Regulator GMCB Approves Critical Path Forward to Ensure Continued Access to Life-Sustaining Service
Vermont Business Magazine A Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) decision will enable University of Vermont Health Network to continue providing community-based dialysis services in St. Albans, Newport and Rutland. Since November 2024, the health system has been working with Northwestern Medical Center, North Country Hospital, Rutland Regional Medical Center and the GMCB to identify the best way to maintain care for patients who rely on dialysis at these sites.
After exploring options that included transitioning operation of dialysis to other providers, it became clear that no other organization would be able to take on the services while providing high quality care without significant losses. Today, the GMCB voted to increase UVM Medical Center’s revenue cap to include revenue from community dialysis services and enable their continued operation so patients do not have to travel further for the lifesaving care they need.
UVM Medical Center will continue to sustain the losses while they search for opportunities to decrease costs to provide dialysis to Vermonters.
“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, MD, president and chief operating officer at UVM Medical Center. “I’m happy to reaffirm our commitment to providing these essential services.”
Dr. Leffler acknowledged the uncertainty that dialysis patients and staff have endured over the past few months.
“We sincerely apologize for any stress or anxiety that people have felt while we worked to identify a path forward for this important service,” he added. “We will continue to work together with our regulator, the state of Vermont, area hospitals, and other partners to make progress on solutions to our most pressing health care challenges.”
GMCB held a hearing this morning to review UVMMC’s request for an adjustment to their nearly $2 billion FY25 Budget.
Here’s the link to the recording, the official request, and GMCB Chair Owen Foster’s motion language is below.
"I move to approve UVMMC's request for a budget adjustment to their FY25 budget to allow a total NPR of not more than $1,903,520,112, subject to UVMMC's continued staffing and operation of the dialysis clinics at RRMC, NMC, and NCH, and subject to the same other conditions and limitations as set forth in UVMMC's FY25 budget order."
About University of Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Medical Center is a 499-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the Larner College of Medicine at University of Vermont and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of University of Vermont Health Network, an integrated system established to deliver high-quality academic medicine to every community we serve.
For more information visit www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenter or visit our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia.
About University of Vermont Health Network
University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
- University of Vermont Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
Source: 2.21.2025. Burlington, Vt. – Green Mountain Care Board
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