Immediate  (January 3, 2005) 

Mike Noble 

Fletcher Allen Public Relations 

(802) 847-2886 

Fletcher Allen Health Care Releases Hospital Community Report;

Joins all Vermont Hospitals in Publishing New Report on Quality of Care 

BURLINGTON, VT. - Fletcher Allen Health Care is on par with hospitals throughout the country on the quality of care it provides to patients with heart attacks and heart failure, according to a new report released today. Fletcher Allen's rates of patient satisfaction and patient safety also were in line with the national average. 

The report - Fletcher Allen Health Care's 2004 Act 53 Hospital Community Report - contains information on the quality of care provided to patients with heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia. Fletcher Allen's performance is compared to all hospitals nationwide, and in some cases, to academic health centers. Fletcher Allen in alliance with the University of Vermont College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences is one of 125 academic health centers in the United States. 

"This report is a starting point and marks the beginning of a productive dialogue between Vermont's health care facilities and the people they serve about the many factors that affect quality of care," said Fletcher Allen President and Chief Executive Officer Melinda L. Estes, M.D. "The quality of care we provide is the highest priority at our health care organization. Quality is a focus for this organization going forward."

 "There is room for improvement at Fletcher Allen," Dr. Estes said. "Our goal is to continue to make improvements in this area, and to have future editions of this report reflect those efforts." 

The Hospital Community Report ranks Fletcher Allen's performance on nine clinical measures. Fletcher Allen met or exceeded the national average for eight of the nine clinical measures. Fletcher Allen fell below the national average on its rate of screening and vaccinating people over 65 for pneumonia.  

In addition to the quality of care data, the report includes the following:

• Detailed financial information, including:
  • Gross charges for the top 10 admissions and procedures
  • Budget information
  • Statistics on the number of admissions, patient visits and the number of employees
  • Information about financial health and capital investments
  • An explanation of "cost shifting" (i.e. when unreimbursed costs are passed on to other payers). 
• The process for filing a complaint at Fletcher Allen
• A listing of Fletcher Allen's efforts to incorporate public input into its decision-making and strategic planning.
• A copy of Fletcher Allen's Institutional Communication and Openness Plan
• A listing of activities available for public participation at Fletcher Allen and the University of Vermont College of Medicine
• A list of Fletcher Allen's partnerships with community organizations
• A description of the organization's system of governance
• A description of the 2004 Community Needs Assessment, and results of the assessment 

In 2003, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 53, "An Act Relating to Hospital and Health System Accountability."  Under this new law, each hospital in Vermont must produce an annual community report to show community members how the hospital performs on a variety of quality, safety and financial measures.  The report also must describe ways that community members can learn about and become involved in hospital activities. 

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine outlined six key goals for improving American health care.  The Institute's book, Crossing the Quality Chasm, states that health care should be: Effective, Patient-centered, Safe, Timely, Efficient, and Equitable. The Act 53 report is organized around these goals. 

Act 53 also requires each hospital to publish a Community Needs Assessment. Both the Community Report and the Community Needs Assessment are available on Fletcher Allen's Web site, www.FletcherAllen.org, and will be available in printed form by January 31, 2005. 

To learn how Fletcher Allen Health Care compares with other Vermont hospitals on these measures, visit the Web site of the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration at www.bischa.state.vt.us, or the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems Web site: www.vahhs.org

Fletcher Allen Health Care, in alliance with the University of Vermont College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's only academic health center and one of 125 in the country.  Founded in 1995, through the merger of Fanny Allen Hospital, Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, and University Health Center, Fletcher Allen Health Care serves one million people in Vermont and northern New York.  The organization provides care at more than 40 sites and 100 outreach clinics in the region. 

###