Directory of Burlington Vermont
area Web Sites and Information
SURFING OPTIONS: | Recommend URL | Recommend record changes | Search | What's Cool |
Administrative Options: Add link| Modify link | Delete link | List All | View link | Validate user recommended links | Re-Build Pages (sw) |
|
|
Directory of Burlington Vermont
|
|
Do you see this message near the top of your browser, when you click on the links?
When you click on a link in my directories, the web site you are requesting will be opened in a separate window or tab. This worked great until version six. Unfortunately, many web sites will open windows with advertisements and junk that you don't want. So Internet Explorer is asking you if you really requested that information or web site -- or is this web site just trying to force feed it to you? This web site does NOT open up pop-ups with ads or porn, here. I open up the web sites you request in a separate window or tab as a convenience. For best results, I recommend clicking on the
If you do this I will be able to open the web pages as you request them.
| If a link is no longer clickable, it is probably a temporary link that has expired or whose content has changed. Red Links have been found to be unavailable. The web site might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. To be a featured web site, you must be a most 10 requested web site of your category -- or, be cross-linked to this web site. Both incoming and outgoing traffic is measured on all web sites. Web sites are listed in the following order, 1. web sites added within the last 7 days in alphabetical order, 2. The top-ten (featured or popular) web sites in alphabetical order, and 3. remaining web site in alphabetical order. |
|
Home :
Health and Safety :
health and safety : Fletcher Allen Health Care
Fletcher Allen Health Care
There are 238 Health and Safety links for you to choose from!
Burlington's controversial methadone clinic has been open
for a little over a month, and except for one incident where a woman was caught selling drugs outside the clinic, there have been very few problems.
But in other cities, especially Cincinnati, problems abound.
When you take a prescription drug there's usually a warning on the bottle advising you not to drive, but methadone patients can actually get in their cars and drive away after treatment.
In Cincinnati there have been a few serious car accidents as a result.
Tonight we asked police and clinic officials if that could happen here.
Stopping a heroin addiction only happens if you work at it daily.
Right now 33 patients are getting regular doses of methadone at Burlington's new treatment clinic.
Dr. Warren Bickel, Director at the Chittenden Center said, "We give them methadone so they don't go through withdrawal. We don't give them enough methadone where they're intoxicated."
popular
Click here to read more.
Early figures show VT's hospital budgets are on the rise
again. This year's increase is nine and a half percent -- that's 91 million dollars more of your money spent on hospital care. The increase follows a trend in past years. Older and sicker patients needing more care are behind the ballooning budgets. Later this month, all 14 hospitals will justify their projected budgets to regulators.
But there is some concern about Fletcher Allen Health Care. Recent allegations that hospital executives hid the cost of a parking garage from the state -- have raised questions about Fletcher Allen's credibility.
Susan Gretkowski, the Deputy Commissioner of Health Care Administration, told the Public Oversight Commission that she is working with Fletcher Allen Trustees to ensure the budget information will be accurate. The P.O.C. studies the budgets and makes recommendations to the Administration for a final decision.
popular
Click here to read more.
Employees of Fletcher Allen Health Care have been warned
of layoffs and changes to how the medical center operates.
In a two-page letter dated April 3, Interim Chief Executive Officer Edwin Colodny outlines a bleak financial picture at Vermont's largest hospital and the need to act quickly to return Fletcher Allen to more stable ground.
Colodny said Sunday that he couldn't be specific about how many jobs might be affected by the impending changes. The number ''is not going to be huge,'' he said.
Fletcher Allen management is reviewing more than a dozen programs, including cardiology, finance, nursing and information services, looking for ways to lower costs and increase revenues, Colodny said.
Nursing will not be affected by the employee cuts, and the hospital continues to recruit nurses to fill shortages in staffing, Colodny said.
popular
Click here to read more.
Fletcher Allen Health Care
Fletcher Allen Health Care is severing its contract
with an insurer that covers nearly one in eight Vermonters, hospital officials announced Thursday.
... The hospital will honor the current contract until then, officials said. In 2004, patients with Cigna coverage might be responsible for their own hospital bills, they said.
... Cigna HealthCare provides health insurance and benefits management for 85,000 Vermonters. The largest Cigna account in Vermont is state government.
Officials at the insurance company said the hospital had sought "dramatic increases in reimbursement," at double the rate of health care inflation.
"We found that unacceptable," said Cigna spokeswoman Lindsay Shearer.
Brumsted said it was important for Vermonters to know that the business decision of severing the contract would not affect patient care.
popular
Click here to read more.
