REGION – After one year in operation, the New England Collaborative Health Network (NECHN) has grown to 10 members. Founded in May 2024 by its first members Copley Hospital, Northwestern Medical Center, and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, NECHN continues to grow. Cottage Hospital and Adirondack Health joined the network in October 2024, followed by Lamoille Home Health and Hospice in December 2024. Most recently, Grace Cottage Family Health and Hospital, Northern Counties Health Care, and Gifford Medical Center became members in 2025.
Collectively, organizations serve 313,000 lives. The Vermont-based members alone care for over one-third of the state’s population and span more than half of Vermont’s geographic area.
Amid a year marked by uncertainty, NECHN has proactively driven cost savings for both hospitals and their community care partners through group purchasing in areas such as medical supplies, employee benefits, business insurance, and other purchased services.
“We have been able to put our collective interests and efforts together to realize over $6 million in cost avoidance and savings in just a year’s time,” said Joseph Woodin, CEO of Copley Hospital and chair of the NECHN Board of Directors.
“We are not – and cannot be – alone in this work,” added Michael Costa, CEO of Gifford Medical Center. “Every rural health care organization and community is grappling with how to survive and thrive. Together, we need to rethink and redefine what it means to be rural.”
Beyond group purchasing and cost efficiencies, NECHN is actively developing regional leadership education programs, exploring telehealth initiatives, and discussing shared provider models to enhance patient access and address workforce challenges across the care continuum.
NECHN executive director David Turner credits the early success of the network to shared priorities among hospital CEOs, the commitment of each member organization’s leadership team, and close collaboration with vendor partners.
“Our leadership councils – focused on information technology, human resources, finance, clinical education, and supply chain – create the structure for independent organizations to share expertise, identify opportunities, and coordinate efforts for stronger execution,” Turner explained. These councils are especially valuable for smaller members with limited resources.
“As a small organization, we wear many administrative hats and have had limited access to group purchasing agreements,” said Kathy Demars, CEO of Lamoille Home Health and Hospice. “Joining the collaborative opens up many opportunities – not only for cost savings, but also for sharing resources and knowledge, particularly in highly specialized administrative areas.”
Reflecting on her first year as CEO of Grace Cottage, Olivia Sweetnam shared, “Health care in Vermont is challenging, with many changes on the horizon. But we are responding to the needs of our patients and community as best we can – while continually seeking ways to be more financially sustainable.”
For more information, visit www.nechnetwork.com.