Vermont hospitals report runs into furor over allegations of inaccurate data
Last month, a consultant released a sweeping report that recommended big changes for Vermont’s health care system, including “major restructuring” at four community hospitals.
The 144-page state-commissioned document lays out in detail a series of steps that Vermont’s hospitals should take to stay afloat, including repurposing inpatient units and downgrading emergency departments at some facilities.
State health care officials have said repeatedly that they have no plans to close hospitals or force them to restructure. But the report has nonetheless plunged much of the state’s health care system into anxiety and uncertainty.
Over the past few weeks, moreover, hospital leaders have raised concerns with what they say is inaccurate data in the document — a controversy that has added to the backlash against the recommendations and could complicate efforts to implement them.
Michael Del Trecco, the president and CEO of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, said in an interview Tuesday that the report should be retracted because of faulty data. The hospital association released a detailed press release Tuesday showing discrepancies between its data and the figures used in the report.