Rural hospitals band together to stay open
WCAX
Vermont’s rural hospitals are in danger of closing. That’s according to the controversial report issued by consulting group Oliver Wyman. Now, some of those hospitals are banding together, saving themselves from closure and saving patients money in the meantime.
A key recommendation from the Act 167 Report is to: “reduce costs through synergies… because Individual hospitals could benefit from shared services/staff.” The report says the hospital system could save millions in the process. As I found out, the New England Health Collaborative is already doing that.
The New England Health Collaborative is made up of Copley Hospital, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Cottage Hospital, Northwestern Medical Center and Adirondack Health.
Through the collaborative, hospitals can negotiate purchasing supplies and employee benefit plans together, and share staff and strategies. It’s a third option between operating independently, but not as a system like UVM Health Network. They say in the first year of the collaborative, they saved $5 million.