http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/ Press Releases from Fletcher Allen Health Care en-us Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 PDT Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_radiation_therapy_facility_dedicated_at_fletcher_allen.html Named the Garden Pavilion in recognition of a rooftop garden, the 23,000-square-foot one-story building brings together all of Fletcher Allen’s radiation oncology services in one location and is located next to the Vermont Cancer Center, providing connectivity between the two areas for patients and providers. Approximately 800 patients are treated annually in this facility.
A patient user group provided valuable input on the development of the new facility, which will greatly enhance the patient care experience for the people who come here for care from Vermont and Northern New York. Key features include:

Increased Privacy: Each treatment area has two exam rooms and two private changing rooms – complete with personal restrooms and lockers. The changing rooms are located directly across from the treatment rooms, providing patients with convenient access to treatment.
More Space: The new space – immediately adjacent to the parking garage - is approximately two-and-a-half times larger than the old facility, and includes all examination and treatment space in one location.
Enhanced Aesthetics: The facility has been designed to maximize the use of natural daylight through the strategic placement of windows and skylights.

Leading Edge Technology
The facility offers the latest approaches to tumor localization, care planning and treatment – including two new, state-of-the-art linear accelerators which are used to administer radiation treatment.
A “Green” Building
Fletcher Allen is aiming to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the Garden Pavilion. As part of those efforts, the new facility was built into the hillside of the East side of the Ambulatory Care Center to reduce the need for heating and cooling year-round. The building also includes:

Natural lighting to reduce energy use and provide a sense of connection to the outdoors
Efficient lighting and innovative heating and cooling systems designed to reduce energy consumption
Plumbing fixtures that reduce water usage
Use of recycled, low chemical-emitting, and locally sourced construction materials to improve indoor air quality
A “green” roof with accessible public space, a vegetable garden and plantings to reduce heat build-up and storm water run-off

About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center - providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York - and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia. ]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_radiation_therapy_facility_dedicated_at_fletcher_allen.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/hinesburg_family_health_joins_fletcher_allen_health_care.html The third physician, James Ulager, M.D., Holly Whitcomb, N.P., the nursing staff, and the reception staff, will be joined by Michael Sirois, M.D., a family medicine physician who resides in Hinesburg.  He will relocate his practice from the Family Medicine Service’s South Burlington office to Hinesburg over the next several months.
In a letter to their patients, Drs. Reynolds and George stated, “We, and the Hinesburg community, are fortunate that Fletcher Allen has chosen to assume the operation of Hinesburg Family Health.”  They continued, “We have the highest confidence that Fletcher Allen will serve your medical needs well, and that you will continue to have access to a high-quality primary care practice.”
Tom Peterson, M.D., physician leader of Fletcher Allen’s Family Medicine Service said in his letter to patients that the practice would continue to provide comprehensive primary care for men, women, and children, newborn care, elder care in the hospital, minor procedures, diagnosis of illness and injury, sports medicine, and home, nursing home and hospice care. 
Recruitment is already underway to bring a third physician to the practice. Until that physician is hired, the Family Medicine Service will provide additional physician coverage to ensure that patients have access to a physician when needed.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia. ]]> Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/hinesburg_family_health_joins_fletcher_allen_health_care.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/tenth_anniversary_motorcycle_benefit_ride_to_include_a_route.html Jeff Wyand, a Plattsburg resident, developed medulloblastoma, a malignant tumor affecting the central nervous system at age 10.  He died in December 2006, when the disease returned soon after his high school graduation that June. Through the efforts of his parents Tom and Diane Wyand, and many others, the event has enjoyed great success.
The event has raised almost $377,000 over the past 9 years.  Organizers are hoping to raise an additional $50,000 this year.  All of the money goes towards clinical care and support of childhood cancer patients at the Vermont Children’s Hospital.
New York riders will gather at American Legion Post 1619 in West Plattsburgh and North End Harley in Plattsburgh on the 15th between 8am and 9:30am.Vermont riders will gather at the Medical Center Campus of Fletcher Allen between 9am and 11:30am where all riders will take off at 11:30am. If you wish to participate, please call 802-847-1010 or register online at www.jeffwyandride.org. Registration fees start at $35.
Non-riders can participate by making a donation online at www.jeffwyandride.org  or by calling (802-847-1010), and by watching the motorcycles ride down Burlington’s Main Street, Church Street, Colchester’s Lakeshore Drive and Blakely Road to US. Rte. 2.  The ride ends with a BBQ celebration for the riders at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in South Hero.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.]]> Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/tenth_anniversary_motorcycle_benefit_ride_to_include_a_route.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_knee_implant_available_that_may_double_useful_life_to_30.html “Physically active patients want to end their knee pain,” said David Halsey, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Fletcher Allen Health Care and associate professor, University of Vermont College of Medicine. “I want to offer active patients a knee implant that lasts a long time and I’m pleased that FDA-cleared VERILAST technology has been wear-tested out to 30 simulated years.  It’s a vast improvement over the current estimated useful implant lifespan of 10 to 15 years.  This is not an incremental improvement; it’s a generational leap forward for active patients.”
“For a younger, more active patient, this is very good news,” said Dr. Halsey. “They get the pain relief they need, the mobility they want and the longevity they expect. The other significant improvement,” he continued, “is that it is hypoallergenic – there’s no nickel or chromium – two metals that can cause problems for patients who have metal sensitivity.”
Made up of three main parts, all total knee implants consists of a plastic insert positioned between two metal components. Over time, the movement of the metal component sliding against the plastic insert can wear down the plastic and cause it to fail. In some cases, tiny particles of the plastic can accumulate in the joint resulting in a condition known as osteolysis, or the softening of the bone around the joint. When this happens, the implant may shift or loosen, which leads to pain and instability in the joint.
Unlike knee implants made from cobalt chrome metal and a high-density plastic, the new technology is made from a proprietary metal alloy that produces a ceramic surface, and a specialized plastic-like material. By combining these two low-friction materials, the new knee implant device can significantly reduce the kind of wear that can cause an implant to wear out before its time.
Read Dr. Halsey’s blog on joint care at http://fletcherallenblog.wordpress.com/
Total Knee Replacement Facts 

Approximately 300 knee replacements are performed annually at Fletcher Allen
Approximately 400,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the United States
All total knee replacements consist of a three-part system: two metal components and a plastic insert between them
Wear is a common issue with knee transplants. As the surfaces of the implant rub together, tiny fragments of plastic and metal wear off
Wear is one reason knee implants fail and may require a repeat surgery years after the initial procedure. One recent study found that in a group of knee implants that were redone after an average of seven years of use, 44% of the cases were the result of plastic wear.
Currently, conventional knee implants are expected to last between 10 and 15 years before wear becomes an issue.About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia.

 ]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_knee_implant_available_that_may_double_useful_life_to_30.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/from_our_blog_first_with_kids_make_sure_to_spot_your_tot_-_p.html Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/from_our_blog_first_with_kids_make_sure_to_spot_your_tot_-_p.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_inter-lakes_health_in_ticonderoga_ny_affliati.html This formal affiliation builds on a strong foundation of collaboration between the two organizations. For many years, Fletcher Allen, Vermont’s academic medical center, and Inter-Lakes Health, a critical access hospital, have participated in a joint telemedicine program that allows health care providers in the Emergency Department at Inter-Lakes Health to consult with trauma care experts at Fletcher Allen on difficult trauma cases. More recently, Fletcher Allen has operated three clinics at Inter-Lakes Health – Cardiology, Dermatology and Neurology – staffed by Fletcher Allen physicians who travel to Ticonderoga on a monthly basis to see patients who need specialty care.
With this new affiliation, there is a commitment to increase Fletcher Allen’s clinical collaboration with Inter-Lakes Health in areas such as Emergency Services to bring an even greater level of service to the hospital.
“The leadership and board of directors of Inter-Lakes Health are excited to be affiliating with Fletcher Allen as we greatly appreciate the benefits of an academic medical center to our patients,” said Sandra R. Bolton, chairperson, Inter-Lakes Health Board of Directors. “We see this new partnership as a win-win for everyone involved.”
“We at Fletcher Allen look forward to this new partnership, which will allow us to work together more closely with our friends at Inter-Lakes Health for the benefit of patients in the Ticonderoga area,” said Melinda Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer at Fletcher Allen. “In this new era of health care reform, it is more important than ever that we collaborate and coordinate with other hospitals in the region to provide high-quality care to the people in the communities we serve. This aligns with Fletcher Allen’s vision, which is to be a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.”
About Inter-Lakes Health
Inter-lakes Health, formally known as Moses-Ludington Corporation, is a family of health services located in Ticonderoga, NY between Lake George and Lake Champlain in the Adirondack Mountains. Inter-lakes Health services patients from Essex, Warren and Washington Counties. The not-for-profit family members include Moses-Ludington Hospital, a 15-bed Critical Access Hospital, Heritage Commons Residential Health Care, a 84-bed nursing home, Moses-Ludington Adult Care, a 23-bed adult home, the Inter-Lakes Dental Clinic, and Lord Howe Estates, a 43-unit HUD Section 8 202 multi-family housing complex for low income elderly.
Inter-Lakes Health is the sole provider of safety-net services for an area with a local resident population of 14,000 that welcomes approximately 15,000 additional summer residents, and we're there for the estimated 200,000 summer tourists who pass through our corner of the mountains. Additionally, Inter-Lakes Health maintains working relationships with care providers from around the region to help support the community’s health needs.
Our mission is to be a caring, community responsive health care partner that promotes wellness, individual dignity, and quality and value.
It is our vision to facilitate a coordinated continuum of quality, cost-effective health services which include acute and emergency services, assessment and referral, primary care, long- term care, restorative services, education and community outreach. To learn more, please join us at www.interlakeshealth.com.
About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
Fletcher Allen now has affiliations with three northern New York hospitals – Inter-Lakes Health (Ticonderoga, NY), Alice Hyde Medical Center (Malone, NY) and Canton-Potsdam Hospital (Potsdam, NY). With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia.]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_inter-lakes_health_in_ticonderoga_ny_affliati.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_blog_posted_why_healthysustainable_food_matters_to_fletc.html Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/new_blog_posted_why_healthysustainable_food_matters_to_fletc.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcherallenyear-to-dateandsecondquarterfinancialresults.html Second Quarter Results
Operating income for the second quarter was $1.9 million above budget and $4.3 million below the corresponding quarter in FY 2009.  Net operating revenues for the quarter were $218.1 million, $620,000 below budgeted revenues.  The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $211.2 million, $2.5 million under budget, resulting in an operating income of approximately $5.0 million and an operating margin of 3.2% for the second quarter.  By comparison, the organization produced an income from operations of $9.3 million in the second quarter of FY 2009.
Year-to-date Results
On a year-to-date basis, the $6.9 million net income from operations was below the budgeted $9.6 million for the period, and produced an operating margin of 1.6%. A year ago, the organization generated a two-quarter operating gain of $13.3 million.  For the first half of the fiscal year, net operating revenues were $428.3, $11.5 million below budget. Operating expenses were $421.4 million, below budget by $8.8 million.
A key financial indicator, earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) stood at approximately $39.3 million for the first two quarters.  This was below the FY 2010 budget forecast of $41.5 million.  EBIDA provides a good measure of the organization’s actual earnings.
At the end of the second quarter, days cash on hand stood at 107 days using a 12-month rolling average compared with 97 days last year. This indicator is a projected estimate of the number of days an organization could meet operating expenditures provided no additional revenues were received.   
The institution began making its quarterly financials public with the release of the first quarter results for FY 2003 in February 2003.  The audited financial statements as well as unaudited quarterly results for FY 2003 through the second quarter of FY 2010 are available on the Fletcher Allen Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
Click here for FY 2010 Second Quarter Financial Results
Click here for FY 2010 Second Quarter Y-T-D Financial Results]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcherallenyear-to-dateandsecondquarterfinancialresults.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_wins_national_state_awards_for_green_practice.html Fletcher Allen' drive to become one of the greenest health care organizations in the country was recognized this month with awards from two national organizations and the State of Vermont.
For the second year in a row, Fletcher Allen was selected to be in the "Environmental Leadership Circle" by Practice Greenhealth, the nation' leading association devoted to environmentally responsible health care. The Leadership Circle awards are given to institutions that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of their operations. In 2009, Fletcher Allen increased recycling to 34% of its waste stream, up from 21% in 2007. Electric use at the Medical Center Campus dropped8% from FY 2008 to 2009.
"All of our members are committed to improving health care's environmental performance, but Fletcher Allen belongs to a select group of facilities setting the highest standards," said Practice Greenhealth Executive Director Anna Gilmore Hall.
Also this month, Fletcher Allen was one of four Vermont organizations to receive the Governor' Award for Environmental Excellence in Earth Stewardship & Resource Protection. This award recognizes projects with "measurable and direct benefits to air, land or water – or fish, wildlife and human communities dependent upon a clean and healthy environment." The award citation noted organization-wide projects to improve the environmental impact of Fletcher Allen, including a commitment to local and sustainable food.
Programs to make commuting easier for employees earned Fletcher Allen a repeat award as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters by the National Center for Transit Research at the University of Florida (www.bestworkplaces.org).
The designation – which is shared with the Campus Area Transportation Management Authority (CATMA) – recognizes employers who meet the Environmental Protection Agency national standard of excellence for offering outstanding commuter benefits. These promote energy conservation by reducing traffic congestion and related air pollution.
Among commuter programs available to Fletcher Allen employees are the Bike/Walk Rewards Program, Carpool Matching Service, Emergency Ride Home, discounted bus passes and alternative commuting incentives.
"These awards reflect the commitment of all the Fletcher Allen employees who have worked hard to make our operations greener," said Melinda L. Estes, M.D., President and CEO. "I'm proud that we are being recognized as an environmental role model both locally and nationally, and I'm committed to continuing our efforts to further reduce our environmental impact."
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont' academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.]]> Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_wins_national_state_awards_for_green_practice.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_eliminates_30_medical_transcription_jobs.html New Technology Decreases Need for Transcriptionists 
BURLINGTON, VT -- Today, Fletcher Allen Health Care announced that 23 full- and part-time employees will lose their medical transcription positions, effective June 25, as a result of increased efficiencies gained by new technology.  Additionally, three positions were vacated through attrition and four per diem positions were eliminated, bringing the total to 30 positions.  Fletcher Allen is providing severance packages to affected employees and has reached out to three transcription companies to try to secure employment for qualified candidates.  
New TechnologyMedical transcriptionists type and edit the notes dictated by health care providers for a patient’s medical record.  A combination of two new technologies is responsible for the decreased need for transcription services.  New speech-recognition software, which transcribes lines of dictation that only require editing, was introduced in the fall of 2009; with this new software, the transcription service can produce more lines of dictation in less time with fewer people. In addition, Fletcher Allen implemented an electronic health record system in June, 2009, which allows physicians to enter information directly into the system without dictation; this technology decreased the overall volume of transcription work by 27% to date.New technology is one example of the changing health care landscape.  Health care reform is encouraging the adoption of electronic medical records in health care systems to enhance patient safety, improve outcomes and reduce health care costs.   
Impacted Employees to Receive Human Resources SupportFletcher Allen is providing severance packages to impacted employees tied to their length of service. The package includes assistance in locating other employment. To that end, Fletcher Allen is working with three transcription companies that have expressed interest in making jobs available to qualified candidates; these companies will be testing those interested within the next two weeks.  Fifty-three people will continue to provide editing services and a small amount of traditional transcription services for the organization, which currently produces approximately 19 million lines of transcription per year.   
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.FletcherAllen.org.]]> Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_eliminates_30_medical_transcription_jobs.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/wcax_local_grad_chooses_fletcher_allen.html Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/wcax_local_grad_chooses_fletcher_allen.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_teams_with_vermont_hitec_to_train_nurses.html Burlington, VT: Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC are recruiting candidates for the partnership’s first training program for Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs). The free training will lead directly to employment in part-time or full-time positions for eight participants.  The program is targeted to unemployed and underemployed Vermonters, and Fletcher Allen employees seeking to upgrade their skills.
The two-part training program will be conducted over an eight week period.  Students who successfully complete an unpaid three week readiness program will enter a paid five-week training program that combines academic course content with clinical rotations.  The program will prepare eight participants to work directly with patients and to apply for LNA licensure with the Vermont State Board of Nursing.  Upon completion of the eight week training, the new LNAs will also participate in a one year state certified apprenticeship program.  
The pay scale for an LNA begins at $11.23 per hour with a comprehensive benefits package, with potential future earnings up to $16.89 per hour.  Participants may also receive college credit toward an associate’s degree at a state community college.
The LNA program follows the success of six previous training programs between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC, funded with support from Senator Patrick J. Leahy. 
“LNAs are valued members of our nursing care team, working with the RNs and LPNs in providing quality care and caring for the patients and their families.  We look forward to working with our partners at Vermont HITEC to provide this excellent training opportunity,” said Sandra Dalton, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care.                                
"Fletcher Allen has provided Vermonters with the opportunity to demonstrate that with the appropriate training they can become part of a high quality workforce dedicated to patient care,” said Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC.  “We applaud their efforts to engage in this innovative partnership and hope to continue to offer similar opportunities in the future.”
The deadline for applying to the LNA program is Tuesday, June 1, 2010.  Individuals interested in applying to the program must visit www.vthitec.org to fill out an online application. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Lisa Gorman, ITAR Project Leader, Vermont HITEC, Inc., P.O. Box 1548, Williston, VT 05495, or by email at lisa.gorman@vthitec.org. For up-to-date program information, visit: www.vthitec.org.
About the Fletcher Allen/Vermont HITEC PartnershipFletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC developed their partnership in 2004 with funding assistance from both the State of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Labor.  The partnership was created to help address critical workforce development needs by training unemployed and underemployed Vermonters for jobs that are persistently difficult to fill. The goal is designed to be flexible to match current workforce needs with potential applicants who lacked the necessary skills to be considered for a position.
Training programs have been conducted for a variety of positions including practice support specialists, registration representatives, medical coders and phlebotomists.  Most recently, in the fall of 2009, the partnership trained 32 Data Abstractors and PRISM Go-Live Specialists to assist with the implementation of Fletcher Allen's electronic health record.  To date, a total of 102 Vermonters have been trained and offered positions at Fletcher Allen as a result of these programs. 
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center – providing advanced are to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York – and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
About Vermont HITECVermont HITEC is a 501C (3) non-profit organization with a mission to transform the lives of Vermonters through employer based education and training opportunities. Vermont HITEC has employed over 400 Vermonters over the past ten years in the fields of healthcare, information technology and manufacturing partnering with over 20 Vermont businesses including Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Hazelett Strip Casting Corporation, IDX Systems (GE Healthcare) and Dealer.com. ]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_teams_with_vermont_hitec_to_train_nurses.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/african_childrens_choir_to_the_childrens_specialty_center_.html Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/african_childrens_choir_to_the_childrens_specialty_center_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/test_url.html Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/test_url.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/local_doctor_to_become_president-elect_of_national_doctors_o.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Term to Begin in April During American College of Physicians Annual Meeting

