Green Mountain Care Board to hold Healthcare Community Meeting in Springfield on July 16

©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC

On Tuesday, July 16, the Green Mountain Care Board is holding one of 14 public meetings concerning options for hospital transformation and health system revitalization.

This Healthcare Community Meeting for Springfield Hospital will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Springfield Town Library, 43 Main St. in Springfield and focus on health care in the region.

Feedback and input will be solicited from community members. The options are the culmination of a monthslong process of collecting input from Vermonters across the state. That includes public and provider meetings, outreach to over 100 community organizations, visits to each hospital in Vermont and analyses of healthcare data from multiple sources.

In fiscal 2023, nine of Vermont’s 14 hospitals had negative operating margins. At the same time, Vermonters are experiencing significant annual increases in health insurance premiums.

“Vermont’s healthcare system is strained, and Vermonters cannot afford annual double-digit increases in their healthcare costs,” said Owen Foster, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board. “The independent, expert recommendations that will be presented to Vermont communities are critical to revitalizing and sustaining an affordable healthcare system for Vermonters.”

In response to national trends, deteriorating hospital and provider financial health, increasing costs for Vermonters, and gaps in access to local mental healthcare, primary care, and long-term care, the legislature in 2022 directed the GMCB to retain a third-party independent clinician to develop recommendations for hospital transformation.

Public, in-person community meetings will run through Aug. 5 and will include community and hospital specific options for improving access, constraining cost and improving health equity. The purpose of these meetings is to review the findings and options and provide additional opportunity for input.

A virtual meeting will also be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.  For more information, and for to sign up as an optional RSVP, click here.