Vermont Business Magazine In order to tie together more closely the University of Vermont Medical School, the university itself and Fletcher Allen Health Care, the Burlington-based hospital and health system will now be known as The University of Vermont Medical Center. New names for the four-hospital affiliation, known as Fletcher Allen Partners, and its individual members, were made official today in recognition that the partnership has become one organization focused on delivering academic medicine to the people of Vermont and northern New York more efficiently and as close to home as possible. Fletcher Allen Partners will now be known as The University of Vermont Health Network, while the other three Partner hospitals - Central Vermont Medical Center, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Elizabethtown Community Hospital- will add that title to their existing names.
“This change marks a new era in health care in our region,” said John Brumsted, MD, president and chief executive officer of The University of Vermont Health Network and The University of Vermont Medical Center. “Three years of close collaboration has resulted in more coordination of patient care than ever before, more access to academic medicine than ever before, and care that’s delivered more efficiently than ever before. We believe these new identities will help people understand that we’re working together as partners instead of competitors to provide the best of community and academic medicine close to home.”
Already, through a common supply chain, the Partners have saved about $6 million. Millions more will be saved on borrowing as the bond rating agencies have improved the system's score as the finances have tightened.
Brumsted also said that other hospitals in Upstate New York are having discussions with Partners about joining, a process which could take some time to play out. All the hospitals in Vermont, meanwhile, belong to OneCare Vermont, which helps organize health care delivery across the state for Medicare patients. UVM Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock created OneCare Vermont, a state-wide accountable care organization (ACO). OneCare Vermont comprises a network of providers, including all 14 of Vermont's hospitals, Dartmouth-Hitchcock in New Hampshire, hundreds of primary care physicians and specialists, two federally qualified health centers, and several rural health clinics, to coordinate the health care of approximately 42,000 of Vermont’s 118,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
The signage and related collateral for the new branding, which will come out of the capital fund, will cost about $2.6 million.
Academic Medicine Matters
The new identities also reflect the long-standing partnership with the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and leverage the reputation of one of the nation’s leading research universities. Research has shown when people are aware of a strong university connection, they are much more likely to recommend their local hospital for care.
“Receiving health care locally is obviously better for patients, their families and our communities, and it helps to keep our organizations strong,” Brumsted said.
UVM President Tom Sullivan, Trustee Paul Sands and CVMC President Judy Tartaglia.
“This collective decision will enhance the local, regional and national reputations and quality of all of the entities that bear The University of Vermont name, and it makes more visible to the general public and to patients the important work that the university and these hospitals are doing together,” said Tom Sullivan, president of the University of Vermont. “This initiative will signal clearly to people in the region that they have access to a very high-quality health network aligned with one of the top academic medical centers in the country, which has a continuing strong commitment to providing exceptional patient care and effectively controlling costs.”
Patient Benefits
“By sharing resources and knowledge, we’ve made changes that are benefiting patients throughout the region every day,” said Stephens Mundy, president and CEO of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Plattsburgh, NY.
“Cardiology patients are getting life-saving care closer to where they live, and stroke patients are benefiting from standardized rehabilitation and better coordination of care. We’re also adding a Family Medicine residency program to the many existing residencies the network offers, which will have a tremendous impact on improving access to primary health care in northern New York.”
“Central Vermont Medical Center has worked closely with the Jeffords Institute for Quality at The University of Vermont Medical Center to be prepared for quality audits by The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services,” said Judy Tartaglia, president and chief executive officer of Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Berlin.
“Our philosophy is to be prepared every day in every department, and tapping into the network’s resources has helped make that possible.”
“Continuity of care is incredibly important to patients - from the community-based primary care centers we own to the advanced care available at The University of Vermont Medical Center,” said Rod Boula, administrator and CEO of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. 
The affiliation among all hospitals in the network, along with The University of Vermont, is now reflected in the name and visual representation of each network affiliate. Patients will understand that they are entering a network facility whenever they see that new logo - no matter which facility they visit.”