BURLINGTON, VT -- (April 21, 2010) Virginia L. Hood, MBBS, MPH, FACP, a local internist and nephrologist, will take office April 24, 2010, as President-elect of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation’s second-largest physician organization. Her term will begin during Internal Medicine 2010 -- the ACP annual scientific meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 22-24. Dr. Hood will become ACP President in April 2011.
A resident of Burlington, Vt., Dr. Hood is a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She is an attending physician and Chair of the Residents’ Research and Scholarly Activity Committee at Fletcher Allen. She is also a consulting physician for Central Vermont Medical Center.
Dr. Hood was elected to the ACP Board of Regents in 2005 and re-elected in 2008. She served as the 2008-2010 Chair of the national ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. She has been a member of that committee since 2003. She has also served as Chair of the ACP International Subcommittee, now the International Council, for 2007-2009 and is an ex-officio member of the ACP Membership Committee.
Dr. Hood has served in an advisory capacity to the State of Vermont’s health care programs as a member of the Drug Utilization Review Board in the Office of Vermont Health Care Access (Medicaid). She also served as a member of the Diabetes Surveillance Committee, Healthy Vermonters 2010 Heart Disease Workgroup and Ladies First Program for the Vermont Department of Health. She contributed to developing and updating the guidelines for Management of Diabetes for the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care.
Dr. Hood served as ACP Governor for Vermont for 1999-2003, and was the chapter's Vice President from 1991 to 1994. In 2003, she was named a Laureate of the Vermont Chapter. Laureate awards honor local Fellows or Masters of ACP who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to excellence in medical care, education or research, or who have provided service to their community, chapter and the ACP. Dr. Hood has been a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) since 1991. FACP is an honorary designation that recognizes ongoing individual service and contributions to the practice of medicine.
A medical graduate of the University of Sydney, Dr. Hood completed a residency at Mater Misericordiae Hospital. She completed two years of fellowship training in nephrology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and her third year of fellowship training at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont. In 1993 she received an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology.
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 129,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illness in adults. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
# # #
Media Contacts: Laura Zansitis, ACP, lzansitis@acponline.org or 215-351-2656.
Mike Noble, Fletcher Allen Health Care, 802-847-2886.
Jennifer Nachbur, UVM College of Medicine, 802-656-7875.
　

