Fletcher Allen Partners and The University of Vermont announced today that Fletcher Allen Partners will be changing its name to The University of Vermont Health Network. As part of the brand strategy approved by the Fletcher Allen Partners and University of Vermont boards, and Fletcher Allen Health Care's board, Fletcher Allen Health Care will be renamed The University of Vermont Medical Center. CVPH Medical Center will adopt the name "Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital" and will use that name together with "The University of Vermont Health Network" in all communications to express its participation in the Network. Central Vermont Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital will use their names with "The University of Vermont Health Network" in the same manner to express their affiliation in all communications. The change is planned to take effect this fall.

Improving care to the region

"This new name reflects our teamwork – today and for the months and years to come," said John Brumsted, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Fletcher Allen Partners and Fletcher Allen Health Care. "For the past two years our hospitals have been enhancing quality of care through collaboration, saving millions in supply chain costs, and making the tough but important decisions about which services we should offer at which locations to best serve our patients. Identifying ourselves as The University of Vermont Health Network emphasizes our academic core and signals that we are working together to provide seamless, high-quality care to the people of our communities, no matter where patients go for services within our network."

Fostering the academic mission

"The University of Vermont Health Network name also fosters the academic mission across the system," Brumsted noted. "With an integrated health care system, we have an opportunity to train the next generation of physicians, nurses and other providers in a clinical environment of the future – one that emphasizes coordination and integration – and to provide expanded opportunities and access for clinical research."

"This collective decision will enhance the local, regional and national reputations and quality of all of the entities that will bear The University of Vermont name, and makes more visible to the general public and to patients the important work that the university and these hospitals are doing together," said Tom Sullivan, president of the University of Vermont. "This initiative will signal clearly to people in the region that they have access to a very high-quality health network aligned with one of the top ten academic medical centers in the country, which has a continuing strong commitment to providing exceptional patient care and effectively controlling costs."

Thoughtful process

"This has been a thoughtful, inclusive process," said Tom Robbins, chair of the Fletcher Allen Partners Board of Trustees. "More than a year has been devoted to working with key constituencies to build a brand that best reflects our network's goals and vision."

Name changes within the network

Fletcher Allen Health Care will be renamed The University of Vermont Medical Center. Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, Central Vermont Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital will add "The University of Vermont Health Network" to their names to clearly signal to people in the region that they are part of an academic health network, aligned with one of the top 10 academic medical centers in the country.

A name that clearly identifies the network and the institutions that are part of the network will make it easy for patients to identify health care organizations affiliated with The University of Vermont. Branding research has shown that when people are aware of a strong university connection, they hold their hospital in even higher regard and are more likely to recommend their hospital to others for their care, helping to keep care close to home.

Benefits of collaboration

"The integration of our cardiac services is a shining example of what the network can accomplish," said Stephens Mundy, president and CEO of CVPH Medical Center and executive vice president for Northern New York, Fletcher Allen Partners. "This kind of collaboration is also helping to develop a family practice residency program which we expect will have a tremendous impact on access to health care in the future. Our organization's new name symbolizes a commitment to this partnership and our future while keeping in mind our long and proud history in this region."

"Central Vermont Medical Center has worked closely with the Jeffords Institute at Fletcher Allen Health Care to assist us to be prepared for quality audits by the Joint Commission and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services," said Judy Tartaglia, president and chief executive officer of Central Vermont Medical Center and executive vice president for Vermont, Fletcher Allen Partners. "Our philosophy is to be prepared every day in every department. Through the network, the resources of Fletcher Allen have supported CVMC by working with management and staff to ensure that each person is equipped to let the good work they do every day shine through."

"The hospitals' long-standing relationships are reinforced through this new visual identity," said Rod Boula, administrator and CEO of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. "Continuity of care is incredibly important to patients – from the community-based primary care centers owned by ECH to the advanced care available at Fletcher Allen Health Care. The affiliation among all hospitals in the network, along with The University of Vermont, is now reflected in the name and visual representation of each network affiliate. Patients will understand that they are entering a network facility whenever they see that new logo – no matter which facility they visit."

Key milestones to date

Since Fletcher Allen Partners was founded in October of 2011, it has:

• Integrated Fletcher Allen's Jeffords Institute for Quality and Operational Effectiveness throughout the four-hospital network. The Jeffords institute focuses on continuous quality improvement and patient safety in health care.
• Saved the affiliated hospitals in excess of $5 million in supply chain purchases.
• Aligned cardiovascular care by redirecting patients in Northern New York who require invasive cardiology services to CVPH Medical Center. A number of these patients had been traveling to Burlington for this care. At the same time, heart surgery that had been provided at both institutions was consolidated into one program at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
• Initiated planning to establish a Family Medicine residency program to be based at CVPH Medical Center starting in 2016. An OB/GYN medical student clerkship will also be established here.
• Psychiatric medical student clerkship has been established at CVMC.
• Incorporation of specialists at both CVMC and CVPH Medical Center into the University of Vermont Medical Group.

Implementation and timing

In the coming weeks, Fletcher Allen will be making corporate filings with the Vermont Secretary of State and obtaining necessary approvals from the New York State Education Department and the New York State Department of Health. Once the name change has received approval, a phased rollout of the new brand will begin. This rollout is anticipated to start late this fall and take approximately 12-18 months.

About Fletcher Allen partners

Fletcher Allen Partners includes four hospital organizations: Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, VT; Central Vermont Medical Center, Barre, VT; CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, NY and Elizabethtown Community Hospital, Elizabethtown, NY. Through Fletcher Allen Health Care, Fletcher Allen Partners is in alliance with The University of Vermont, forming Vermont's academic medical center. Fletcher Allen Partners was established in January 2012 to develop a more coordinated system of care throughout the region. Its mission is to improve access to high quality, effective care close to home. For more information about Fletcher Allen Partners, please go to www.fletcherallenpartners.org.