Patient Safety | Vermont Department of Health CLOSE Translations for you Patient Safety Hospitals & Health Systems Health Care Quality Improvement Initiatives Hospital Report Cards Patient Safety Rural Health Capital Resources Promoting Interoperability Program Rural Health Resources Rural Hospital Sustainability Resources The goal of the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System (PSSIS) is to improve patient safety during hospitalizations. The Vermont Department of Health is charged by statute to operate the PSSIS, and contracts with the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care (VPQHC) to administer the current program. Reporting Forms Causal Analysis and Corrective Action Plan Intentional Unsafe Act Serious Reportable Adverse Event Key Components of the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System (PSSIS) Internal Hospital Procedures Each Vermont hospital must: Establish internal policies and procedures to identify, track and analyze all adverse events and near misses Conduct appropriate causal analysis Develop and implement corrective action plans External Reporting Each Vermont hospital must report to the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System incidences of any of the National Quality Forum’s serious reportable events and for each event: Conduct an appropriate causal analysis Develop and implement a corrective action plan File the causal analysis and corrective action plan with the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System Report any incidence of intentional unsafe acts A yearly summary report of Vermont Hospital's Serious Reportable Events can be found in the annual Hospital Report Card Confidentiality of Information The Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System is designed to improve patient safety. As provided for in 18 V.S.A. §1917, all information made available to the Department of Health through the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System is: Confidential and privileged Exempt from the public access to records law Immune from subpoena or other disclosure and not subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil or administrative action against a provider of professional health services System Administration and Legislative Authority The Intentional Unsafe Act provisions of the Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System became effective on July 1, 2006, and the remaining provisions on January 1, 2008. Final Rule - Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System National Quality Forum: Serious Reportable Events Vermont Statutes: Patient Safety Surveillance and Improvement System (18 V.S.A. Chapter 43A) Report Abuse or File a Complaint To report abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult or to enter a complaint against a facility or agency that provides health care, please contact the Division of Licensing and Protection: Division of Licensing and Protection : Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living Phone: 800-564-1612 or 802-241-3918 REPORT ONLINE: Abuse Reporting Online Form OR visit the Division of Licensing and Protection to access the online form and more information. Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Inc. - For Hospital Quality and Compliance 802-229-2152 Vermont Department of Health - For further information about this program and information on this page Margaret Robinson, Public Health Nursing Director [email protected] Topics: Hospitals Quality Improvement October 3, 2025