FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2023 Contact: Hillary Wolfley, Associate Director (802) 262-1304 hillaryw@vpqhc.org
MONTPELIER, VT — Vermont has the highest rate of suicide death in New England, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for Vermonters under the age of 44. Suicide related emergency department (ED) visits are on the rise. Research has shown that nearly half of individuals who die by suicide have visited an ED within the previous year.
The Vermont Suicide Prevention in Emergency Departments Quality Improvement Initiative, led by The Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Inc. (VPQHC), has entered into its second year following a successful pilot in 2022. The current project is focused on working with hospitals to ensure their suicide care pathways in the ED align with evidence-based best practice. This voluntary initiative, which all Vermont acute care hospitals have enrolled in, runs from May 2023 – December 2023, and will support hospitals with access to experts in suicide care, coaching, tools, onsite mock surveys, incentive payments, and educational stipends. Hospitals will meet to share information and collaborate with the aim of improving care for patients experiencing suicidality.
“The Vermont Department of Health greatly appreciates the opportunity to partner with VPQHC to support improvements in emergency care for Vermonters at risk for suicide, and we commend the participating hospitals for stepping up and engaging in this work, despite the numerous pressures they face day-to-day” said Nick Nichols, Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator, Vermont Department of Health.
“EDs are well-known to be hotspots for individuals with suicide risk. It is so important for best practice to be followed when it comes to screening, assessing, and treating that risk,” said Dr. Ed Boudreaux, clinical health psychologist and Professor of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. “When best practice isn’t followed, it can lead to avoidable injuries and death. This affects not only the suicidal individual but the people who love them and the communities they live in. It is literally a matter of life and death, which is why this initiative is so important. Changing how healthcare systems work is really challenging, yet each enrolled site is doing just that. They are working hard to make sure these vulnerable patients are accurately identified and get the life-saving resources they need.”
“Hospital emergency departments are an entry point for care for many Vermonters and that is why we are so pleased to be part of this effort to better equip them with the resources and tools necessary to serve patients with suicidality,” said Michael Del Trecco from VAHHS, the association that represents Vermont’s non-profit hospitals. “We are grateful to VPQHC for offering this program to hospitals and know that it is improving care for those in need.”
Infinite thank you to funders supporting this work: The Four Pines Fund, The Vermont Department of Health, The State Office of Rural Health, and The Vermont Community Foundation.
All Vermont acute care hospitals are participating in this initiative:
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital
Copley Hospital
Grace Cottage Hospital
Gifford Medical Center
Mt. Ascutney Hospital & Health Center
North Country Hospital
Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Northwestern Medical Center
Rutland Regional Medical Center
Springfield Hospital
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – University of Vermont Medical Center
About VPQHC
The Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization designated by the Vermont Legislature in 1988 as an independent, non-regulatory, peer review committee. Leveraging its expertise in facilitating productive change and quality improvement, VPQHC bridges the gap from the start of needed health care reform to organized processes, enhanced methods, and state-of-the-art tools that result in better health care experiences and outcomes for all Vermonters.