Annual Report 2004
United in Our Vision

As A Hospital Board Member and President of Three Rivers Community College, it is an honor to be a part of Backus Hospital’s vision for the future.

- Grace S. Jones, Phd, President Of Three Rivers Community College

The Backus vision includes being financially strong enough to be one of New England’s most progressive community hospitals. To be financially strong and progressive means not standing still and admiring the status of things today.

Whether in my role as community college president or Hospital Board member, I am always looking forward to the tomorrows — five years from now, twenty years from now. Having the vision and the foresight to plan and decide in making the right investments at the right time is paramount. Forging crucial partnerships to support common goals is critical. Bridging these relationships strengthens the fiber and reduces the risk in this rapidly changing world of healthcare and education.

The partnership that has developed between Backus Hospital and Three Rivers Community College is a great example of how two organizations can achieve mutual goals. There is a nationwide nursing shortage, so Three Rivers is committed to growing the nursing profession by increasing the number of students who are admitted and who graduate. Backus needs and wants the best nurses possible — workforce development is crucial to meeting the patient demands of the future, and ultimately to its financial strength.

With the support of funds from the Backus Foundation, we are addressing student retention and faculty development. Together, we are ensuring that today’s Three Rivers nursing students can be part of tomorrow’s patient care team at Backus.

We could not admit the number of students we have over the past few years if not for the enlisting of Backus Hospital’s master’s-prepared nurses to serve as adjunct clinical faculty to our students. Our students profit from the supervision of persons whose full-time experience is in the Hospital setting.

I believe the work — the partnerships — brought together between Backus and Three Rivers will serve as a model for other colleges in the state. I look forward to continuing this partnership.

Our futures depend on it.