public and professional, remains at the heart of the Retreat’s mission to advance mental health care and advocacy,” said Steve Cummings, CEO of the Brattleboro Retreat. “We’re committed to enriching the conversation around mental health, one story at a time.”
