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Dartmouth Health Discontinues Telehealth ICU and Emergency Room Programs Due to Unsustainable Costs

Dartmouth Health Discontinues Telehealth ICU and Emergency Room Programs Due to Unsustainable Costs

Dartmouth Health is ending its Tele-ICU and Tele-ED programs, which provided remote assistance to intensive care units and emergency departments in 13 rural hospitals across New Hampshire and Vermont. These programs, part of Dartmouth Health's 14-year-old Connected Care initiative, allowed experienced physicians from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to support smaller, rural hospitals lacking specialized expertise. The decision stems from the high costs associated with these services, which Dartmouth Health states are unsustainable at their current scale without external financial support. The medical system reported a $63.5 million operating deficit in May, as noted by the Valley News. Telehealth services, which have evolved significantly since the 1960s, were designed to enable rural hospitals to offer advanced care despite staffing challenges and to help reduce healthcare costs. Affected New Hampshire hospitals include Cheshire Medical Center, Androscoggin Valley, Littleton Hospital, Valley Regional, ...
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Dartmouth Health to Discontinue Telehealth Services for Emergency and Intensive Care Due to Unsustainable Costs

Dartmouth Health to Discontinue Telehealth Services for Emergency and Intensive Care Due to Unsustainable Costs

Dartmouth Health, a major healthcare provider in New Hampshire and Vermont, plans to discontinue its Tele-ICU and Tele-ED services. These telehealth programs provide remote access to specialists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for rural hospitals, helping them manage acute care patients, reduce transfers, and lower costs. Five Vermont hospitals, including Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Grace Cottage Hospital, currently rely on these services. Audra Burns, a spokesperson for Dartmouth Health, stated that the costs of these services, at their current scale and without external support, are "simply unsustainable." This decision follows Dartmouth Health reporting a $63.5 million operating deficit in May, driven by rising expenses such as staffing and pharmaceutical costs.
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Judge Halts St. Albans Creamery Closure Amid Legal Battle and Market Forces Discussion

Judge Halts St. Albans Creamery Closure Amid Legal Battle and Market Forces Discussion

Judge Halts St. Albans Creamery Closure Amid Legal Battle and Market Forces Discussion
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Kingdom Leather Crafts Handmade Luxury Goods in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom

Kingdom Leather Crafts Handmade Luxury Goods in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom

Kingdom Leather Crafts Handmade Luxury Goods in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom
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Eli Lilly Files Lawsuits Against Sellers of Unapproved Retatrutide Products for Weight Loss

Eli Lilly Files Lawsuits Against Sellers of Unapproved Retatrutide Products for Weight Loss

Eli Lilly Files Lawsuits Against Sellers of Unapproved Retatrutide Products for Weight Loss
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Dartmouth Health to Cease Telehealth Services for Emergency and Intensive Care, Impacting Vermont Hospitals

Dartmouth Health to Cease Telehealth Services for Emergency and Intensive Care, Impacting Vermont Hospitals

Dartmouth Health plans to discontinue its Tele-ICU and Tele-ED services, a decision that will affect five hospitals in Vermont and others across the region. Audra Burns, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire-based health network, stated that the costs of these services, at their current scale and without external support, are unsustainable. These telehealth programs provide rural hospitals with access to specialists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, offering remote intensive care physicians and critical care nurses for continuous monitoring and emergency department support. Vermont hospitals utilizing these services include Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Grace Cottage Hospital, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, and Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center. Dartmouth Health reported a $63.5 million operating deficit in May, citing rising expenses for staffing and pharmaceuticals.
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The Boerie Roll Food Cart Introduces South African Boerewors to Vermont Farmers Markets

The Boerie Roll Food Cart Introduces South African Boerewors to Vermont Farmers Markets

The Boerie Roll Food Cart Introduces South African Boerewors to Vermont Farmers Markets
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Vermont Leads Nation in Summer Drunk Driving Crash Share, Washington Ranks Tenth

Vermont Leads Nation in Summer Drunk Driving Crash Share, Washington Ranks Tenth

A recent study conducted by Manhattan Mental Health Counseling researchers analyzed three years of summer crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify U.S. states with the highest proportion of drunk driving incidents during the summer months. The study revealed that Vermont had the highest share of summer crashes linked to impaired drivers, with 43.55% of its total 62 summer crashes involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 or higher. Texas followed in second place, with 40.82% of its 2,947 summer crashes attributed to impaired driving. Washington state ranked tenth nationally, with 35.33% of its 600 summer crashes involving a drunk driver. The peak fatal crash hours for impaired drivers in Washington were identified between 11 p.m. and 11:59 p.m., while in Oregon, which ranked eighth, the peak was between 7 p.m. and 7:59 p.m.
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Trump Administration Ends $9.8 Billion Medicare Subsidy, Potentially Increasing Part D Premiums for Beneficiaries

Trump Administration Ends $9.8 Billion Medicare Subsidy, Potentially Increasing Part D Premiums for Beneficiaries

The Trump administration has announced the termination of the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, a $9.8 billion Medicare subsidy introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This subsidy was designed to prevent insurance companies from raising premiums on Part D drug plans after the Act capped beneficiaries' out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 annually, starting in 2025. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reported that the demonstration successfully stabilized premiums, keeping the average monthly Part D premium under $40 in 2025. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that without the program, monthly premiums would have jumped from approximately $43 in 2024 to $81 in 2025. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmed the end of the program on July 28, 2026.
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Mews Seeks Customer Onboarding Manager in U.S. to Enhance Hospitality Technology Adoption

Mews Seeks Customer Onboarding Manager in U.S. to Enhance Hospitality Technology Adoption

Mews Seeks Customer Onboarding Manager in U.S. to Enhance Hospitality Technology Adoption
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Connecticut Implements Penalties for Hospitals Exceeding Healthcare Cost Growth Benchmarks

Connecticut Implements Penalties for Hospitals Exceeding Healthcare Cost Growth Benchmarks

Connecticut lawmakers have approved new measures to penalize hospitals whose annual healthcare spending growth exceeds state-established benchmarks. This initiative aims to curtail rapidly rising healthcare costs, a long-standing concern for state officials. Starting in 2029, hospitals that fail to keep cost growth at or below 3.9% may be required to submit a corrective plan. If these plans are not met, hospitals could face a community health investment penalty of up to $400,000, with the amount varying based on the hospital's size. This policy builds on previous efforts to measure healthcare spending growth, which lacked enforcement mechanisms. Comptroller Sean Scanlon, a key negotiator for the state, emphasized that the goal is to save millions of dollars for residents by keeping healthcare cost growth under 4% annually. The state has also committed over $1.6 billion in additional funding to hospitals over the next five years to help offset potential losses from federal program changes.
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WalletHub ranks states from most to least-stressed. How NC ranked

WalletHub ranks states from most to least-stressed. How NC ranked

Everyone has stress. Here's how North Carolina stress level ranked among the other 50 states.