Rutland (Vt.) Regional Medical Center is shifting its proposed redesign of pediatric services into the Agency of Human Services’ new statewide healthcare transformation process after previously filing a notice of intent to end inpatient pediatric admissions.
Here are five things to know:
1. The hospital had submitted the filing to the Green Mountain Care Board on Oct. 30 under the board’s interim policy on hospital service reductions. In that filing, Rutland Regional Medical Center proposed ceasing all pediatric admissions to its inpatient unit and transitioning care to the emergency department, outpatient settings and tertiary partners.
2. According to the notice, the medical center planned to stop admitting pediatric patients to the women’s and children’s unit and make the ED the primary site of pediatric evaluation, observation and treatment. The care model was slated to take effect Dec. 21.
3. Rutland Regional is now withdrawing that filing, according to a Dec. 11 hospital news release shared with Becker’s. It will instead submit its proposal through AHS’ coordinated statewide transformation process, which was introduced Nov. 24 and requires hospitals to submit systemwide redesign proposals by Jan. 15.
4. The hospital said the statewide framework is a more appropriate venue for evaluating redesigns that span multiple services, including pediatrics, women’s health and labor and delivery.
“RRMC recognizes the strong community interest and diverse perspectives since we announced the pediatric proposal,” President and CEO Judi Fox said in the release. “Advancing the redesign through AHS’ statewide transformation framework will allow for a more comprehensive plan that reflects both community needs and long-term sustainability.”
5. Rutland Regional said it intends to broaden the scope of its proposal to include enhancements to women’s health services and has a long-term goal of developing a Center of Excellence for Obstetrics. The hospital expects to submit its full transformation ahead of the Jan. 15 deadline.
Inpatient pediatric services will continue operating as usual while the proposal moves through the AHS statewide transformation process, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s.
