Vermont’s excellent healthcare rankings are a major factor in the state’s high quality of life and healthy population. New developments in medical technology and in patient care and treatment are made possible by a highly-educated and trained healthcare workforce.
Vermont’s healthcare sector is an interconnected community of healthcare providers, insurers, policymakers, educators, nonprofits, and businesses that serve Vermonter’s health needs. Vermont is ranked the #1 healthiest state in the U.S., #4 for women’s and children’s health, and the 8th best state for senior health. Vermont also ranks #4 in quality of state healthcare system performance and #6 overall based on criteria including health care access, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, health outcomes, and health care equity.
From a patient care perspective, Vermonters enjoy low nurse-to-patient and doctor-to-patient ratios. There are 14 non-profit hospitals and a network of healthcare systems spread throughout Vermont including: 8 small critical access hospitals, 5 mid-size rural hospitals, 2 academic medical centers, a Veterans Administration hospital, and 5 designated psychiatric inpatient facilities. Community health care centers across the state supplement these institutions and provide non-emergency care. There are also over 350 individual and group dental practices.
The healthcare sector is an important driver of Vermont’s economy, with average annual employment of 52,328 workers, or 13% of the state’s total workforce. The McClure Foundation projects that within the next ten years the number of job openings in this sector will increase significantly in multiple healthcare professions.
Medical manufacturing and software development companies are also part of Vermont’s healthcare landscape and account for a significant part of the workforce. Large companies like Mylan Technologies and GE Healthcare share the field with local Vermont businesses like BioTek Instruments and Physicians Computer Company. These companies offer services from electronic medical records and healthcare imaging informatics to surgical equipment and pharmaceutical products, expanding Vermont’s healthcare workforce offerings outside the doctor’s office and hospital.
The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine is the state’s flagship research institution, offering medical student education, residencies, and fellowships. UVM also offers degrees in nursing and health sciences. Castleton University, Norwich University, and Vermont Technical College also offer programs in nursing and other allied health fields including dental hygiene.


KEY FACTS AND FIGURES
Jobs
Billion in total annual wages (2018)
in the US for children's healthcare (WalletHub, 2019)
of Vermont's workforce
[Source: Vermont Department of Labor Economic & Labor Market Information; Bureau of Economic Analysis]
REPRESENTATIVE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN VERMONT
SIC Category | Region | Location | |
---|---|---|---|
BlueCross Blue Shield of Vermont | 6321 Health insurance | Central | Montpelier |
Central Vermont Medical Center | 8026 Hospital | Central | Barre |
Gifford Medical Center | 8026 Hospital | Central | Randolph |
National Life Group | 6311 Life Insurance | Central | Montpelier |
Norwich University | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Central | Northfield |
Porter Medical Center | 8026 Hospital | Central | Middlebury |
Washington County Mental Health Services | 8399 Social Services/Nec | Central | Montpelier |
Copley Health Systems | 8026 Hospital | Northeast | Morrisville |
North Country Hospital | 8026 Hospital | Northeast | Newport |
Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital | 8026 Hospital | Northeast | St Johnsbury |
Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Northwest | Colchester |
BioTek Instruments | 7372 Software/ Computer | Northwest | Winooski |
E4H Environments for Health Architecture | 8712 Architects | Northwest | Williston |
Food Science Corporation | 2833 Medicinal and Nutritional | Northwest | Essex Junction |
GE Healthcare | 7372 Software/ Computer | Northwest | Burlington |
Howard Center | 8399 Social Services/ Nec | Northwest | Burlington |
Mach7 Technologies | 7372 Software/ Computer | Northwest | South Burlington |
Marathon Health Inc | 8099 Health Services/ Nec | Northwest | Winooski |
MBF Bioscience | 7372 Software/Computer | Northwest | Williston |
MED Associates Inc | 3821Lab Equipment, 7372 Software/ Computer | Northwest | St Albans |
Mylan Technologies | 2759 Commercial Digital Print, 5047 medical Equipment | Northwest | St Albans |
Northwestern Medical Center | 8062 Hospital | Northwest | St Albans |
Physician's Computer Company | 5734 Computer Equipment Sales | Northwest | Winooski |
Preci-Manufacturing | 3599 Machinery/ Nec, 3841 Surgical/ Medical Equipment | Northwest | Winooski |
Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Northwest | Burlington |
University of Vermont Medical Center | 8062 Hospital | Northwest | Burlington |
VA Medical Center | 8062 Hospital | Northwest | White River Junction |
VNA of Chittenden & Grand Isle Counties | 8059 Nursing Home Services | Northwest | Colchester |
Vermont Technical College | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Northwest; Central | Williston, Randolph |
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Brattleboro |
Brattleboro Retreat | 8062 Hospitals, 8063 Hospitals/ Psychiatric | Southern | Brattleboro |
Castleton University | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Southern | Castleton |
Community Care Network | 8399 Social Services/Nec | Southern | Rutland |
Grace Cottage Hospital | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Townshend |
Health Care & Rehabilitation Services | 8049 Health Practitioners | Southern | Springfield |
Mt Ascutney Hospital & Health Center | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Windsor |
Rutland Regional Medical Center | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Rutland |
Southern Vermont College | 8221 Colleges & Universities | Southern | Bennington |
Southwestern Vermont Health Care | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Bennington |
Springfield Medical Care Systems | 8062 Hospital | Southern | Springfield |
Community College of Vermont | 8222 Junior & Other Colleges | Statewide | |
United Counseling Services | 8399 Social Services/Nec | Southern | Bennington |