MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Time is running out to keep Vermont hospitals afloat. That’s according to research presented in Tuesday’s community hospital transformation meeting in Middlebury.
Since Springfield Hospital declared bankruptcy in 2019, the Green Mountain Care Board has been looking into hospital sustainability. Now, with 9 of Vermont’s 14 hospitals in the red, there’s even more growing concern.
“I do not think it is an exaggeration to say we are at a true inflection point,” said GCMB Chair Owen Foster.
Community members were squeezing in to make room for their neighbors in the Isley Library in Middlebury. Everyone is here for an answer: How will Vermont save its impoverished hospital system?
“Their reserves are reaching levels that are alarmingly low,” said healthcare reform consultant Dr. Bruce Hamory.
This is one of 14 community meetings that took place this summer throughout the state. They derive from a 2022 law attempting to find a way to reform Vermont’s health care system. Residents listened to a presentation and offered their own suggestions and concerns.
The Green Mountain Care Board and the Agency of Human Services, in conjunction with Dr. Hamory, spoke in depth about a myriad of parasitic problems facing Vermont’s healthcare system—highlighting Vermont’s changing demographics, housing crisis, and healthcare accessibility and affordability.
“Primary care is one of the most important things we can improve in this state,” said Foster.
Reducing costs for primary care medical students, modernizing technology, increasing telehealth usage alongside primary care hours, and reducing administrative positions are just some of the solutions offered.
“We need to address it and fix it now, there’s not time to do anything else,” said Foster.
After the meetings, the Green Mountain Care Board and Agency of Human Services can suggest changes. While the healthcare reform law dictates a necessity for change, it has no requirement for hospitals to listen to those suggestions.
“The way the statue was set up is that it will be local boards and local hospitals making decisions,” said Foster.
A final meeting will be online and virtual on Monday, and a complete report of findings from almost 2,000 Vermonters and over 100 organizations will be released this Fall.