SVMC’s Renal Dialysis Unit Earns 5-Star Rating

Bennington, VT—May 16, 2023—For the third time, the Renal Dialysis Unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), has earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The CMS Stars Program is designed to help patients understand differences in the quality of services being provided by different dialysis centers. Having earned the highest rating possible in its most recent review, SVMC’s Renal Dialysis Department has the unique distinction of being the only 5-star renal program in the state of Vermont and is proudly in the elite top 10% of facilities nationwide to earn a 5-star rating.

According to the CMS website, the rating system allows consumers to compare dialysis facilities based on measurements related to five key performance areas. These include: 

- Avoiding deaths, hospitalizations, & hospital readmissions 

- Avoiding unnecessary transfusions 

- Using the most effective access to the bloodstream 

- Removing waste from blood 

- Keeping a patient’s bone mineral levels in balance

The rating also incorporates key aspects of the patient experience. Using patient surveys conducted twice a year, captures feedback from patients who have gotten hemodialysis in their current facility for 3 months or longer. Survey questions focuses on topics that are important to patients, like how well their kidney doctors and dialysis facility staff communicate with them. 

Ruth Rudnick, the Director of Renal Services says, “As a Magnet hospital, we are in the privileged position of having access to the tools, talent, and systems essential to running a top-notch dialysis program. The rating reflects the best practices that we live by and the longstanding support that our health care system leaders since we first opened in 2000. Their commitment to and investment in our education and training allows us to maintain an excellent team of technicians and nurses who always prioritize the care and comfort of our patients.”

Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVMC’s chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services, adds, “We are deeply proud of all that this hardworking team has accomplished for their patients. They have a long history of constant improvement on behalf of patients, which adds up over years to unparalleled excellence.”

The Renal Dialysis Department is made up of 18 staff members. Together, they can provide dialysis care to 54 patients over 6 days each week.

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About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, healthcare system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. In addition, SVMC is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. The health system is fortunate to have the support of platinum-level corporate sponsor Mack, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts based in Arlington, VT.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.