the end of June TO ANSWER TO ALL CHARGES. THREE OF THE LARGEST HEALTH NETWORKS IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. HOSTING A ROUNDTABLE TODAY. talking about THE CHALLENGES THEY ALL FACE. IN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. NBC5’S JOHN HAWKS is LIVE IN THE UPPER VALLEY NEWSROOM WITH MORE on their conversation. JOHN? ALICE, BRIAN. CEOS FROM THE UVM HEALTH NETWORK, DARTMOUTH HEALTH, AND MAINE HEALTH SAY THEY HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE, HOUSING AND INFLATION CHALLENGES. In a virtual meeting earlier today – Representatives from THESE BIG HOSPITALS say they are STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND STAFFING, EVEN AS THEY INCREASE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR NURSES AND DOCTORS TO SETTLE INTO SUCH RURAL COMMUNITIES. AND BECAUSE OF THAT… TRAVELING NURSES AND TECHNICIANS ARE STILL BEING USED AT A HIGH RATE. OFFICIALS SAY that won’t change unless the other staffing issues are resolved. and until that happens – they AND PRESIDENT, THE UVM HEALTH NETWORK AS AN INDUSTRY, WE’VE BEEN MORE RIGID. I THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE CREATIVE ALMOST THE UBER OF HOW WE DELIVER CARE. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE SHIFTS GOING UP AND PEOPLE CAN PICK THEM ON THEIR PHONE. PEOPLE CAN SAY “OH MY HUSBAND, WIFE OR SPOUSE IS HOME TODAY, I CAN WORK.”> OTHER topics of discussion INCLUDED POST- PANDEMIC FUNDING. With many HOSPITALS around the country – including in new England – running AT A DEFICIT LAST YEAR. THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS STRATEGIES TO BETTER DIVERSIFY HIRING. Each hospital says EVEN WHILE WORKING TO SOLVE THESE VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES. they are still dedicated TO providing THE BEST QUALI
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CEOs from UVM Health, Maine Health and Dartmouth Health hold roundtable discussion
Officials from The UVM Health Network, Dartmouth Health, and Maine Health gathered Monday in a virtual livestream to comment on the rural health care crisis of Northern New England.
Updated: 5:22 PM EDT May 22, 2023
Three of the largest health networks in Northern New England hosted a roundtable conversation on Monday to talk about the challenges they all face in providing high-quality care in rural communities. CEOS from The UVM Health Network, Dartmouth Health, and Maine Health said they have a lot in common when it comes to workforce, housing and inflation challenges. Representatives from these big hospitals said they are still struggling to find staffing, even as they increase training opportunities. Housing and transportation make it difficult for nurses and doctors to settle into such rural communities and because of that, traveling nurses and technicians are still being used at a high rate. Officials said that won’t change unless the other staffing issues are resolved. And until that happens – they have to be creative in the way they operate.“As an industry, we’ve been more rigid,” said Sunny Eappen, CEO and president of the UVM Health Network. “I think we’re going to have to be more creative, almost the Uber of how we deliver care. If you can imagine shifts going up and people can pick them on their phone. People can say, ‘Oh my husband, wife or spouse is home today, I can work.'”Other topics of discussion included post-pandemic funding. Many hospitals around the country, including in New England, ran at a deficit last year. They also have been working toward strategies to better diversify hiring. Each hospital said that even while working to solve these very difficult challenges. They are still dedicated to providing the best quality of care for their patients.
Three of the largest health networks in Northern New England hosted a roundtable conversation on Monday to talk about the challenges they all face in providing high-quality care in rural communities.
CEOS from The UVM Health Network, Dartmouth Health, and Maine Health said they have a lot in common when it comes to workforce, housing and inflation challenges.
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Representatives from these big hospitals said they are still struggling to find staffing, even as they increase training opportunities.
Housing and transportation make it difficult for nurses and doctors to settle into such rural communities and because of that, traveling nurses and technicians are still being used at a high rate.
Officials said that won’t change unless the other staffing issues are resolved. And until that happens – they have to be creative in the way they operate.
“As an industry, we’ve been more rigid,” said Sunny Eappen, CEO and president of the UVM Health Network. “I think we’re going to have to be more creative, almost the Uber of how we deliver care. If you can imagine shifts going up and people can pick them on their phone. People can say, ‘Oh my husband, wife or spouse is home today, I can work.'”
Other topics of discussion included post-pandemic funding. Many hospitals around the country, including in New England, ran at a deficit last year.
They also have been working toward strategies to better diversify hiring.
Each hospital said that even while working to solve these very difficult challenges. They are still dedicated to providing the best quality of care for their patients.
