From the President and CEO |
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I had the honor last week of attending a health care roundtable with Senator Peter Welch and United States Department of Agriculture undersecretary for rural development Xochitl Torres Small. Representatives from Senator Bernie Sanders’s and U.S. Representative Becca Balint’s offices also attended, as did leaders from Vermont’s health care community. We came together to celebrate recent Emergency Rural Healthcare Grants (ERHC) and Community Facilities (CF) funding for hospitals and health centers, most recently Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) and Copley Hospital.
NVRH, which hosted the event, will use funds received through the USDA for the expansion of its emergency department, laboratory, pharmacy and mental health support area to be more efficient, safe and functionally modern. Copley will add its own funding to USDA grants and loans and secure a new medical office building to improve efficiency in operations. NVRH and Copley are critical community institutions, and they offer great examples of what can be accomplished through creativity and innovation. We know their projects will make a significant difference for the people they serve.
Not only were we able to offer our thanks to our federal Congressional delegation and administrators for their work to bring these funds into Vermont; we also got the opportunity to discuss Vermont’s broader healthcare status, needs and strategies in a roundtable discussion between federal representatives and Vermonters in our health care system. Among them were Green Mountain Care Board chair Owen Foster and Vermont Agency of Human Services Jenney Secretary Samuelson.
Conversations like these are essential. As I said in my opening remarks at Friday’s event, what made the presentation so incredible was the spirit of collaboration and partnership of the people in the room. We cannot make progress on our rural health care challenges without that spirit, and we are fortunate to have leaders at the federal, state and local level working together to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors.
Undersecretary Torres Small commented on the number of times someone in the room remarked that “Vermont is special.” But Senator Welch reinforced the idea and I agree. Our ability to work together with other non-profit entities to solve problems is the exception and not the rule nationally. I know this from talking to my colleagues across the country.
As you probably know, delivering care in our rural corner of the world is particularly hard. Just ask the leaders who struggle to balance the books or the providers working long hours with few, if any staff, reinforcements. Our population is older, and patients are showing up sicker.
Even still, there are so many bright spots where hospitals are partnering with state and federal agencies like the USDA to innovate and modernize. We cannot make progress without this teamwork, and last week’s roundtable shone an excellent spotlight on the progress we can make by using our unique Vermont style of collaboration.
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Devon Green, VP of Government Relations
In Vermont, for both weather and the legislature, March is in like a lion and out like a lion. Last week wrapped up the crossover deadline for money bills. We will have more details on what’s in and out of the FY ‘24 budget as we go through it this week, but rest assured everything will be moving pretty quickly from here on out.
Workplace Violence: The workplace violence bill, S.36, passed the Senate last week with just one “no” vote. A huge thank you to all the senators who voted yes on the bill—we truly appreciate their support and desire to act on this issue. The House is immediately going to work on this bill with the House Judiciary Committee taking testimony this week.
COVID Flexibilities: This week’s nailbiter was H.411, the bill that extends our current COVID regulatory flexibilities, including temporary licensure of out-of-state health care providers in good standing. The flexibilities are set to expire under current law on March 31st. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee and the entire Senate acted quickly to pass out the bill. It is now safely in the hands of the governor, and will make the deadline. Thank you to Rep. Houghton and Sen. Lyons for guiding the bill through without sacrificing process.
EMS: The House Health Care Committee heard about an omnibus EMS bill, H.263, including:
- Appropriate $20 million to the EMS Special Fund to help defray the costs of unreimbursed care and education
- Reimbursement for patients who are provided care by EMS but are not transported
- Medicaid reimbursement at 100% of Medicare
- Study committee on regional coordination
Competency: The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced S.91, which makes changes to the process of competency to stand trial and pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Among many changes, the bill proposes:
- Requiring that a competency determination must be made before an insanity defense can be put forward
- Requires the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living to make recommendations on whether Vermont should have a competency restoration program
Opioid Overdose Treatment and Prevention: The House Health Care Committee heard recommendations made by the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee in the Governor’s FY24 proposed budget, including:
- $2.2 million for outreach staff
- $2 million for four additional opioid medication Hubs
- $1.9 million for naloxone distribution
- $200 thousand to increase Fentanyl Testing Strip distribution
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Hospital heads, Peter Welch discuss rural health care challenges |
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VTDigger
ST. JOHNSBURY — The CEOs of two northern Vermont hospitals spoke soberly with U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and federal and state administrators Friday morning about their concerns for the future at a roundtable discussion that also celebrated the awards of two long-term, low-interest federal loans.
Shawn Tester, of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, and Joe Woodin, of Copley Hospital in Morrisville, shared their sense that ongoing economic and social stressors will make coming years the most difficult yet faced by their institutions.
“We got through the pandemic and it was incredibly challenging,” said Tester, lauding his staff’s creativity in responding to the threat of Covid-19. “I think the next five years are going to be much more challenging of an environment than the last three years.”
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Vt. regulators give UVM Health Network ‘flexibility’ on $18M mental health spending plan |
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WCAX
Vermont’s mental health care system was under the microscope again Wednesday as state regulators unanimously voted to give the UVM Health Network greater flexibility on how it spends funds originally earmarked for adult inpatient psychiatric care.
The Green Mountain Care Board in 2018 ordered the network to set aside $21 million in surplus funds dedicated to increasing inpatient mental health capacity. The network and GMCB agreed to build a $158 million adult inpatient facility at Central Vermont Medical Center to expand the current unit’s 15-bed capacity to 40. Three million of that funding was spent on planning and designs. But the project was put on ice last April following pandemic budget shortfalls, leaving the remaining $18 million in limbo.
Some called Wednesday’s board vote concerning, saying that if regulators don’t compel private providers to invest in inpatient psychiatric care, the state’s critical bed shortage will never get solved, fueling long wait times that continue to leave Vermonters stranded in emergency rooms for days.
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FEMA awards Vermont hospitals over $3M for staffing during pandemic |
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NBC5
FEMA awarded the state of Vermont over $3 million to help with COVID-19 hospital staffing costs.
The funds are to reimburse the Green Mountain State for providing extra staff for hospitals to handle an increase in patients during the height of the pandemic.
The Northwestern Medical Center intensive care unit in St. Albans was the largest recipient, with a cost of over $1 million. The UVM Medical Center in Burlington was given about $180,000.
A spokesperson from FEMA says in part:
"Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight, is critical to their success and our success as a nation."
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A Walk-In Center for People Facing Mental Health Crises Is Proposed for the NEK |
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Seven Days
Urgent care for the mind — that's the idea behind a new proposal to improve mental health care in the Northeast Kingdom.
A nonprofit mental health agency in the region wants to launch a treatment center for people suffering from panic attacks, suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric crises. They would be able to walk in off the street without an appointment, see a trained clinician and even stay a few days for observation, if necessary.
As Vermont grapples with a mental health crisis that has strained local resources, the proposal is envisioned as a way to serve people before they land in a hospital emergency room to languish for days, or even weeks, awaiting treatment — tying up precious beds in the process.
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Manchester Journal
Group therapy: A unique opportunity during unique times
When someone experiences a significant change in their mood, or perhaps encounters an extraordinarily stressful life event, their initial thought might be something like this: “Maybe I should talk to a therapist.” During challenging times, seeking individual therapy can be an excellent way of seeking help and finding support.
There is also another option to consider: group therapy. Group therapy is a choice that can be easily overlooked or forgotten. A welcoming therapy group is a unique opportunity, and it can produce exceptionally good results, and help members feel a sense of belonging that can be harder to find in other therapy settings.
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