Immediate (Thursday, February 3, 2005)

Collin Parker              

Fletcher Allen Health Care     

(802) 847-2886

Nancy Goss

North Country Hospital

(802) 334-3225

Fletcher Allen Signs Contract with North Country Hospital to Temporarily Fill Nursing Vacancies

Agreement Reached to Help Offset Low Census at North Country

BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care has signed a contract with North Country Hospital in Newport, Vermont, to hire North Country registered nurses.  North Country has been experiencing intermittent periods where they have more nurses than are needed to provide direct patient care.  This new agreement provides North Country nurses with the opportunity to work temporarily at Fletcher Allen.

"We're very pleased that we could reach this agreement with North Country Hospital," said Melinda Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Fletcher Allen.  "It truly is an agreement that benefits both of us.  With the nursing shortage continuing, we welcome the nurses from North Country Hospital as a temporary addition to our nursing care team."

Under the agreement, Fletcher Allen will provide staffing requests to North Country one week at a time and only for posted scheduled vacancies.  Fletcher Allen will also provide mileage reimbursement, meal vouchers during the nurse's shift, and overnight lodging when appropriate.

The agreement applies to the approximately 110 registered nurses currently employed by North Country.  North Country, however, will maintain its own requisite staffing levels throughout the tenure of the agreement.

"I am very grateful to the nursing leadership both here at North Country and at Fletcher Allen for the prompt implementation of this contract," said Karen Weller, president and chief executive officer of North Country Hospital and Health System.  "I'm particularly grateful that our nurses will be able to continue doing the work that they love."

The first group of North Country nurses is expected to begin orientation at Fletcher Allen by mid-February.

About Fletcher Allen Health Care

Fletcher Allen Health Care, in alliance with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, is Vermont's only academic medical center and one of 125 in the country. Founded in 1995, through the merger of Fanny Allen Hospital, Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, and University Health Center, Fletcher Allen Health Care serves one million people in Vermont and northern New York. The organization provides care at more than 40 sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs, and services in the region.

About North Country Hospital

North Country Hospital is a private, nonprofit, critical access hospital serving 22 communities in a two-county area in the rural Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.  Located on 30 acres in a quiet, easily accessible part of the city of Newport, NCH blends medical expertise and technology with a genuine concern for people.  In addition to a population base of 26,000 residents, the hospital provides care to the many area visitors, summer vacationers, skiers, and other sportsmen.