Strategic Initiatives and Process for Public Participation

Rutland Regional Medical Center's strategic planning process gathers and analyzes key information about the Rutland community and its healthcare needs through numerous means.

• Rutland Regional Medical Center is governed by a board of directors comprised of local citizens who volunteer their time to make critical decisions regarding the implementation of Rutland Regional's mission. Through the direct participation of community members on our board, our community has input into the decision making of and strategic planning for Rutland Regional.
• Rutland Regional conducts ongoing needs assessments with the community, patients and area physicians using focus groups, market research surveys and structured interviews.
• Rutland Regional organizes and conducts periodic community health assessments in collaboration with state and local health service agencies. These comprehensive assessments were most recently conducted in 1999, 2002, and 2009 and used a variety of information sources to identify health needs of the Rutland service area.
• In April 2009, the Rutland County Health Assessment was completed. Rutland Regional Medical Center and the James T. Bowse Community Health Trust convened the Assesment Team that guided the Health Assesment. The Assessment team reperesented the following organizations: Rutland Regional Medical Center, James T. Bowse Community Health Trust, Rutland County United Way, Vermont Department of Health, Rutland Area Visiting Nurses Association & Hospice (RAVNAH) and the Community Health Clinics of the Rutland Region (CHCRR)
• The Health Assesment was completed in five (5) phases: Phase 1: Analysis of Vermont and Community Data, Phase 2: Survey of Rutland County Residents, Phase 3: Community Leader Focus Groups, Phase 4: Prioritizing Meeting with Community Leaders, Phase 5: Development of the Executive Summary / Final Report
• Rutland Regional will increase the use of Electronic Medical Records
• CHCRR will open a facility in Rutland City 

Based upon Rutland Regional's service area healthcare needs, the strategic planning process identified several initiatives that are currently planned or underway:

• Improving the coordination of care between the hospital and other community healthcare providers, organizations and agencies. Specific initiatives related to Orthopaedics, Oncology, Respiratory, Psychiatric and Women's services are underway.

• In the Area of Improving Access Affordability of Health and Human Services, one of the areas of focus was improving access to the primary care system. Below are some of the contributions by Rutland Regional.

  • CHCRR in Brandon, Castleton and Pawlet
  • Rutland Regional continues to recruit providers, provide loan repayment
  • Hospitalist program allows primary care physicians to spend more time in the office
  • Rutland Regional is implementing a Hospital Information System (HIS) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
  • Rutland Regional assists the public in applying for insurance programs where needed
  • Rutland Regional to continue Tobacco Cessation and prevention
  • Rutland Regional's Community Education continues to offer workshops such as: Healthier Living and Matter of Balance
  • Rutland Regional is continuing to offer use of Rehab Gym for Cardiac Rehabilitation
  
  


• Organized recruitment and retention of providers to serve the healthcare needs of Rutland County into the future; including active support for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Rutland County


• Involving the community in two public forums to solicit feedback as Rutland Regional plans for the future of its Psychiatric Unit given the proposed closure of the State Hospital. Involving a community advisory board to assist in this on an ongoing basis.

In the area of reducing substance abuse the goal is to Increase the availibilty of Mental Health and Substance Abuse services. Below is a listing of the contributions by Rutland Regional

• Rutland Regional expanded it's services to offer Outpatient mental health services and expanded it's Inpatient services
• Rutland Regional's Women's and Children's Services provides "Wrap Around Services for Pregnant Women"
• Medication Prescription Program to reduce narcotic abuse
  

In addition, to the numerous ways in which Rutland Regional gathers information for strategic planning, Rutland Regional also achieves openness and inclusiveness through its several hundred Corporators who are a key link between members of the community and the hospital. The Corporators are included in Rutland Regional's yearly meetings, which are open to the public. The Annual Meeting each spring is where new board members and Corporators are elected.

In addition to our Annual Meeting that is open to the public, Rutland Regional Medical Center hosts other events, forums and meetings throughout the year that allow members of our community to be directly involved in our work. These are advertised in our local newspapers. Information is also available by calling Marketing at 802.747.1607.

To obtain a copy of our Annual Report, strategic and capital plans, depreciation schedule or to obtain information about public events please contact:

Rutland Regional Medical Center
Attn. Marketing
160 Allen Street
Rutland, VT 05701
P: 802.747.1607
F: 802.747.6281
Email: lwilson@rrmc.org


Another process for public participation is to become a Volunteer at Rutland Regional. More than 359 volunteers contributed 51,740 hours of service to Rutland Regional in Fiscal Year 2008.

For more information on volunteering contact:

Rutland Regional Medical Center
Georgia Bergen, Director of Volunteer Services
160 Allen Street
Rutland, VT 05701
P: 802.747.3857
gbergen@rrmc.org