Access action plan
Making health care available when and where you need it
Our path forward—access and impact
Providing timely access to quality health care requires continuous attention and improvement. The pandemic has only made that more apparent. The UVM Health Network launched the Access Action Plan to improve the experience of our patients and to accelerate our ability to expand access to the care our patients need. Our plan focuses on three main goals:
• Hire successfully amid a national staffing shortage
• Reduce wait times for specialty care
• Increase hospital inpatient and emergency capacity
Initiatives moving us toward our goal:
Centralized scheduling
We know we need to reduce wait times for our patients so they can get the care they need as quickly as possible. As we continue to implement a centralized scheduling system, it will allow patients to choose from all available in-person and telehealth appointments across the Network.
Preserving local access
Ticonderoga, New York, is an example of how innovation and strong partnerships have kept essential care local in this rural community.
Moses Ludington Hospital was struggling to survive as a hospital. Working in close partnership with others, and with support from the state of New York, the hospital was transformed into a hub of local care and service, including a 24/7 emergency department and outpatient center with imaging, laboratory, physical therapy and specialty medical services. A new primary care clinic, along with skilled nursing and long-term care facilities bring together a range of services locally that are a part of Elizabethtown Community Hospital.
Shared health records
As of April 2022, all of our Network hospitals and clinics are connected to our Epic electronic health record system, connecting patients and providers to relevant health records whenever and wherever they are needed.
Technology enabled health care
eHealth refers to a variety of health care services that we provide by video, telephone and through other digital tools across our health system in Vermont and Northern New York. Video and phone visits, eConsults and remote monitoring continue to improve access to care for our communities.
