Health Care

North Country Hospital dialysis services saved by regulatory decision

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by Daniel Duric, for the Newport Dispatch

NEWPORT — Dialysis patients at North Country Hospital will continue receiving local treatment following a Green Mountain Care Board decision that allows University of Vermont Health Network to maintain its community-based services.

The regulatory board voted to increase UVM Medical Center’s revenue cap to cover losses from operating dialysis centers in Newport, St. Albans and Rutland.

Since November, the health system had been exploring options to transfer dialysis operations to other providers, but determined no organization could maintain high-quality care without significant financial losses.

“We’re very appreciative of the board’s willingness to collaborate with us to secure access to this important care in rural areas of the state,” said Stephen Leffler, president and chief operating officer at UVM Medical Center.

The approval adjusts UVM Medical Center’s nearly $2 billion fiscal year 2025 budget to include revenue from the rural dialysis clinics, contingent upon continued staffing and operation of these facilities.

“This was music to our ears as the decision came through the airwaves today,” noted North Country Hospital President & CEO, Tom Frank.

Leffler apologized for uncertainty that dialysis patients and staff experienced during the review process.

“As soon as I received word from UVMMC’s President, Dr. Leffler, I went out to the clinic area to announce the news, and everyone clapped with joy and relief,” said Renal Nurse Supervisor, Sandy Hoffman, who runs the Ron Holland MD Community Dialysis Center at North Country Hospital. “Our patients are like family, and after three months of not knowing the future, this was wonderful for all to hear. It means our patients won’t have to make tough decisions on what it would take to receive renal dialysis care three days a week if dialysis services changed.”

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Categories: Health Care

3 replies »

  1. While I am happy for the dialysis patients, I have to ask why the same cannot be done for the medical clinic in Waitsfield? UVMMC refuses to even have discussions about ways to keep it open.This clinic serves as access to local medical care for a large number of people in the Mad River Valley and has a waiting list of patients, many of whom are seniors. They want us to travel to Waterbury – a clinic that already serves a large number of people and also has a long waiting list. Many of our seniors no longer drive and getting over the mountain in the winter can be quite a challenge. Further, we have to ask why they think the Waterbury facility can accommodate all of these towns? UVMMC won’t even entertain any ideas…they won’t discuss the numbers with our clinic board. If the facility in this article can be saved, I think that the UVMMC representatives should be willing to discuss saving the medical services to the Valley. I have repeatedly written to Governor Scott begging him to get the parties to the table for discussion….and I have been repeatedly ignored. So very, very disappointed in him for ignoring the constituents he claims to care so much about. We need this center to remain open. Closing it should NOT be an option. This is nothing but greed – putting profits over people’s access to health care. Gave themselves some pretty hefty bonuses though didn’t they? Got some nice raises too. Thanks for all your help Governor Scott. You just keep your head in the sand and ignore the situation….can’t have you actually doing something where you might have to take a side or (Heaven forbid) advocate for Vermont’s legal, non drug addicted residents. Yea, us regular folk just don’t generate enough press coverage for you and we are only useful come tax time.

  2. The UVMMC’s threat to eliminate dialysis at rural hospitals was nothing more than a “too big to fail” bully’s bluff. And the GMCB fell for it and caved or rubber stamped the demands for more money just like they always do. I saw Owen Foster on the evening news warning the UVMMC not to try this tactic again. Why not? It worked. It was terrible of the UVMMC to cause all the people needing dialysis so much anxiety. Surely there are ways to cut costs without cutting services. Are health care providers willing to let people die so they can keep their salaries and benefits?