St. Albans, Vt.-based Northwestern Medical Center will stop providing addiction treatment services by the end of the month in a cost-saving move, according to local news station WCAX.
The hospital said that it will close the department because it was spending more on addiction treatment than it was making.
"Even though this is a high area of need, it's one that the hospital loses money on significantly, and it's also one that has very strong community partners that are able to provide the service and do it beautifully," said Jonathan Billings, vice president of community relations at Northwestern Medical Center, told the news station.
Two community partners, the Phoenix House and the Howard Center, are expected to help take care of the 450 patients that Northwestern Medical Center treats with medication-assisted addiction therapy.