The World 081220

RUTH E. MORRISON — An informal celebration of Ruth’s
life, was held on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, from 1 to 3 p.m. at
366 Topsham Corinth Road, East Topsham, Vermont. She
passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2020. Arrangements were
by the Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy St.,
Barre.
JOSEPH MORVAN, 53, born June 18, 1967,
in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Pauline
Dufresne of Massachusetts and Joseph Morvan
of California, passed peacefully on July 19,
2020, with his family by his side, following a
battle with cancer. He is survived by his loving
wife of 35 years, children, grandchildren and
brother. At Joe’s request, a Celebration of Life was held on
July 27, 2020, where he was surrounded by many who loved
him. He will be missed by all.
BENNIE GREENE MOULTON died on July 24, 2020, at
Hanover Terrace in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he had
been living for several years. Bennie was born on Dec. 16,
1940, at the Barre City Hospital in Barre, Vermont. He was
born to Raymond Camp and Electa Maria Greene Moulton of
Chelsea, Vermont. Bennie lived and helped on the family farm
until late-1970s. Because of a childhood illness, he had to live
in several group houses and he finally found his home with
Darrell and Patricia Conley of Hartford, Vermont. He is survived
by his sister, nephews, nieces and extended family. A
private funeral service will be held at the convenience of the
family, with a burial in the Highland Cemetery in Chelsea,
Vermont. Donations can be made in Bennie’s memory to the
Music and Art Program at Websterville Christian Academy,
143 Church Hill Road, Websterville, VT 05679, (802) 479-
0141. The Boardway and Cilley Funeral Home, Chelsea,
Vermont, is in charge of arrangements. A private message of
sympathy can be shared with the family at www.boardwayandcilley.com.
NOREEN C. MURRAY — The graveside service to honor
and celebrate the life of Noreen C. Murray, 94, was held on
Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at 11 a.m. in the Wilson Cemetery in
Websterville. She passed away on April 10, 2020.
Arrangements are by the Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7
Academy St., Barre.
ALFRED ARTHUR PERREAULT JR., 77, a longtime
resident of Washington, passed away on Friday, July 31, 2020,
at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.
Born on June 30, 1943, in Portland, Maine, he was the son of
Alfred A. and Helen (Gordon) Perreault. He attended Holy
Ghost Elementary School in Graniteville and went on to
attend Marian High School in Barre. On March 4, 1961,
Alfred married Sara Bartlett in St. Edwards Catholic Church
in Williamstown. An outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, hunting,
playing golf and flying model airplanes. Survivors
include his wife, children, grandchildren and extended family.
A graveside service to honor and celebrate his life was held on
Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, at 10 a.m. in the Maple Hill Cemetery
in Washington for family and close friends. Contributions in
his memory may be made to Chelsea Fish and Game, P.O.
Box 262, Chelsea, VT 05038, for the Hunter Safety Course.
Arrangements are by the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral
Home, 7 Academy St., Barre. For a memorial guestbook,
please visit www.hookerwhitcomb.com.
DAVID C. PINKHAM, 93, of
Westview Meadows and the Heaton
Woods Residence in Montpelier, passed away
peacefully July 30, 2020, with his family by his
side. Dave was the oldest son of Vernon and
Natalie Pinkham, late of Northfield, Vermont.
He was born in 1926 in Massachusetts and grew
up in Townshend, Vermont. He attended high school in
Rutland and in Newton, Massachusetts, then enlisted in the
Army and served during WWII. He married his wife, Dorothy
Booker, in Virginia in 1952. Dave is survived by his loving
family: his wife, children, siblings, and extended family.
Those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to
the Mount Independence Coalition, P.O. Box 344, Brandon,
VT 05733. Online condolences may be left at www.guareandsons.com.Trombly.tif.
ROBERT TROMBLY, a longtime
Montpelier resident, passed away
peacefully on Feb. 16, 2020, at age 96. Bob was
born in Wethersfield, Connecticut. His mother
died when he was very young. He then moved
with his father to Riverton, Vermont. After
graduating from Montpelier High School, he
entered the U.S. Army Air Force and served in World War II.
He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and
extended family. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a private
family burial was held in May, and no memorial service is
planned at this time. Memorial gifts may be donated to
Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice. Guare and Sons
Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.
Condolences may be left online at www.guareandsons.com.
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Vermont Hospitals File “Recovery Budgets” with
Green Mountain Care Board
Vermont’s nonprofit hospitals filed budget requests with
the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) for the coming fiscal
year, kicking off the annual hospital budget review process.
The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health
Systems (VAHHS), which represents the system of hospitals,
called these budgets “recovery budgets,” after years of financial
challenges intensified by COVID-19. Hospitals experienced
significant loss of revenue when they were forced to
shut down elective procedures beginning in mid-March. At
the same time, hospitals incurred substantial unplanned but
lifesaving expenses in response to the pandemic such as retrofitting
space, creating new staffing models and purchasing
expensive and hard-to-find protective equipment. While
extremely disruptive and costly, this work, in which hospitals
collaborated with state and community partners, has been
lauded as a model for the nation.
As they look to recovery, hospitals are asking regulators for
increases in charges to achieve operating margins that are
incredibly thin and range between zero, or breakeven, and 2.5
percent. Margins are critically important because they are dollars
remaining once expenses have been covered and those
dollars are reinvested in things like workforce, infrastructure
and equipment to strengthen the organizations for the benefit
of patients and communities.
“Each of our hospitals has a unique story to tell but collectively,
this request is about ensuring all of them can continue
to be there – and ready to care – every minute of every
day,” said Jeff Tieman, President and CEO of VAHHS. “Our
hospitals stepped up in a big way in response to COVID-19. In
less than three months, hospitals lost $221 million and, even
with federal grant dollars of just over $134 million, they lost
ground on many fronts in the current fiscal year. Last year, more
than half of our hospitals had negative operating margins. So,
looking to this year, we must prioritize recovery.”
• • •
Financial strain is not new for hospitals, here in Vermont
and across the country. Aging populations, loss of workforce,
increased community health needs and lack of resources to
maintain infrastructure are only some of the challenges of
rural health care. Additionally, for years, many of our hospital
rate requests were reduced in the name of cost containment.
As a result, budgets have not kept pace with health care inflation
or expenses tied to patient care. This practice has weakened
our hospital’s finances and, when COVID-19 charged
into Vermont earlier this year, hospitals were already in a
precarious economic position.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of this year’s budget
process for the future of our hospitals,” shared Steve
Gordon, President and CEO of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital
and Chair of the VAHHS Board. “We must have the resources
necessary to invest in our people, equipment and supplies to
be sure we are on stable ground and able to once again react
and respond to whatever COVID-19 throws our way.”
“We know these are difficult times for our state’s economy
and for Vermonters,” Tieman added. “That is why these budget
requests are so carefully planned and come after hospitals
have already taken extraordinary cost cutting measures –
nearly $50 million – such as furloughs, reduction in compensation
for administrators, delayed or cancelled capital projects
and more to minimize rate increases to the greatest extent
possible. These filings represent months of thoughtful and
intense work in the face of a pandemic and we are very proud
to say they represent our values and our enduring commitment
to wellbeing of Vermont.”
Each hospital will present its budget to the GMCB in a
series of public hearings that begin on August 18 with opening
remarks from VAHHS. To learn more about VAHHS, visit
VAHHS.org and to follow the budget process, visit the
GMCB hospital budget review page.
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August 12, 2020 The WORLD page 9