 ]]> Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/local_doctor_to_become_president-elect_of_national_doctors_o.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/cookie_monster_elmo_leave_sesame_street_to_visit_kids_at_fah.html Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/cookie_monster_elmo_leave_sesame_street_to_visit_kids_at_fah.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_gives_back_destination_haiti.html Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_gives_back_destination_haiti.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/team_fletcher_allen_make_every_step_meaningful.html Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/team_fletcher_allen_make_every_step_meaningful.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/local_doctor_to_become_president-elect_of_national_doctors_o.html Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/local_doctor_to_become_president-elect_of_national_doctors_o.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/uvm_college_of_medicine_ranks_4th_for_primary_care_and_8th_f.html Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/uvm_college_of_medicine_ranks_4th_for_primary_care_and_8th_f.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/sheikh_jamal_rahman_to_lead_spiritual_care_week_conversation.html www.jamalrahman.com) a leader in interfaith community building to engage in conversations centered on suffering, compassion and the spiritual journey.
Sheikh Jamal Rahman remains rooted in his Islamic tradition and cultivates a "Spaciousness" by being open to the beauty and wisdom of other faiths.  His most recent book, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith:  the Eye-Opening, Hope Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi, and a Sheikh brings together leaders of three faith traditions.  Known as the Three Amigos, they have been featured in the New York Times, on CBS and PBS and have lead interfaith pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
On Thursday afternoon, April 29 at 4:00, Sheikh Rahman will speak at Fletcher Allen's Davis Auditorium on, A Muslim Response to Suffering and Medical Crises.
On Friday, April 30 he will be joined by Carol Fournier of the Silver Dove Institute and Rabbi Jan Salzman at First Congregational Church in Burlington for a pair of workshops which are free and open to the public.  At 9:00 they will present, The Call of Compassion:  Our Common Spiritual Path.  At 1:00 they will present, The Role of the Spiritual Director on the Spiritual Journey.
On Friday evening, at St. James' Episcopal Church in Essex Junction at 6:00 PM, the celebration will conclude with Interfaith Worship, A Call to Transformation of the Heart.  This worship is free and open to the public and will be lead by The Rev. Kenneth Hitch, Rabbi David Steinberg and Sheikh Jamal Rahman.
More information is available from the Fletcher Allen Health Care Spiritual Resource Center, 847-2770, or St. James' Episcopal Church office, 878-4014.]]> Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/sheikh_jamal_rahman_to_lead_spiritual_care_week_conversation.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fitness_nutrition_during_after_treatment.html The program will be presented by Dr. Faith Ottery, MD, PhD, FACN of East Brunswick, New Jersey, who is internationally known in the field of nutritional oncology and cancer rehabilitation and survivorship. She developed the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) of nutritional status, which has become the standard nutritional assessment for patients with cancer. She was the founding president of the Society for Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy (NOAT), an international and interdisciplinary research and educational organization. She writes and lectures extensively in nutritional oncology and cancer rehabilitation.
Dr. Ottery trained in medical and surgical oncology with her PhD in nutritional sciences. She has worked in a variety of clinical, research and educational settings. Currently, Dr. Ottery is President of Ottery and Associates, Oncology Care Consultants and is Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
PROGRAM DETAILS
WHO: Dr. Faith Ottery, MD, PhD, FACN
WHAT: Fitness and Nutrition: During and After Treatment
WHEN: Friday, April 9, 2010 from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
WHERE: Carpenter Auditorium, Given Medical BuildingUniversity of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05401
The public is welcome to attend this educational program on a topic which is so important to patients, survivors, families and medical staff. This is a free event sponsored by the Eleanor B. Daniels Fund, however, space is limited and reservations are requested. Call 434-3979 now to reserve your spot.
The Eleanor B. Daniels Fund was created in 2004 in honor of Eleanor B. Daniels, a beloved artist, mother, and teacher. Her courageous efforts in the area of cancer trials have advanced the techniques of cancer treatment today. The EBD Fund is dedicated to supporting education, research and development efforts for gynecologic malignancies and women’s health issues. The Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Fletcher Allen provides free educational programs for the public each fall and spring, sponsored by the Eleanor B. Daniels Fund.]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fitness_nutrition_during_after_treatment.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_first_quarter_financial_results_for_.html Fletcher Allen Releases First Quarter Financial Results For Fiscal Year 2010 and Results for FY 2009
BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen reported a net operating income of approximately $96,000 for the first quarter of the 2010 Fiscal year.  The first quarter covers the period beginning October 1st and ending December 31, 2009.  The organization also finished its 2009 fiscal year approximately $1.2 million above budget. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.
First Quarter Results
The net operating income for the first quarter was approximately $4.6 million below the budgeted amount of $4.7 million, and $3.9 million below the first quarter of FY 2009.
Total operating revenues for the first quarter were $210.2 million, approximately $10.9 million below budget.  The organization’s operating expenses for the quarter were $210.1 million, $6.3 million below budget, resulting in the net operating gain of $96,000 and a slightly positive operating margin for the first quarter.  By comparison, the organization had an operating margin of 2.0 % in the first quarter of FY 2009.
Operating earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) for the period totaled $16.1 million compared to the $21.0 budgeted figure and $17.8 million for the first quarter of FY 2009.
Fletcher Allen First Quarter 2009 Financials and FY08                    
Days cash on hand was measured at 107 days for the quarter compared to 100 days last year.  This indicator is a projected estimate of the number of days an organization could meet operating expenditures provided no additional revenues were received.
FY 2009 Results
Fletcher Allen reported a net operating income of $21.3 million for the 2009 fiscal year. This included an operating income loss of approximately $3.6 million for the fourth quarter beginning July 1 and ending September 30.  The yearly operating income figure was approximately $1.2 million above budget.
Results on the Web Site
 The institution began making its quarterly financials public with the release of the first quarter results for FY 2003 in February 2003.  The audited financial statements as well as the quarterly results for FY 2003 through the first quarter of FY 2010 will be available on the Fletcher Allen Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
Click here for FY 2010 First Quarter Financial Results
Click here for FY 2009 Year-End Financial Results
Click here for FY 2009 Fourt Quarter Financial Results
 ]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_first_quarter_financial_results_for_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/pizzagalli_foundation_donates_one_million_to_fletcher_allen.html Gift will be used to install a video-on-demand patient education system
BURLINGTON, VT – Fletcher Allen announced today it has received a $1 million gift from the Pizzagalli Foundation of South Burlington, VT. The Pizzagalli Foundation is a philanthropic organization established by the founders of the Pizzagalli Construction Co. to support area institutions.
“We are deeply honored that the Pizzagallis - Jim, Angelo and Remo - have chosen to make this gift to Fletcher Allen,” said Melinda Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer. “This generosity from a local family to our academic medical center is greatly appreciated and will help us improve care by providing our patients and their families with access to educational programming that will increase their understanding of common health problems, Fletcher Allen services and follow-up care.”
“The Pizzagalli Foundation wanted to recognize the outstanding work of Dr. Estes and her leadership team to put Fletcher Allen on a sound operating basis,” said James Pizzagalli, foundation trustee. “Fletcher Allen has made enormous contributions to the welfare of our community.”
An interactive, video-on-demand patient education system was identified by a team of employees assembled to look at ways the organization could enhance its patient care experience.
“This type of system is a great patient satisfier in organizations where it has been installed,” Dr. Estes continued. “We are pleased that with this generous gift from the Pizzagallis, we will be able to purchase and implement this system, moving forward with this recommendation from employees.”
One of the leaders of that employee team was Norman Ward, M.D., medical director, Case Management at Fletcher Allen. “The opportunity to offer excellent medical education to our patients at the bedside whenever and as often as they wish represents a huge opportunity to provide them with the information they need in order to have the best possible recovery,” said Dr. Ward.
Studies have shown that patients who benefit from a combination of improved discharge education and follow-up programs can reduce their chance of readmission by approximately 40%. The lowering of readmission rates is a nationwide quality initiative among hospitals this year.
Each patient will have his or her own video screen and controls. The system is web-based and user-friendly. Patients will be able to order educational programs any time of the day or night. This ensures that patients see material related to their disease and recovery when they are most receptive to viewing the information. There is also the capability to automatically document in the patient’s electronic medical record that a patient has viewed a program. This feature of the system is planned for implementation in the future.
Last year, Fletcher Allen implemented an electronic health record across its inpatient areas, converting traditional medical charts, treatment notes, medication lists and prescription orders from paper files to a single electronic record housed on a computer-based software application.
The new video on-demand patient education system also will provide some of the comforts of home by offering video-on-demand movies, popular television channels, and relaxation programming, in addition to information regarding their illness and care.
Currently, many patient rooms have one wall-mounted conventional television set that must be shared when both beds are occupied. While some patient education programming is available on this system, it is only available at specific times, similar to a daily TV broadcast schedule. This schedule can conflict with patient treatment and test schedules, as well as family visiting times.
Aceso Interactive, of Charlestown, MA, has been selected as the vendor. Installation of the system should be complete by summer 2010.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/. ]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/pizzagalli_foundation_donates_one_million_to_fletcher_allen.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/two_new_trustees_join_fletcher_allen_board_-_roger_stone_rep.html Paul Danielson, D.M.D., an oral surgeon with Champlain Valley Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, South Burlington, and John Neuhauser, Ph.D., president, Saint Michael's College, Colchester. 
The Board also elected Board member Roger Stone, former president of Burlington-based Stone Investment Advisory, Inc., to serve as Board Chair, replacing Chris Dutton, former chief executive officer, Green Mountain Power, who stepped down at the expiration of his term.
Paul Danielson, D.M.D., has been in practice in South Burlington since 1978. He is a member of Fletcher Allen's attending staff in the Department of Surgery and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.  He is the author or co-author of a number of papers in peer-review journals.  Dr. Danielson served as president of the Fletcher Allen Health Care Medical Staff in 2008.  He is also a past president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Dr. Danielson completed a dental internship at Fletcher Allen followed by an oral surgery internship and residency at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT.  
"We are very pleased to have Dr. Danielson join the Fletcher Allen Board," said Roger Stone, chair of the Fletcher Allen Board of Trustees. "His work at the local and national level as well as his committee work at Fletcher Allen and one of its predecessor organizations provides us with a valuable perspective."
John Neuhauser, Ph.D., is president of St. Michael's College, Colchester, a post he has held since 2007. Prior to this appointment, he was a professor at Boston College, where he held several key positions during his 39 years at that institution. In his last administrative post there, academic vice president and dean of faculties, Dr. Neuhauser oversaw a doubling of grant funding to over $40 million annually, a 50 percent increase in undergraduate applications with a steady increase in quality, and a constant placement in the top 40 national universities in the U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Dr. Neuhauser received a bachelor's degree in physics from Manhattan College, and both a master's and doctorate in operations research and statistics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has served on the St. Michael's Board of Trustees since 2001.
"I look forward to working with Dr. Neuhauser. We are delighted that he will be bringing his expertise, enthusiasm and experience to his new role on the Fletcher Allen Board," said Stone.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/. ]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/two_new_trustees_join_fletcher_allen_board_-_roger_stone_rep.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_year-to-date_and_third_quarter_finan.html Mike NobleMarketing and Communications802-847-2886
BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen reported an operating income of $24.9 million for the first three quarters of the 2009 fiscal year. This includes an operating income of approximately $11.5 million for the third quarter. The third quarter covers the period beginning April 1 and ending June 30.
Third Quarter Results
Operating income for the third quarter was $6.3 million above budget and $2.5 million above the corresponding quarter in FY 2008.  Net operating revenues for the quarter were $219.3 million, $8.2 million above budgeted revenues.  The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $207.8 million, $1.9 million over budget, resulting in an operating income of approximately $11.5 million and an operating margin of 5.2% for the third quarter.  By comparison, the organization produced an income from operations of $9.0 million in the third quarter of FY 2008.
Year-to-date Results
On a year-to-date basis, the $24.9 million net income from operations was above the budgeted $14.6 million for the period, and produced an operating margin of 3.9%. A year ago, the organization generated a three-quarter operating gain of $13.7 million.  For three quarters, net operating revenues were $629.5, $1.8 million above budget. Operating expenses were $604.6 million, below budget by $8.4 million.
A key financial indicator, earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) stood at approximately $67.2 million for the three quarters.  This was above the FY 2009 budget forecast of $58.0 million.  EBIDA provides a good measure of the organization's actual earnings.
Key volume measures for the three quarters were positive. Total inpatient discharges were above budget by less than 1%.  Combined Inpatient and Outpatient Days, a measure of the number of patients in the hospital each day, were approximately 16.5% above budget, and physician office visits were less than 1% above budget.  At the end of the third quarter, days cash on hand stood at 106 days using a 12-month rolling average. This indicator is a projected estimate of the number of days an organization could meet operating expenditures provided no additional revenues were received.   
The institution began making its quarterly financials public with the release of the first quarter results for FY 2003 in February 2003.  The audited financial statements as well as unaudited quarterly results for FY 2003 through the third quarter of FY 2009 are available on the Fletcher Allen Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.

Click here for FY 2009 Third Quarter Financial Results
Click here for FY 2009 Third Quarter Y-T-D Financial Results ]]> Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_year-to-date_and_third_quarter_finan.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_named_to_100_top_hospitals_for_cardiovascular.html Fletcher Allen was named to the list of top 100 hospitals for Cardiovascular Care in the United States in an annual study released December 2009 by Thomson Reuters, Inc.
The 11th annual study identifies the 100 U.S. hospitals that set the nation's benchmarks for inpatient cardiovascular care.  Thomson Reuters supplies information to professionals working in finance, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science, and media fields.
The study, 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks, examined the performance of 971 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks, and for those who received coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions (PCI) such as angioplasties.
The study found that these hospitals have:

17 percent lower mortality rates for heart attack patients.
10 percent lower mortality rates for heart failure patients.
27 percent lower mortality for bypass surgery patients.
22 percent lower mortality following PCI.
Fewer post-operative complications (99 percent of patients were complication-free).
Close to 12 percent shorter average hospital stay.
12 percent lower cost per case.

These top performing hospitals perform over 50 percent more cardiac surgeries than peer hospitals.
"These hospitals provide balanced, high-performance across cardiovascular services. This means they are providing high quality and highly efficient care at a reasonable cost in comparison to peers across the United States," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters.
The 100 Top Hospitals study evaluated short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology patients.  Hospitals were classified into three comparison groups: Teaching Hospitals with Cardiovascular Residency Programs (30 hospitals, including Fletcher Allen), Teaching Hospitals Without Cardiovascular Residency Programs (40 hospitals), and community hospitals (30 hospitals).
Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2007 and 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, 2008 Medicare cost reports, and data from other sources. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted medical mortality, risk-adjusted surgical mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, procedure volume, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/.
About Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is a leading source of information for businesses and professionals., combining combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI) and New York Stock Exchange (TRI). For more information, go to http://www.100tophospitals.com/top-cardio-hospitals/ ]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_named_to_100_top_hospitals_for_cardiovascular.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_launches_outpatient_phase_.html PRISM (Patient Record and Information Systems Management­), Fletcher Allen’s electronic health record, is now fully functional at Aesculapius Medical Center in South Burlington, which serves 18,000 people and is one of Fletcher Allen’s ten primary care clinics.  Providers and staff at Aesculapius are now using the system to record patient medical information and to administer medications.  By the end of 2010, all of Fletcher Allen’s outpatient clinics – both primary care and specialty care - will be “live” with PRISM.   
“We’re very pleased with the progress we’ve made during the inpatient implementation, which has enabled us to start implementing PRISM in our outpatient clinics,” said Paul Taheri, MD, MBA, President of Fletcher Allen’s Faculty Practice.  “We’re now able to offer these patients the same enhancements in safety, efficiency and coordination of care that we provide to patients admitted to the hospital,” he said.  
An electronic health record is essentially a computer system that replaces paper medical records, charts and other items with a single electronic file for each patient.  There are several key reasons health care experts believe electronic health records will improve the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care: 

All medical information for each patient is in one place and all providers can see it at the same time from different clinical locations, so it’s easier to coordinate care. 

With PRISM’s outpatient implementation, this means that medical information patients give to their Fletcher Allen primary care provider will be accessible to other members of their Fletcher Allen care team.

The system alerts providers about drug allergies or conflicts with patient medications making them instantly aware of potential problems.
Medical staff will spend less time tracking down charts, x-rays, MRIs and other information that is essential for providing timely care.    

“Electronic health record technology is a major step forward in patient care,” added Dr. Taheri. “The improvements in safety, efficiency and coordination of care will enhance quality and the overall patient experience.  This is the future of health care, and I’m proud Fletcher Allen is bringing this leading edge technology to our community,” he said.  
Fletcher Allen has joined only 1.5% of health care facilities nationwide in implementing such a comprehensive computer system for patient care*.  The system went “live” in Fletcher Allen’s inpatient areas, pharmacy, Emergency Department, and some hospital outpatient areas on the Medical Center Campus in Burlington, as well as the Walk-In Care Center and inpatient rehabilitation service at the Fanny Allen Campus in Colchester, in June 2009. 
--------
* According to a nationwide hospital survey published in the March 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, only 10.9% of U.S. hospitals have implemented a basic Electronic Health Record, and only 1.5% have implemented a comprehensive Electronic Health Record like PRISM.   
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org. ]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_launches_outpatient_phase_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_makes_additional_changes_to_inpat.html Immediate:  October 15, 2009
BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care has made further changes to its visiting policy in an effort to protect both high-risk patients and its staff during the expected outbreak of H1N1 this fall.  Visiting restrictions are already in place in the Birthing Center, the Mother/Baby Unit, and intensive care units. Additional restrictions have now been applied to protect pediatric inpatients and their families.
The following restrictions now apply to those visiting pediatric inpatients:
For All Visitors to Inpatient Pediatrics:

Use hand hygiene:

Wash hands or use hand sanitizer  upon entering the  floor, AND just before and just after leaving a patient's room

No one under the age of 12 to visit the inpatient Pediatric unit.     
Only immediate family to visit, or guardians/caregivers if applicable.
Only two (2) immediate family members in the patient's room at one time.
Patients will be asked not to visit if they have symptoms of a fever and a cough or cold, or if they suspect they may have the flu.

