Message from the CEO

My daughter, Jillian, will graduate from high school in a week. We’ll be “sort-of” empty nesters then. She’ll head to Quinnipiac in the fall with the ultimate goal of being a dentist. 


This is such a bittersweet time of year. These young people are full of so much hope and optimism, but also, being a kid these days isn’t easy, so there’s plenty of heartache and stress. 


Frankly, as I look around, I see similar juxtapositions everywhere. Wins and struggles; joy and loss. That’s the way it always is, but what determines our ultimate success is our resilience through the hard times. 


We’ve been talking about the end of the pandemic for a long time now. At what point will it truly be over and when will be able to say we are truly recovered? The answer is, we’ll never be the same. We’ll never be in the same place we were in February 2020. We are on a different plane, with a new trajectory and shifted priorities.  


I see this reality very clearly in my work for Vermont’s non-profit hospitals. And I see it very clearly in the aspirations and experiences of our children, who have endured a lot in their young lives. 


The pandemic itself may be squarely in the rearview mirror, thankfully. But the question of where we go from here is right in front of us. It is a completely unanswered question.


Our institutions—whether they be hospitals, schools, fire departments or small non-profits—are struggling. They are financially strained; they have workforce constraints; and the demand and complexity of demand has never been greater. Pressure is high, energy is depleted, and services are stretched thin. The toll on people— both those who need services and those who provide them— is significant and requires a level of vigilance and resilience most of us have never experienced‚—certainly not for this sustained a period of time. No one entity will survive if it goes it alone. We are all linked. We need to work together to build back toward greater stability in our communities. That means strong services across the board.


Vermont is the kind of place, though, where you can see and feel the impact of your contributions‚—whether work or volunteer. That’s why it’s so important to keep moving our state forward, lifting each other up, even when it feels impossible and we are tired. 


I look to my daughter and her classmates for a boost of hope and inspiration to always find the energy to keep persevering. 


Hope you have a great week. 


Top Stories

Diversity in rural hospitals: Going beyond matching the community

Chief Healthcare Executive


Rural hospital executives acknowledge that it’s difficult to attract clinicians and other critical workers who may prefer to live in more urban settings.


It also becomes more challenging to bring workers from minority communities to areas where most of the residents are white.


Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, president and CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network, talked about the challenges at a forum on rural hospitals last week. In Vermont, 94% of the state’s residents are white, according to U.S. Census data. Only 2.2% of state’s residents are Hispanic, and only 1.5% of Vermont’s residents are Black.


Eappen said the system’s service area, which also includes northern New York, does have some diversity, including Native Americans and Black residents. While hospital executives in very diverse areas say they want their staff to reflect their communities, Eappen said his goal is different.

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New laws make changes at the intersection of criminal justice and health care

VTDigger


Two of the seven bills that Gov. Phil Scott signed into law Tuesday set out specific law enforcement roles in supporting emergency and mental health care providers. Two others create changes in the treatment of criminal defendants with severe mental illness or deficits and where they will be treated. 


A fifth brings Vermont’s gun control regulations in line with federal laws banning straw purchases and tampering with serial numbers on guns, and ensures that the prosecution of crimes by juveniles involving guns, illegal drug sales and human trafficking begin in criminal court.


A sixth new law requires standardization of school safety plans and procedures, while a seventh addresses cancer risks among professional and volunteer firefighters. 


For Scott, the overarching theme in the group is public safety, which he called “a primary responsibility for any government” when he announced his actions.

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UVM Health Network releases plan for $18M in mental health upgrades

WCAX


After years of back and forth with Vermont health care regulators, The University of Vermont Health Network now says it has a plan to spend $18 million earmarked for mental health care.


The network this week filed a proposal with the Green Mountain Care Board that outlines multiple initiatives. They include: a mental health urgent care clinic for Chittenden County; improvements to the psychiatric inpatient unit at Central Vermont Medical Center; resources for eating disorders; transgender care clinics for youth; expanded hours for ambulance transport; and expanded access to innovative treatments for patients with severe depression.


Back in 2018, the GMCB ordered the health network to set aside $21 million in surplus funds specifically to bring more adult mental health beds online in Vermont. The two parties agreed to build a $158 million adult inpatient psych facility at Central Vermont Medical Center, but the network scrapped the project last April.

Watch

State regulators stand their ground on hospital budgets

VTDigger


Regulators voted Wednesday not to change their expectations for the revenue side of the states’ hospital budgets for fiscal year 2024, despite sustained and ongoing cost increases that led to big reported operating losses in 2022. 


The five members of the Green Mountain Care Board unanimously denied a request by the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems to either adjust the target revenue growth rate upfront or waive its enforcement. 


The board reviews each of the 14 hospitals’ budgets annually in a process that begins with a submission due June 30 for the coming fiscal year. Exceeding the revenue target is allowed but opens up the hospital’s budgetary choices to greater scrutiny. 

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Other News


Six Mt Ascutney Hospital nurses and nursing assistants honored with DAISY Awards


UVMMC Partners with Lake Monsters to prevent skin cancer


NVRH Auxiliary presents $9,500 in Scholastic Achievement Awards


SVMC celebrates provider achievements and milestones



Mark Your Calendar



Breastfeeding for New Parents



Save the date for the 2023 Annual Meeting, Community Connections: September 21 and 22.