The University of Vermont Medical Center has been recognized as a top 20 academic hospital for its quality and accountability, and as a top 10 academic hospital for ambulatory care and supply chain management.
The University HealthSystem Consortium released its 2015 Quality and Accountability Study this month, ranking UVM Medical Center No. 16 out of 104. That means 2015 is the fifth year in a row that the hospital has been in the top 20.
The consortium, or UHC, is an alliance of about 120 academic medical centers in the U.S., including names like the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Minnesota, Emory University Hospital in Atlanta and Tufts Medical Center in Boston. A total of 104 institutions participated in the study.
The UHC’s Quality and Accountability Study is meant to rank the consortium’s members so they can improve their organizations, according to the UHC’s website. The evaluated criteria are collaboration, a shared sense of purpose, a hands-on leadership style, vertical and horizontal accountability, and a focus on results.
Eileen Whalen, president and chief operating officer of UVM Medical Center, said in a statement that the hospital’s high rankings are “due to the relentless efforts our team makes to provide the best possible care for every patient every single time.”
In two separate studies, UVM Medical Center ranked No. 8 for ambulatory care, or outpatient treatment, and No. 2 for supply chain performance. The hospital has consistently ranked No. 2 or higher in supply chain performance since 2012.
Supply chain management is how UVM Medical Center buys and distributes its goods in an efficient way and at the lowest possible cost. The hospital network, which is the largest in the state, credits supply chain management as a way to control rising health care costs.
Over the past three years, the University of Vermont Health Network, which includes UVM Medical Center, has saved $33 million on supplies, services, and buying equipment, according to a news release.
Charlie Miceli, vice president and chief supply chain officer for the University of Vermont Health Network, called the No. 2 ranking in supply chain management “the highest recognition a university hospital can achieve.”
