Annual Report 2004
United in Our Vision

“Strength” is an important part of Backus Hospital’s vision. Only a strong community hospital can withstand the challenges that are buffeting the healthcare industry. Only a strong hospital can be responsive to growing needs and demands.

For Backus Hospital, that strength begins with a solid commitment to attract and retain the best employees — more than 1,600 clinical and support staff in hundreds of varied roles. It is affirmed through programs and services that are responsive to the community’s needs, and flexible enough to meet new challenges. It is carried out through partnerships with community organizations that share the Hospital’s mission to improve the region’s health. Among these is Three Rivers Community College, which benefits the community through its exceptional nursing program. We thank Three Rivers and its President, Dr. Grace S. Jones, for being such important partners.

Strength means investing in the future, and that is what Backus Hospital has done with its Tuition Loan Forgiveness Program. This initiative, for students pursuing nursing and certain other allied health careers, provides tuition of up to $20,000 for approved courses of study. In return, participants agree to work a designated period of time at the Hospital. For each year worked, a portion of the loan is forgiven.

We are also proud of significant contributions made beyond the Hospital campus — including some innovative programs that create new partnerships to improve our community’s health.

• This past year, Backus Hospital and the Town of Colchester teamed up to offer free healthcare to qualified families. To get the program started in its first year, the Backus Mobile Health Resource Center visits Town Hall, offering height and weight measurements, physicals and regular medical exams, immunizations and testing for lead levels. Norwich Pediatric Group physicians are medical directors for the project, which helps approximately 200 families in Colchester who can’t afford healthcare for their children.

• In Norwich, Backus is helping children get preventative healthcare in schools. The Backus Foundation worked with the state Attorney General to clarify giving restrictions on a fund that would otherwise sit idle. The result: A nearly $400,000 commitment to United Community & Family Services to allow the agency to provide urgently needed dental and behavioral health services to children at Norwich Free Academy, the Integrated Day Charter School, Teachers Memorial and Kelly middle schools. Lack of access to these services meant many of these children would eventually end up in hospital emergency rooms. Providing healthcare today can prevent that.

• The Backus Foundation also awarded $60,000 in community grants to a variety of local organizations — funds that will help provide programs for the uninsured, homeless, adolescent and elderly populations in towns throughout eastern Connecticut.

Of course, financial performance is the single most important measure of a Hospital’s strength. Even in this era of declining reimbursements and increasing costs, Backus again achieved a positive operating margin. (For a summary of this year’s financial performance, and other critical measures of Backus Hospital’s performance, we refer you to the chart on page 13.) Because we have no shareholders to please, no dividends to provide, our positive financial performance benefits our patients and our community.

Prudent fiscal decision-making means planning for the long-term, and that is why Backus has made such significant investments in technology and infrastructure. Our advances in information systems represent an investment in leading-edge technology that improve safety and enhance the quality of care. Our greatly expanded Colchester Health Center and the new Outpatient Care Center at Norwich’s Great Plain Plaza are investments in growing communities and critical programs.

At Backus Hospital, strength is measured in more than the bottom line. It is reflected in our total commitment to our communities; to seeing unmet needs and strategizing innovative ways to meet them.