Burlington's Fletcher Allen Health Care has been given permission by Vermont health care regulators to spend $3.7 million for planning a new inpatient bed facility to replace some hospital rooms that are 70 years old.
If constructed, the new building with up to 128 beds would take the hospital's oldest patient rooms out of use for acute patient care.
Fletcher Allen officials announced Thursday that the Green Mountain Care Board issued a Conceptual Development Phase Certificate of Need to begin the planning process.
Once the planning has been completed, the hospital would ask the board for a certificate of need to build the project.
The hospital says it needs new inpatient rooms that are consistent with modern hospital design standards.
