High quality, lower-than-average cost of care highlighted in rankings
Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and UVM Health Network – Porter Medical Center have earned a 5-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which announced its annual hospital ratings in late July.
The ratings, found on Medicare’s Care Compare website, rate hospitals based on more than 45 quality measures over five categories: safety of care, readmissions after treatment of common conditions, patient experience, mortality, and timely and effective care. CMS reviewed data from the 2021 and 2022 calendar years for the ranking determinations.
The 2023 rankings demonstrated that UVM Medical Center:
· Has lower Medicare spending per beneficiary than state and national averages.
· Costs the same or less than national averages for benchmark procedures.
· Typically has lower rates of hospital-related complications than national benchmarks.
For Porter Medical Center, the rankings demonstrated:
· Benchmark procedures cost the same or less than national averages.
· The cost of care for pneumonia patients is lower than national averages.
· Emergency Department wait times are shorter than the Vermont state average and in-line with national averages.
This is the third consecutive year that UVM Medical Center has earned a 5-star quality rating from CMS, noted Patrick Bender, MD, Chief Quality Officer.
“To be able to achieve this recognition over the past three years, during such unprecedented times, is truly a sign of the dedication of our staff, nurses and physicians,” said Dr. Bender. “It is absolutely a reflection of their hard work, care, and dedication to patients.”
Anna Benvenuto, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Porter Medical Center, thanked the hospital’s employees for their focus on patients’ experience and dedication to delivering high-quality care.
“Caring for our community is work that we all do together each day at Porter,” said Dr. Benvenuto. “It’s an incredible team atmosphere that is focused on what is best for each patient, overcoming the challenges they face, and supporting their health-and-wellness goals. We’re thankful for every member of our skilled and compassionate team, and the positive impact they have on our patients and community.”
Both UVM Medical Center and Porter Medical Center join 483 hospitals nationwide to earn the top rating from CMS, and are two of only three Vermont-based hospitals to earn a 5-star quality rating from CMS.
About the University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 499-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, an integrated system established to deliver high-quality academic medicine to every community we serve.
For more information visit www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenter or visit our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia.
About Porter Medical Center
The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center is a designated critical access hospital comprised of a 25-bed acute care facility and 105-bed skilled nursing facility, which includes a memory care unit, short-term rehabilitation unit, and a long-term care unit. Porter operates a network of primary care and specialty medical practices throughout the region, including in Middlebury, Vergennes and Brandon.
Source: 8.14.2023. The University of Vermont Health Network UVMHealth.org
