Why We are Reviewing the Copley Birthing Center
In 2022 regional legislators voted on behalf of their constituents to find ways to reduce health care costs. As a result, Act 167 was passed and the state hired the Oliver Wyman team to determine how to streamline healthcare in Vermont. The final Wyman report recommended Copley consider several changes to how we operate, including closing or growing our obstetrics service. Several hospitals with similar birth rates also were tasked to either “grow or shift birthing to other organizations.” as part of their long-term planning.
The Trustees of Copley Hospital believe in responsible, affordable, and accessible healthcare. As a result of the Wyman report, and with great concern for our community, we decided to hire an independent consultant to gather more specific information about our birthing services and the needs of our birth family community in Lamoille County. Additionally, a small working group is supporting this effort.
A thorough and responsible review does take some time. We believe that it is important for our Board to take a careful and somber approach to this important service in our community. We anticipate a full review of our options in the summer of 2025.
The next steps will be dependent on many factors but include several options, such as a shift to a new birthing center model, currently under consideration in the Legislature, reconfiguring our current service to grow the numbers of birthing families we serve, closure of the service shifting births to another hospital. No matter what our Board recommends, the decision will not be a rapid one, nor done in isolation. We will also want to include a well-organized plan to take care of all birthing families in our region.
We thank you for your patience as we work diligently to talk with our staff, community members, and the Legislature.
We are all members of the same community and share common values–the Board takes this decision very seriously.
We will continue to share information to keep you, our community, informed with the process as it progresses.
Anne Bongiorno, APRN-BC, PhD
Chair, Copley Hospital Board of Trustees