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If You Have a Complaint...Summary of Complaint Process
The uniform format of the report card calls for a description of the hospital complaint process, including how to register a complaint. Any patient or family member may express a complaint by speaking with any member of the NMC staff or by writing to NMC’s Chief Executive Officer or any member of the NMC staff. (Unless specifically requested, a patient issue is not a complaint if the patient issue can be resolved promptly, on the spot by staff present.) All complaints will be thoroughly investigated without compromising a patient’s future access to care. The complainant will receive a written acknowledgement of the receipt of their complaint within 3 days and a written response of the completion or status of the matter within 30 days.
When a complaint has been received at NMC, the complaint recipient will complete a complaint form to begin the process of complaint resolution. The complaint form and any accompanying documentation (written letter, etc.) will be forwarded to the appropriate department manager or a member of the Leadership Team.
Once received by a department manager or Leadership Team member, the complaint is reviewed to determine if the complaint is regarding care or service by a specific physician. If so, the complaint is forwarded to the Process Improvement Specialist, who ensures that the appropriate Medical Staff review process investigates the complaint.
If the complaint does not involve a physician, the department manager or Leadership Team member completes the investigation and determines an appropriate resolution. Within 30 days of receipt, the complainant will receive a status update or a resolution of their complaint in writing. This written documentation is also forwarded to the Process Improvement Specialist.
The Process Improvement Specialist tracks all complaints (physician-related and other) by classification type to determine if a process review is necessary, either because of the nature of the complaint, or if a trend has emerged. The classification type is determined by using a modification of the “Picker Dimensions of Quality”. If necessary, formal process review will be initiated by the Director of Process Improvement.
The Process Improvement Specialist submits a monthly report to the hospital’s Board of Directors Quality Assurance Committee, which reviews all complaints and their resolutions.
Patient Complaint Contact Information:
For more information on the Patient Complaint Process, please contact:
Peter Hofstetter
Chief Executive Officer
NMC, PO Box 1370, St. Albans, VT 05478
Telephone: (802) 524-1041
Fax: (802) 524-1088
phofstetter@nmcinc.org
Additional Complaint Contact Information:
For individuals who wish to express a complaint regarding Northwestern Medical Center to someone outside Northwestern Medical Center, that individual should contact:
Agency of Human Services
Division of Licensing and Protection
Ladd Hall
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, Vermont 05671
1-800-564-1612
Vermont Board of Medical Practice
Or
Vermont Department of Health
Hospital Licensing
108 Cherry Street
PO Box 70
Burlington, Vermont 05402
1-800-745-7371
Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
1-800-994-6610
complaint@jointcommission.org
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