Fletcher Allen Health Care on Wednesday cleared a first
Fletcher Allen Health Care plans on higher prices,
increased hospital use, and a million bond to keep the hospital running and pay for nearly million of projects over the next five years.
The hospital can support its spending plans if the state allows the proposed price increases and patient use of the hospital meets expectations, according to a report filed with the state Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration. The report also predicts Fletcher Allen’s credit rating could drop in the coming years, which could affect a million bond issue planned for 2004.
Fletcher Allen will need to raise rates each year, peaking at a 7 percent increase in 2005, to remain financially sound, according to the report. Rate increases are subject to approval each year by state regulators.
popular
Click here to read more.
Candidates to lead F.A.H.C. should be just as comfortable
reaching out to employees and community members as they are crafting a vision for the institution, chatting with the governor or combing financial statements, according to a 24-page job description released this week by the hospital's CEO search committee.
The ideal chief executive officer would fit comfortably into Vermont's unique culture. Vermont values are interwoven with the desired qualities of an ideal candidate.
The CEO wish list emphasizes personality and communication with employees, patients, community, management and politicians. Former Fletcher Allen leadership was sharply criticized for failing to communicate well and neglecting the openness and accessibility typical of Vermont's leaders.
"Not everybody would feel really comfortable walking into a town meeting,'' Fletcher Allen board Chairwoman Louise McCarren said Thursday.
Click here to read more.
Fetcher Allen Hospital has revamped children's services.
Penny Plouffe was awe-struck as she toured the newly-renovated pediatric ward at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
The dark and narrow halls were gone, replaced by a cheerful mural featuring animals at play. Rooms that once held up to four patients were replaced by private rooms. Brightly colored toys in an expansive play room drew the attention of her 19-month-old son, Jebadiah, who spent several weeks in the ward last winter recovering from Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
Jebadiah climbed out of Plouffe's arms and headed straight toward a child's kitchenette play set. ... The renovations on the Baird 5 ward also go a long way toward distinguishing the newly-established Vermont Children's Hospital, to be dedicated today , from the rest of FAHC. Many of the changes instituted during the nine-month, .4 million renovation of the ward -- from places where parents can wash a load of clothes to more kid-friendly menus -- came at the suggestion of parents and families of patients.
Fletcher Allen Health Care Received 3 National Honors.
Three separate national healthcare organizations have recognized Fletcher Allen Health Care for dedication to the community and excellence in programs it provides.
The American Hospital Association has honored Fletcher Allen Health Care with a '2003 Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence' for the FAVORS Program. Short for "Fletcher Allen Volunteers Offer Room Service," FAVORS is a new program at the hospital which allows patients to request a variety of items (books, snacks, games) for delivery to their room.
... The country's leading healthcare information company has named Fletcher Allen Health Care one of the top 100 integrated healthcare networks in the U.S., ranking it 88th out of the 572 surveyed. Fletcher Allen was rated 5th among integrated healthcare networks in New England and 1st among those in northern New England.
Fletcher Allen Health Care trustees don’t get paid.
They could spend one day a week attending hospital meetings - juggling personal and professional responsibilities around hospital board meetings and committee meetings.
There’s homework, too, keeping up with health care trends and news, poring over financial reports.
Then there’s the public scrutiny, now more intense than ever.
A reconstituted board will take charge next month in the harsh glare of the public spotlight. Every action, or failure to act, will be analyzed.
The trustees have these tasks to tackle: select a new chief executive officer, mend fences with state health care regulators, restore public confidence in the state’s largest hospital, and face up to the charge that trustees failed to rein in management and the ballooning cost of the hospital’s massive expansion.
So, why would anyone want this job?
Click here to read more.
It's a changing of the guards at Vermont's largest hospital.
Fletcher Allen Health Care has faced a tumultuous year. Most notably the hospital's administration has been accused of ignoring state laws and mistreating staff.
The Chair of Fletcher Allen's Board of Trustees has named Ed Colodny Interim Chief Executive Officer.
... Colodny comes as a year of ups and downs for the hospital, once again charts a new path.
Only hours ago, the hospital's nurses voted to unionize for the first time in Fletcher Allen's history.
The hospital also is still in the process of investigating itself.
The state accused Fletcher Allen--including former CEO Bill Boettcher-of ignoring the state's construction permitting process.
Colodny says he welcomes the challenge. ... Colodny's last position was arguably just as challenging.
