Process For Public Participation
Springfield Hospital’s planning process is participative and incorporates ongoing public input regarding community health care, hospital services, and new opportunities, utilizing information from various sources, including:
Public input is invited at any time, through our website, e-mail or regular mail. Our most recent initiative includes running an ad in local papers encouraging ongoing public participation and directing readers to our community needs assessment questionnaire on the www.springfieldhospital.org home page. This invitation will also be included in future newsletter communications and public presentations.
Ongoing patient satisfaction information is received through Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Surveys to monitor quality and services and help us throughout our planning process.
Community participation and presentations to local organizations including Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, local senior groups, and various community gatherings offer a venue for ongoing public comment. Participation in planning and partnership with local boards, community services, and membership organizations, including Vermont’s Blueprint For Health, emergency planning, career/education, and youth and elderly services, also provides ongoing opportunity for input from community sources.
Our Board of Directors and Corporators provide ongoing participation through local representation. As a small community hospital, these representatives regularly interact with community members and are available to answer questions or hear concerns.
Our volunteer network - whose annual participation of over 12,000 volunteer hours creates opportunities for patient interaction and community outreach activities.
Public meetings - In addition to our Annual Meeting, Springfield Hospital hosts other events and meetings throughout the year that allow members of our community to be directly involved in our work.
Public comment was solicited at our Community Needs Assessment (CNA) update meeting held on Monday, September 18, 2007 at 5:30 pm. We reviewed our CNA with guests and public input was invited. A follow up community meeting will be held prior to September 30, 2008. The date will be publicly announced giving the public proper advance notice and opportunity to provide input or attend.
The Planning Process
Our annual planning process integrates feedback and priorities identified internally and externally from brainstorming and collaboration with our managers and staff, our medical staff, and our board members and corporators. Through this process, needs are identified, reviewed, and prioritized; and action plans are developed.
Community Report Update
Health improvement priorities previously identified through the needs assessment process include:
1) Decrease obesity;
2) Decrease substance abuse rates (adult binge drinking and youth substance abuse); and,
3) Decrease mental illness (depression) among adults and youth.
Obesity:
In response to these identified needs, Springfield Hospital continues to work with several area agencies to initiate and encourage exercise and improve health. These include walking programs; recreation, exercise and fitness; improved education regarding diet and nutrition through physician offices and our website. We helped educate the community about overall health and fitness by hosting a community health challenge and we are an annual co-sponsor for a local walk/run event that encourages exercise. We are developing an overall wellness program to help provide the public tools they need to improve their health through healthy lifestyle choices and self-management.
Mental Health & Substance Abuse:
Springfield Hospital is improving access to mental health services throughout its primary care network. Ongoing community outreach through information and education efforts help the public identify problems and seek help. Community awareness and education efforts to date include the following topics:
• Co-occurring Disorders
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Depression
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Buprenorphine Therapy
• Opioid Dependence and Suboxone treatment
New Strategic Initiatives
Chronic Pain Clinic
There is growing need for increased services for those who suffer with chronic pain. While in preliminary planning stages, available services have been identified and plans to develop an infrastructure for pain management are in progress, including reviewing existing programs in Vermont. An important first step to serving patients with chronic pain will be education and training for all disciplines caring for patients, ensuring they are fully-aware of the range of available services within the continuum of care.
Breast Care Center
Creating a comprehensive breast care center was identified as central to meeting an important need for women's health care services. Efforts were placed on coordinating existing services and adding new services, including:
• Stereotactic needle biopsies
• Sentinel node biopsies
• Multi-disciplinary clinic and approach to care
• Support for patients
• Case conferences
The Breast Care Center at Springfield Hospital was launched in September 2007 providing a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary care team and a Certified Breast Care Navigator to provide personal guidance and support during patient care.
Recruitment and Retention
Ensuring a highly-skilled staff to meet the health care needs of our communities was identified as a key priority in our planning process. As supply and demand places extraordinary pressure on our ability to meet our staffing needs, it has become imperative that we take a pro-active approach to planning for future staffing needs. A team has been established and review of recruitment and retention policies is in progress.
For More Information
Anyone interested in learning more about opportunities to become involved in our organization as a volunteer may call our volunteer services department at 802-885-7647.
