Patient Portal Frequently Asked Questions

The following sections provide answers to commonly asked questions about the Southwestern Vermont (SVMC) patient portals:

What information can I see when accessing my patient portal?

You can see information from your medical record, such as your:

  • Allergies
  • Current health issues
  • Medications
  • Test results
  • Visit history

You may also print a Health Summary for your records.

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Which portal should I access?

SVMC uses two separate patient portals:

Please notice below that answers to some questions will differ, based on which portal you are accessing.

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Can I see or pay my bills online?

Hospital Portal

Unfortunately, billing information is not available through the portal at this time. However, there is a link to our online Bill Pay site on the portal homepage. 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.

Medical Practices Portal

You can access your bills online, securely, starting on October 1, 2024. Bills can be found in the "Billing & Payments" section.

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Is there a fee to use the SVMC patient portals?

No. The portals are a free service offered to our patients.

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Are the SVMC patient portals 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 portals use the latest encryption technology.

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Can I also see my family members’ health records via the portals?

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.

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What if I need more information than is available in the SVMC patient portals?

If you need additional information or copies of your record, please contact the Health Information Services department at 802-447-5323.

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How do I sign up?

Hospital Portal

Provide your email address during a hospital registration or call the Health Information Services department at 802-447-5687 to have your email address added. Shortly after your email address is filed, you will receive an email with a link to create your portal account.

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 form on the Contact Us page for more help.

Medical Practices Portal

Patients can register themselves for the SVMC Medical Practices and Affiliates Patient Portal by calling 802-447-4582 or by visiting the portal.

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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 the SVMC patient portals. If you are looking to create a free email account, some of the more established email providers are:

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How do I see my test results?

Hospital Portal

Your test results and reports are both available on the Hospital Portal. To view your results:

  1. On the portal homepage, click the Health Record button. The Health Record page appears and displays a Results button and a Reports button on the right side of the page.
  2. Click the Results button to see your SVMC laboratory results.
  3. Click the Reports button to see general reports, including 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 Hospital 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.

Medical Practices Portal

Find your test results can be found under the Test Results tab on the SVMC Medical Practices and Affiliates Patient Portal.

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Some of my information is wrong. How do I correct this?

If you notice an error in your personal information in either portal, such as your address or 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.

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My medication list is out of date. How can I get this updated?

Hospital Portal

Your medication list is updated when you come to the Emergency Department, come for a surgical procedure, or are admitted to the hospital. 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 portals at this time. It is more important that your primary care provider have the most up-to-date list on file in their office.

Medical Practices Portal

If you find there is something inaccurate on your medications list in the SVMC Medical Practices and Affiliates Patient Portal, you can send a message to your provider via the “Message” section.

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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:

  1. Download the Health Record Correction/Amendment form (PDF).
  2. Fill it out the form and make a copy for yourself to keep.
  3. Mail the completed 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. The information will be updated or corrected only if the information provided by the patient is confirmed to be true and accurate.

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What if I need help with the portals?

Please contact the Health Information Services Department at 802-447-5336. The department is available Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

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.
  • 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.

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How do I communicate my medical concerns?

Hospital Portal

The Hospital 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.

Medical Practices Portal

You have the ability to message your provider’s office via the “Messages” section of the Medical Practices Portal.

Please note, this is not to be used for emergencies. If the issue is urgent, please call the office or 911.

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

Please visit the Medical Records page for information about requesting your medical records.

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How can I update my email address in the SVMC patient portal?

Hospital Portal

To change the email address that the Hospital Portal uses for sending activity, password reset, or other communications:

  1. Select Preferences at the bottom of the portal home page.
  2. Select 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.

Medical Practices Portal

To change your email address in the Medical Practices Portal:

  1. Go to your name in the top right of the portal window.
  2. Click My Profile, and then choose to Edit to edit any of your profile information.

If you need further help, you can call the portal support line at 802-447-4582.

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