PORTAL FAQS

What information can I see in SVMC Patient Health Portal?
You can see information from your medical record such as laboratory and radiology test results, medications, allergies, visit history, and current health issues. You may also print a Health Summary for your records.

Can I see or pay my bills online?
Unfortunately, billing information is not available through the portal at this time.  If you have questions about a bill or would like to make payment arrangements, please contact one of our Patient Financial Advisors at (802) 447-4500.

Is there a fee to use SVMC Patient Health Portal?
No, is a free service offered to our patients.

Is the SVMC Patient Health Portal secure?
We take great care to ensure your health information is kept private and secure. Access to information is controlled through personal IDs and passwords. The SVMC Patient Health Portal uses the latest encryption technology.

Can I also see my family members’ health records?
Yes, this is called Proxy Access. For a child under 12, this allows a parent or legal guardian to log into their personal health portal account and view information regarding their child. To ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines, after a child reaches age 12, parents or legal guardians are restricted from proxy access to their child's records.

Once a child turns 18, a parent can only access the child’s patient medical record information with the patient’s authorization. It is also possible to request access to another adult’s health record if you help manage that adult’s medical care or for married/domestic partners that wish to share a portal account. For more information or to request a proxy form, please contact the Health Information Services Department at (802) 440-6000.

What if I need more information than is available on the SVMC Patient Portal?
If you need additional information or copies of your record, please contact the Health Information Services department at (802) 447-5323. 

How do I sign up?
Provide your email address and obtain your medical record number during a hospital registration or call the Health Information Services department at (802) 447-5687 to have your email address added or if you did not receive your medical record number during a registration.

Shortly after your email address is filed, you will receive an email from “Patient Portal” with a one-time ID and password and a link to the log-in page for the SVMC Patient Portal.  Log in to the portal with the one-time ID and password, and you will be brought to a new page to complete your account set-up.  You will need your medical record for verification.

If you have any questions or trouble with your account set up, you can contact the Health Information Services department or send a message through the “Contact Us” link for more help.  If you are in need of your medical record number, please come in to the hospital or call the Health Information Services department for assistance. Please note that we cannot email a patient’s medical record number or give it to anyone other than the patient, legal guardian, or documented durable medical POA.

I don't have an email address, how do I get one?
There are many free email services available to use. Any email service is compatible with SVHC Health Connect. If you are looking to create a free email account, some of the more established email providers are:

Gmail from Google 

Outlook.com from Microsoft (https://www.outlook.com)

Yahoo! Mail from Yahoo (https://login.yahoo.com)

How do I see my test results?
Your test results and reports are both available by clicking on the Health Record button on the portal home page. Once you click on the Health Record button you will be taken to the Health Record page where you will see a button on the right labeled "Results," which will provide access to your SVMC Laboratory Results, and a button labeled "Reports" which will provide access to general radiology reports. Here are some other things to consider when viewing results and reports:

• Providers make every effort to review results as soon as they are available, but it is possible that you will receive test results before your provider has had the opportunity to evaluate them.
• Some results and reports may include technical language that is not easy for you to understand, because the information is written for your health care team.
• Results from some tests performed by outside labs are sent to your provider's office on paper, so those results will not be available here.
• X-rays or other diagnostic images are not available in the SVMC Patient Health Portal, only dictated reports.
• If you have different kinds of testing done, even on a single day, all results may not be available at the same time in the patient portal. Different types of diagnostic testing require different lengths of time to analyze and report. For example, if you have an X-ray or MRI scan and also have blood drawn for testing, results of those tests may arrive in your account at different times, even days apart in some cases.
• If your laboratory test was conducted off site, the results may not be available on the Patient Portal. 

Some of my information is wrong. How do I correct this?
If you notice an error in your personal information, such as address and phone number, please send us a change request through the Portal. The change request can be found by clicking Profile, then Update Profile.

If you see information in your medical history that you feel is incorrect, please notify the Health Information Services department at (802) 447-5687.

In order to ensure that your health information stays confidential, some information changes may require that you come to the hospital and meet with a Health Information Services representative.

My Medication List is out of date. How can I get this updated?
Your medication list is updated when you come to the Emergency Room, for a surgical procedure, or hospital admission.  During these visits, we have safety measures in place to ensure the information given is accurate and safe for your current health situation.  As such, we have decided not to accept medication list changes via the SVMC Patient Portal at this time.  It is more important that your primary care provider have the most up-to-date list on file in their office.        

How do I request an addition or correction to my Medical Record?
You may request an addition or correction to your medical record at any time. Here's how:

Download the 

Fill it out, keep a copy for yourself and mail the complete form to:
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Health Information Services
Attention: Director, HIS
100 Hospital Drive
Bennington, VT 05201

The requested changes will be accepted by Health Information Services to be reviewed by the provider and will only be updated or corrected if the information provided by the patient is confirmed to be true and accurate. 

What if I need help?

Please contact the Health Information Services Department at (802) 447-5336. The department is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

You can also send a message through the “Contact Us” link found at the bottom of each page of the SVMC Patient Portal. 

Please note that the “Contact Us” link is for general assistance or tech support. It cannot be used for medical advice, clinical interpretation of tests, direct messaging to physicians, or medical record requests.  As email is not secure, we are also unable to email patient medical record numbers.

If you are having trouble completing your account setup, please review these helpful tips:

• You must have an email address listed in your medical record.
• When entering your medical record number, include the M and any zeroes.
• An email address can only be used for one portal account. If you share an email address with a spouse or partner, please contact the Health Information Services department at (802) 447-5687 to be manually enrolled in the portal.

How do I communicate my medical concerns?

The SVMC Patient Portal is not used to communicate medical concerns to your doctor. 

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING AN URGENT MEDICAL PROBLEM, PLEASE CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.

How do I get the complete set of my medical records?

You can obtain your medical records by contacting the Health Information Services department at (802) 447-5323.

How can I update my email address in SVMC Patient Portal?

To change the email address that SVMC Patient Portal uses for sending activity, password reset, or other communications, select Preferences at the bottom of your portal home page, then Update User Preferences. If you need to change the email address that is in your electronic medical record, please contact the Health Information Services Department at (802) 447-5687.