Annual Report 2004
United in Our Vision

The William W. Backus Hospital has a vision to be one of New England’s most progressive community Hospitals.

As I complete my term as President of the Backus Medical Staff, I am proud to say that all of our 271 physicians play an integral role in making this vision a reality– every day we strive to make Backus a place where patients can turn to for compassionate, skilled healthcare.

I am privileged to represent the interests of a diverse team of skilled medical professionals who work hard to provide the latest healthcare services for our patients, while being careful not to lose sight of the fact that superior technology will never replace compassion in healthcare – both are integral parts of the patient experience.

In an era of increasing financial, regulatory, and medico-legal challenges for both physicians and hospitals, our Hospital and physicians are working together to provide only the best, safest care for patients. Our futures depend on it.

Looking to the future, the Hospital is assessing several new opportunities to provide quality patient care in the next few years, and members of the Medical Staff will be very involved in the planning and implementation of these advances.

The Hospital’s Strategic Plan calls for ambitious expansions of patient care areas in the Emergency Department, Surgical Services, and the E-wing patient care units. We anxiously await these upgrades, and our opportunity to provide input on how we can best maximize the benefits to patient care for years to come.

Our Hospital and physicians are constantly examining how we can integrate the latest medical advances in our community Hospital, and in a timely manner, to benefit our patients, which is no small task considering how rapidly the field of medicine is changing. What is up-to-date today can be obsolete tomorrow. We must remain at the forefront of these changes.

For example, Backus Hospital’s Cancer Services program in September was approved as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program. This was a very significant achievement that shows we deliver high quality cancer care close to home for eastern Connecticut residents. This approval was not simply a re-accreditation. It was an upgrade that shows our cancer program is among the elite of community hospitals nationwide. It is a testament to the cooperation between our surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, oncology certified nurses, dietitians and many others.

Working together with the latest technology was not just limited to the oncology field. Physicians, surgeons and radiologists all reaped the benefits of the 16-Slice CT Scanner, a diagnostic tool the Hospital added in March, making Backus the only Hospital in eastern Connecticut with these non-invasive, 3-D imaging capabilities.

As we all became comfortable with this equipment, we worked together on patient care strategies that are usually reserved for larger, teaching hospitals. For example, surgeons and radiologists now work hand in hand on carotid artery stents, a minimally invasive, potentially lifesaving procedure for people with clogged blood vessels who are too high risk for the anesthesia required for traditional surgery. The 16-Slice CT Scanner provides images that allow them to conduct the procedures with pinpoint accuracy.

We all know that the expanding role of technology in the healthcare field is inevitable. Computers have affected each and every one of us in some way over the past year, and there is no reason to believe that the pace will slow down as we press forward. Medical Staff members are cautiously optimistic that computerized physician order entry will become part of our computerized medical record system. We realize the advantages and safety checks inherent in such a system, but also recognize the growing pains that come with any new method.

While technology is playing more of a role in what we do, it still all comes down to people. I would like to pay special tribute to Larry Coletti, MD, who is retiring after many years of service to our community and to our Hospital. As Chairman of the Division of Surgical Services, he has strived to assure the quality of care at our Hospital, and has become a great personal resource and friend for me.

I would like to specifically thank Dick Finley, Vice President of Legal Affairs, for his friendship and support during my time as president. I would also like to thank the entire Administration team and Board of Trustees for their hard work and genuine concern for the interests of our Medical Staff and patients; W. Gordon Van Nes, MD, the Hospital’s Medical Director; Peter H. Shea, MD, Chairman of the Division of Medical Services and all of our nurses, skilled technicians and other Hospital employees and volunteers who make Backus a place in which physicians and patients can take pride.

David Kalla, MD, Medical Staff President