State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Vermont > Title-18 > Chapter-221 > 9405b

§ 9405b. Hospital community reports

(a) The commissioner, in consultation with representatives from the public oversight commission, hospitals, other groups of health care professionals, and members of the public representing patient interests, shall adopt rules establishing a standard format for community reports, as well as the contents, which shall include:

(1) measures of quality, including process and outcome measures, that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for high quality and successful outcomes;

(2) measures of patient safety that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety;

(3) measures of hospital-acquired infections that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks;

(4) measures of the hospital's financial health, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for efficient operation and fiscal health;

(5) a summary of the hospital's budget, including revenue by source and quantification of cost shifting to private payers;

(6) measures that provide valid, reliable, useful, and efficient information for payers and the public for the comparison of charges for higher volume health care services;

(7) the hospital's process for achieving openness, inclusiveness, and meaningful public participation in its strategic planning and decision-making;

(8) the hospital's consumer complaint resolution process, including identification of the hospital officer or employee responsible for its implementation;

(9) information concerning recently completed or ongoing quality improvement and patient safety projects;

(10) a description of strategic initiatives discussed with or derived from the identification of health care needs; the one-year and four-year capital expenditure plans; and the depreciation schedule for existing facilities;

(11) information on membership and governing body qualifications, a listing of the current governing body members, and means of obtaining a schedule of meetings of the hospital's governing body, including times scheduled for public participation; and

(12) valid, reliable, and useful information on nurse staffing, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety. This information may include system-centered measures, such as skill mix, nursing care hours per patient day, and other such system-centered measures as reliable industry benchmarks become available in the future.

(b) On or before January 1, 2005, and annually thereafter beginning on June 1, 2006, the board of directors or other governing body of each hospital licensed under chapter 43 of this title shall publish on its website, making paper copies available upon request, its community report in a uniform format approved by the commissioner, and in accordance with the standards and procedures adopted by rule under this section, and shall hold one or more public hearings to permit community members to comment on the report. Notice of meetings shall be by publication, consistent with section 174 of Title 1. Hospitals located outside this state which serve a significant number of Vermont residents, as determined by the commissioner, shall be invited to participate in the community report process established by this subsection.

(c) The community reports shall be provided to the public oversight commission and the commissioner. The commissioner shall publish the reports on a public website and shall develop and include a format for comparisons of hospitals within the same categories of quality and financial indicators. (Added 2003, No. 53, § 5; amended 2005, No. 71, § 77b; 2005, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 327; 2007, No. 27, § 5.)

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Vermont > Title-18 > Chapter-221 > 9405b

§ 9405b. Hospital community reports

(a) The commissioner, in consultation with representatives from the public oversight commission, hospitals, other groups of health care professionals, and members of the public representing patient interests, shall adopt rules establishing a standard format for community reports, as well as the contents, which shall include:

(1) measures of quality, including process and outcome measures, that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for high quality and successful outcomes;

(2) measures of patient safety that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety;

(3) measures of hospital-acquired infections that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks;

(4) measures of the hospital's financial health, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for efficient operation and fiscal health;

(5) a summary of the hospital's budget, including revenue by source and quantification of cost shifting to private payers;

(6) measures that provide valid, reliable, useful, and efficient information for payers and the public for the comparison of charges for higher volume health care services;

(7) the hospital's process for achieving openness, inclusiveness, and meaningful public participation in its strategic planning and decision-making;

(8) the hospital's consumer complaint resolution process, including identification of the hospital officer or employee responsible for its implementation;

(9) information concerning recently completed or ongoing quality improvement and patient safety projects;

(10) a description of strategic initiatives discussed with or derived from the identification of health care needs; the one-year and four-year capital expenditure plans; and the depreciation schedule for existing facilities;

(11) information on membership and governing body qualifications, a listing of the current governing body members, and means of obtaining a schedule of meetings of the hospital's governing body, including times scheduled for public participation; and

(12) valid, reliable, and useful information on nurse staffing, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety. This information may include system-centered measures, such as skill mix, nursing care hours per patient day, and other such system-centered measures as reliable industry benchmarks become available in the future.

(b) On or before January 1, 2005, and annually thereafter beginning on June 1, 2006, the board of directors or other governing body of each hospital licensed under chapter 43 of this title shall publish on its website, making paper copies available upon request, its community report in a uniform format approved by the commissioner, and in accordance with the standards and procedures adopted by rule under this section, and shall hold one or more public hearings to permit community members to comment on the report. Notice of meetings shall be by publication, consistent with section 174 of Title 1. Hospitals located outside this state which serve a significant number of Vermont residents, as determined by the commissioner, shall be invited to participate in the community report process established by this subsection.

(c) The community reports shall be provided to the public oversight commission and the commissioner. The commissioner shall publish the reports on a public website and shall develop and include a format for comparisons of hospitals within the same categories of quality and financial indicators. (Added 2003, No. 53, § 5; amended 2005, No. 71, § 77b; 2005, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 327; 2007, No. 27, § 5.)


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Statutes > Vermont > Title-18 > Chapter-221 > 9405b

§ 9405b. Hospital community reports

(a) The commissioner, in consultation with representatives from the public oversight commission, hospitals, other groups of health care professionals, and members of the public representing patient interests, shall adopt rules establishing a standard format for community reports, as well as the contents, which shall include:

(1) measures of quality, including process and outcome measures, that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for high quality and successful outcomes;

(2) measures of patient safety that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety;

(3) measures of hospital-acquired infections that are valid, reliable, and useful, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks;

(4) measures of the hospital's financial health, including comparisons to appropriate national benchmarks for efficient operation and fiscal health;

(5) a summary of the hospital's budget, including revenue by source and quantification of cost shifting to private payers;

(6) measures that provide valid, reliable, useful, and efficient information for payers and the public for the comparison of charges for higher volume health care services;

(7) the hospital's process for achieving openness, inclusiveness, and meaningful public participation in its strategic planning and decision-making;

(8) the hospital's consumer complaint resolution process, including identification of the hospital officer or employee responsible for its implementation;

(9) information concerning recently completed or ongoing quality improvement and patient safety projects;

(10) a description of strategic initiatives discussed with or derived from the identification of health care needs; the one-year and four-year capital expenditure plans; and the depreciation schedule for existing facilities;

(11) information on membership and governing body qualifications, a listing of the current governing body members, and means of obtaining a schedule of meetings of the hospital's governing body, including times scheduled for public participation; and

(12) valid, reliable, and useful information on nurse staffing, including comparisons to appropriate industry benchmarks for safety. This information may include system-centered measures, such as skill mix, nursing care hours per patient day, and other such system-centered measures as reliable industry benchmarks become available in the future.

(b) On or before January 1, 2005, and annually thereafter beginning on June 1, 2006, the board of directors or other governing body of each hospital licensed under chapter 43 of this title shall publish on its website, making paper copies available upon request, its community report in a uniform format approved by the commissioner, and in accordance with the standards and procedures adopted by rule under this section, and shall hold one or more public hearings to permit community members to comment on the report. Notice of meetings shall be by publication, consistent with section 174 of Title 1. Hospitals located outside this state which serve a significant number of Vermont residents, as determined by the commissioner, shall be invited to participate in the community report process established by this subsection.

(c) The community reports shall be provided to the public oversight commission and the commissioner. The commissioner shall publish the reports on a public website and shall develop and include a format for comparisons of hospitals within the same categories of quality and financial indicators. (Added 2003, No. 53, § 5; amended 2005, No. 71, § 77b; 2005, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 327; 2007, No. 27, § 5.)


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