While timely appointments are important, for some, health care costs and logistical and personal considerations pose significant barriers to care.
As a not-for-profit health system, we want to make sure we do everything we can to ensure that cost doesn’t prevent patients from getting the care that they need. This is an important way for us to help provide equitable access to lifesaving health care
Sunny Eappen, MD and MBA, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health Network
UVM Health Network runs several programs to help people overcome barriers to quality health care:
Health and Financial Assistance Programs
In 2023, our health and financial assistance programs helped 6,368 patients obtain vital medication and supported hundreds more to enroll in health insurance and other state and federal programs, or access other critical health resources through the team’s advocacy and support. Overall, these programs covered $7.5 million in costs last year that would have come out of our patients’ pockets for medication.
Care Management
Across the health system, dedicated teams helped more than 3,500 patients connect with support services, known as care management, to help them overcome personal barriers to care and better manage their health. In a recent survey, nine out of 10 patients said they understood their health concerns better after receiving care management support and reported being able to manage their health more independently.
Patients enrolled and engaged end up needing less medical care:
32% reduction in primary care visits
42% reduction in emergency department visits
41% reduction in hospital stays
Our aim as a health system is to provide the most comprehensive, effective, and efficient health care we can, and that means looking beyond the exam room into our patients’ day-to-day lives. For many Vermonters and New Yorkers, economic, logistical and personal considerations pose serious obstacles to their ability to receive care. The best diagnosis or treatment can only go so far if the patient lacks reliable transportation or access to necessities like healthy food.
Jessica Moschella, senior vice president of high value care at UVM Health Network
More about our work to improve access:
Using new technologies to strengthen access to specialty care
When Jack Galt’s cardiac stress test suggested there was a problem, he wanted answers fast. Rather than waiting for an in-person appointment, Galt quickly received insight from a cardiologist with an eConsult – one of the many new digital tools connecting our patients more quickly with care.
When you’re in pain, waiting for a surgical appointment can feel like an eternity. Such was the case for Susan Anderson, who needed both of her hips replaced last year. “I wanted to go to UVM Medical Center for the procedures, but unfortunately the wait was just too long,” says Anderson.
