Safety-net hospitals at ‘significant risk’ of maintaining quality services, UVM Health COO warns

Safety-net hospitals are facing mounting financial and operational pressure, and without congressional action, their ability to sustain quality services could be in jeopardy, according to Mark Gordon, executive vice president and COO of Burlington, Vt.-based UVM Health Network. Mr. Gordon pointed to looming Medicare sequestration cuts, Medicaid funding reductions and the potential expiration of ACA premium tax credits as factors that could strip hundreds of millions in revenue from UVM Health Network and push thousands of Vermonters and New Yorkers out of coverage. At the same time, the health system is navigating workforce shortages and affordability challenges that threaten access to care across the region.

The six-hospital system, which employs more than 1,000 physicians as well as 2,0