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Getting home safely

Vermont hospitals and discharge planning

All 17 licensed Vermont hospitals by county, which counties have none, and how to run the days around a discharge so the trip home does not turn into a readmission.

The 72 hours that decide it

The dangerous window is between leaving the hospital and the first paid visit at home. Vermont agencies often cannot start the same day, so a Friday discharge can leave a household unsupported until Monday. Confirm the first visit time, not the referral, before you agree a discharge date — and check the equipment will arrive before the person does.

Hospitals by county

Addison County

  • Porter Hospital, Inc. — 115 Porter Drive, Middlebury, VT 05753 · 802-388-4701

Home health licensed here: Addison County Home Health & Hospice. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 1.

Bennington County

  • Southwestern Vermont Medical Center — 100 Hospital Drive, Bennington, VT 05201 · 802-442-6361 · Joint Commission accredited

Home health licensed here: none licensed to this county. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 4.

Caledonia County

  • Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital — 1315 Hospital Drive, Saint Johnsbury, VT 05819 · 802-748-7400

Home health licensed here: Caledonia Home Health Care. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 2.

Chittenden County

  • University of Vermont Medical Center Inc. — 111 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 · 802-847-0000 · Joint Commission accredited

Home health licensed here: UVMHN Home Health and Hospice. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 6.

Franklin County

  • Northwestern Medical Center Inc. — 133 Fairfield Street, Saint Albans, VT 05478 · 802-524-5911 · Joint Commission accredited

Home health licensed here: none licensed to this county. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 2.

Lamoille County

  • Copley Hospital — 528 Washington Highway, Morrisville, VT 05661 · 802-888-4231

Home health licensed here: Lamoille Home Health and Hospice. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 1.

Orange County

  • Gifford Medical Center — 44 South Main Street, Randolph, VT 05060 · 802-728-4441

Home health licensed here: none licensed to this county. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 1.

Orleans County

  • North Country Hospital and Health Center — 189 Prouty Drive, Newport, VT 05855 · 802-334-7331 · DNV GL accredited

Home health licensed here: Orleans Essex VNA Association and Hospice. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 4.

Rutland County

  • Rutland Regional Medical Center — 160 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701 · 802-775-7111 · Joint Commission accredited

Home health licensed here: Bayada Home Health Care Inc, VNA and Hospice of the Southwest Region. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 3.

Washington County

  • Central Vermont Medical Center, Inc. — 130 Fisher Road, Berlin, VT 05602 · 802-371-4100 · Joint Commission accredited
  • Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital — 350 Fisher Road, Berlin, VT 05602 · 802-888-6770 · Joint Commission accredited · Psychiatric hospital, not a general acute hospital.

Home health licensed here: Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 4.

Windham County

  • Brattleboro Memorial Hospital — 17 Belmont Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301 · 802-257-0341
  • Brattleboro Retreat — Anna Marsh Lane, Brattleboro, VT 05301 · 802-257-7785 · Joint Commission accredited · Psychiatric and addiction treatment hospital, not a general acute hospital.
  • Grace Cottage Hospital — 185 Grafton Road, Townshend, VT 05353 · 802-365-7920

Home health licensed here: none licensed to this county. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 3.

Windsor County

  • Springfield Hospital — 25 Ridgewood Road, Springfield, VT 05156 · 802-885-2151
  • VA Medical Center — 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT 05009 · 802-295-9363 · US Department of Veterans Affairs medical centre, serving eligible veterans.
  • Mt. Ascutney Hospital — 289 County Road, Windsor, VT 05089 · 802-674-6711

Home health licensed here: VNA and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire. Nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation: 4.

Counties with no hospital

Essex and Grand Isle counties have no licensed hospital. Residents travel to a neighbouring county, which changes discharge planning: the hospital sending someone home may be less familiar with local agencies and roads. Ask the planner to name the home health agency, confirm it covers the exact address, and say out loud how long the winter drive actually takes.

What the hospital arranges, and what it does not

  • They usually arrange: home health orders, durable medical equipment, a rehabilitation bed, follow-up appointments
  • They usually do not arrange: non-medical home care, meals, transport to non-medical appointments, overnight supervision
  • Nobody arranges unless you ask: who is physically present each of the first three nights

See Vermont’s licensed home health agencies for the clinical side, and post-hospital home support for the rest.

Common questions

How many hospitals are there in Vermont?

The state licenses 17 hospitals, of which 14 are general acute hospitals. The others are two psychiatric hospitals and the VA Medical Center at White River Junction. Two counties, Essex and Grand Isle, have no hospital at all.

Who arranges care after a Vermont hospital discharge?

The hospital's discharge planner or case manager. They can order home health, arrange equipment and refer to a rehabilitation bed. They generally do not arrange non-medical home care — the help with bathing, meals and supervision most families need — so that has to be set up separately and in parallel.

What is the riskiest part of coming home?

The gap between leaving the hospital and the first paid visit. In much of Vermont an agency cannot start the same day, and a Friday discharge can mean no support until Monday — across exactly the 72 hours when readmission risk peaks. Confirm the first visit time before agreeing a discharge date.

Does Medicare pay for rehabilitation after a hospital stay?

It can cover a limited period of skilled nursing or rehabilitation after a qualifying hospital stay. It does not pay for long-term residence, and it does not pay for non-medical home care. Ask on day one how long the authorisation runs and what the private rate becomes when it ends.

What if our county has no hospital?

Essex and Grand Isle counties have no licensed hospital, so residents travel to a neighbouring county. That matters for discharge planning because the hospital arranging the return home may not know the local agencies well. Ask them to name the agency and confirm it covers the address.

Source

Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, Division of Licensing and Protection — hospital directory. Retrieved August 20, 2026. Page reviewed August 16, 2026.