Vermont

Grace Cottage Hospital pushes back on restructuring report

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

Grace Cottage Hospital pushes back on restructuring report

About 100 people showed up to a community meeting in Townshend on Thursday to show support for Grace Cottage Hospital, the smallest hospital in the state.

Grace Cottage was one of the four hospitals specifically cited in a recent statewide report that calls for a major restructuring of Vermont’s hospital system.

The report says Grace Cottage should consider shifting all of its inpatient beds to mental health, geriatric psychiatry or memory care, and close down its emergency department, utilizing the beds at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, which is about 20 miles away.

But at the meeting Thursday, Grace Cottage CEO Olivia Sweetnam said the hospital was not interested in voluntarily accepting the report’s suggestions.

“These are recommendations, not mandates,” Sweetnam said. “Green Mountain Care Board, [Agency of Human Services], does not have the ability to say, ‘You are now a psychiatric facility.’”

More from Vermont Public: How can Vermont’s next Legislature, governor mend a broken health care system?

The report was commissioned by the Legislature to address years of financial losses among the state’s hospitals, and to “reduce inefficiencies, lower costs, improve population health outcomes, reduce health inequities and increase access to essential services.”

These are recommendations, not mandates. Green Mountain Care Board, AHS, does not have the ability to say, “You are now a psychiatric facility.”

Olivia Sweetnam, CEO, Grace Cottage Hospital
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Grace Cottage Hospital was one of four hospitals — along with Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, North Country Hospital in Newport and Springfield Hospital — the report named as being at risk due to their minimal growth potential and poor financial position.

The author of the report admitted recently that some of the data was inaccurate, and so far all of the hospitals have been pushing back on the report’s conclusions.

More from Vermont Public: About 200 Vermonters showed up at a meeting to say they want Newport’s hospital to stay

“I think it appeared clear to everyone that these were kind of copy-and-paste recommendations,” Sweetnam said. “The major restructuring group kind of got the same recommendations across the board.”

Howard Weiss-Tisman

Vermont Public

The Townshend meeting follows a similar meeting in Newport, where supporters of North Country Hospital also spoke out against the 144-page Act 167 report.

Sweetnam admitted that Grace Cottage Hospital loses money every year, and the hospital only stays afloat due to local donations, which are by far the most in the state as a percentage of the hospital’s total budget.

Local donations made up about 8% of the hospital’s revenue in 2023.

A number of former patients spoke up at the meeting about the importance of having Grace Cottage in the West River Valley.

If we cut back those hours and have a medical emergency, and can’t come here, it could be 40 or 45 minutes to get to Brattleboro. So as a person who’s been served by your emergency department, I’m really concerned about that. That could cost a life.

Bill Dunkel, Windham resident

“If we have a medical emergency, a life-threatening emergency, it’s possible to get to Grace Cottage in 20 minutes, maybe a little bit less,” said Bill Dunkel, who lives in nearby Windham. “If we cut back those hours and have a medical emergency, and can’t come here, it could be 40 or 45 minutes to get to Brattleboro. So as a person who’s been served by your emergency department, I’m really concerned about that. That could cost a life.”

The Agency of Human Services, which will lead the restructuring efforts, is planning an online public meeting to discuss the hospital report.

More: Start here if you care about health care in Vermont’s 2024 election

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Vermont

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Published

11 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Staff reports
| USA TODAY Network

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 375 in the week ending February 21, up from 357 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

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Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

Published

23 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

The 2025-2026 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

▶ Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

THURSDAY’S H.S. GAMES (REGULAR SEASON)

Boys basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Peoples at North Country, 6:30 p.m.

Northfield at Stowe

Hazen at U-32

Oxbow at BFA-Fairfax

Winooski at Middlebury

Watch Vermont high school games on NFHS Network

Mount Mansfield at South Burlington

Essex at St. Johnsbury

BFA-St. Albans at Colchester

Lamoille at Spaulding

Lyndon at Harwood

Williamstown at Twinfield/Cabot

Rice at Champlain Valley

Randolph at Montpelier

Lake Region at Thetford

(Subject to change)

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Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The historic ‘Blizzard of 2026′ brought a winter’s worth of snowfall to Southern New England, especially Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts area. Both states including New Jersey had snowfall totals that surpassed each respective state’s 24-hour snowfall record. Vermont on the other hand, too far north of the storm only received a fraction of the amount of snow.

HIGHEST SNOWFALL REPORTS BY STATE FROM BLIZZARD 2026:

RHODE ISLAND 37.9″ (Warwick)
MASSACHUSETTS 37.0″ (Bliss Corner)
NEW YORK 31.0″ (Central Islip)
CONNECTICUT 30.8″ (North Stonington)
NEW JERSEY 30.7″ (Lyndhurst)
PENNSYLVANIA 22.1″ (Langhorne)
DELAWARE 21″ (Long Neck)
MARYLAND 16″ (Bishopville)
VIRGINIA 15″ (Wintergreen)
MAINE 12″ (Trescott)
NEW HAMPSHIRE 9.8″ (Barrington)
VERMONT 6.8″ (Readsboro)

In northern Vermont, Burlington only received a few flakes from this historic nor’easter. Despite that, Burlington’s seasonal snowfall to date still ranks in the top ten across the eastern United States.

Current seasonal snowfall total rankings in the Eastern United States as of February 24th, 2026: