BENNINGTON - New pain protocols in gynecology and obstetrics at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center reflect a growing focus in the medical community on finding alternatives to opioids for pain management. 
Malcolm Paine, MD, is one of the physicians at SVMC’s Bennington-based obstetrics and gynecology practice. He says shifts in pain management during childbirth and during recovery following hysterectomies are part of an overall goal at the hospital to reduce opioid prescribing.