The American Hospital Association selected Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington as its 2020 recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Award Jan. 19.
SVMC was awarded for its transitional care model strategy that used the hospital's nursing workforce to keep older adults out of the hospital, reduce readmissions and deliver the right care in the right setting. As part of the strategy, transitional care nurses partnered with primary providers and spent time in multiple settings such as medical practices and in patient homes.
The AHA also recognized Titusville (Pa.) Area Hospital as a finalist for responding to poor patient satisfaction regarding long "door-to-doctor" emergency room wait times. The hospital reduced its average median time of transport to 13 minutes by the end of 2017. It was previously 46 minutes.
To read the full award descriptions, click here.