RANDOLPH, Vt. — Maple Mountain Vermont (MMVT) has received more than $1.08 million in combined state and Rural Health Transformation funding to help launch a new family medicine residency program designed to train physicians in rural Vermont and build a stronger pipeline of doctors choosing to practice in the state’s rural communities.
The investment includes a $514,875 State of Vermont General Fund grant through the Agency of Human Services and a $571,907.35 award through Vermont’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, administered by the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA). Together, the awards provide $1,086,782.35 to support the infrastructure, faculty, accreditation, recruitment and other start-up needs required to prepare Maple Mountain Vermont to welcome its first class of four resident physicians in July 2027.
“We know that where physicians train has a tremendous influence on where they ultimately choose to practice, raise their families and build their lives,” said Michael Costa, President and CEO of Gifford Health Care. “For rural Vermont, that means we have to grow our own. We need to give physicians the opportunity to train here, learn from people who have dedicated their careers to rural medicine, and discover what it means to become part of a community. We are deeply grateful to Governor Phil Scott and his administration, the Vermont Agency of Human Services and the Department of Vermont Health Access for investing in that vision. If these physicians finish their training invested in Vermont and choose to stay here caring for Vermonters, that is a win for the entire state.”
Maple Mountain Vermont will offer rural family medicine training through two community-based sites in Randolph and Morrisville, in partnership with Gifford Health Care and Lamoille Health Partners. Each site pairs an established family medicine practice within a Federally Qualified Health Center with a local community hospital, giving residents experience across outpatient, inpatient and other community-based settings.
“Family physicians take care of patients across the lifespan—from pregnancy and newborn care through adulthood, geriatrics and end-of-life care,” said Dr. John King, Program Director of Maple Mountain Vermont. “That kind of full-spectrum care is especially important in rural communities. If we can train physicians here, there’s a strong likelihood that many will stay, building both the primary care workforce and long-term relationships with the communities they serve.”
The $514,875 State of Vermont grant provides one-time support to help establish and implement the residency program. Funding will support program infrastructure, faculty support, resident recruitment and housing, including development of Maple Mountain Vermont’s website and other outreach to prospective residents.
The additional $571,907.35 RHT award will support program leadership, faculty and accreditation, resident recruitment and training, and long-term program sustainability, with a goal of recruiting four family medicine residents annually beginning in July 2027. The RHT investment is part of Vermont’s broader effort to strengthen its rural health care workforce. Vermont received approximately $195 million in the first year of the five-year federal Rural Health Transformation initiative.
For resident physicians, the program will provide an opportunity to learn medicine in the same kinds of communities Maple Mountain Vermont ultimately hopes they will choose to serve. Residents will develop continuity relationships with patients while gaining experience across outpatient, hospital and other community-based care settings.
Medical students interested in Maple Mountain Vermont can learn more about the program and application process at maplemountainvt.org.
About Maple Mountain Vermont
Maple Mountain Vermont’s mission is to train skilled family physicians to practice in rural Vermont, delivering comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative health care to underserved areas. The Family Medicine Residency Program offers rural training through two community sites in Randolph and Morrisville, in partnership with Gifford Health Care and Lamoille Health Partners.
Federal Funding Acknowledgment
This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $195,053,740.44 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
State of Vermont Funding Acknowledgment
This project is supported by the Vermont Agency of Human Services and the Department of Vermont Health Access. For more information or to learn more about Vermont’s Rural Health Transformation program, visit https://healthcarereform.vermont.gov/hr1rural-health-transformation-fund
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