[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6360144,"mediaKeyId","2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05","parentId",2175266,"title","AHS: corrections increasingly a healthcare site; Medicaid reentry authority cleared under waiver","audioSeconds",501,"startMs",1351000,"endMs",1852000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05&start=1351&end=1852","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05/thumbnail_1351000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6360144/Vermont/AHS-corrections-increasingly-a-healthcare-site-Medicaid-reentry-authority-cleared-under-waiver","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360144-32010a0a1bec933b90d16521ec9dd67a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065343&Signature=HKLOu640n17fM0kvjWAkamIdQ-eF-4QJ7QBuxo9qa5luTcBEYM-pXqMT5sbBm3rEttE7aSvwUM4DBWLRKpM7YIPpP~6Il8zwhCvgbx9QQQJO~MBcw9cnQKgz2NbJjvwY-00Fn1WmCxdCBvhUgNsOTFjeZr-UGl3F7SOTXVZEwhU4cjBTdQyXqI~yo97GY-r9gwQUNo~8g5LLE-ldAlGFLm~~r5P9Jy0wyMcR-HUzxy7sPW7pthHD97tSCRmOdlkKvJap6TDWHfUYW-Fp9bFBOkS~pkW0VoRj6QjGfWdzuiriM4P7S9yOAPpsLaVTF~ya29UGqE8z-89oD1FdJocm9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-30T07:57:29Z","article","Agency of Human Services leaders told legislators on Jan. 29 that Vermont’s Department of Corrections is a significant healthcare provider and that recent federal waiver authority will let the state do more to coordinate care for people reentering the community.

\"The Department of Corrections actually is a significant healthcare provider,\" Secretary Jenny Samuelson said, noting corrections contracts with outside vendors as well as the use of local hospitals for care. Samuelson and Medicaid Director Monica Ogilby described programs to link incarcerated people to community providers, including medication‑assisted treatment and other chronic‑care supports.

Ogilby said the state received federal permission in its Section 1115 Medicaid waiver to expand outreach to people expected to reenter the community—allowing case management and connections to housing, medical care and other supports in advance of release. Ogilby described this as a reentry authority that the state plans to operationalize in 2026: \"we just got authority to do it…we're really hoping that we'll see this take shape more in 2026,\" she said.

Samuelson described prior work under the Vermont Chronic Care Initiative (VCCI) that targeted patients with complex health and psychosocial needs; that program, she said, provided a basis to expand reentry planning to additional populations. Officials emphasized the goal of ensuring continuity—making sure individuals on medication‑assisted treatment, for example, are connected to community providers before release.

Asked about the private correctional health vendor, Samuelson said Vermont has not seen service disruptions in the state despite Wellpath’s national reorganization under Chapter 11. \"We have not seen any disruption in healthcare services here in Vermont,\" she said, adding that AHS has not observed operational interruptions and that the vendor has cooperated with the state to address issues as they arise.

No formal action or vote was taken during the briefing. Staff said operational plans and timelines for the new reentry uses of Medicaid will be developed and reported back; Ogilby indicated the program would be phased in after federal approval and operational planning.

Less critical details: officials described that many people who enter corrections have short stays, creating both opportunities and logistical challenges for arranging community care; they cited examples of long hospitalizations for a small number of patients (more than a year in some cases) that underline the complexity of transitions between hospitals, skilled nursing and corrections settings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Healthcare - 2025-1-29 - 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Agency of Human Services Secretary Jenny Samuelson and Medicaid Director Monica Ogilby told legislators on Jan. 29 that corrections functions in Vermont now include significant healthcare delivery and that the state secured Section 1115 waiver authority to expand reentry planning.","taxTitle","Health Care, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30956,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6360149,"Agency of Human Services gives broad overview of Medicaid and departmental structure",2074,1221000,3295000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05&start=1221&end=3295","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05/thumbnail_1221000.jpg","/articles/6360149/Vermont/Agency-of-Human-Services-gives-broad-overview-of-Medicaid-and-departmental-structure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360149-4dbfaa1f3eb8c7d7a248d0c9e7a6180b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065343&Signature=iJiZysvtFC5KJ0Rcd2BEf3ZZz97rg2H8PDzyQu-R3ds1S4GCykiMmVVJFvedAHpv26Aw8uL423Uh0qd6Ze2gIeeedod1QEaTgLrzbcilb-Tk2PHxdvQF27CufjWjZxxK4oE59DsGuOp3DwL7VozdRRpQMVyhn1Ly2gofoAbs5rJfwK8F6tZSQLMd8mYQoi3jd8IUUYwse8rWnAslXFIZVU8nr4pv86dx0k4vtAqQA7mCSWWQHM21P~bpDtZImJR8EYHVFmLz-70V8BOW3qhzZGCUgw3pq3wBXZijU1SmJmre-6BsFYwAFnTQFMuPVKiU3o~srJz5QYIsRa03ggtldQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","For the record, Jenny Samuelson, the secretary for the Agency of Human Services, told legislators on Jan. 29 that the agency’s mission is \"to improve the condition and well-being of Vermonters.\" She presented a high-level orientation to the Agency of Human Services and described how healthcare and human services are intertwined across state programs.

