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Primary‑care residency funding request aims to boost rural doctor recruitment in Vermont
Summary
Bi-State Primary Care Association asked the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee for state support to launch the Maple Mountain Family Medicine Residency program; the request seeks startup funds in the first four years and is matchable with Medicaid.
Mary Kate Mollman, director for Vermont public policy at the Bi-State Primary Care Association, presented the Maple Mountain Family Medicine Residency funding request to the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on May 2, 2025, saying the program would help address Vermont’s primary care shortages, particularly in rural areas.
Mollman told the committee the program has received federal Teaching Health Center grant funding and recent accreditation, but needs state support to cover start‑up costs for the first four years. She said, “this request of $515,000 for the first year, second and third year are $412,000, and then the fourth year is $335,000,” and added the amounts are matchable through Medicaid and the program is expected to become self‑sustaining after four years as residents generate clinical revenue.
Mollman said the residency is designed to train family physicians in rural practice settings and to place physicians where they train. She identified Gifford Healthcare as the backbone organization for the program and said the consortium includes several federally qualified health centers and partners such as UVM Health Network and Copley for required rotations.
Committee members asked practical questions about recruitment, housing and program size. Mollman said the program planned to start with four residents in each of three years (12 total at capacity) and that the three‑year residency structure means there will be an annual recruitment cycle as classes graduate and new cohorts begin. She described startup costs—including faculty and recruiting—as the rationale for the larger first‑year ask and said residents will bill from the start to offset ongoing costs.
Aaron, speaking for the Vermont Medical Society, provided statewide context: “we are 22% below the national benchmark for primary care,” and that 12 of 14 counties are below that benchmark; the society’s modeling projects a larger shortfall in coming years. Committee members discussed potential community supports such as housing and connections with CTE and Vermont State Colleges to strengthen pipelines to clinical jobs.
No formal vote was taken. Committee members asked staff to draft bill language and said they would continue consideration; one committee member said they would try to include language and “put it into S.1202” for future action.