As the University of Vermont's Interim President, he took on a school facing financial problems as well as a reputation on the brink of collapse.
Joseph Abate was charged with acting improperly during examinations.
State prosecutors conceded Monday they are struggling to find a medical expert willing to testify in court that Colchester orthopedic surgeon Joseph Abate acted improperly during examinations of nine young female patients.
Abate is facing 14 felony charges involving claims that, during medical examinations, he used his hands to touch or penetrate the genital areas of female patients, purportedly to determine the source of hip pain.
Maguire said the surgeons it had identified as ready to take issue with Abate's examination conduct were now unavailable to testify for one reason or another. The latest was a Virginia orthopedic surgeon who pulled out last week just before a scheduled court deposition, citing as reasons the death of a close friend and his father's cancer condition.
Click here to read more.
Starting Monday, methadone will be a treatment option
for more people addicted to heroin. The Howard Center for Human Services -- along with Fletcher Allen Health Care and the UVM Medical School -- is opening Vermont's first methadone clinic at the University Health Center.
The clinic -- years in the making. State approval came amid controversy about the drug's effectiveness ... and fears it would attract heroin users to the community. "Today's a celebration" said Toddy Centybear of Howard, "This clinic represents a spirit of hope. It's not the answer. We all know there is no single answer."
But clinic officials say methadone is one tool -- along with drug abuse counseling -- that could lessen the health risks and crime often linked to heroin use. It eliminates withdrawal symptoms and cuts the addict's craving for heroin.
Click here to read more.
The make-up of F.A.H.C.'s new board is not sitting well
with some Vermonters.
The board's lack of diversity, both racial and economic, shows the hospital's disconnection with the community and a willful ignorance of race issues, said Larry McCrorey, a retired University of Vermont College of Medicine professor who signed a letter with six others calling for more diversity on the board.
Five days earlier, Burlington community organizer Patrick Brown sent a letter to the hospital with similar concerns.
The hospital this month announced the appointment of eight trustees, all white, after months of criticism that the board is culled from Vermont's elite and inadequately reflects the community it serves.
Fletcher Allen called for public suggestions about who should sit on the board. The result is a departure from its well-connected predecessors, board Chairwoman Louise McCarren said. The new members include housing advocates, a former legislator and hospital critic, and a former independent gubernatorial candidate.
Click here to read more.
The nursing shortage is only expected to worsen with more nurses retiring
and fewer young people choosing the profession.
Like many hospitals, Fletcher Allen Health Care feels the pinch. Currently the hospital has 180 full and part time nursing positions open. Sixty of those openings were created earlier this year after talks with the nurses union.
The nursing shortage is not only stressing current nurses, it's also stressing the hospital's bottom line. Fletcher Allen spends an extra million a year for out of state temporary nurses to fill vacant positions.
So Fletcher Allen, along with the nurses union, is stepping up efforts to find 100 permanent nurses in 100 days.
"The campaign titled '100 nurses -100 days' will include a regional direct mail campaign as well as a radio and print advertising campaign," says Mary Botter, Fletcher Allen's Chief Nursing Officer.
Fletcher Allen will offer hefty sign-on bonuses, school loan repayments and rewards for referrals totaling ,000.
Click here to read more.
Their new leader has a new vision for Burlington's
struggling Fletcher Allen Health Care. Dr. Melinda Estes was appointed Chief Executive Officer a week ago.
Wednesday she sat down with reporters to chart a course for the future and to confront recent news about the hospital's financial outlook.
"I want us to be sure we return to a culture of service," Dr. Estes said. "I think it's very much about being visible, about being open and about crafting a shared vision of where Fletcher Allen needs to go."
One of the biggest immediate problems is the hospital's bottom line.
BISHCA recently commissioned a study, called the Mercer Report, projecting million in operating losses over the next five years, a 2% rise in the cost of health insurance because of the Renaissance Project and a million increase in the cost of Medicaid.
BISHCA Commissioner John Crowley says it's bad news, but not a dire situation.
Click here to read more.
This is a make-or-break year for Fletcher Allen Health Care,
according to a survey of the hospital's financial health filed Wednesday with the state.
Fletcher Allen can afford its pricey expansion and even borrow more money to pay for it, if the beleaguered Burlington hospital can turn its finances around this year, concluded the study by Illinois-based Kaufman Hall. Fletcher Allen must stem losses from an unprofitable six months and return to more stable ground after a tumultuous year marked by upheaval in the hospital's senior management, said Therese Wareham, a partner with Kaufman Hall.
Click here to read more.
