Dr. Murray Elected to Board of Directors of Vermont HealthFirst
Dr. Christine Murray has been elected by her peers to serve on the HealthFirst Board Of Directors, leading the effort to provide Vermonters community-based, accessible, effective, and personalized medical care. HealthFirst is Vermont’s Independent Practice Association representing health care practitioners working at physician-owned practices throughout the state. Over 250 practitioners located across 10 counties in Vermont participate in HeathFirst.
Nobody takes better care of Vermonters than Independent Doctors! Dr Murray and the team at NRM want to empower our patients to gather information about their treatment options and costs, and to make a difference not only in their health care, but also the health of our state.
While we are lucky to have the presence of many first class hospitals in Vermont, HealthFirst believes that patients should have a choice about where they receive their medical care. Many studies of primary care outcomes have confirmed that community physicians provide excellent, personalized care at a much lower cost. Indeed, there are many medical services which seem ‘tailor made’ for this more personalized approach. All three of the NRM physicians and most of the staff have worked in a hospital- based, academic setting for many years (over 40). It was this experience that led us to believe that we could offer cutting -edge, more personalized and more cost-effective care in a private setting.
HealthFirst recognizes the challenges that community physicians face: significantly lower reimbursement rates, difficulty negotiating with insurance providers, and challenges at the government/regulatory level. We believe that further monopolization of Vermont’s Health Care Sector may lead to fewer choices for Vermonters. Our goal is to recognize the strengths of both community and hospital- based care and help our patients find the best fit.
Dr Murray and the NRM team of doctors work with Healthfirst to:
- Deliver cost-effective treatments. NRM and HealthFirst strive to make costs transparent, so that Vermonters can evaluate their needs and “shop” for high- quality, low cost care in the same way they shop for other services. This allows for a reduction in out-of-pocket patient costs and competition in the healthcare market, which ultimately leads to a reduction in overall health care costs.
- Tailor personalized service. Dr Murray and the team at NRM offer unhurried appointments, courteous staff, and convenient office hours and parking.
- Offer a true partnership. The doctors at NRM believe in a cooperative and collaborative approach where the patient is a decision-making partner in his or her care.
- Provide state-of-the-art treatment options. Independent physicians such as the team at NRM work continuously to stay up-to-date on the latest technology and treatments. As independent practice owners, they are able to invest in the latest-technology as needed to maximize patients’ chances of success.
Learn more about Vermont’s hospital-based monopoly and the goals of independent community practices.