Addressing the crowd before cutting the ribbon. L to R: Jessie Baker, City Manager, South Burlington; Becky Kapsalis, AVP, Talent Acquisition, UVM Health Network; at podium: Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer, UVM Health Network. This Initiative represents continued crucial investments to recruit and retain employees; Nurses, Nutrition Services and Facilities staff among those moving in. VermontBiz photos.
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network today held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its first investment in employee housing in South Burlington. This is the first of two buildings in the CityCenter complex intended to help alleviate both a worker shortage and a tight housing market. The worker shortage is a significant factor contributing to the Network losing millions of dollars.
UVMHN CEO Sunny Eappen said the need to fill, especially, nursing positions with staff instead of traveling nurses will decrease expenses and increase morale. UVMHN is the umbrella organization for the UVM Medical Center, as well as CVMC, Porter Medical Center, UVMHN Medical Group and Home Health & Hospice in Vermont and three hospitals in New York.
Eappen said UVMHN has 2,000 openings and employs 15,000. He said the ratio of openings is consistent with many other hospital groups across the nation.
After the ceremonial ribbon cutting, local leaders and reporters toured the building, which includes 61 apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms, a fitness room, laundry room and dog washing space. Residents will begin moving in tomorrow.
Housing and childcare are key issues nationally, and they present a major obstacle to recruiting and retaining a talented health care workforce. This project is part of the Network’s ongoing plan to address these challenges and reduce the reliance on costly temporary workers.
UVMHN has previously stated that budget increases of nearly $185 million are due to cost inflation for the current fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2022.
This is the result of:
- Extraordinary inflation related mainly to the cost of temporary labor at a time of a national workforce shortage and wage increases to support full-time nurses, physicians and other members of their health care workforce, along with price increases for equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals;
- And revenues have not kept up with rising costs, as they are still experiencing the impact of limiting services throughout the pandemic.
Employees and their families will begin moving in this week. So far, leases have been signed for more than half of the apartments. Incoming tenants include nurses, LNAs, technical employees, respiratory therapists, environmental services, nutrition services, patient support, and facilities team members.
The Network continues to match employees with units that fit their needs and will leave a number of units open for new employees moving to the area in the coming weeks and months.
The apartments at 303 Market Street will be followed in 2024 by an additional, 120-unit building in the same area, which will include a childcare facility offering up to 75 spots focused on infants to Pre-K, to be made available first to Network employees. Both projects are part of a partnership with developer SnyderBraverman.
The UVM Health Network is helping to finance both projects without being a property manager and will take a 10-year master lease on each building. The property is being managed by Redstone.
“It is vital for our Network to have enough providers and staff to meet the record level demand for health care services in our region,” said Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, UVM Health Network President and Chief Executive Officer. “These projects represent a strategic investment to support our people and build a sustainable workforce as we reduce our reliance on temporary workers, and I am so proud and excited to cut this ribbon today.”
“We’re continuing to recruit people who are excited to join our team, but too often they are unable to secure housing, and have to decline our offer of employment,” said Rebecca Kapsalis, Associate Vice President of Talent Acquisition for the UVM Health Network. “Being able to offer these units will help more new employees relocate here, and will keep more of our colleagues working with us as well.”
The announcement comes as the Network continues to implement and adapt its plan to address its financial challenges – with a primary driver being expenses stemming from the high cost of using temporary traveling staff to help maintain the level of services needed to meet the increasingly acute health care needs of patients in the region.
By investing in housing and childcare, and enabling more staff to stay in the area or relocate to the area, Kapsalis said the Network can support its talented permanent employees and reduce spending on travelers.
UVM Health Network leaders are exploring similar ideas to support recruitment and retention of employees in areas closer to affiliate hospitals outside of the Chittenden County area, including in New York State. For example, Central Vermont Medical Center has partnered with Barre Area Development to build a new subdivision called Prospect Heights, which includes 15 units for hospital staff.
This two-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot unit has two full baths and a walk-in closet off the master bedroom.
About The University of Vermont Health Network
The 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:
- The University of Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
This is the first of two buildings intended to help alleviate the housing and childcare needs of UVMHN.
Source: 4.27.2023. UVMHN Burlington, Vt. – The University of Vermont Health Network
