Highlights from the 2016 Windham Hospital Annual Meeting

January 19, 2017 By Hartford HealthCare

Adding Orthopedic Surgeons, New Surgical Robot and Opening of Center for Healthy Aging Highlight 2016 Windham Hospital Annual Meeting

Adding four orthopedic surgeons, purchasing a surgical robot for hip and knee replacement and the opening of the Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging were highlights of fiscal year 2016 for Windham Hospital.

The highlights were announced at Windham Hospital’s annual meeting of its Board of Corporators at Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday, Jan. 19.

In 2016, the hospital reached an agreement with the Center for Bone and Joint Care Orthopedic Associates of Windham County, with the Putnam-based practice expanding its practice to Windham Hospital. The agreement has enhanced the hospital’s overall orthopedic surgery capabilities, as well as added MAKOplasty robotic assisted hip and knee joint replacement capabilities in the hospital, which will begin in February.

Also in 2016, the hospital opened the Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging which connects older adults with the medical care and resources, partners with Natchaug Hospital to offer behavioral health services for seniors and offers the GoodLife Fitness program—an individualized exercise program for seniors.

The highlights are part of a revitalization plan announced by hospital President Bimal Patel in October aimed at improving the sustainability of the hospital, which has experienced negative operating margins for the past several years.

“The trend of lower reimbursement and declining inpatient volume is being felt across the entire industry; the issue is much more acute for small community hospitals like Windham. We needed to stop and take a look at how we were doing business and what we could do to ensure that our community hospital is here for our neighbors for years to come,” Patel said.

Patel thanked employee, medical staff and community leaders whose feedback has been essential to the revitalization plan for the hospital.

“In the year that I’ve led Windham Hospital, I’ve come to know how much all of you care about the future of our community hospital. So much so that many of you here in this room have rolled up your sleeves and worked with me to create the framework for our plan. Building on a strong foundation of community care, a talented and engaged medical staff and the resources of Hartford HealthCare, we are headed in the right direction,” Patel said.

“The healthcare industry continues to evolve in a very challenging environment. But in the face of these challenges—whether it’s falling reimbursement rates, taxes on hospitals or a budget crisis at the state capitol—you will see that Windham Hospital has begun to initiate a plan that promotes future success and financial sustainability for our community hospital,” said Karla Fox, Hartford HealthCare East Region Board of Directors Chair.

Other highlights from 2016 included:

• The addition of cardiologists for outpatient and in-hospital cardiac services and consultation and an expansion of cardiology testing in both hospital and outpatient settings with the goal of reducing wait times and improving the patient experience.
• Joining MidState Medical Center to become the first acute care hospitals in Hartford HealthCare to transition to the Epic electronic health record system. The transition means that instead of having separate medical charts, patients now have just one electronic medical record that can be reviewed and updated by each provider the patient sees at the hospital, as well as at Hartford HealthCare Medical Group and eventually all other Hartford Healthcare hospitals and outpatient sites across the state.
• Transforming the hospital’s hospitalist program to provide continuity of care for inpatients and a more streamlined admissions process.
• The renovation of the former Auxiliary to Windham Hospital Coffee Shop, which has been transformed into the new Sumner Family Trust Café—a centerpiece in the hospital’s atrium.

To learn more view the Windham Hospital online annual report here.