Rutland Regional Medical Center Refocuses Effort through Statewide Healthcare Transformation Process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2025
 

Rutland Regional Medical Center Refocuses Effort through Agency of Human Services’ Statewide Healthcare Transformation Process

Rutland, VT - Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) announced today that it will advance its proposed pediatric care delivery redesign through the Agency of Human Services’ (AHS) newly established statewide health care transformation process. This approach provides the comprehensive, coordinated review structure necessary for long-term, sustainable improvements to pediatric and women’s health services. As part of this transition, RRMC will withdraw its prior filing before the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), submitted under the Board’s Interim Policy before AHS’ statewide framework was in place.

RRMC originally filed a Notice of Intent on October 30, 2025, under the GMCB’s Interim Policy on Hospital Service Reductions. This was the only available formal pathway at the time. However, on November 24, AHS released the initial statewide transformation template and established January 15, 2026, as the deadline for hospital transformation proposals. This new framework now provides the appropriate venue for evaluating comprehensive redesign initiatives like RRMC’s.

“The launch of the AHS transformation process gives hospitals and communities a coordinated, statewide structure for thoughtful, sustainable healthcare transformation,” said Rutland Regional Medical Center President and CEO, Judi Fox. “By advancing our pediatric redesign through this new process, RRMC can enhance our proposal, expand its scope, and ensure it aligns fully with statewide goals and community needs.”

Fox emphasized that RRMC’s commitment to redesigning pediatric care remains. “As we shift into the statewide transformation process, the needs that led us to consider a pediatric redesign decreased demand, workforce constraints, and sustainability concerns, remain and we will move ahead with this work thoughtfully and responsibly. AHS’ process is designed for health care system transformation and will allow us to integrate pediatric care improvements with broader planning for women’s health and labor and delivery services.”

RRMC intends to broaden the scope of its transformation work to include enhancements to women’s health services and its Labor & Delivery program, with the long-term goal of developing a Center of Excellence for Obstetrics to serve families across Rutland County and the region.

“RRMC recognizes the strong community interest and diverse perspectives since we announced the pediatric proposal. Advancing the redesign through AHS’ statewide transformation framework will allow for a more comprehensive plan that reflects both community needs and long-term sustainability.” Fox said.

RRMC expressed appreciation for the engagement of the Green Mountain Care Board, its staff, the Office of the Health Care Advocate, pediatricians, and community members who participated in the earlier review. “We are grateful for the Board’s thoughtful work and for the dialogue this process helped create,” said Fox. “We look forward to continued partnership as Vermont moves forward with meaningful health system transformation.”

RRMC will submit its full transformation proposal, including the pediatric redesign, women’s health, and labor and delivery components, to AHS in advance of the January 15, 2026, deadline.

“Our responsibility is to do what is best for our patients, our workforce, and our community,” Fox said. “Advancing this redesign through AHS is the right path to ensure sustainable, community-centered care for the future.”