Strategic Initiatives for FY 2008
The Electronic Health Record, called PRISM (Patient Record & Information Systems Management) -- The PRISM project is a multi-year endeavor that will connect virtually every key function in the organization and will serve all of Fletcher Allen’s more than 30 facilities in Vermont, including the approximately 750 physicians who are credentialed at Fletcher Allen. After receiving state approval in April 2008, Fletcher Allen is poised to launch the first phase of the project, which will focus on implementing the electronic health record on most of the inpatient units. Quality measures to determine the success of this initiative are currently in development.Network Development -- As a tertiary referral center serving a population of one million, Fletcher Allen has a responsibility and a need to build a strong network of connections with its colleagues across Vermont and Northern New York. As part of this initiative, Fletcher Allen is taking steps to better coordinate the provision of outreach services and investigate opportunities for growth and collaboration with providers throughout the region. The success of this initiative will be measured through routine surveys of referring providers.
Clinical and Translational Research Science Award (CTSA) -- The CTSA is a prestigious and innovative program that seeks to transform the way academic medical centers approach clinical and translational research. Fletcher Allen in collaboration with the UVM College of Medicine seeks to obtain a CTSA grant from the National Institute of Health by 2010. The grant would help create a Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at Fletcher Allen and the College of Medicine, and would increase annual research funding by up to $6 million. The success of this initiative will be determined following receipt of the grant.
Centers of Excellence – Creating multi-disciplinary clinical centers of excellence allows Fletcher Allen to bring together health care professionals from different disciplines to share medical expertise, centered on the needs of the patient. Fletcher Allen is examining opportunities to design these centers and recently announced the creation of the first of these endeavors: The Frederick C. Binter Center for Neurosciences. Quality measures to determine the success of this initiative are in development; each center will have measures of clinical, financial and operational success, as well as patient satisfaction.
Service Excellence – Fletcher Allen is continuing to focus on enhancing patient and family experiences so that patients receive the highest quality care in a safe and respectful environment. It is also coordinating service excellence efforts with recent consumer research that was conducted about the organization, to ensure that patient expectations are met based on the research results. The goal is to become a patient-centric, customer-service driven organization where it is easy for patients to move through the system from registration to care to billing. The success of this initiative is measured by Fletcher Allen’s scores on patient satisfaction scores administered by Press Ganey Associates, an independent company.
Clinical Design Optimization – Work is underway to improve patient flow by reducing length of stay, improving access and improving admission and discharge processes. As part of this, Fletcher Allen launched a new program that provides grants for quality improvement projects proposed by faculty and staff. Other work underway includes developing an optimal patient flow model to improve the operation and use of Ambulatory Care Center outpatient clinics, and implementing new discharge processes on inpatient units. The success of this initiative is measured by looking at data on length of stay.
