A Message from the President and Chief Executive Officer

Among the many investments The William W. Backus Hospital makes on behalf of our community, focused attention on four areas has created great outcomes.

During the past year, Backus demonstrated its continued commitment to these cornerstone principles: Quality. Technology.Services. Partnerships. This is a total  team effort, requiring the dedication and expertise of every one of the 2,500 men and women who wear a Backus badge. I am proud to be part of that team, and even more proud that our community has demonstrably benefited from their efforts.

In the pages that follow, we will highlight in greater detail your hospital’s efforts and performance, highlighting not only the accomplishments of 2008, but — more importantly — their impact on eastern Connecticut.

I am honored to share with you a brief overview of each of these four key areas:

QUALITY

We start here because it is the basis of what Backus stands for, the reason we exist. In fact, “high-quality healthcare” is the root of our mission statement. This commitment to quality includes an intense focus on patient safety, high patient satisfaction, and top performance on rigorous external reviews.

Investments this past year have demonstrated this commitment.

TECHNOLOGY

Quality healthcare requires the most sophisticated tools — and the very best, highly trained people to use them. Backus is a proven leader in researching and acquiring the best technology to improve our patients’ health, and this past year has been no exception.

• Technological advances during 2008 have included a 64-slice computerized tomography (CT) scanner. This amazing imaging tool can produce up to 2,500 detailed images of any organ in a matter of seconds, allowing radiologists to diagnose patients faster and more accurately.
• We have begun a complete automation of our laboratory. This system will be able to perform dozens of tests on a single patient’s sample, and locate any sample among hundreds. This will help doctors get better and faster results — and improve patient safety.
• After research and planning, Backus Hospital purchased a da Vinci surgical robot. This exciting technology allows our specially trained surgeons to perform even the most detailed surgical procedures with more precision, less invasively. This can reduce pain and infection risk, and lead to faster recoveries.

There is no doubt: at Backus, trained hands and leading-edge technology are making an impact.

SERVICES

At its core, Backus Hospital is a service organization. Patient-centered care must include health education, prevention programs and personalized treatment. Compassionate and informed caregivers provide a truly personal touch to patients and their loved ones in every healthcare circumstance. Providing that one-to-one care is an investment that sets Backus apart.

• This past year, we launched the region’s first Breast Health Patient Navigator Program, providing guidance for women who have received news of an abnormal mammogram.
• We created Backus Home Health Care, whose nurses, rehabilitation therapists, medical social workers, home health aides and homemakers provide care at patients’ homes.
• We established inpatient palliative care and stroke programs to address the needs of these specific patient populations.

These and other Backus programs are having an impact on our community’s health.

PARTNERSHIPS

No single organization, regardless of its size and scope, can meet all the healthrelated needs of our changing region.

In addition to proud partnerships with our Medical Staff and internal relationships with CONNCare and Backus Home Health Care, we are privileged to have many external partners. We are proud and privileged to count among them:

• Hospice Southeastern Connecticut, which provides comprehensive and compassionate end-of life care.
• United Community & Family Services, which works with us to offer free insurance eligibility screenings and medication assistance to uninsured patients seeking care in our Emergency Department.
• DaVita, which provides outpatient dialysis services next door to our Backus Outpatient Care Center.
• And other partners too numerous to mention with whom Backus works to improve health physically and mentally, and the wellbeing of the young and old.

These mutual investments in our common mission are making eastern Connecticut a healthier place to live, work and do business. That’s what impact is all about.

People are at the heart of our mission — the people we serve, and those who provide our services. It is my honor to work with a committed team of professionals in every area of our hospital, on campus and off. This is what we mean when we speak of “Team Backus.”

That team is visible in our patient rooms and outpatient facilities; or working behind the scenes in places like Information Systems and Financial Services. They are keeping our patients educated and informed, our hospital grounds and facilities maintained, our services running effectively. In all, Team Backus comprises nearly 2,500 individuals — employees, Medical Staff, volunteers and Auxiliary.

You can get a sense of their dedication and pride in Backus Hospital at events both celebratory (such as Cancer Survivors Day and our Employee Recognition Dinner) and solemn (our first memorial Physicians Tribute or Remembrance Day). When the Backus Nurses Alumnae Association marked its 100th anniversary this past year, graduates of our former nursing school traveled across the country to visit their hospital, and they marveled at its growth and status in the community.

I am so honored to be part of this talented and hardworking team. This dedicated group makes the difficult possible. I am proud to report that even in these turbulent financial times, Backus Hospital has again achieved a positive operating margin. That is a fitting measure of our teamwork — and necessary to our commitment to make future investments in quality, technology, services and partnerships.

Thomas P.Pipicelli
President and Chief Executive Officer