| North Country Hospital | |
| Org/Group: | North Country Health Systems |
| Location: | Newport City |
| Region: | Orleans County, Vermont |
| State: | Vermont |
| Country: | US |
| Beds: | 25[1] |
| Founded: | 1919 |
| Website: | http://www.nchsi.org/ |
North Country Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital in Newport City, Vermont.
It was founded in 1919.[2] It is run by a board of trustees.Claudio Fort is president and CEO. The hospital was the only one in Vermont in 2007 to achieve 100% on all Medicaid and Medicare quality measures.[3]
The hospital billed patients $141 million in 2010, and collected $76.5 million. Their operating expense was $75 million.[4]
The chief executive officer is Brian Nall.[5]
The hospital had 605 employees in 2011.[6]
The hospital directly employs about 75% of its professional medical staff.[7]
The hospital was founded in 1919. After fundraising, construction began on Longview Street in May 1922. On July 1, 1924, the 24-bed hospital opened as Orleans County Memorial Hospital, with five full-time employees and a nursing school.[8] It ultimately grew to 72 beds in a building.[9]
In the early 1970s, Orleans and Essex County worked to raise funds for a new hospital. It opened January 5, 1974, as North Country Hospital, on on Prouty Drive. It had 80 beds, an OB/GYN department, pediatrics ward, intensive care/coronary unit, quarters for radiology, laboratory, physical therapy, a fully staffed 24-hour emergency service department, and a then-modern surgical suite. It cost $5 million, raised mostly from government funding.
Since 1974, additional facilities have included an imaging services, physical therapy, library, information systems, ambulatory surgery suites, birthing rooms, a mobile MRI site, and three new buildings for physician practices in a medical village adjacent to the hospital.[8]
Medical practice changed over the years. There was no longer a need for a high inpatient, long-length of stay facility.[8]
In September, 2001 the hospital broke ground for the largest building project since the hospital was built. It was completed in 2003. The addition included a surgical suite, new emergency department with indoor ambulance bays, outpatient services, and central sterilization and distribution department.[8]
In 2006, a dialysis center opened in the ground floor space under the ED.[8]
The hospital had a $55 million budget in 2007. Salaries were $24 million. Supplies cost $14 million.[3]