Times are tough in the healthcare industry,
and Vermont's largest hospital is not immune to that slowdown.
Sagging revenues have caused Fletcher Allen Health Care to run a -Million dollar deficit in the first quarter of 2003. Some of those losses are due to a reduction in the number of patients admitted to the hospital.
"We need to operate for this year at a positive margin," Fletcher Allen Interim CEO Edwin Colodny says. "That means we have to have more revenue than expense. Right now we're on a track where expenses are going to exceed revenue, that's unacceptable."
So Colodny and his senior management team have been looking at ways to cut costs, by streamlining operations.
... Preliminary findings of that review were outlined in a letter to employees this weekend. In it, workers are told that changes could be on the way, changes that could include layoffs.
Click here to read more.
Vermont agreed to pay two Burlington organizations
about ,900 a week, or about ,000 a year, to provide methadone to heroin addicts.
Fletcher Allen Health Care and Howard Center for Human Services asked the state to reimburse them per patient per week based on 100 patients. The state agreed Thursday to the proposal. ... The price for the Fletcher Allen and Howard Center-managed clinic includes state money for renovation costs, about 14 full- and part-time staff positions and equipment. The project director -- likely University of Vermont Professor Warren Bickel -- would receive more than ,000 in salary to run the clinic part-time.
The Vermont Health Department wanted to pay a week per patient for methadone treatment. Health Department negotiations with Fletcher Allen and Howard Center began at that number.
Vermont's biggest medical institution, Fletcher Allen Health Care,
has been giving some thought to its name and has decided that "Fletcher Allen" is here to stay.
"Health Care" is on the way out, however, to be replaced with a term-to-be-named that reflects the organization's "academic partnership" with the University of Vermont.
Whether to change the name of Fletcher Allen Health Care has dogged the entity since it was formed in 1995 through the integration of three Burlington-area health-care institutions: Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, Fanny Allen Hospital, and University Health Center.
... The surveys found "Fletcher Allen" to be a well-known entity "strongly embedded in the region," said Mike Noble, spokesman. Neither the staff nor the general public wants to change that part of the name.
Click here to read more.
Vermont's first methadone clinic to have tight controls.
Heroin addicts seeking treatment at Vermont's first methadone clinic will be directed to a quiet ground-floor wing of the University Health Center. At the end of the hallway, they will pass through a wood-and-glass door bearing a plaque pronouncing The Chittenden Center.
The Center, run by the Howard Center for Human Services, begins receiving patients Monday. As in any medical clinic, the walls are painted white. Health pamphlets line the walls in the waiting room, and the doctor's office contains an examining table. Once inside, recovering addicts will undergo a tightly controlled visit, at the end of which they will receive a single dose -- one day's worth, barely enough to fill a shot glass -- of the synthetic opioid that prevents addicts from feeling the effects of heroin and blocks withdrawal.
Click here to read more.
With a million donation, Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC) will create
a neurological center to help Parkinson's patients and others with neurological disorders remain active.
Neurosurgeon Nancy Binter and her husband Dr. Bela Ratkovits donated the money for the center named in honor of Binter's father, Frederick C. Binter, who died in 1996 at age 79. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the 1960s and spent the last 15 years of his life in a nursing home.
Fletcher Allen says the Frederick C. Binter Center for Neurosciences will bring together health care professionals from different disciplines to share medical expertise to provide all the care a patient needs.
The center will have a number of multidisciplinary neurosciences clinics. A coordinated stroke clinic is scheduled to open in late March. Epilepsy and movement disorders clinics will start taking patients later this year, with other clinics expected to open next year.
|
Environment dump:
| (For best results, avoid common words, like "Burlington","Vermont","and","the",etc.) | -- OR -- |
|
is a private, publicly supported, non-profit teaching hospital and physician network, serving more than 850,000 people in the State of Vermont and in northeastern New York State.
hurdle toward installing .8 million of cutting-edge equipment.
The Public Oversight Commission -- an appointed, volunteer panel -- voted 4-0 to endorse Fletcher Allen's proposal for a powerful magnetic resonance imaging system. The vote came after a three-hour hearing, during which Fletcher Allen doctors compared crisp images produced by the new technology with the fuzzier images produced by the older, existing technology.
Four commissioners were absent Wednesday, and one member abstained from the vote. John Crowley, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration, makes the final decision.
Commissioners recognized that the MRI they recommended for approval would cost more than the alternative. An independent review suggested Fletcher Allen would be as well served with a less powerful, less expensive MRI.