Dear Community Member:
As the chairman of the Fletcher Allen Health Care Board of Trustees, it is my privilege to present Fletcher Allen’s 2005 Act 53 Hospital Report Card. This is Fletcher Allen’s second annual report, compiled for the first time in an electronic format.
This report, a major provision of legislation passed in 2003, is the result of a statewide initiative involving the collaboration of hospitals and health systems throughout Vermont.
Our role as a board is to ensure that Fletcher Allen conducts business in an open, transparent and inclusive manner. This report furthers that mission by providing the public with important information about the quality and safety of care at Fletcher Allen.
At a time when consumers are looking for additional knowledge and information about health care and health-related topics, this report provides useful information - about the quality of care, and about how community members can participate and get involved in our health care system.
I welcome you to peruse this report and look forward to working together to improve the health of our community.
Sincerely,
William Schubart
Chair, Fletcher Allen Board of Trustees
Dear Community Member:
Welcome to Fletcher Allen’s 2005 Act 53 Hospital Report Card. This report shows how our organization performs on a number of quality, safety and financial indicators, and compares our scores to hospitals in Vermont and throughout the country. It also gives members of the community insight into the quality improvement efforts that go on at our organization every day.
Quality is our top priority at Fletcher Allen. This report helps us mark our progress in continuous improvement, by showing us where we have made progress and where we need to focus our efforts in the future. Through the work of our Institute for Quality and Operational Effectiveness, we are continually working to improve the quality of care at our organization. Our goal is for future editions of this report to reflect those efforts.
I encourage you to read through the report. In addition to learning about the quality of care at Fletcher Allen, you will find a great deal of information about how we serve our community, and how our community, in turn, serves us. You will discover many ways to get involved with Fletcher Allen – whether it’s through volunteering, attending a free health screening or participating in a clinical trial.
I also invite you to visit our new Quality of Care Reports Web site, a separate Web site Fletcher Allen launched in February, 2006. This site offers information beyond what is required by the Act 53 report, including quality measures for birthing, cardiology, general surgery, heart surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics, neurology, pneumonia care, pediatrics at Vermont Children's Hospital and nursing.
I welcome you to share your comments and feedback about these reports by contacting my office any time, at (802) 847-5959.
Thank you,
Melinda L. Estes, M.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Fletcher Allen Health Care