Information about other public meetings, upcoming events, or copies of the Annual Report, strategic plan, one- and four-year capital expenditure plan, and a depreciation schedule for existing facilities can be obtained by contacting:
Thomas Crawford, MBA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Springfield Hospital
25 Ridgewood Road
Springfield, VT 05156
Email: tcrawford@springfieldhospital.org
Telephone: 802-885-7600
FAX: 802-885-7357
Process For Public Participation
Springfield Hospital’s planning process is participative and incorporates ongoing public input regarding community health care, hospital services, and new opportunities, utilizing information from various sources, including:
Public input is invited at any time, through our website, e-mail or regular mail. Our most recent initiative includes running an ad in local papers encouraging ongoing public participation and directing readers to our community needs assessment questionnaire on the www.springfieldhospital.org home page. This invitation will also be included in future newsletter communications and public presentations.
Ongoing patient satisfaction information is received through Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Surveys to monitor quality and services and help us throughout our planning process.
Community participation and presentations to local organizations including Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, local senior groups, and various community gatherings offer a venue for ongoing public comment. Participation in planning and partnership with local boards, community services, and membership organizations, including Vermont’s Blueprint For Health, emergency planning, career/education, and youth and elderly services, also provides ongoing opportunity for input from community sources.
Our Board of Directors and Corporators provide ongoing participation through local representation. As a small community hospital, these representatives regularly interact with community members and are available to answer questions or hear concerns.
Our volunteer network - whose annual participation of over 12,000 volunteer hours creates opportunities for patient interaction and community outreach activities.
Public meetings - In addition to our Annual Meeting, Springfield Hospital hosts other events and meetings throughout the year that allow members of our community to be directly involved in our work.
Public comment was solicited at our Community Needs Assessment (CNA) update meeting held on Monday, September 18, 2007 at 5:30 pm. We reviewed our CNA with guests and public input was invited. A follow up community meeting will be held prior to September 30, 2008. The date will be publicly announced giving the public proper advance notice and opportunity to provide input or attend.
The Planning Process
Our annual planning process integrates feedback and priorities identified internally and externally from brainstorming and collaboration with our managers and staff, our medical staff, and our board members and corporators. Through this process, needs are identified, reviewed, and prioritized; and action plans are developed.
Community Report Update
Health improvement priorities previously identified through the needs assessment process include:
1) Decrease obesity;
2) Decrease substance abuse rates (adult binge drinking and youth substance abuse); and,
3) Decrease mental illness (depression) among adults and youth.
Obesity:
In response to these identified needs, Springfield Hospital continues to work with several area agencies to initiate and encourage exercise and improve health. These include walking programs; recreation, exercise and fitness; improved education regarding diet and nutrition through physician offices and our website. We helped educate the community about overall health and fitness by hosting a community health challenge and we are an annual co-sponsor for a local walk/run event that encourages exercise. We are developing an overall wellness program to help provide the public tools they need to improve their health through healthy lifestyle choices and self-management.
Mental Health & Substance Abuse:
Springfield Hospital is improving access to mental health services throughout its primary care network. Ongoing community outreach through information and education efforts help the public identify problems and seek help. Community awareness and education efforts to date include the following topics:
• Co-occurring Disorders
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Depression
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Buprenorphine Therapy
• Opioid Dependence and Suboxone treatment
New Strategic Initiatives
Chronic Pain Clinic
There is growing need for increased services for those who suffer with chronic pain. While in preliminary planning stages, available services have been identified and plans to develop an infrastructure for pain management are in progress, including reviewing existing programs in Vermont. An important first step to serving patients with chronic pain will be education and training for all disciplines caring for patients, ensuring they are fully-aware of the range of available services within the continuum of care.
Breast Care Center
Creating a comprehensive breast care center was identified as central to meeting an important need for women's health care services. Efforts were placed on coordinating existing services and adding new services, including:
• Stereotactic needle biopsies
• Sentinel node biopsies
• Multi-disciplinary clinic and approach to care
• Support for patients
• Case conferences
The Breast Care Center at Springfield Hospital was launched in September 2007 providing a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary care team and a Certified Breast Care Navigator to provide personal guidance and support during patient care.
Recruitment and Retention
Ensuring a highly-skilled staff to meet the health care needs of our communities was identified as a key priority in our planning process. As supply and demand places extraordinary pressure on our ability to meet our staffing needs, it has become imperative that we take a pro-active approach to planning for future staffing needs. A team has been established and review of recruitment and retention policies is in progress.
For More Information
Anyone interested in learning more about opportunities to become involved in our organization as a volunteer may call our volunteer services department at 802-885-7647.
Information about other public meetings, upcoming events, or copies of the Annual Report, strategic plan, one- and four-year capital expenditure plan, and a depreciation schedule for existing facilities can be obtained by contacting:
Thomas Crawford, MBA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Springfield Hospital
25 Ridgewood Road
Springfield, VT 05156
Email: tcrawford@springfieldhospital.org
Telephone: 802-885-7600
FAX: 802-885-7357