Dartmouth Health, the second-largest healthcare provider in Vermont, is laying off 124 workers and eliminating 303 vacant positions.
Leaders at the New Hampshire-based healthcare system announced the cuts Tuesday, citing a growing shortfall between expenses and revenues. The health system lost $63.5 million in the first half of 2026, the Valley News reported in June.
The workforce reductions will be concentrated at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the healthcare system’s flagship hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and its clinics. Changes will also include the consolidation of certain leadership positions and the closure of some programs, Dartmouth Health officials said.
“Eliminating positions is among the most difficult decisions any organization can make, given the impact on our colleagues and their families,” Dartmouth Health CEO Joanne M. Conroy said in a statement. “At times, however, difficult choices are necessary to ensure Dartmouth Health is sustainable and well-positioned for the future, while continuing to fulfill our mission and serve those who depend on us.”
Dartmouth Health’s news came the very same day as University of Vermont Health said it would eliminate nearly 200 positions. And while UVM Health faces unique regulatory pressures to cut costs, the simultaneous announcements underscore there are broader inflationary trends at play. Hospitals across the country are wrestling with the rising costs of labor, drugs and supplies — and a growing number of patients can’t pay their bills.
Impacted programs at Dartmouth Health include the hospital system’s Tele-ICU and Tele-ED, which provide 13 rural hospitals with 24/7 access to remote backup from Dartmouth Health specialists in emergency situations.
The health system is also shuttering the New England Alliance for Health. The group was created in 2009 to foster collaboration between hospitals, behavioral health centers and home health agencies in northern New England. Dartmouth Health officials say the organization has grown redundant as those same facilities have consolidated into Dartmouth Health or other larger entities.
Dartmouth Health has eight hospitals, including two Vermont hospitals in Windsor and Bennington. Roughly 16,000 people work across the system, which also comprises 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics and home health services.
