Hospital Report Card – Complaint Process

Description of Hospital Complaint Process

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital maintains a system to track, trend and respond to patient comments, complaints and grievances to support the hospital mission of quality health services, maintain patient rights and to reduce the risk of loss. The Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing, serves as an intermediary between the patient, the healthcare provider and the healthcare system and provides a specific channel through which patients and families can seek solutions to problems, concerns and unmet needs. He or she enables patients and families to obtain solutions to problems by acting in their behalf with administration or any department to improve care and service. As the institution’s direct representative, the Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing interprets its philosophy, policies, procedures and services to patients, their families and visitors. The Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing acts in response to patient grievances as per the Patient Bill of Rights. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will cooperate with any investigations made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and will not threaten, intimidate or retaliate against any individual filing a complaint.

If you have a problem or complaint:

1. If during your stay at the hospital, or for any services rendered as an outpatient, you have a problem of any kind that is not dealt with to your satisfaction, after discussion with your attending physician or nurse, please feel free to contact the Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing who can be reached by calling 1-802-257-8244.
2. The Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing investigates and responds to complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction about care and problems experienced by patients, and acts as an intermediary to hospital administration on behalf of patients and their families. When it is necessary to research a problem, he or she keeps patients informed of the progress being made.
3. If you have a complaint about rights or any other issue, the healthcare provider will try to resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, or if the issue or concern is beyond the scope of the healthcare provider, the Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing will be notified. If the issue cannot be settled satisfactorily, the patient has a right to file a written grievance.
4. The Director of Risk Management, Safety, Credentialing will render a written decision in response to the grievance within 2 weeks. The decision will contain the steps taken to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process, the date of completion, and the name of the person to whom the decision may be appealed.
5. If the grievance is not resolved, the patient/family may submit it to the Vice President of the area of concern within one week of the response. Issues concerning quality of care or premature discharge will be referred to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The CMO will conduct an investigation and render a written decision within one week. The written notice will contain the steps taken to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process, the date of completion and the name of the person to whom the patient/family may appeal the decision.
6. If the grievance is not resolved, the patient/family may submit it to the President within one week of the response. The President or designee’s decision will be final. The written notice will be rendered within one week and will contain the steps taken on behalf of the patient/family to investigate the grievance and the decision.
7. The patient/family will be advised that they may contact the following agencies if they feel it is necessary to discuss the complaint with someone outside the hospital:

• Vermont Board of Health, Vermont Department of Health,
  PO Box 70, Burlington, Vermont 05402
  Telephone: 1-800-464-4343 ext 7273 or 863-7273
• Vermont Board of Medical Practice,
  109 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont, 05609
  Telephone: 1-800-439-8683 or 828-2673
• Department of Aging and Disability, Division of Licensing and Protection,
  103 South Main-Street,
  Waterbury, Vermont 05671
  Telephone: 241-2345, 1-800-564-1612, Fax: 241-2358
• Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services,
  200 Independence Ave. S. W.
  Washington, DC 20201