For Visitation With Inpatient Pediatric Patients Who May Have Flu:
Additional restrictions include:

While in the room, visitors must wear a white mask, gown and gloves. These should be disposed of in the room.  Instructions from the nurse shall be provided BEFORE the visitor enters the room.
Visitors to Pediatric patients with influenza (or being tested for influenza), must minimize contact with all other people in the hospital.  They will be asked to leave the hospital immediately after visiting. This precaution protects other patients and their families.

"These extra visiting precautions are in the best interests of our patients during the flu season," said Dawn LeBaron, vice president, Hospital Services.  "Patient safety and infection control are top priorities at this institution.  We recognize that this flu season will not be like others in recent memory and we have made plans that anticipate different levels of a flu outbreak. The visiting policy changes are part of that plan and they may change as the flu season progresses." 
Fletcher Allen is also mounting a strong campaign to encourage staff to get both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine shot when it becomes available.  The organization will make the vaccines available to staff at no charge.
Updated flu season visitation policies are always available on our website, http://www.fletcherallen.org/
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/. ]]> Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_makes_additional_changes_to_inpat.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_receives_accreditation_from_the_american_coll.html Immediate (October 13, 2009)
Mike Noble Marketing and Communications802-847-2886
BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen has received a full three-year accreditation from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer.
This is the highest level of accreditation the Commission on Cancer awards, and serves to distinguish organizations that voluntarily commit to provide the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Accredited institutions successfully undergo a rigorous 36-point evaluation process and performance review, focusing on quality outcomes, education and performance monitoring. The Commission on Cancer site survey report gave particular praise to Fletcher Allen's cancer-related outcomes work, clinical trials accrual, community outreach initiatives, and cancer registry operations.  Fletcher Allen's cancer activities are closely tied to the Vermont Cancer Center, which links patient care with research and education at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
According to the Commission on Cancer, there are 1,400 Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, representing 25% of all hospital programs.  These 1,400 programs diagnose and treat 80% of newly-diagnosed cancer patients each year.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through setting standards, cancer prevention efforts, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. For more information, please visit their Web site at www.facs.org/cancer/index.html
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/. ]]> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_receives_accreditation_from_the_american_coll.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_makes_changes_to_visiting_policy_.html
For Release: 
September 29, 2009
Contact:Mike NobleMarketing & Communications(802) 847-2886  View recent changes to Pediatric Visiting Hours
BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care has made changes to its visiting policy in an effort to protect both high-risk patients and its staff during the expected outbreak of H1N1 this fall.  Changes affect the Birthing Center, the Mother/Baby Unit, and intensive care units. 
The Birthing Center, located on the seventh floor of the McClure Building, and the Mother/Baby Unit, located on the fifth floor of the Shepardson Building have made the following changes:

The number of people accompanying the mother-to-be is limited to two persons.

These persons must remain the same throughout labor, delivery and the stay on the Mother and Baby Unit.  No alternates will be allowed to visit.
A child 12 years of age or older will count as one of the two allowed visitors.

The two visitors must have no signs of illness.
Children under 12 years of age cannot visit.

Additionally, the Intensive Care Units located on the 3rd and 4th floors of the McClure Building have instituted the following visiting policy:

Visitors are limited to include only immediate family members or close friends if the patient has no immediate family.
Visitors with signs of influenza-like illness (cough, cold or fever) will not be permitted to visit.
No visitors under the age of 12.
Visitors will be asked to use hand sanitizers entering the intensive care units and upon entering and leaving the patient’s room.
For patients sick with seasonal or H1N1 influenza visitors will wear a protective gown, gloves and mask while in the room.
Visitors will be asked to minimize contact with others in the hospital to reduce the risk of acquiring or spreading disease.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit located on the 7th floor of the McClure Building will make the following change effective October 1:

Only the child’s parents may visit, or the child’s mother and one consistent adult support person. 

These visiting precautions are in the best interests of our patients as the flu season begins.  Patient safety and infection control are top priorities at this institution.  We recognize that this flu season will not be like others in recent memory and we have made plans that anticipate different levels of a flu outbreak. The visiting policy changes are part of that plan and they may change as the flu season progresses.   
Fletcher Allen is also mounting a strong campaign to encourage staff to get both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine shot when it becomes available.  The organization will make the vaccines available to staff at no charge. 
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org. ]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_makes_changes_to_visiting_policy_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/glen_wright_to_chair_fletcher_allen_foundation.html C O N T A C T: Maria McClellan       Marketing & Communications(802) 847-2886                 
BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care today announced that Glen Wright has been elected Chair of the hospital's Foundation board.
Wright, a native Vermonter and former managing partner of KPMG LLP's Burlington office, succeeds Edwin I. Colodny as chair of Fletcher Allen's fundraising board.  In addition, Brian Boardman has been elected Vice Chair, and Emily Morrow has assumed the position of Secretary.
"Fletcher Allen has touched both my life and that of my family," said Wright, 60, who suffered two heart attacks in his 50's.   "As a result, I have a great devotion to the hospital and view it as one of the most significant and valuable assets in Vermont and upstate New York. I am honored to serve as chair of the Fletcher Allen Foundation, and I look forward to continuing to build on the success of the philanthropic efforts of the medical center."
Wright's commitment to fundraising for Fletcher Allen also comes from his father, Wilbur Wright, now deceased, who used the hospital extensively, and like Glen, was a cardiac patient. 
"We are extremely fortunate to have Glen Wright step forward to lead our Foundation," said Melinda L. Estes, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Fletcher Allen. "Glen has deep roots in the community and longstanding ties to Fletcher Allen.  He understands firsthand the value of our academic medical center and the important role that philanthropy plays in helping us achieve our vision of being a national model of the delivery of high-quality academic health care in a rural region."
Other members of the Fletcher Allen Foundation Board include:  Dr. Nancy Binter, Dr. John Brumsted, David Coates, Phil Daniels, Holly Miller, Marc Monheimer, Dr. David Schneider, Roger Stone and ex officio member Dr. Melinda Estes.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at http://www.fletcherallen.org/.          ]]> Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/glen_wright_to_chair_fletcher_allen_foundation.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_and_eleanor_b_daniels_fund_sponsor_free_educa.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:      September 14, 2009 CONTACT:                                        Sherry DanielsEleanor B. Daniels Fund(802) 434-3979Sdaniels2@cs.com  
(Burlington, VT) – The Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Fletcher Allen and the Eleanor B. Daniels Fund are pleased to present “Families Surviving Cancer,” a free, educational program for survivors of cancer and their supporters on Saturday, September 19, from 8:30 am to noon at the Burlington Sheraton Conference Center.  The event is sponsored by The Eleanor B. Daniels Fund.
PROGRAM DETAILS
WHAT: Exploring Survivorship: Families Surviving Cancer   A Free Program for Survivors and their Supporters
WHEN: Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 8:30 am to Noon
WHERE: Sheraton Burlington Conference Center
SCHEDULE:

8:00-8:30 a.m.

Welcome and light refreshments

8:30-9:45
Survivors Dialogue – panel of cancer survivors with Heather Barton, M.A., Moderator

10:00-10:45
Family Link: Updates and Impacts on Cancer Treatment with Dr. Cheung Wong, Fletcher Allen/UVM

10:45-11:30
Healing Support Circle with Heather Barton, M.D.

11:35-11:45
Closing Word Ceremony with Sherry Daniels

The program will begin with a “Cancer Survivors Dialogue” during which a unique panel of cancer survivors and their supporters will candidly discuss their experiences living through cancer diagnosis and treatment, and how they approach their daily lives.  Other presentations include:

Dr. Cheung Wong, Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Fletcher Allen and associate professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine on “The Family Link:  Updates and Impacts on Cancer Treatment.”
“Healing Support Circle”- an interactive session that will explore issues and insights relating to survivorship lead by Heather Barton, M.A. of the Cancer Patient Support Program. 
Closing Word Ceremony lead by Sherry Daniels, cancer survivor and sister of Eleanor B. Daniels.

Members of the public wishing to attend the event should call 847-3919 to make a reservation. For more information, go to www.ebdfund.org.  The Eleanor B. Daniels Fund was created in 2004 in honor of Eleanor B. Daniels, a beloved artist, mother, and teacher.  Her courageous efforts in the area of cancer trials have advanced the techniques of cancer treatment today.  The EBD Fund is dedicated to supporting education, research and development efforts for gynecologic malignancies and women’s health issues.  The Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Fletcher Allen provides free educational programs for the public each fall and spring, sponsored by the Eleanor B. Daniels Fund.
  ]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_and_eleanor_b_daniels_fund_sponsor_free_educa.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_year-to-date_and_second_quarter_fina.html
Immediate (July 30, 2009)
Mike Noble Marketing and Communications 802-847-2886

BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen reported an operating income of $13.3 million for the first two quarters of the 2009 fiscal year. This includes an operating income of approximately $9.3 million for the second quarter. The second quarter covers the period beginning January 1 and ending March 31.
Second Quarter Results
Operating income for the second quarter was $4.2 million above budget and $4.1 million above the corresponding quarter in FY 2008.  Net operating revenues for the quarter were $209.4 million, $1.5 million below budgeted revenues.  The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $200.0 million, $5.8 million under budget, resulting in an operating income of approximately $9.3 million and an operating margin of 4.4% for the second quarter.  By comparison, the organization produced an income from operations of $5.2 million in the second quarter of FY 2008.
Year-to-date Results
On a year-to-date basis, the $13.3 million net income from operations was above the budgeted $9.4 million for the period, and produced an operating margin of 3.2%. A year ago, the organization generated a two-quarter operating gain of $4.7 million.  For the first half of the fiscal year, net operating revenues were $410.2, $6.4 million below budget. Operating expenses were $396.9 million, below budget by $10.3 million.
A key financial indicator, earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) stood at approximately $41.1 million for the first two quarters.  This was above the FY 2009 budget forecast of $37.8 million.  EBIDA provides a good measure of the organization’s actual earnings.
Key volume measures for the two quarters were mixed. Total inpatient discharges were below budget by less than 1%.  Combined Inpatient and Outpatient Days, a measure of the number of patients in the hospital each day, were approximately1% above budget, and physician office visits were less than 1% above budget.  At the end of the second quarter, days cash on hand stood at 96 days using a 12-month rolling average. This indicator is a projected estimate of the number of days an organization could meet operating expenditures provided no additional revenues were received.   
The institution began making its quarterly financials public with the release of the first quarter results for FY 2003 in February 2003. For the audited financial statements as well as unaudited quarterly results for FY 2003 through the second quarter of FY 2009, please click here. 
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. ]]> Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_year-to-date_and_second_quarter_fina.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_debuts_redesigned_web_site__.html F O R   R E L E A S E: Immediate (July 9, 2009)
C O N T A C T:                        Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886BURLINGTON VT – Fletcher Allen unveiled its redesigned Web site today, www.FletcherAllen.org.  Designed with patient and visitor needs in mind, the site features a fresh look, enhanced content and a new, user-friendly structure that will make it easier for visitors to find the information they are seeking.  The site includes several key enhancements:

Searchable Provider Directory – Visitors can now easily search for a provider who meets their needs with familiar terms like “heart” and “cancer” in addition to “cardiology” and “oncology”.  The directory, which can now be printed by visitors to the site, features a more professional look and includes color photos of most of Fletcher Allen’s 500 Faculty Practice physicians who are jointly employed by Fletcher Allen and the University of Vermont College of Medicine.    
Google Maps – The new site features interactive maps and driving directions for each of our 30 satellite locations, as well as a map and directions for our medical center campus in Burlington. 
Events Calendar – An Events link on the home page includes news about public educational offerings such as our Community Medical School and HealthSource classes, and other events of interest to the general public. 
Enhanced Support Groups Directory –Support group information has been reorganized so that visitors can easily find comprehensive information on support services available across the region.    
Video Gallery – FletcherAllen.org features over 50 videos, including educational videos about services, medical conditions and procedures, patient testimonials about the quality of care they received at Fletcher Allen, and videos about the history of this organization. 

