NEWPORT CITY – On Saturday, April 12, 2025, about 100 individuals marched from a rally in the city buildings on the streets and in the return city building parklets, allowing us to hear them recite health care as a human rights.
Larry's speakers highlighted the key role of North Country Hospital in providing timely care in emergencies. Dr. Andrea Dale noted that the nearest facility is two hours away at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM) or Dartmouth. The Northern Country does not provide all specialized services, but its care is essential for critical moments.
“We may be seeing places where it is almost impossible to get older in a not too distant future,” Dale said.
Alyssa Farrow, a student at the North Country Career Center Health Sciences Program, said North Country Hospital is essential to the community, on behalf of the school, friends and family.
“I believe our community will be a huge hit without North Country Hospital. We'll lose jobs and our safety to care for them nearby,” Farrow said.
Farrow is one of many students who rely on North Country Hospital for their clinical experiences involved in training for future careers in healthcare.
Nikhil Goyal, a sociologist, educator, author and policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, raised the crowds to support local health care.
“We are today supporting North Country Hospital and are in solidarity with nurses, doctors, technicians, cleaners and other important staff,” Goyal said.
He said the North Country was the backbone of the local rural community and has served the North East Kingdom for over a century. Goyal went on to say they will stand up to those who threaten the survival of the hospital, those who threaten the well-being of the children, families and communities they serve.
According to Goyal. Last year, more than 160,000 Vermonters received Medicaid. This is one quarter of the population. Medicaid covers two out of five children, three out of five residents in nursing homes, and one in five Medicare beneficiaries.
Goyal asked the crowd what would happen if Medicaid was cut by the proposed $880 billion, and then provided the answer by saying that rural hospitals and nursing homes would be closed.
“If we want to prevent this from happening, we need to meet again. When the push sticks out, we need to meet again and move forward with our bodies and our message,” Goyal says.
He went on to say that they are so poor that no one should be refused care. All American and rural communities deserve healthcare.
Goyal said, “There are no silver bullets. There's no versatility, but if you don't have the courage to fight, nothing will improve!”
