Description of Hospital Governance

Southern Vermont Health Services Corporation (SVHSC), the parent company of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, is organized for charitable, benevolent, scientific and educational purposes, in particular to support and encourage the development of comprehensive, integrated health care related services for the advancement of the health and well-being of the community, through providing financial, management and other assistance to its affiliates and other organizations and through all other relevant means.

SVHSC has a body of active members, named corporators (all listed below). The corporators consist of business people and community leaders who serve as a link between the hospital and the community. Corporators are invited to the annual meeting, held in December, a major forum for carrying out the corporation's public business, including the election of corporators, directors and secretary of the Corporation. Corporators are provided the opportunity, through programs, planning activities, and committee work to provide input and feedback regarding the corporation’s objectives, its plans and its accomplishments. They have an interest in the hospital’s development as an institution and the achievement of its objectives to meet the healthcare needs of residents of southeastern Vermont and the local tri-state area.

The Board of Directors of SVHSC, the sole member of the hospital, elects officers of the corporation. Thus, officers and directors of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and SVHSC are the same individuals. In addition to the hospital, the development office, and the physician practices of cardiologist Michael Cohan, DO, Brattleboro OB/GYN, Just So Pediatrics and Cornerstone Pediatrics are part of SVHSC.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital with a medical staff and an auxiliary. The presidents of the hospital, medical staff and auxiliary report to the board of directors. Executive staff of the hospital consist of the vice-presidents of patient care services, finance, human resources, professional services (including planning), and quality management services.

Officers of the Corporation

Chairman Jeffrey Morse
Vice Chairman James F. Baker, II
Secretary Kirsten Beske, J.D.
President Barry G. Beeman
Treasurer Michael O. Rogers

Board of Directors

Jeffrey Morse James F. Baker, II Kirsten Beske, J.D.
Nancy Heydinger Richard Carroll, J.D. Carl Lynde
Catherine Coonan Benjamin Taggard John M. Meyer
Peter Gibbons, M.D. Thomas Evans, M.D.
Ex-Officio Burton Tepfer, MD Barry G. Beeman, President

Executives of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital

President/CEO Barry G. Beeman
Vice President, Patient Care Services Katherine R Anderson, RN
Vice President, Finance Michael O. Rogers
Vice President, Human Resources Michael Kelliher
Vice President, Professional Services/Planning Prudence MacKinney
Vice President, Quality Management & Patient Safety Mary Morgan

Medical Staff Officers

President Burt Tepfer, M.D.
Vice President John Bookwalter, M.D.
Secretary/Treasurer Elizabeth McLarney M.D.

Co-Presidents of the Auxiliary
Dana Nelson & Doreen Lincoln

Active & Emeritus Members of the Corporation are listed here.

You are welcome to print out information from the BMH website report, or to request a printed copy, or for more information about this Report Card, you may contact Barbara Gentry, the director of community & public relations at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

Call (802) 257-8316, FAX: (802) 257-8822; e-mail bgentry@bmhvt.org; or write
B. Gentry, BMH, 17 Belmont Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

Summary of Process for Openness and Public Participation

1. The Hospital has and will incorporate public participation in its strategic planning and decision making. The strategic planning process is guided by the SVHSC Planning Committee. The Committee includes 2 community members as well as medical staff, Board members and hospital administration. Information for past strategic plans has included the results of market research in the service area about the need for additional health services, and physicians and the public view of the services BMH offers. Decision making also includes the results of Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys. The next strategic plan, which will be started after the new BMH CEO is hired, will consider the priorities and results of the BMH 2004 Community Health Needs Assessment.

2. Ongoing public comment was solicited through the second public meeting
held on November 9, 2005 on the health needs of the Brattleboro area community. Local citizen Chris Brown facilitated the meeting. BMH and Retreat Healthcare representatives presented the community health needs assessment related activities since the 2004 public meeting. Barry Beeman, BMH President and Rick Palmisano, Retreat Healthcare President discussed new programs at their Hospitals and solicited input on hospital services and on community health needs.

3. The 2006 public meeting on this Community Report and the Community Health Needs Assessment will take place at BMH on September 14, 2006 at 6:00 pm.

The BMH Community Needs Assessment will be updated by March 1, 2007.