Click here to visit our new Web site.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. 
 ### ]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_debuts_redesigned_web_site__.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_teans_with_vermont_hitec_to_train.html For Release:  Immediate (July 8, 2008)
Contact:  Kim O’LearyMarketing & CommunicationsFletcher Allen802-847-2886Applications for Free Training Program Due July 20th
BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC announced today that they are recruiting candidates for the partnership’s first training program to prepare participants for a career working with Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The training will lead directly to a one-year term of employment at Fletcher Allen, with the possibility for additional training and continued employment.
Up to 25 program participants will be trained to work directly with Fletcher Allen’s new Electronic Health Record system, called PRISM (Patient Record and Information Systems Management) as EHR data abstractors.  EHR data abstractors convert medical data from physical patient files to an electronic record. 
The training programs are targeted to unemployed and underemployed Vermonters, as well as current Fletcher Allen staff, and are offered free to selected participants. Successful graduates of the program will be offered positions for a term of one year at Fletcher Allen at the completion of the 5-week course.  The pay scale for EHR data abstractors starts at $11.50 per hour.  The positions will also include a comprehensive benefits package.
Individuals will be selected for the training program through an extensive recruitment process. The deadline for applying to the Fletcher Allen EHR Data Abstractor ITAR program is July 20, 2009.  Individuals interested in applying to the program must visit www.vthitec.org to fill out an online application. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Lisa Gorman, ITAR Project Leader, Vermont HITEC, Inc., P.O. Box 1548, Williston, VT 05495, or by email at lisa.gorman@vthitec.org. For up-to-date program information, visit: www.vthitec.org.
"We deeply value our partnership with Vermont HITEC, which has grown into a long-term commitment to train Vermonters for jobs in the health care industry – not just today, but for many years to come," said Melinda L. Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care.
"The emergence of the Electronic Medical Record in Vermont is creating a new branch in the job market," added Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC.  "As Fletcher Allen pioneers the adoption of this technology, our goal is to match the growing needs of this field by providing highly-motivated Vermonters with a valuable skill set.”
The EHR data abstractor program is conducted under the auspices of the Fletcher Allen Workforce Development Institute, a partnership between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC.  The Institute is funded with support from Senator Patrick J. Leahy.  The EHR data abstractor program follows on the success of five previous training programs implemented by the partnership between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC over the past four years.  
About the Fletcher Allen/Vermont HITEC PartnershipThe Fletcher Allen Workforce Development Institute was created in partnership with Vermont HITEC to help address critical workforce development needs by training unemployed and underemployed Vermonters for jobs that are persistently difficult to fill. The institute is designed to be flexible to match current workforce needs.
Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC developed their partnership in 2004 with funding assistance from both the State of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Labor.  The first Vermont HITEC training session was conducted over an eight-month period in an intensive training program for 20 medical transcriptionists.  This work-at-home program was followed by the launching of a more formal health care workforce development training institute developed with the support of a $325,000 federal grant secured by Senator Patrick Leahy.  The federal funding allowed for the implementation of the workforce institute and associated programs. Senator Leahy has since secured another $588,000 to support additional training programs.
Funding for the EHR data abstractor program is offered in part with support from the Vermont Department of Economic Development and the Vermont Department of Labor. To date, a total of 68 Vermonters have been trained and offered positions at Fletcher Allen Health Care as a result of these programs.
About Vermont HITECVermont HITEC is a 501C (3) non-profit organization with a mission to educate, train and employ Vermonters in a variety of fields. Vermont HITEC has employed over 300 Vermonters over the past seven years in medical transcription, information technology and manufacturing partnering with over 20 Vermont businesses including Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Hazelett Strip Casting Corporation, IDX Systems (GE Healthcare) and Dealer.com.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center – providing advanced are to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York – and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.     ]]> Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_teans_with_vermont_hitec_to_train.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_recognized_for_providing_high_quality_care_to.html C O N T A C T:                                 Michael CarreseMarketing and Communications802-847-2886 Demand for Services Will Increase as National Guard Units Are Deployed
(Burlington, VT) Fletcher Allen Health Care has been recognized by Health Net Federal Services for providing high-quality health care to members of the Armed Services and their families living in Vermont and northern New York. 
Health Net Federal Services (HNFS) is the managed care support contractor for the TRICARE North Region, a health care program for active duty and retired service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve, family members of each of these populations, survivors and other eligible beneficiaries. It serves approximately 20,000 people in Vermont and northern New York.
Denise Luck, Plattsburgh TRICARE Service Center Manager at HNFS recently presented a plaque thanking Fletcher Allen for its support of military personnel to Dr. Mitchell Norotsky, Associate Vice President for Faculty Practice Operations.
“We really appreciate Fletcher Allen’s continued efforts to provide the highest quality care for our military heroes and their families," said Denise Luck.  “Its participation as a TRICARE network provider will become even more critical during the upcoming deployment of National Guard units to Afghanistan, which will add about 3,000 people to our program,” she added.
“I’m proud to accept this recognition on behalf of all the Fletcher Allen employees who are dedicated to providing excellent patient care for these important members of our community and their families,” said Dr. Norotsky. About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.  ###]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_recognized_for_providing_high_quality_care_to.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_can_help_you_quit_smoking.html F O R   R E L E A S E:   Immediate (June 22, 2009)
C O N T A C T:   Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886
BURLINGTON VT – Fletcher Allen’s Tobacco Cessation Program can provide you the tools you need to quit smoking, and to stay smoke-free for life. 
Quitting smoking supports a healthy lifestyle and will save you money.  With recent increases in Vermont’s tobacco taxes, tobacco products are now more expensive than ever. 
Fletcher Allen’s Tobacco Cessation Program provides free personal coaching and classes, as well as quit-smoking aids such as patches, gums, and lozenges. 
To learn more, call the program at 802 847-6541, or email: wellness@vtmednet.org. 
 ]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_can_help_you_quit_smoking.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_launches_electronic_health_record_system_to_i.html Michael CarreseMarketing and Communications802-847-2886 BURLINGTON, VT – Fletcher Allen successfully completed the first phase of its electronic health record (EHR) project this week,  joining only 1.5% of health care facilities nationwide to implement such a comprehensive computer system for patient care. * The system is now “live” in Fletcher Allen’s inpatient areas, pharmacy, Emergency Department, and some hospital outpatient areas on the Medical Center Campus in Burlington, as well as the Walk-In Care Center and inpatient rehabilitation service at the Fanny Allen Campus in Colchester.Fletcher Allen providers and staff are now using the system to record all vital patient medical information and to administer medications.  PRISM (Patient Record and Information Systems Management) is essentially a computer system that replaces paper medical records, charts and other items with a single electronic file for each patient. (please see attached Fact Sheet for details)  There are several key reasons health care experts believe EHRs will improve the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care:

All medical information for each patient is in one place and all providers can see it at the same time from different clinical locations, so it’s easier to coordinate care.
The system alerts providers about drug allergies or conflicts with patient medications making them instantly aware of potential problems.
Medical staff will spend less time doing paperwork and tracking down charts, x-rays, MRIs and other information that is essential for providing timely care.   

  “I’ve been involved in many aspects of bringing EHR’s online at four other health care facilities across the country and I’m pleased and impressed with how smoothly the process has been at Fletcher Allen,” said Sandi Dalton, Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer.  “There have been some minor delays in providing care as technical issues were addressed, but patients have not dealt with major disruptions in their care, and our medical staff and employees are handling the transition well despite the stress of learning a new way of doing things,” she said. PRISM has extensive security features built-in to make sure patient privacy is maintained.  The only staff authorized to see medical information are providers who need to see it to do their jobs.  Other hospital employees – like those in registration or billing – cannot see medical information.  In addition, PRISM records cannot be e-mailed or put on the internet, and the system is constantly monitored to make sure no one is gaining unauthorized access.“The new PRISM system is a major step forward in patient care,” said John Brumsted, M.D., Chief Quality Officer. “The improvements in safety, efficiency and coordination of care will enhance quality and the overall patient experience.  This is the future of health care, and I’m proud Fletcher Allen is bringing this leading edge technology to our community,” he added.  The next phase of the project will expand PRISM to the oncology department and will introduce a secure, web-based portal called “My Chart,” which will allow patients to view parts of their health record, schedule appointments, request medication renewals and research medical conditions.  The second phase also involves developing a data warehouse for reporting and analysis, to be completed by December 2009. The final stage of implementation will focus on the outpatient (also known as ambulatory) service areas, and patient scheduling.  This will be completed by the end of 2010.
* According to a nationwide hospital survey published in the March 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, only 10.9% of U.S. hospitals have implemented a basic Electronic Health Record, and only 1.5% have implemented a comprehensive Electronic Health Record like PRISM. 
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org. ### PRISM FACT SHEETFletcher Allen’s Electronic Health Record System The development of an electronic health record is a critical, clinical process that will help Fletcher Allen improve quality and enhance safety while protecting the security and confidentiality of our patients' health information.  According to a nationwide hospital survey published in the March 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, only 10.9% of U.S. hospitals have implemented a basic Electronic Health Record, and only 1.5% have implemented a comprehensive Electronic Health Record like PRISM.  What is an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system?All of your health information, including medical charts, treatment notes and prescription orders, are converted from paper files to a single electronic record housed on a computer-based software application. Your EHR can be retrieved by all providers on your care team –whether at Fletcher Allen or practicing in the community – to facilitate coordination of care.   What is PRISM (Patient Record and Information Systems Management)?In 2008, Fletcher Allen received state approval to begin a $57 million, three-year phased implementation of an electronic health record system, called PRISM, which will connect virtually every key function in the organization.  When completed, PRISM will allow patients' clinical information to be electronically stored, updated and accessed instantaneously, largely replacing the paper medical record in use today.  The PRISM project will serve 750 physicians credentialed at Fletcher Allen, and its more than 30 facilities in Vermont.  PRISM will be compatible with other health records systems in the state, making it a critical element in the statewide, integrated, electronic health infrastructure being coordinated through Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL). What are the benefits of PRISM to patients, and how will it affect their care experience?

Enhanced Quality and Safety Measures – PRISM includes built-in, automatic checks in the electronic system to safeguard against undesirable medication and allergy interactions and incorrect dosage amounts, improving patient safety and helping us to provide you with the best care possible.

Confidential and Secure – Patient privacy will be guarded through built-in protections within the electronic health record to prevent security breaches.  The only staff authorized to see medical information are providers who need to see it to do their jobs.  Other hospital employees – like those in registration or billing – cannot see medical information.  In addition, PRISM records cannot be e-mailed or put on the internet, and the system is constantly monitored to make sure no one is gaining unauthorized access.
One Patient, One Record –All members of your care team can access your electronic record at the same time from separate clinical locations, creating a faster and more seamless care experience for you.

Convenient Access to Your Health Information – PRISM will eventually include a customizable web-based portal where you can quickly and easily view your health record, schedule appointments, view lab results, request medication renewals, and view your children's medical records.  This feature is called MyChart, and will be available in late 2009. 

Improved Communication Between Providers – PRISM enables the medical providers on your care team, including referring providers, to communicate quickly and efficiently about your care, through shared access to your electronic health record.

Shorter Medication Processing Time – Using an electronic health record ensures a shorter processing time between when a medication is ordered and when you, as a patient, will receive it.  Prescription orders are sent electronically to your pharmacy, eliminating the step of patients having to drop them off. 

