UVMHN maintains dialysis services in Newport, Rutland and St. Albans

Regulator GMCB authorizes important paths to ensure continuous access to lifespan services

Vermont Business Magazine The decision of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) allows the University of Vermont Health Network University to continue offering 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 ways to maintain care for patients relying on dialysis at these sites.

After investigating options that involve dialysis migration operations to other providers, it was revealed that other organizations were unable to take on the service while providing high quality care without significant losses. Today, the GMCB voted to increase the revenue cap at UVM Medical Centers to allow for ongoing operation, including revenue from community dialysis services, so that patients do not need to travel further for life-saving care they need.

UVM Medical Center will continue to maintain losses while looking for opportunities to reduce costs to provide dialysis to Vermonters.

“We are committed to providing a range of services that are important to us,” said Dr. Stephen Leffler, president and chief operating officer of UVM Medical Center. “We are delighted to reaffirm our commitment to providing these important services.”

Dr. Leffler acknowledged the uncertainty that dialysis patients and staff have endured over the past few months.

“We sincerely apologize for the stress and anxiety people have felt while working to identify progress in this important service,” he added. “We will work with regulators, Vermont, community hospitals and other partners to advance solutions to our most pressing healthcare challenges.”

GMCB held This morning a hearing was held to confirm UVMMC's request for adjustments to the nearly $2 billion FY25 budget.

This is Link to recording, Official Requestand GMCB Chairman Owen Foster's motion language is below:

“We will transition to approve budgetary adjustment requests to UVMMC's FY25 budget and allow a total NPR of less than $1,903,520,112, subject to continued staffing and operation of RRMC, NMC and NCH dialysis clinics, subject to other conditions and restrictions set forth in UVMMC's FY25 budget.

About the University of Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Medical Center is a 499-bed Tertiary Care Regional Referral Center that provides advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and upstate New York. The Academic Medical Center in Vermont, along with partners from Lerner School of Medicine and the University of Vermont's Nursing and Health Sciences. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for around 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.

University of Vermont Medical Center is a member University of Vermont Health Network Universityan integrated system established to provide high quality academic medicine to all communities we serve.

For more information, please see www.uvmhealth.org/medcenter Or visit Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blog sites www.uvmhealth.org/medcenterocialmedia.

About the University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system that provides services to residents of Vermont and upstate New York on a shared mission. Working together will improve people's lives. Our partners are:

Source: 2.21.2025. Burlington, VA – Green Mountain Care Board

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