CVMC Emergency Department staff prepare for a COVID-19 drill.
Dear Central Vermont Community Members,
Thank you for continuing to do your part to help Vermont begin to flatten the COVID-19 curve. I couldn’t be more proud of our team’s dedication to ensuring that the healthcare needs of our community are met during this pandemic.
As we see positive downward trends in the prevalence of the virus, the ramifications on households, businesses, and hospitals across our state and Central Vermont Medical Center have been profound.
You may recall, to conserve personal protective equipment and reduce the risk of transmission to patients, residents, and staff, CVMC suspended non-essential clinic visits, surgeries, procedures, diagnostic and laboratory tests, and support services such as physical and occupational therapy. At the same time, we made necessary investments, implementing systems to care for and treat those who required our care. These included a COVID-19 testing center, call center, and drive-through acute respiratory clinic, to name a few.
To meet your care needs while sheltering at home, we have made a significant investment in telehealth services to support you in engaging in telephone or video visits with our providers. You can learn more about those services here.
While these investments were critical, CVMC—just like many hospital systems in Vermont—experienced significant financial losses in March and will likely see greater losses in April. We are taking steps to address these shortfalls, and I am confident that as we resume services, CVMC’s financial health will improve.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have overcome innumerable obstacles as a team. While we have challenges ahead of us, I am confident with your continued support, we will be successful in navigating them, and together we will emerge a stronger organization and community.
With Gratitude,
Anna Tempesta Noonan, RN, BSN, MS
President and Chief Operating Officer
Central Vermont Medical Center