Samuelson opened by saying the agency’s vision is for Vermonters to “have the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive, equitable, and resilient community.” She described the agency as made up of six departments—Public Health; Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living; Vermont Health Access; Mental Health; Corrections; and Children and Families—and said that structure enables specialization while supporting cross‑department collaboration to manage complex, multi‑department cases.

The agency’s secretary’s office houses statewide functions including health care reform, Medicaid oversight, the Blueprint for Health and the health information exchange. \"Often people think only of the Department of Vermont Health Access, but our Medicaid program is actually across the majority of the agencies,\" Samuelson said, noting that Medicaid funds support services in Mental Health, Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living and other departments.

Deputy Secretary Kristin McClure described local delivery: AHS maintains 12 district offices and a set of field services directors who work with communities, municipal leaders and legislators to problem-solve and coordinate services at the local level. \"There's one field service director covering two districts,\" McClure said, noting the field directors' role in convening local partners and addressing system‑level breakdowns.

Monica Ogilby, state Medicaid director, said the Medicaid director role was placed in the secretary's office to provide oversight across where Medicaid dollars and programs live, giving the office greater capacity to align policy and finance across departments. Ogilby described the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) as the operations engine for Medicaid functions such as enrollment, claims payment, and quality monitoring.

Samuelson quantified the agency’s size: more than 4,000 employees (including temporary staff) and an overall budget that includes federal funds she described as “over $5,000,000,000,” with a general fund share described in the briefing (figures were presented orally by Samuelson). She emphasized the agency’s core values—transparency, integrity, service and continuous innovation—and pointed to the pandemic as an inflection point that strengthened cross‑agency collaboration.

The presentation included startup contact points for legislators and staff and invited further questions about specific programs, including Medicaid operations and local service coordination.

Less critical details and next steps: staff offered to make introductions between legislators and local field service directors and noted the agency remains available for follow‑up briefings on particular departments or programs.","Agency of Human Services Secretary Jenny Samuelson and senior staff briefed legislators on the agency’s mission, departmental structure, Medicaid oversight across departments, district offices and coordination priorities, stressing collaboration, transparency and innovation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6360134,"Legislators press AHS on primary care losses and short‑term access for rural patients",323,2501000,2824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05&start=2501&end=2824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05/thumbnail_2501000.jpg","/articles/6360134/Vermont/Legislators-press-AHS-on-primary-care-losses-and-shortterm-access-for-rural-patients","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360134-030bb89c867a15427b215b4313a0bbb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065343&Signature=hBwR0kM-ukPWmKCiNFVdGPlRwblwXy812ISyoXfzHs8fliJpQm~llK2bsrN2fv367HyTYGnikdHL0u0hmnfLwJDa5jV68-RxEjKGxX5j83e5DmZ0k99UsJImduYafvaIhW035dzCHPWVdzUra3XKQw5EB5Jv2JjpR0gmNrYltmBMraVgv2oBncMleSXtMfVRfUpaKQhF1xHeaUB3RP-c2HBNzquz5zkZAN4Bh6qBhgyn9KU~NtqzUMjKAGpByUMSUYRkT63NqsxFcAmBc908xQaTJdX6ZK2s9JZGVXCrTLH~du4vbXlm6pGORDmBSyYPe-XoWzis4cOhy7NNt-mcyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislators asked Agency of Human Services officials on Jan. 29 what short‑term steps the state can take after two primary care practices closed or announced closures in rural communities.

A legislator noted a clinic closure in Bellows Falls and another in the Waitsfield area and asked what the agency can do to protect primary‑care access in the near term. Secretary Jenny Samuelson said workforce shortages—not payment levels—were driving the closures in those locations. \"Those clinics weren't sustainable…we're gonna have to make some concrete structural changes,\" she said, describing provider shortages and demographic staffing constraints as key problems.

Samuelson pointed to multi‑year investments aimed at stabilizing primary care and community health teams, including an anticipated increase in per‑member monthly support for primary care through AHS initiatives (an amount described in the briefing as approximately an increase to about $21 per member per month over a multi‑year horizon). She cautioned that those funds are part of a multi‑year plan and that some changes—consolidation of practice footprints—are likely as organizations adjust to workforce realities.