  ]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_launches_electronic_health_record_system_to_i.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_first_quarter_financial_results_for_.html Immediate (June 8, 2009) Mike NobleMarketing and Communications802-847-2886 BURLINGTON VT - Fletcher Allen reported a net operating income of $4 million for the first quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year.  The first quarter covers the period beginning October 1st and ending December 31, 2008.  The organization also finished its 2008 fiscal year approximately $0.1 million above budget. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. First Quarter ResultsThe net operating income for the first quarter was approximately $0.3 below the budgeted amount of $4.3 million, and $4.5 million above the first quarter of FY 2008. Total operating revenues for the first quarter were $200.9 million, approximately $4.8 million below budget.  The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $196.8 million, $4.6 million below budget, resulting in the net operating gain of $4.0 million and an operating margin of 2.0% for the first quarter.  By comparison, the organization had an operating margin of - 0.26% in the first quarter of FY 2008. Operating earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) for the period totaled $17.8 million compared to the $18.5 budgeted figure and $12.7 million for the first quarter of FY 2008. Days cash on hand was measured at 100 days for the quarter compared to 106 days last year.  This indicator is a projected estimate of the number of days an organization could meet operating expenditures provided no additional revenues were received. Key volume measures were mixed for the first quarter. Total inpatient discharges were above budget by 45 (0.8%) as was combined inpatient and outpatient days, a measure of the number of patients in the hospital each day, at 19.1% above budget. However, physician office visits were 0.6% below budget. FY 2008 Results Fletcher Allen reported a net operating income of $21.1 million for the 2008 fiscal year. This included an operating income of approximately $7.4 million for the fourth quarter beginning July 1 and ending September 30.  The yearly operating income figure was approximately $0.1 million above budget. Results on the Web SiteThe institution began making its quarterly financials public with the release of the first quarter results for FY 2003 in February 2003.  The audited financial statements as well as the quarterly results for FY 2003 through the first quarter of FY 2009 will be available on the Fletcher Allen Web site. Please click here to see FY 2009 First Quarter Financial Results and FY 2008 Year-End Financial Results. About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. ]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_releases_first_quarter_financial_results_for_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_wins_national_award_for_green_practices.html C O N T A C T:                      Michael CarreseMarketing and Communications802-847-2886 or 760-8832BURLINGTON, VT – Fletcher Allen Health Care is one of two organizations in the nation receiving the highest award for environmental excellence this year from Practice Greenhealth, the country’s leading association devoted to environmentally responsible health care.  Fletcher Allen joins Metro Health of Wyoming, Michigan in being selected to Practice Greenhealth’s “Environmental Leadership Circle.”
The association’s awards are given to institutions that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of their operations.
"I’m pleased to accept this award on behalf of all the Fletcher Allen employees who have worked hard to make our operations greener,” said Dr. Melinda Estes, President and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care.  “I’m proud we are being cited as a national role model for environmental practices, and I look forward to working with our staff to reduce our carbon footprint even further,” she added. 
Practice Greenhealth noted that in the past year, Fletcher Allen has reduced energy consumption by 8%, introduced recycling to patient rooms, and expanded use of locally grown food and green construction materials. 
"All of our members are committed to improving health care's environmental performance, but Fletcher Allen belongs to a select group of facilities setting the highest standards," said Practice Greenhealth Executive Director Bob Jarboe. Awards are presented in seven categories to more than 60 facilities.  Practice Greenhealth will sponsor the planting of 100 trees in Haiti for each award presented.
About Practice GreenhealthPractice Greenhealth is the nation's leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.orgAbout Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org. ###  ]]> Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_wins_national_award_for_green_practices.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_opens_new_sustainable_harvest_cafe_announces_.html F O R   R E L E A S E: Immediate (May 11, 2009)
C O N T A C T: Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886BURLINGTON VT – Fletcher Allen today hosted a ribbon-cutting and open house for the new Harvest Café on the organization’s medical center campus in Burlington.  The Café aims to be the most sustainable health care food service in the country, with the goal of producing little to no waste, and recycling or composting everything.    Congressman Peter Welch was on hand for the celebration to announce a federal grant of $143,000, which he and Senator Patrick Leahy secured for the development of the “Center for Nutrition and Healthy Food Systems” at Fletcher Allen, which will act as an educational entity between health care and the New England food system, fostering partnerships with local farmers and educating other health care institutions in Vermont regarding how to build a sustainable food service.“With the launch of the Harvest Café, Fletcher Allen is taking a lead not only in Vermont but throughout the country in integrating fresh, regional food with patient care. This initiative will promote healthy eating choices, support Vermont farms and create a national model for other health care centers to follow,” Congressman Welch said. “I was pleased that Senator Leahy and I could secure federal funding for this valuable project.”Senator Leahy, who was unable to attend the event, echoed Congressman Welch’s sentiments.  “Once again, Vermont is taking the lead on environmental, agricultural and health issues.  From its use of sustainable building materials, locally grown organic food, and even Vermont’s cold winter air in its refrigeration system, Fletcher Allen Health Care’s Harvest Café is a model that other institutions will follow for decades to come.  I was proud to work with Congressman Welch to obtain funding for this innovative and exciting project.” 
“We are very pleased that our congressional partners have secured this funding to support our Center, which aims to be a national model for healthy and sustainable food systems,” said Melinda Estes, M.D., President and CEO of Fletcher Allen.  “The goals of the Center are in keeping with Fletcher Allen’s ongoing commitment to building a healthy community.”    
About the Harvest Café The open house event also featured samples from the new Harvest Café menu, which will incorporate fresh, organic and local fare, such as local squash and soy milk, locally-raised ground beef, chicken and turkey raised without non-therapeutic antibiotics and arsenical compounds, lots of vegetarian choices, and organic fair trade coffee.  The event included tours of the renovated facility, which now boasts a full fruit bar and salad bar, flatbread and panini stations.   Construction of the Harvest Café was in keeping with the sustainability philosophy.  The organization donated two truck loads of equipment and material to the Lucas James Williams Memorial Youth Fund in Bakersfield, Vermont, which provides summer lunch and after-school food programs to Vermont youth.  Fletcher Allen also reduced construction waste by reusing ceiling tiles in other parts of the hospital, and choosing sustainable building materials – such as Marmoleum (linseed) flooring in the dining area - when possible.  The Harvest Café is also reducing its energy consumption by choosing equipment that has higher energy ratings, and building a "free cooling" walk-in refrigerator that pulls in cold air from the outdoors during the colder months.  This “Freeaire” system is the first of its kind in any Vermont hospital.About Fletcher Allen’s Nutrition Services ProgramOnly the third hospital in the country to sign on to the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, Fletcher Allen is purchasing local foods, offering organic or fair-trade products, increasing our offering of fruit, vegetables and other nutritionally dense foods, eliminating deep-fried foods from our menus and reducing antibiotics in our food supply.  In addition, we have developed strong relationships with the local farming community, including production planning with several farms, a garden onsite, and bee-keeping in the spring of 2009.  We are also a proud member of the Vermont Fresh Network.  About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.  ### ]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_opens_new_sustainable_harvest_cafe_announces_.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_among_top_100_integrated_health_care_networks.html C O N T A C T:   Mike NobleMarketing and Communications802-847-2886       BURLINGTON VT -- Fletcher Allen Health Care has been ranked among the top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks in the United States in a survey conducted by SDI, a Pennsylvania-based health care data research firm.  Fletcher Allen, ranked 74th, was one of only five hospital systems in New England to make the list.The tenth annual survey conducted by SDI, and published in a recent edition of Modern Healthcare, ranks the top 100 networks among the country's approximately 580 regional, non-specialty health care systems.  The firm's survey measures the degree of integration in operations, quality of care, scope of services and efficiency.An integrated health care network is an organization that has joined together several health care facilities -- either through ownership or formal agreements-- in an attempt to improve quality and cost.The other four hospital systems in New England were:

MaineHealth, Portland, ME (55)
Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA (65)
Lifespan, Providence, RI (94)
Yale-New Haven Health System, New Haven, CT (100)      Complete survey results can be found on the organization’s Web site: http://www.sdihealth.com

Fletcher Allen Health CareFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s only academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.Fletcher Allen also serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
  ]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_among_top_100_integrated_health_care_networks.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_and_essex_junction_parks_and_recreation_depar.html C O N T A C T:   Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886      BURLINGTON – Each year, Essex residents of all ages participate in a wide variety of school and community sports programs with the understanding that injury is an occasional downside of these activities.  The incidence and impact of sports-related concussions has become a newsworthy issue.  More than 300,000 people suffer a concussion playing sports each year, and more than half of them are girls.  Concussion is the leading cause of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in 15-24 year olds.     Understanding concussion – for athletes, coaches, and parents – is an important part of staying in the game.  Making an informed decision about when to return to play is not easy when the pressure to get back in the game is great.  The lasting cognitive problems that may persist when concussion management is poor, however, can be serious.
This is why Fletcher Allen and the Essex Junction Parks and Recreation Department have teamed up to invite coaches, athletes, and parents to a free discussion about concussion in sports featuring Dr. James Slauterbeck, an orthopedic surgeon at Fletcher Allen.  Dr. Slauterbeck, who specializes in sports medicine, will explain concussions and how to recognize and manage them.  He will also address making the tough decisions about returning to play or work following a concussion. 
Keeping Your Head in the Game: Concussions in Sports
Who:   Dr. James Slauterbeck, orthopedic surgeon at Fletcher Allen, and Associate Professor of Orthopedic Rehabilitation at the University of Vermont
When:   Tuesday, April 7, at 7:00 p.m.
Where:  Essex Junction Parks and Recreation DepartmentMultipurpose Room75 Maple StreetEssex Junction, VT 05452
Registration is not required.  For more information, contact Fletcher Allen’s Community Health Improvement at 847-2278.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
  ]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_and_essex_junction_parks_and_recreation_depar.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/genetic_test_to_predict_risk_of_progression_of_idiopathic_sc.html C O N T A C T:   Mike NobleMarketing and Communications802-847-2886      BURLINGTON, VT – Effective mid-December, the Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Department at Fletcher Allen Health Care became one of 23 centers nationwide field-testing a genetic test that has been developed to predict the degree to which idiopathic scoliosis will progress in girls aged 9-13 years who have been diagnosed with the disease. This painless spit test allows early intervention for those at risk of spinal curve progression and eliminates the need for repeated x-rays for girls identified as unlikely to develop a severe spinal curve.John T. Braun, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Fletcher Allen’s Orthopedic Specialty Center and associate professor at the UVM College of Medicine, is the principal developer of the genetic test and oversees the field test at Fletcher Allen. He is also a co-founder of the company, Axial Biotech, which currently offers the test free of charge.Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in children, affecting 13-26 million adolescents worldwide. Girls are five times more likely than boys to develop this condition.  Statistics show that 10 of 100 children diagnosed with scoliosis will progress to wearing a brace and that 1 in 100 of those children will progress to needing major corrective surgery.      The genetic test determines which girls aged 9-13, who have been diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, are likely to progress to a severe spinal curve which would eventually require surgery.  The test has been fully developed and the testing laboratory at Axial Biotech has been approved by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments Program, overseen by the Division of Laboratory Services within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).The genetic test requires the patient to submit a saliva sample, which is analyzed and the results returned to the physician who submitted the sample. The patient makes two office visits, one to provide the sample and another visit to review the results with the physician.The field test, expected to last 6 months, will help the developers of the genetic test to assess the systems and processes that have been developed for collecting, delivering and processing saliva samples, and then reporting results to providers to share with patients and families. The genetic test will be administered at no cost during this field test time period. About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region
  ]]> Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/genetic_test_to_predict_risk_of_progression_of_idiopathic_sc.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_offers_free_wireless_network_access_to_guests.html C O N T A C T:   Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886      BURLINGTON VT – Fletcher Allen is pleased to announce that free wireless access to the internet is now available at most of the organization’s clinical locations.  This system includes a Guest Wireless Network for patients and visitors. 
“Providing wireless internet access at Fletcher Allen is in keeping with our commitment to provide high quality, compassionate care in service to the community,” said Frank Harris, vice president of Information Services.  “Now our patients and their family members can enjoy free, convenient access to the internet via their laptops, cell phones, and personal digital assistants, whenever they visit a Fletcher Allen facility.”
The wireless technology being installed at Fletcher Allen will be able to access the network at nearly all inpatient and outpatient locations, including the medical center campus and University Health Center campus in Burlington, the Fanny Allen campus in Colchester, and all of Fletcher Allen’s primary care and family medicine sites.  Users of the network must supply their own computing device with wireless access, and will be asked to follow a simple log-on process when they access the network at Fletcher Allen.
Fletcher Allen’s wireless network initiative was made possible at no extra cost as part of the hospital’s PRISM – Patient Record and Information Systems Management – electronic health record project, which requires wireless technology to operate mobile inpatient workstations using a secure Employee Wireless Network. 
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
 
  ]]> Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_offers_free_wireless_network_access_to_guests.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_local_walmart_recognize_2009_childrens_miracl.html C O N T A C T:   Kim O’LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886       What:  2009 Children’s Miracle Network “Meet the Champions” EventWho:  Fourteen year old Courtney Billings of Colchester, and her familyWhen:  Saturday, February 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Where:  Walmart, 863 Harvest Lane, Williston
BURLINGTON VT – Fourteen year old Courtney Billings of Colchester, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 9 months, will be recognized as Vermont’s 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Champion at the Walmart store in Williston on Saturday, February 21.
Courtney, a patient at Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen, will serve as an ambassador for patients of the hospital at events throughout Vermont, northern New York, and New Hampshire this year as part of the Champions Across America program, sponsored by Walmart and Sam’s Club. 
In March, she will travel with her family to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for a Champion Celebration, where she will join with 52 of her peers nationwide, before traveling with the group to Washington, D.C.  
Other celebratory activities occurring at Walmart on Saturday include Cub Scouts offering “valet shopping” experiences, Ehler’s RV Coach for Kids, and entertainment provided by 98.9 WOKO, all part of a fundraising effort called “Big Change Roundup” to benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital.  Vermont Children’s is the only Children’s Miracle Network hospital beneficiary in Vermont.   ]]> Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_local_walmart_recognize_2009_childrens_miracl.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_stroke_center_earns_joint_commiss.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   January 29, 2009
CONTACT:      Kim O’LearyMarketing & Communications802-847-2886

BURLINGTON:  Fletcher Allen’s Multidisciplinary Stroke Center recently received the Joint Commission’s Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers. 
According to the Joint Commission’s Web site, this certification “recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care.  Achievement of certification signifies that the services provided have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes.”    “We are very pleased that the Joint Commission, the nation’s premier health care accreditation and certification organization, has recognized our Stroke Center’s commitment to high quality academic health care in service to the community,” said Christopher Commichau, M.D., a Fletcher Allen neurologist and University of Vermont Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, who serves as co-leader of Fletcher Allen’s Stroke Center along with Dr. Mark Gorman, and directs the Neurology Residency Program.
Fletcher Allen’s Multidisciplinary Stroke Center, now the only Joint Commission-certified stroke center in Vermont, offers comprehensive care including acute stroke care, post-stroke care, and stroke education and prevention.   The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program was developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association, based on the Brain Attack Coalition's "Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers”. Fletcher Allen’s Stroke and Neurovascular Program also received “The Bronze Award” in 2007 from the American Heart Association for meeting or surpassing standards of the Association’s “Get with the Guidelines” program 90% of the time for three consecutive months.  “Get with the Guidelines” is a quality initiative that sets specific standards for the care of stroke patients.  Fletcher Allen was the only hospital in Vermont to participate in this program, and was compared to hospitals participating in this program across the nation.
Learn more about Fletcher Allen’s Stroke Center by calling 802-847-4589, or visit our Web site at: http://www.fahc.org/Stroke_Center/index.html.

