Officials of the Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) said last week that they remain focused on increasing access to health care for Vermonters.

Patient wait times for medical appointments around Vermont are a growing concern for AHS.

“As we transition to recovery from the pandemic, access to health care is more important than ever. It is critical that our path forward helps Vermonters receive affordable, high-quality care and that they can make an appointment with a health care provider within a reasonable timeframe,” AHS Secretary Mike Smith said.

As a result of ongoing concerns regarding access to health care, the agency is launching an investigation into wait times for medical appointments.

“We want to understand the challenges and ways to remove the barriers that leave some Vermonters waiting for months for appointments,” Smith added.

“Unifying providers, payers, and statewide stakeholders are critical components to achieving the goals of health care reform which include affordability, access, and quality of care,” according to an AHS news release last week.

A recent Seven Days investigate report found that wait times for UVM Health Care Network patients have lengthened in recent months.

Republished from the September 6 Eagle-Sun Unsplash photo