Asked for immediate help for patients who lack transportation, the secretary noted that Medicaid provides non‑emergency medical transportation for enrolled beneficiaries and said the agency is working with communities on broader transportation solutions. \"Transportation is one of the things that came out in the recent report that we need to address,\" Samuelson said, and AHS staff said they are coordinating with local partners on practical access solutions.

No immediate policy decisions or emergency funding commitments were made during the briefing; officials recommended local coordination and said state‑level investments aimed at primary care stability will roll out over time.","Legislators raised concerns about recent primary care clinic closures (Bellows Falls and Waitsfield area), transportation barriers and short‑term steps to maintain access; AHS officials discussed workforce causes, planned investments and Medicaid transportation supports.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6360139,"Mental Health officials outline crisis system vision, staffing challenges and 988 call activity",2618,3137000,5755000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05&start=3137&end=5755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175266-5c0684434de742552980c08ffc4a2e05/thumbnail_3137000.jpg","/articles/6360139/Vermont/Mental-Health-officials-outline-crisis-system-vision-staffing-challenges-and-988-call-activity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360139-4879483b8a6f1056a26fe55fdb953276/orig.mp4?Expires=1771065343&Signature=kymMWW06yq2LVUNWkZ6LvJTjzP4Mh72vPKj~q7JaG4BGPTUy5xrKP2zgyHTTfaqmvtTlzkFB3UMMRRyMrLWO26Qz6iCmKxq4PB8o72rnDUxsPpM997ACBzvUjy5Zb0qll8eTzG02YcIVJIHUeRPnOjZkhJRXGmr1TjyvcSeWS5x7TNVl6pZM1eSzUpRVGdBidnGymQYRJ6qkuF5ofVAUUgGQV7LZ90tkg29ygR1G2sfmGzYGiqL6jkkfx0h7P3m7TtKez1OPLCDHh9ArWHVpFm9JN0~Xusv2KulXTKF9M4GsQC5wENtPGTDr-7DQAX1TgCizcP8qRKrsSk2zQlCthQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emily Hawes, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health, briefed the committee on Jan. 29 on the department’s system of care, staffing status at state facilities, and the state’s crisis‑response model that centers 988 and enhanced mobile crisis teams.

Hawes summarized the department’s role and system components—including community mental health services, crisis supports and response, intensive residential settings and inpatient care—and said the department oversees facilities such as the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital (VPCH) and River Valley Therapeutic Community Residence. \"VPCH is a 25 bed hospital located in Berlin,\" Hawes said; at the time of the briefing she reported the hospital’s census at 21 beds and plans to increase staffing to support 25 beds in coming months.

Hawes described workforce pressures across the system. The department reported a reduction in vacancy rates from an earlier high (cited verbally) but said vacancies remain substantial at clinical facilities. Travel nurses and contracted staff supplement vacancies, but officials said relying too heavily on temporary staff raises safety and cost concerns.

On the crisis system, Hawes and staff laid out a layered vision: people in crisis call 988; most calls (officials said roughly 95%) are resolved by phone. If an on‑scene response is needed, the state’s two‑person enhanced mobile crisis teams can respond; officials said about 81% of those on‑scene responses are resolved without hospitalization. If needed, alternatives to emergency departments—such as urgent care sites that can observe a person for up to 23 hours—are intended to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Hawes emphasized the system is designed to be co‑occurring (mental health and substance use) and to reduce reliance on law enforcement responses when appropriate.

Officials also discussed 988 call metrics and operations. They reported a recent increase in call volume and said that in September roughly 93% of calls were answered by Vermont‑based centers; when local capacity is exceeded calls route first to a contracted New Hampshire center and then to the national backstop. AHS said 988 calls are always answered and that about 90–95% of calls are resolved on the phone without further referral.

Hawes noted program expansions including mental‑health urgent care sites and a pending contract for a youth psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF). She also flagged a Central Vermont Medical Center adult inpatient unit planned to close at month end; that closure reduces inpatient capacity in the system and is being tracked by the department.

No formal actions were taken in the briefing; staff offered to return with data on 988 response times and outcomes. Officials pointed to workforce investments made since 2021—retention and recruitment funding, plus targeted rate increases—and said they will continue to monitor hiring and vacancy trends.","Department of Mental Health Commissioner Emily Hawes and colleagues described the state’s mental‑health system of care, staffing shortages at state facilities, plans for crisis response expansion including 988 and enhanced mobile crisis teams, and recent 988 call‑volume and answer‑rate data.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

AHS: corrections increasingly a healthcare site; Medicaid reentry authority cleared under waiver

Agency of Human Services gives broad overview of Medicaid and departmental structure

Legislators press AHS on primary care losses and short‑term access for rural patients

Mental Health officials outline crisis system vision, staffing challenges and 988 call activity