Burlington-based University of Vermont Health plans to reduce expenses by $300 million over the next three years while increasing patient capacity across its outpatient Medical Group, according to a May 8 VTDigger report.
Operational and financial challenges within the network’s 154 outpatient clinics and 1,000-physician medical group, which posted a $279.9 million deficit last fiscal year, are driving the cost-cutting effort.
A May 1 memo from an independent liaison, mandated by an agreement between the UVM Health network and the Green Mountain Care Board, said the network could reduce losses by $55 million through scheduling changes designed to improve physician productivity and expand patient access.
Recommendations included increasing patient-facing clinical hours, reducing physician-driven cancellations and shifting some visits to nurse practitioners and physician assistants when appropriate.
The report also cited long appointment wait times across the network’s outpatient practices. Patients wait an average of 96 days for an appointment at UVM Medical Center, while new patients with referrals wait an average of 104 days.
Orthopedic and psychiatry clinics have already begun testing scheduling changes to improve efficiency and patient throughput, according to the report.
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