Access to Care

At UVM Health, we’re thinking differently about how we provide care to make it more affordable, accessible and convenient for those we serve. Whether it’s at a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, outpatient facility or a specialized care setting — we aim to get you the high-quality care you need, as close to home as possible.

Rural communities across the United States face significant health disparities, from shorter life expectancy to more vulnerability to the five leading causes of death, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Better access to health care services works to reduce these inequities and help people lead their healthiest lives.

Living in a rural area shouldn’t limit the care available to you, which is why we’re focused on making health care more equitable. We’re breaking down barriers to care and investing in solutions to some of our region’s most pressing health care concerns so you can have the same access to leading-edge, academic medicine as people living in larger cities. 

Together, we are:        

• Focusing on recruitment, retention and training to bring more health care professionals into our health system to address critical patient needs.
• Connecting more people with the specialty care they need via telehealth tools from their primary care office, reducing wait times and heading off potentially lengthy travel to in-person appointments.
• Making it easier to schedule appointments through new self-scheduling tools available via MyChart.
• Advancing a team-based approach to care, utilizing physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and other caregivers to provide the care our patients need in the most efficient manner possible.
• Partnering with health care and community organizations around the region to address the pressing health concerns like the shortage of long-term care options, affordable housing, mental health care or adequate support for those with substance use disorders.

We Work as a Team to Keep You Healthy

Our staff and clinicians aim to keep you healthy — physically and mentally — by providing strong primary and preventive care. That means we work to catch and treat health issues early, before they become more serious. 

Using a team-based approach, our doctors, nurses, health coaches, dietitians, pharmacists, care managers and mental health professionals all work together to make sure each person gets the right care at the right time, in the right place.

We also support those we serve with wrap-around services to help them overcome barriers to better health — like access to healthy food, reliable transportation, affordable housing or the cost of essential medications.