Fostering the Academic Mission
At the University of Vermont, the College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences will maintain close ties with The University of Vermont Medical Center, serving together as Vermont’s academic medical center, and look forward to expanding that relationship across The University of Vermont Health Network.
“For more than 100 years, the College of Medicine has relied on a strong alliance with our teaching hospital partner to fulfill our shared missions of education, research, care and service,” said Frederick Morin, M.D., dean of the University of Vermont College of Medicine. “Today that partnership becomes stronger than ever as it expands across the region, bringing improved care for patients, enhancing our education of outstanding physicians, and advancing our biomedical research agenda. This is truly an opportunity to set new standards for the future and lead the nation in developing an academic health care network.”
“This is a significant opportunity for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences to crystalize our relationship with our partners and create new pathways for our students to gain clinical experiences within a broader health network, as well as open doors for clinical research collaborations,” said Patricia Prelock, Ph.D., dean of the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “We are now even more aligned in the effort to educate the next generation of health care providers in nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, radiation therapy, medical laboratory science, nuclear medicine, athletic training and exercise and movement science who will contribute in unique ways to a coordinated and integrated model of health care.”
Improved Bond Ratings
Two of the three major bond-rating agencies recently elevated The University of Vermont Health Network to “A-” status, and the third upgraded the network to a “positive outlook.” “This is a very meaningful stamp of approval because the rating agencies did not just look at the books,” said Dr. Brumsted. “They also examined clinical and operational performance throughout the network and liked what they saw. The higher ratings mean we will save millions of dollars when we borrow money for major projects.”
Key Milestones to Date
- Realigned key cardiovascular services.
- Standardized rehabilitation protocols for stroke patients.
- Integrated the Jeffords Institute for Quality and Operational Effectiveness at The University of Vermont Medical Center throughout the four-hospital network.
- Initiated planning to establish a Family Medicine residency program based at CVPH starting in 2016.
- Initiated planning for a medical student clerkship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at CVPH.
- Incorporated of specialists at both CVMC and CVPH into the University of Vermont Medical Group.
- Saved the affiliated hospitals more than $6 million in supply chain purchases.
- Established psychiatric medical student clerkship at CVMC.
The boards of Fletcher Allen Partners, Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont voted to make the name changes in June. Approvals were recently granted by the Vermont Secretary of State, the New York State Education Department and the New York State Department of Health. A phased rollout of the new identities will begin immediately, and is expected to take 12-18 months.
Press Conference Remarks
The University of Vermont Health Network & The University of Vermont Medical Center Good morning, and thank you for being here to share this important moment with us. I’m John Brumsted, President and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care and Fletcher Allen Partners. We have many people to thank for getting us where we are today – not in the least, our dedicated Board members, clinical leaders and chairs, internal leadership teams, and hundreds of other employees who have worked very hard over the past three years to set us on such a positive course. I’m glad to see many of you here today. And, as always, we owe unending thanks to the thousands of providers – doctors, nurses and others –who are dedicated to getting it right every single time with every patient, which has led to the excellent quality of care we enjoy. We’re also joined today by many friends and colleagues from the University of Vermont, including President Tom Sullivan who has been a valued partner to me in so many ways since I became CEO three years ago. Dean Frederick Morin of The University of Vermont College of Medicine and Dean Patty Prelock of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences are also with us. Their support for this change, and all that we do, has been critical. I know I will continue to rely on their leadership and friendship as we grow and improve as a Network. And now to our speakers: Dr. David Schneider is Director of Cardiovascular Services for The University of Vermont Health Network and Professor at the UVM College of Medicine. And Dr. Eric Gauthier is an Associate Professor, and Medical Director of Invasive Cardiology for the Network, based at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. You’ll also be hearing from leaders of the Fletcher Allen Partners member hospitals: Judy Tartaglia is President and CEO of Central Vermont Medical Center, and Paul Sands is Chair of Community Providers, Inc. - the parent of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Elizabethtown Community Hospital. Our organizations began a journey three years ago to become a single entity focused on delivering health care in a better, smarter, more efficient way. We have gained tremendous strength in doing so, to the benefit of our patients and the communities we serve. Today, we are marking a new era in health care in our region. Three years of close collaboration among these major health care providers has resulted in more coordination of patient care than ever before, more access to academic medicine than ever before, and care that is delivered more efficiently than ever before. In recognition that we are now one team working together to deliver high-quality academic medicine throughout the region, Fletcher Allen Partners has a new identity - The University of Vermont Health Network - and Fletcher Allen Health Care is now The University of Vermont Medical Center. Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, Central Vermont Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital will add The University of Vermont Health Network to their names. This is a landmark moment for the partnership, the University, the College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. These new identities will help people understand concepts that are not well known:
We believe this will lead more people to seek care close to home, which is better for them and for our communities. In short, our new identities will help people understand that The University of Vermont Health Network is providing the best of community and academic medicine right where they live. The name changes also reflect our vital partnerships with the UVM College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Working closely with Dean Morin, Dean Prelock and all of our committed and talented employees, we have integrated educational excellence and clinical excellence to create one of the top academic medical centers in the country. And we will now be strengthened by underscoring our connection to a leading research university. Since our hospital partnership formed three years ago, we have made changes that are benefiting patients every day. Cardiology patients are getting life-saving care closer to where they live. Stroke patients are benefiting from standardized rehabilitation and better coordination of care. We have also saved more than six million dollars in supply chain expenses, helping us to better manage the costs of delivering care. Others are taking notice. Two of the three major bond-rating agencies recently raised us to “A-” status, and the third upgraded the Network to a positive outlook. The higher ratings mean we will save millions when we borrow money for major projects. But, this is also a very meaningful stamp of approval because the rating agencies did not just look at the books. They also examined clinical and operational performance throughout the Network and liked what they saw. Another sign of our strength is that other hospitals in northern New York and Vermont want to join The University of Vermont Health Network, and we are in discussions to make that happen. In a moment, you will hear more real world examples of how we are achieving our mission to provide high-quality academic medicine more efficiently and as close to home as possible. But first, I’d like you to hear from UVM President Tom Sullivan who will touch on what this means for UVM and beyond. (Sullivan Remarks) Now, I’d like to welcome Paul Sands, Chair of Community Providers, Inc., who will share how we are extending our academic mission with a new Family Medicine residency program in northern New York, which will complement the many residency programs already in place at The University of Vermont Medical Center. (Sands Remarks) Next, I’d like to introduce two of our cardiology leaders, who have put tremendous effort into integrating our first service line, and will explain what this means for patients, providers and our community. We’ll hear first from Dr. David Schneider, Director of Cardiovascular Services for The University of Vermont Health Network and Professor at the UVM College of Medicine; followed by Dr. Eric Gauthier, an Associate Professor and Medical Director of Invasive Cardiology for the Network, based at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. (Schneider & Gauthier Remarks) And now, Judy Tartaglia, President and CEO of Central Vermont Medical Center, will discuss how the work of The University of Vermont Health Network is helping to lead health care reform efforts. (Tartaglia Remarks) Thank you, Judy, and all of you for being here today and sharing your valuable perspectives. I think it is clear that our ability to work as a system has ushered in a new era in health care in our region. It’s also clear our new identities make sense because they reflect what we truly are and will help people understand they have access to high-quality academic medical care close to home. I know from personal experience that it’s in the DNA of medical providers to do whatever it takes to give patients the best possible care. In rural areas, where resources are often scarce, that can only happen when people put aside all other concerns and work together. Throughout my 30-plus year career as an OB-GYN serving Vermont and northern New York, I have seen the life-changing and life-saving power of collaboration. That’s why it is so important to me in my current role to do whatever I can to amplify the power of those collaborations by reorganizing how we deliver care. And, it’s why I’m so proud to have been involved with the birth of this Network. I am eager to help it continue to thrive. I’m happy to take questions.
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November 12, 2014
Source: UVM. UVM Medical Center (fDBA Fletcher Allen Health Care). Video by UVM Medical Center. Photos by Vermont Business Magazine. VERY TOP PHOTO. Selfie station in the McClure lobby.