Misused public fundsOversight & ethics enforcementHealth & social services
Three years after Vermont nursing audit, state auditor says most recommendations are not implemented
Confidence: Confirmed · 2 sourcesVermont · Oct 13, 2026
Subject of this story
Vermont Agency of Human Services
Vermont Department of Health
Also named
Oversight
Vermont State Auditor of Accounts
What happened
A 2023 audit by the Vermont State Auditor found Vermont hospitals spent more than $350 million on travel nurses over three years and that state nursing incentive programs often required only one year of service. In a 2026 follow-up memo the auditor's office says the Agency of Human Services and the Department of Health have generally not implemented its suggestions, that the Health Care Workforce Data Center authorized in 2022 with $750,000 is still not operational, and that performance measures for the incentive programs have not been developed.
Sources (2)
Vermont State Auditor follow-up memo on the nursing workforce (2026)Unfortunately, AHS and VDH have generally not implemented our suggestions. As a result, Vermonters cannot be assured that their tax dollars are being used as effectively as possible.
WCAXThree years after Vermont's state auditor sounded the alarm on the nursing shortage and laid out a plan to fix it, almost none of the recommendations have been implemented.
Response
Vermont Agency of Human Services
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Not yet contacted for this story.
Vermont Department of Health
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What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.