About the Joint CommissionAn independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.   The Joint Commission’s mission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.  ]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_stroke_center_earns_joint_commiss.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_cigna_reach_accord.html For Release:  Jan. 13, 2009
Contacts:Lindsay ShearerCigna HealthCare603-268-7721
Mike NobleFletcher Allen802-847-2886                                                                                                                             BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care and CIGNA HealthCare announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow individuals served by CIGNA HealthCare to continue to receive services at in-network rates from Fletcher Allen. Both organizations described this as a significant step that will extend their contractual relationship without interruption to patient care.  The new contract will run from February 1, 2009 through January 31, 2011, replacing the current contract which would have expired the end of this month.  "We are pleased that our organizations have successfully concluded our recent negotiations.  We believe that with this contract, Fletcher Allen and CIGNA have been able to balance fair reimbursement to Fletcher Allen while controlling costs for individuals and their employers throughout the State," said Don Curry, president and general manager of CIGNA HealthCare of New England. "We look forward to working with Fletcher Allen to provide effective and affordable health care for Vermont residents.”“We have all worked diligently to reach this agreement,” said Roger Deshaies, chief financial officer, Fletcher Allen Health Care. “Vermonters rely on us to provide efficient and effective trauma care as well as care for the most serious cases of heart disease, stroke and cancer. This contract will assure continuity of care for the many Vermont residents whose health care insurance is provided by CIGNA who receive their care at Fletcher Allen.  As one of the state’s largest employers, we are well aware of the cost of health insurance, and as a health care provider, we are doing everything we can to provide efficient high-quality care.”  About CIGNACIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and security.  CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 47 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com.
About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.  ]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_cigna_reach_accord.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_teams_with_vermont_hitec_to_train.html For Release: Immediate (January 9, 2009)
Contact:                                             
 Julie A. DavisExecutive Director, Vermont HITEC802-343-2539Kim O’LearyFletcher Allen Health Care 802-847-2886Applications for Free Training Program Due January 26
BURLINGTON, VT: Fletcher Allen Health Care and Vermont HITEC announced today that they are recruiting candidates for the partnership’s first clinical training program, which will lead directly to employment at Fletcher Allen.  Also for the first time, Fletcher Allen  has extended this training opportunity to current hospital employees. 
A total of 10 program participants will be trained to work directly with patients as full-time phlebotomists.  A phlebotomist obtains blood specimens using venipuncture and capillary collection from patients of all ages.
The phlebotomist program is conducted under the auspices of the Fletcher Allen Workforce Development Institute, a partnership between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC. The Institute is funded with support from Senator Patrick J. Leahy. The phlebotomist program follows on the success of four previous training programs implemented by the partnership between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC over the past four years. It is funded with support from the Vermont Department of Economic Development and the Vermont Department of Labor. 
The training programs are targeted to unemployed and underemployed Vermonters, and for the first time, current Fletcher Allen staff, and are offered free to selected participants.  Successful graduates of the program will be offered positions at Fletcher Allen at the completion of the 8-week course. 

"We deeply value our partnership with Vermont HITEC, which has grown into a long-term commitment to train Vermonters for jobs in the health care industry – not just today, but for many years to come," said Melinda L. Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Fletcher Allen.                                
"We fill the gap between motivated individuals and employers looking for trained staff," added Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC.  "Our goal at Vermont HITEC is to provide motivated Vermonters with the opportunity to acquire the skills needed for great jobs at highly successful organizations here in Vermont - these health care training programs are an excellent way to match Fletcher Allen with exceptional individuals.  We are excited to have grown our training programs to prepare participants for clinical careers."
Individuals will be selected for the training program through an extensive recruitment process. They will be required to participate in a free 8-week training program and one-year paid internship, at full wages and benefits, at Fletcher Allen.  The free training will prepare individuals to take the Phlebotomy Certification exam, issued by the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA).  The pay scale for phlebotomists starts at $11.59 per hour with long-term earning potential of up to $17.37 per hour.  However, individuals who complete this program will be hired by Fletcher Allen at a minimum of $12.69 per hour.  The positions will also include a comprehensive benefits package.
NOTE: The submission deadline for phlebotomist applications is January 26, 2009.  To apply, visit the Vermont HITEC website at www.vthitec.org and complete the online application.  For more information or assistance, contact Lisa Gorman, ITAR Project Leader & Mentor via email at: lisa.gorman@vthitec.org, 802-872-0660, or by writing to: Vermont HITEC, P.O. Box 1548, Williston, VT 05495.
About the Fletcher Allen/Vermont HITEC PartnershipThe Fletcher Allen Workforce Development Institute was created in partnership with Vermont HITEC to help address critical workforce development needs by training unemployed and underemployed Vermonters for jobs that are persistently difficult to fill. The institute is designed to be flexible to match current workforce needs.
Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC developed their partnership in 2004 with funding assistance from both the State of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Labor.  The first Vermont HITEC training session was conducted over an eight-month period in an intensive training program for 20 medical transcriptionists.  This work-at-home program was followed by the launching of a more formal health care workforce development training institute developed with the support of a $325,000 federal grant secured by Senator Patrick Leahy.  The federal funding allowed for the implementation of the workforce institute and associated programs. Senator Leahy has since secured another $588,000 Federal Earmark to support additional training programs.
Funding for the phlebotomy program is offered in part with support from the Vermont Department of Economic Development and the Vermont Department of Labor. To date, a total of 58 Vermonters have been trained and offered positions at Fletcher Allen Health Care as a result of these programs.About Vermont HITECVermont HITEC is a 501C (3) non-profit organization with a mission to educate, train and employ Vermonters in a variety of fields. Vermont HITEC has employed over 300 Vermonters over the past seven years in medical transcription, information technology and manufacturing partnering with over 20 Vermont businesses including Fletcher Allen, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Hazelett Strip Casting Corporation, IDX Systems (GE Healthcare) and Dealer.com. About Fletcher AllenFletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center – providing advanced are to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York – and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
            ]]> Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_health_care_teams_with_vermont_hitec_to_train.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/threenewtrusteesjoinfletcherallenboard.html Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/threenewtrusteesjoinfletcherallenboard.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/johnbrumstedmdelectedpresidentofvermontmedicalsociet.html Immediate (December 1, 2008) Kim O'LearyMarketing and Communications802-847-2886 Valerie Lewis Vermont Medical Society802- 223-7898  
BURLINGTON VT - Shelburne resident John R. Brumsted, M.D., was elected president of the Vermont Medical Society for 2008 - 2009 at the Society's 195th Annual Meeting on October 25.  The Vermont Medical Society represents more than 1,500 physicians licensed in Vermont.
Dr. Brumsted is Chief Quality Officer for Fletcher Allen and served as Chief Medical Officer for Fletcher Allen from 1998 - 2005.  He was Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Vermont College of Medicine from 2000 - 2006.  Dr. Brumsted is also a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with medical staff privileges in gynecology and reproductive endocrinology at Fletcher Allen.
During his inaugural speech, Dr. Brumsted discussed the VMS's legislative priorities for 2009 and the Vermont Blueprint for Health, a statewide chronic care initiative that Fletcher Allen actively supports.
"During the last 3 years, communities in Vermont have implemented improved diabetes care and prevention through provider training, expanded use of information technology, Clinical Microsystems training, self management workshops and support for community prevention programs," said Dr. Brumsted.  "I'm personally involved in one of the Blueprint pilot communities and I feel they offer a great opportunity to provide primary care physicians with the necessary support and resources to treat their patients with chronic conditions in an optimal manner."
Dr. Brumsted received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School in 1978.  He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, at the University of Vermont.
About the Vermont Medical Society The Vermont Medical Society represents more than 1,500 physicians licensed in Vermont.  The mission of the Vermont Medical Society is to serve the public by facilitating and enhancing physician's individual and collective commitments, capabilities and efforts to improve the quality of life for the people of Vermont through the provision of accessible and appropriate health care services.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.FletcherAllen.org.
  ]]> Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/johnbrumstedmdelectedpresidentofvermontmedicalsociet.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/executiveearnstopnationalhealthcaremanagementcredenti.html
Immediate (October 23, 2008) Kim O'Leary   Marketing and Communications (802) 847-2886
BURLINGTON, VT- Dawn A. LeBaron, vice president of Hospital Services at Fletcher Allen recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation's premier professional society for healthcare leaders.
The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) is an international professional society of more than 30,000 health care executives who lead our nations' hospitals, health care systems and other health care organizations.  ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,500 participants each year.  ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services management, in addition to textbooks for use in college and university courses. 
Fellow status in ACHE represents achievement of the organization's highest standard of professional development, evidenced by the fact that only 7,500 healthcare executives nationwide hold this distinction.  To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits, and demonstrating professional and community involvement.  Fellows are committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.
"I feel privileged to use the ACHE credential, which signifies my ACHE Fellow status and board certification in health care management," said LeBaron, who resides in Colchester.  "I look forward to leveraging the competencies I've acquired through this prestigious program for the benefit of the patients and their families we serve here at Fletcher Allen."
"Because health care management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization," said Thomas C. Dolan, Ph. D, CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACHE.  "By achieving ACHE Fellow status, and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, healthcare leaders demonstrate their commitment to providing high-quality service to the patients and communities they serve."
For more information regarding the ACHE credential, please contact the ACHE Division of Membership at (312) 424-9400 or membership1@ache.org, or visit the Credentialing page on www.ache.org.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.  For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.
  ]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/executiveearnstopnationalhealthcaremanagementcredenti.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_has_innovative_heart_attack_program.html

By Associated Press (AP)



BURLINGTON, Vt. (09/28/08) The last thing Erik FitzPatrick remembers
of the Corporate Challenge, he was waving to his wife and young
daughter as he neared the finish line.

That's when he went down
with a massive heart attack. Fortunately, runners behind him in the May
15 road race in Montpelier started CPR, and an ambulance arrived within
minutes.

"Evidently, I was dead," said FitzPatrick, 43, of South Burlington.

The
next day, he woke up in the hospital. He doesn't remember being
resuscitated twice in the street, taken to Central Vermont Hospital in
Berlin and then transferred to Fletcher Allen in
Burlington, where physicians opened his clogged artery about 90 minutes
after he had been stricken.

FitzPatrick figures he was lucky to
have the heart attack where he did, and not while running alone. But
the system that got him to Burlington so fast was anything but luck.

Physicians
at Fletcher Allen have been working with their colleagues
to provide heart attack patients lifesaving treatment in minutes rather
than hours, even if they fall ill in remote parts of the state.

The program uses technology, teamwork and a change in state rules.

Over
the last two years, a system has been honed to ensure that all patients
who arrive at the Burlington hospital can get needed treatment in 90
minutes, the national goal set by the American College of Cardiology
and the American Heart Association.

Now, that 90-minute clock is
being expanded to regional hospitals to see that patients who arrive in
St. Albans, Morrisville or Berlin can still get the treatment only
available in Burlington.

"This is really one of those landmark
breakthroughs in emergency cardiac care," said Dan Manz, chief of
emergency medical services for the Vermont Department of Health, who
helped develop the procedures.

According to 2007 data from 84
teaching hospitals, Fletcher Allen had the fourth-lowest heart attack
mortality rate of those facilities, the first time it ranked so highly.

The
types of heart attack that need such aggressive treatment are those in
which the arteries are completely blocked, a condition called
ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI.

In the more common
non-STEMI heart attacks, arteries aren't completely blocked, so some
blood is still reaching the heart muscles.

"STEMIs are a fire
drill. Every 30-minute interval that goes by, mortality increases
significantly," said Dr. Harold Dauerman, director of Fletcher Allen's
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories. "On the other hand, non-STEMI's
are not as time-pressured. If you catch them within four to 48 hours of
the presentation, they do very well."

The treatment given to
STEMI patients is to insert a catheter into a leg artery, feed it into
the blocked artery around the heart and then expand a balloon to open
the artery. A wire mesh tube called a stent (about the size of a ball
point pen spring) is then placed at the spot of the blockage, to keep
it open.

The emphasis on opening arteries with the balloon and
stent developed in the early years of this decade after it became clear
the procedure is significantly better than using clot busting drugs _
if the procedure can be performed quickly enough.

The effort to
get STEMI patients to the appropriate hospital within 90 minutes is
nationwide. Last year, the American Heart Association launched its
program "Mission: Lifeline," the goals of which are similar to those
being put into practice in northwestern Vermont.

Only about a
quarter of all hospitals can do the procedures. And only 8.6 percent of
STEMI patients nationally who need to be moved between hospitals
receive the procedure within the 90-minute window, said Dr. Alice
Jacobs, a cardiologist at Boston University and a past president of the
American Heart Association. She's helping lead the Mission Lifeline
campaign.

"It really takes a system of care, particularly in rural areas," said Jacobs

One
of the first large areas to develop such a system was in Minnesota. Now
35 hospitals and 11 clinics throughout the state have a system in place
to get patients to Minneapolis for treatment, (although not all the
hospitals send all their patients to Minneapolis) said Dr. Tim Henry of
the Minnesota Heart Institute.

"When I started talking about this there was a lot of push-back," Henry said. "In 2003ish the majority were naysayers."

But
the system cut in half the number of heart attack deaths, Henry said.
The system also cuts the length of hospital stays and reduces other
complications.

Now there are 50 to 60 such systems around the country.

The
first step to set up such a system at Fletcher Allen was to require
that an on-call team that does the angioplasty always be available
within 30 minutes. Now, 100 percent of STEMI patients who arrive at
Fletcher Allen are treated within 90 minutes.

Patients who
arrive at Northwestern Vermont Medical Center are being treated in
Burlington about 75 minutes after they arrive at the St. Albans
hospital. Times are being reduced from other hospitals as well.

"We
work by e-mail directly with all the (emergency department) directors
and the ED staffs throughout the region to make sure we have a very
slick system, sort of a bat-phone approach, one phone call gets the
whole cath lab team here, gets everything going," said Dauerman.

Increasingly,
ambulances are equipped with special heart monitors that can determine
if a STEMI heart attack is taking place. EMTs are being trained to read
the data. In some cases, the information can be transmitted directly to
a hospital where a physician can read it.

