The Vermont Medical Society has announced Osher Affiliate Whitney R. Calkins, MD, as recipient of its prestigious 2025 Physician of the Year Award, honoring her exceptional contributions to patient care, medical education, and community health.

Dr. Calkins, a family medicine physician at University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) in South Burlington, has been recognized for her outstanding clinical care, compassionate approach to patients, and innovative leadership in medical education. With over three decades of experience in family medicine, she serves as Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at University of Vermont and has become a cornerstone of Vermont’s healthcare community. 

Calkins has also contributed to statewide initiatives, including academic detailing programs that promote evidence-based prescribing practices and population health projects focused on hypertension management. Osher Center Director Cara Feldman-Hunt, NBC-HWC, has seen how Calkins’ work, which spans UVM and UVM Health—much like the Osher Center itself—has a positive, cross-institutional impact. “Dr. Calkins’ dedication to Skills Before Pills, lifestyle medicine, and medical student education is truly inspiring,” Feldman-Hunt said. “Her work embodies the kind of cross-institutional impact we value deeply at the Osher Center. She’s a trailblazer in advancing Whole Health and improving patient outcomes.”

Four women standing in front of an academic poster
Whitney Calkins, M.D. (far right) with Alyssa Tenney, Molly Hurd, and Christina Vollbrecht (left to right; not pictured: Sarah Krumholz), the team who won the 2024 Frymoyer Scholars Program grant, presented their poster, "A Multimodal Approach to Bridging Gaps in Nutrition Education: A Culinary Medicine Experience," during the 2024 Health Equity Summit. 

“If we build it, they will come.”

In her clinical practice, Calkins leads the transformative “Skills Before Pills” program, a team-based, holistic approach to chronic disease management she created, with UVM Health’s Director of Sustainability, Diane Imrie, and UVM Health’s Clinical Dietician, Emily Stone, MS, RD, CD, IFNCP, who also works with participants in Osher’s Comprehensive Pain Program. This model emphasizes lifestyle interventions and patient empowerment, reshaping how primary care addresses long-term health conditions. Reflecting on the program’s origins, Calkins said, “We kept saying to each other, ‘If we build it, they will come.’”

As Calkins and team built the program, key collaborators helped it grow. “Osher and UVM Culinary Medicine folks and Laura McCray supported our first grant for Skills Before Pills,” Calkins said. “Cara [Feldman-Hunt] joined in with early support from the UVM Integrative Health Coaching Program…. Then we received a grant from the UVM Department of Family Medicine to officially support and study outcomes for Skills Before Pills shared medical appointments.”

Calkins lauds the UVMMC Community Health Team and sees their work as vital. “The health coaches have been instrumental to the success of the program,” she said, “by onboarding and coaching patients to support their health goals, and in maintaining momentum between shared medical appointments.” Another Osher Affiliate, Lecturer Susan Whitman, PA-C, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, is currently leading an Osher Collaborative project with a goal to more effectively integrate health and wellness coaches into clinical care teams because they can shore up gaps in a beleaguered system and improve outcomes for patients.

“What makes our shared medical appointment model so special is the integrated team—registered dietitian, chef educator, and physician—working together to support patients in a truly holistic way. It’s a beautiful blend of science, skill, and compassion, and Dr. Calkins’ leadership helps it all come to life. She brings the scope of the Chef Educator and RD role into full view and holds it with deep respect, elevating the entire team’s impact.”

– Osher Affiliate R. Leah Pryor, Executive Chef Manager and Co-Founder of the Culinary Medicine Program at UVM Health

On faculty at the Larner College of Medicine since 2009, Calkins has made a lasting impact on medical education and mentorship. Among her many achievements is the co-creation and ongoing leadership of the Culinary Medicine program at Larner. This innovative initiative equips medical students with practical skills in nutrition and lifestyle counseling, bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and everyday health practices. A 2024 Frymoyer Scholars grant supported Calkins and team to fully develop deeper culinary work within Larner and in spring 2025 they published Cooking with the curriculum: a pilot culinary medicine program at the Larner College of Medicine in BMC Medical Education.

“This is an outstanding and well-earned recognition for Dr. Calkins,” said Richard L. Page, M.D., Dean of the Larner College of Medicine and Chief Medical Affairs Officer at UVM. “Through her leadership and dedication, she has made a profound and lasting impact on our medical students, residents, and the patients we serve. Her contributions exemplify the highest standards of compassionate care and commitment to training the next generation of physicians.”  

Blending Science, Skill, and Compassion 

Osher Affiliate R. Leah Pryor, Executive Chef Manager and Co-Founder of the Culinary Medicine Program at UVM Health, knows how critical it is to offer evidence-based, hands-on education about the link between food and health. She and her team devote themselves to their program’s mission to nourish health in our community through the joy of cooking, the science of nutrition and the wonder of the natural world. Pryor sees Calkins as the “driving force” behind Culinary Medicine at UVM Health and witnesses the effect she has on patients and fellow providers. 

“What makes our shared medical appointment model so special is the integrated team—registered dietitian, chef educator, and physician—working together to support patients in a truly holistic way,” Pryor said. “It’s a beautiful blend of science, skill, and compassion, and Dr. Calkins’ leadership helps it all come to life. She brings the scope of the Chef Educator and RD role into full view and holds it with deep respect, elevating the entire team’s impact.”

three women standing in front of a conference logo sign
Dr. Calkins with UVM Health Culinary Medicine team members at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine  annual conference.

The Physician of the Year Award is given annually to a Vermont-licensed physician who exemplifies excellence in patient care, compassion, and dedication to the principles of good medical practice. Calkins’ selection reflects her deep commitment to improving the health and well-being of Vermonters through both clinical excellence and educational innovation. Dr. Katie Marvin, President of the Vermont Medical Society, praised Calkins for her “exceptional mentorship, innovative teaching, and transformative clinical care.”

The award will be presented at the Society’s annual awards dinner on November 7, 2025, at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The ceremony will be held in person and livestreamed, allowing colleagues, students, and patients to celebrate Calkins’ achievements and lasting impact on Vermont’s healthcare landscape.