Mike Noble
Marketing and Communications
802-847-2886

BURLINGTON, VT - The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has verified Fletcher Allen Health Care is in "Condition level compliance" and continues to meet the requirements for participation in the Medicare program.

A survey team from The Vermont Division of Licensing and Protection, acting on behalf of CMS, surveyed the organization on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 22 and 23, to confirm that the previously-filed Plan of Correction was complete and the organization met federal guidelines regarding patient rights, physical environment, nursing services, and performance improvement.

Successful completion of this survey verification process was the last step in the series of reviews prompted by the January suicide of a patient in the hospital's inpatient psychiatry unit.

In the May survey, three lower-level deficiencies were cited: a patient's written nursing care plan was not updated; the reason for administering a medication was not noted in the patient's record; and a policy did not match the procedure for evaluating and discharging a psychiatry patient in the Emergency Department. These three deficiencies have been corrected, and although not required, plans of correction will be submitted.

"We took this entire process very seriously and have implemented changes as a result of the survey findings," said Fletcher Allen Chief Quality Officer John Brumsted, M.D.  "Fletcher Allen works very hard every day to make sure that providing the best possible care for our patients stays at the forefront of everything we do.  We are very pleased that CMS has found us to be in compliance."

Federal regulations require healthcare institutions to be in compliance with the conditions or face the loss of Medicare and Medicaid funding.  With this determination of compliance, Fletcher Allen is no longer at risk of losing that funding.

The Vermont Division of Licensing and Protection, which is part of the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, conducted the survey, as authorized by the Boston Regional Office of CMS.  CMS has the ultimate authority over all health care institutions that receive Medicare funding.