Vermont Business MagazineTheBrattleboroRetreathas been notified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that the hospital has been restored to deemed status under The Joint Commission and has also been released from the Systems Improvement Agreement (SIA) it has been under since October 2014.
The news was received in a letter dated Dec. 1, 2015 from J. William Roberson, associate regional administrator of CMS’s Northeast Consortium.
This news comes just weeks after a full and unannounced survey conducted by federal and state regulators between Nov. 16—19 found theRetreatto be in compliance with all CMS Conditions of Participation (COPs). This is a milestone theRetreathad been working toward for more than a year under the SIA.
In his letter, Roberson wrote “Based on the impressive progress and strides the [Retreat] has made over the past year, CMS releases your hospital from the Systems Improvement Agreement.”
Under the SIA,Retreatstaff and administrators successfully designed and implemented performance improvement measures related to patient rights, the hospital’s governing body, physical environment, and quality assurance programs.
“Our staff gets all the credit in the world for the outstanding results we have achieved,” said Dr. Robert E. Simpson, president and chief executive officer of theBrattleboroRetreat. “We also know that the provision of high quality care is a constant journey in healthcare. We fully intend to capitalize on our recent successes by continuing to raise the bar.”
As part of the hospital’s ongoing quality improvement efforts,Retreatofficials are exploring options in their partnership with the state to fully renovate the unit where adolescents receive inpatient care. This is a longer term goal that was identified under the SIA as an important part of assuring the safest and highest level of care possible for this particular patient population.
TheBrattleboroRetreat, founded in 1834, is a not-for-profit, regional specialty psychiatric hospital and addictions treatment center, providing a full range of diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation services for individuals of all ages and their families. Recognized as a national leader in the treatment mental illness and addiction, theBrattleboroRetreatoffers a high quality, individualized, comprehensive continuum of care including inpatient, partial hospitalization, residential and outpatient treatment.
BRATTLEBORO, VT (December 4, 2015)— The Brattleboro Retreat