So, for example, if a
person in Stowe has a STEMI heart attack, an ambulance can take them
straight to Fletcher Allen, rather than going first to Copley Hospital
in Morrisville, as standard ambulance procedure requires.

Making that change wasn't as simple as it sounds.

Vermont
rules used to require that ambulances take patients to the nearest
hospital, said Dr. John Kaeding, the emergency room director at Copley.

The
St. Albans hospital has had about three or four STEMI cases a month
since the system was implemented, said Dr. Marc Kutler, an emergency
room physician at Northwestern.

The patient who arrives in St. Albans with a STEMI isn't even taken off the ambulance stretcher.

"In
a lot of cases we can get the patient out and on the road in less than
15 minutes," Kutler said. "The more you do it, it gets more organized,
it gets fine tuned.

Kaeding said that since Copley joined the
program earlier this year they haven't had a case, but that's typical
of emergency medicine. "You don't see any, then you see three in three
days," he said.

For patients too far away to reach Fletcher
Allen in time to meet the 90-minute goal, physicians will treat them
using a combination of clot-busting drugs followed by the balloon when
they reach the hospital.

In retrospect, FitzPatrick, who works
for the state of Vermont, said he'd noticed the tightness in his chest
during several training runs before he started the Corporate Challenge
road race last May. He ate right and exercised and - being so young -
didn't consider himself a heart attack candidate.

Then he died on the street.

Four
months later, he has recovered 100 percent. Blood flow to his heart was
restored so quickly there was no permanent damage. He's running again
and living a normal life.

"Here he is in this race when he had
his cardiac arrest,' said Dr. Matthew Watkins, who treated him at
Fletcher Allen. "Then another race started with incredibly high stakes.
He went from this race to another medical race for which he got the
gold medal."

More Information

To learn more about cardiac care at Fletcher Allen, click here.

 

]]> Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_has_innovative_heart_attack_program.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/national_publication_profiles_our_fresh_food_offerings.html We’re part of the Vermont Fresh Network, which encourages farmers, food producers and chefs to build partnerships that contribute to stronger local communities and economies. And we were one of the first hospitals in the country to sign the “Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge” – a commitment to serve local, nutritious and sustainable food. These efforts ensure that Fletcher Allen is providing food that is both nutritious, and is produced in a way that’s good for our environment and community. 
National health care publication, Modern Healthcare, featured Fletcher Allen in its August 2008 issue.
  ]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/national_publication_profiles_our_fresh_food_offerings.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/copley_hospital_and_fletcher_allen_to_develop_new_heart.html
(Immediate) Monday, July 7, 2008 Leah HollenbergerDevelopment & Public RelationsCopley Health System802-888-8301 Mike NobleMarketing & CommunicationsFletcher Allen802-847-2886 Robert StirewaltCommunications OfficeVT Department of Health802-863-7281

BURLINGTON VT - When a heart attack happens, every minute counts.  A new protocol, approved by the Vermont Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), shortens the length of time it takes for individuals to receive advanced heart attack care by transporting them directly to a hospital that performs an artery-opening procedure called angioplasty.
Developed by Copley Hospital in Morrisville, and Fletcher Allen Health Care, located in Burlington, the new protocol improves access to specialized care for people who experience a particular type of heart attack referred to as STEMI (ST-wave elevated myocardial infarction).
People experiencing this type of heart attack have complete blockage of a vessel that supplies blood to the heart.  Because the heart needs to beat continuously, quick and effective restoration of blood flow is the best method to save lives. Opening blocked vessels with a balloon, referred to as angioplasty, or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is the most effective treatment for STEMI.  Fletcher Allen is the only hospital that performs angioplasties in Vermont.
Prior to the revised protocol, EMS crews were directed to take a heart attack patient to the nearest hospital for evaluation.  The patient could be treated with clot busters (medications designed to open the blocked vessel) at that hospital, or, after determining the need, transferred to a hospital that performs angioplasties.
Under the new protocol, Copley Hospital medical staff will provide medical direction to EMS providers on the scene to decide if a heart attack patient needs to be transferred directly to Fletcher Allen for an angioplasty.
This new protocol reflects what is happening nationally in the field with EMS providers.The collaboration between Copley Hospital and Fletcher Allen sets a new standard for specialized emergency care in Vermont.
"Copley has a long history of cooperating with EMS to advance emergency care for our community," said Dr. John Kaeding, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Copley Hospital. "This new protocol will improve heart attack care for residents and visitors in the Lamoille County area."
Dan Manz, EMS chief at the Vermont Department of Health observed that the new STEMI protocol is an excellent example of how the professionals at a community hospital, a referral center, and the local EMS agencies can integrate their services to improve the system of care for patients with a very time-sensitive emergency.
"Our cardiology specialists in PCI under the direction of Dr. Harold Dauerman have worked hard to improve our systems and practices to be able to accept these patients on a 24/7 basis," said David Schneider, M.D., director of Cardiology Services at Fletcher Allen and professor of Medicine at the UVM College of Medicine.  "We continue to work with area hospitals to improve cardiac care for heart attack victims.  The work is paying off with times to open artery that are among the best in the nation, while at the same time, we are seeing significant improvements in the survival of patients.  Equally important, early treatment preserves heart function and allows people to return to normal activities after a heart attack."
Approximately one heart attack patient per month is transferred to Fletcher Allen from the Copley service area annually. "While we don't want any one to have a heart attack," said Dr. Kaeding, "I feel confident that the teamwork developed by the EMS system, Fletcher Allen and Copley gives these patients an excellent chance to survive and return to normal activities."
About Copley Hospital Copley Hospital is the essential health care resource in the Lamoille County area, governed by patient-centered values and supported by the community. Over the years Copley has developed a standard of clinical excellence and an array of services rare for a small, rural community hospital. Copley also actively promotes wellness, providing an extensive calendar of community education opportunities.  In 2007, Copley was named EMS Hospital of the Year. The hospital provides more than one million dollars in charity care annually.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
About Vermont's EMS Vermont's Emergency Medical Services System (EMS) is composed of approximately 180 licensed First Response and Ambulance services staffed by 3,000 certified EMS providers. These pre-hospital emergency care providers include First Responders/Emergency Care Attendants, EMT Basics, EMT Intermediates and Paramedics. The Vermont Office of EMS and Injury Prevention is the state office responsible for EMS regulation and system development. The EMS Office licenses EMS organizations, provides ambulance inspections, administers certification exams for EMS providers and is active in system development and injury prevention programs. The majority of the EMS providers are volunteers.
  ]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/copley_hospital_and_fletcher_allen_to_develop_new_heart.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_receives_national_environmental_award.html
Immediate (June 23, 2008) Mike NobleMarketing & Communications802-847-2886

BURLINGTON VT – Fletcher Allen is one of 50 health care organizations nationwide to receive a Partners for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth, an organization that seeks to advance environmental excellence in health care.
The Partners for Change Award recognizes organizations for a demonstrated commitment to environmental practices and sustainability. The Award is presented to those organizations that are working to improve and expand upon their programs to eliminate mercury, reduce waste and prevent pollution.
“This award recognizes the hard work of our staff to provide the highest quality health care while minimizing our impact on the environment.” said Angie Marano, chief operating officer.  “I am extremely proud of our efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and thank the many employees who make our success possible.”
Fletcher Allen participates in a number of environmental initiatives including composting, seeking out environmentally-friendly products for use in maintaining and cleaning its facilities, selecting sustainable food choices, and dozens of other initiatives.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
  ]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_receives_national_environmental_award.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_names_vice_president_of_finance.html
Immediate (Tuesday, May 27, 2008) Mike NobleMarketing & Communications(802) 847-2886   
BURLINGTON, VT – Fletcher Allen announced today that it has named Sophia Holder to the position of vice president, Finance/Controller, effective mid-June.  The appointment was made following a national search.
Holder, 35, comes to Fletcher Allen from Partners HealthCare System, Inc. Since joining Partners in 1997, she has served in many system-wide financial positions, and most recently served as the controller at Faulkner Hospital in Boston for the past two years.
Partners HealthCare is an integrated health care system founded in 1994 by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to the two founding academic medical centers, the system includes primary care and specialty physicians, community hospitals, specialty facilities, community health centers, and other health-related entities.
Prior to her role at Partners, Holder was employed by Price Waterhouse Coopers in Boston as a senior associate serving organizations that included health care and academic institutions.
“I am very pleased that Sophia has accepted this position,” said Roger Deshaies, chief financial officer, Fletcher Allen. “Her broad experience in health care finance will be a valuable asset to the Finance Department and to the organization.”
“I welcome the opportunity to join Fletcher Allen,” said Holder.  “This is a dynamic organization that will offer interesting challenges in the years ahead.  I think it will be very rewarding to be a part of this team.”
Holder holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is a certified public accountant and a member of the National Association of Black Accountants.
Holder, her husband, Charles, and their young son, Charles, Jr., plan to move to the Burlington area this summer.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center.  Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment.  Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region.
  ]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/fletcher_allen_names_vice_president_of_finance.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/executive_director_of_fletcher_allen_foundation_named.html
Immediate (May 22, 2008)       Maria McClellan          Marketing & Communications(802) 847-2886

BURLINGTON, VT - Kathryn Battillo has been named Foundation executive director and vice president of Development at Fletcher Allen Health Care following a national search. She will begin her new role at Fletcher Allen effective August 1.
Battillo, 55, comes to Vermont's academic medical center from the Boston area with more than 20 years of fundraising experience at a variety of institutions, including Suffolk University, the Boston Ballet, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Babson College.  Battillo is not a stranger to Vermont, having worked in Alumni Relations at the University of Vermont in the late 80's; she also has a son who graduated from UVM in 2006.
"We are very pleased that Kathryn will be returning to Vermont to lead our fundraising efforts here at Vermont's academic medical center," said Fletcher Allen President and Chief Executive Officer Melinda L. Estes, M.D.  "I believe her track record of success in fundraising for institutions of higher education and health care make her an ideal candidate to promote our philanthropic mission at Fletcher Allen."
The Fletcher Allen Foundation is a partnership with the community that was launched in January, 2008, to enhance philanthropic support for the organization.  Edwin I. Colodny is the chair of the board of the Foundation.  "Kathryn is both a proven leader and successful fundraiser," said Colodny.  "With her energy and experience, I believe Fletcher Allen is now poised to take its fundraising to a new level."
"This is a chance of a lifetime for me to partner with Dr. Estes, Ed Colodny and the Fletcher Allen Foundation to increase private philanthropic support to help the organization achieve its vision of becoming a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region," said Battillo.  "My family and I have strong ties to Vermont, and it is a dream come true to move back to this beautiful state to undertake such a challenging and exciting fundraising position at the state's academic medical center."
Since 2002, Battillo has served as vice president for advancement at Suffolk University where she launched the university's largest capital campaign -- $75 million - to coincide with the university's centennial in the fall of 2006.  A year and a half into the public phase, the campaign has raised $52.7 million, which is approximately 70 percent of goal.  In addition to overseeing fundraising, Battillo also oversaw alumni relations, operations and research, and communications at Suffolk, successfully reorganizing and building the staff, which grew from 21 to 51 over a five-year period.
Prior to joining Suffolk University, Battillo held a variety of leadership positions in fundraising, including chief development officer at the Boston Ballet, where she increased private support by 100 percent, helping the organization balance its overall budget for the two years she was present - a critical accomplishment for the Ballet.
She also served as director of development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 1999 to 2000, where she created the first-ever major gifts team, and built a staff of nine that partnered with the physicians to raise money for their treatment and research centers.
In addition, her background also includes serving as principal gifts officer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and serving as associate director of Alumni Relations at the University of Vermont from 1985 to 1987.  She also spent five years as associate director of Alumni Relations at Simmons College in Boston, from 1980 to 1985.
Battillo received a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, MA, in 1975, and received her master's in Library Science in 1979 from Simmons College in Boston.
A native of Boston, Battillo will be relocating to Vermont with her husband, Tom, and her son, Michael, who is in the process of completing his master's in business administration at Suffolk University through an online program.
About the Fletcher Allen Foundation The Fletcher Allen Foundation is a partnership with the community that was launched in January, 2008, to enhance philanthropic support for the organization.  In addition to Ed Colodny, the Foundation board includes Nancy Binter, M.D., Brian Boardman, David Coates, Lois McClure, Holly Miller, Marc Monheimer, David Schneider, M.D., Roger Stone, Betty Woods, and Glen Wright.
About Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen, together with its partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center.  Its mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves by integrating patient care, education, and research in a caring environment.
Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center, offering advanced care to the approximately 1,000,000 people of Vermont and northern New York including a Level I Trauma Center, the Vermont Children's Hospital, a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center -- one of 39 in the nation.  Fletcher Allen also has state-of-the-art care for people with heart disease and many other illnesses.In its community hospital role, Fletcher Allen serves approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties and provides primary care services at nine Vermont sites.  With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services across Vermont and upstate New York, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. With approximately 6,700 employees, Fletcher Allen ranks as the second largest employer in the state.
  ]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/executive_director_of_fletcher_allen_foundation_named.html http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/level_1_trauma_center_re-verification.html Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PDT http://www.fletcherallen.org/about/news_room/press_releases/level_1_trauma_center_re-verification.html