UVM Health Network to reorganize system leadership

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The University of Vermont Health Network says it’s making a big change at the top to improve the quality of care at each of its six hospitals and home health agency in New York and Vermont.

UVMHN is reorganizing its governance structure. There’s an overarching Network Board of Trustees, and each affiliate has its own board. All members are volunteers.

Now, the network’s board will handle every affiliate’s financing, budgeting, and strategic planning. They’re also eliminating committees on the affiliate level. Instead, two board members from each affiliate will sit on committees at the network level, representing the interests of their communities.

The goal, officials say, is to streamline decision-making and reduce redundancy. “The reason the average patient should care about this is because they will know that their local community board is going to spend more time thinking about -- what are the needs of the population in the community which they live,” said UVM Health Network Board of Trustees Chair Allie Stickney.

Stickney says now local leadership can focus more attention on improving existing services and developing new ones.

She says the Network has been discussing this shift for more than a year. She says the new system is designed after best practices modeled by similar health networks across the country.

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