{"id":886436,"date":"2026-06-23T04:53:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T04:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/886436\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T04:53:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T04:53:20","slug":"dartmouth-health-reports-63-5-million-deficit-over-6-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/886436\/","title":{"rendered":"Dartmouth Health reports $63.5 million deficit over 6 months"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AEvening falls at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Photo by James M. Patterson\\Valley News<\/p>\n

This story by Clare Shanahan was first published<\/a> in the Valley News on June 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

LEBANON, N.H. \u2014 After two years operating mostly in the black, Dartmouth Health spent more money than it brought in from October through March, according to a May filing with bondholders.<\/p>\n

The $63.5 million deficit, equivalent to 2.9% of total system revenue, was driven by \u201cweather-related closures\u201d in February that lowered patient revenues, along with high labor and medication costs, Chief Financial Officer Wendy Fielding wrote in the May 29 report.<\/p>\n

DH actually saw operating revenues increase almost 8% during the six-month period compared with the same period last fiscal year, thanks to increased patient volumes.<\/p>\n

But expenses jumped nearly 11%. For example, workforce costs were up $117.5 million compared with the prior year.<\/p>\n

The increase in medication and supply costs was driven by expanded pharmacy services and a higher percentage of patients with more severe medical conditions, according to the report.<\/p>\n

Dartmouth generally has reported stable financial performance since the end of 2023, except in the first three months of 2025<\/a> when the system posted a nearly $20 million deficit. In that instance, the shortfall was driven by high labor costs and one-time costs associated with taking over operations of Hampstead Hospital<\/a> in Hampstead, New Hampshire.<\/p>\n

Because of uncertainty around Medicaid reimbursements and cuts to research funding, Dartmouth Health temporarily slowed hiring last summer to review open positions and be \u201cmore intentional about where and how we invest in roles,\u201d Chief Executive Officer Joanne Conroy said in an email at the time.<\/p>\n

Since then \u201cphysician recruitment\u201d has helped to drive patient volumes, according to the report. DH has hired 100 providers in 2026, according to news releases.<\/p>\n

The hospital has also made \u201csolid progress\u201d reducing reliance on expensive and temporary contracted labor, DH spokesperson Audra Burns said in an email.<\/p>\n

DH is working with an outside consultant to implement a \u201cfinancial resiliency plan\u201d at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon to \u201cincrease patient access and reduce costs\u201d with a goal to improve finances for the fiscal year that ends in September, Fielding wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimilar to other healthcare organizations, and all businesses, we are grappling with reimbursement challenges, inflation and expenses that outpace the rate of revenue growth,\u201d Burns said. \u201cWe have made targeted cost reductions including assessing travel and conference necessity, focusing capital investments exclusively on projects that support direct patient care, and identifying ways to improve patient access.\u201d<\/p>\n

DH continues to add new affiliates and is in the process of bringing the 25-bed Littleton Regional Healthcare<\/a> hospital in Littleton, New Hampshire, into the system. And expansion continues at DHMC, including opening an expanded heart and vascular unit this month, according to the report.<\/p>\n

In recent years, increasing patient volume has helped to offset rising costs. Opening a new patient tower at DHMC<\/a> helped the health system to drive up revenues and stabilize its finances after running deficits from late 2021 to late 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DH now includes Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and clinics; Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon; Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, Vermont; New London Hospital; Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont; Cheshire Medical Center in Keene; Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington; and the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, now called Dartmouth Health Home Care.<\/p>\n

The system has 900 licensed beds, and staffed beds were at 85% occupancy from October to March.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the largest provider of health care in New Hampshire and the second-largest provider of health care to Vermont residents, the System will continue to focus on meeting the high demand for its services and on providing the high-quality, high-value care our patients need and expect from Dartmouth Health,\u201d Fielding wrote in the report.<\/p>\n

In Vermont, the University of Vermont Health<\/a> network announced June 9 that it was eliminating 142 positions. Of those, 76 have been permanently eliminated, while 66 will be restructured and posted as new roles.<\/p>\n

UVM Health is navigating significant financial challenges and projects a more than $300 million financial gap in the next three years, according to the announcement. The health system has lost about $460,000 per day since January.<\/p>\n

I hope you found this article useful. Before you go, I’d like to ask for your support during a challenging time for journalism. <\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Justice recently approved a major media merger, bringing some of the nation\u2019s largest news names under one corporate owner. When ownership of the news becomes concentrated, control over the information people rely on is increasingly concentrated as well. That should concern anyone who believes communities are best served by independent reporting and a free exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n

VTDigger represents a different future for news. One that is powered by people, not profits or political interests.<\/p>\n

If you value fact-based reporting that keeps communities informed and institutions accountable, please become a monthly sustainer or make a gift today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Every donation helps build a stronger future for independent local news and protects the public\u2019s right to know<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Brendan Kinney, CEO, VTDigger<\/p>\n

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