During a legislative forum in Plattsburgh this morning the head of the hospital network stretching across northern New York and Vermont expressed concerns about the state of rural hospitals.
In early January, Dr. Stephen Leffler was named CEO of the six-hospital University of Vermont Health Network. He says hospitals in the North Country face numerous challenges and many are concerns in other industries.
“Rural health care right now is under intense pressure. There’s real pressure on workforce, on how we pay for it, the impact on property taxes, education taxes, the challenge on aging facilities, rising costs and limited access to our staff for things like housing, child care, broadband access and transportation. I know many of you are sharing the same challenges.”
Leffler praised the partnerships between hospitals, colleges, community organizations and businesses to train a new health care workforce.
