In recent years, Windham Hospital has undergone dramatic changes. We’ve added new facilities, new procedures, new faces, and important new resources to your community hospital.
Continuing our growth and development, in fiscal year 2010 we opened the new Center for Women’s Health at Mansfield and renovated the Hospital’s Breast Imaging Center to provide women in the area with more convenient, comfortable and inviting facilities. We opened Windham Hospital Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation in Storrs to provide patients with easier access to the follow-up care they need. And we instituted a new wound care program, as well as a new surgical clinic.
We’re now performing life-saving procedures at a level most community hospitals don’t offer and provide patients with expanded treatment options in our interventional radiology suite, where one of our skilled surgeons and an interventional radiologist collaborated to perform minimally invasive stent graft surgery.
HomeAs part of Hartford HealthCare, we can now offer our patients seamless access to the most advanced technology available, as well as nationally recognized expertise in the full range of medical specialties. The affiliation is an important asset in our effort to recruit new physicians, ensuring that our patients will find the highest level of care right here at Windham.
All of us – Board, management, physicians, staff, and volunteers alike – are excited about the recent changes and growth at Windham Hospital. We have a long history of caring for the people in the communities we serve. As we have demonstrated over the past year, we continue to honor our commitment to provide our patients with “the best care, pure and simple.”
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As always, our goal is to provide our patients with the highest levels of care and restore those patients to healthy, active lives. In several important measures, Windham Hospital demonstrated its continuing commitment to quality: Our Central-Line Blood Infection rate was zero – no central-line associated bloodstream infections were reported at Windham Hospital in 2010. There were no hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (bedsores) reported in 2010.
Despite an increase in volume, our Emergency Department patient satisfaction scores remained in the 97th percentile (as measured by independent research conducted by Press Ganey, an industry-leading firm specializing in patient surveys). In those same surveys, Windham’s Emergency Department physicians scored in the 99th percentile, when compared to their peers throughout Connecticut. 79% of discharged Windham Hospital inpatients received follow-up phone calls to ensure that they understood and had received the post-discharge care they needed. (Our goal for 2010 was to contact 75% of our inpatients.)
The need to contain rising healthcare costs has been well documented. In recent years, Windham Hospital has succeeded in managing costs, while also maintaining
Homehigh standards of care. In a recent report from the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA), Windham Hospital was the lowest cost acute-care provider in the state for the fiscal years 2005 through 2008,* the most recent period for which data is available.
Containing expenses helps ensure that our services remain affordable and accessible to the communities we serve. But it’s not just about cutting costs. Numerous national studies indicate that healthcare organizations that contain costs also tend to deliver higher quality care. The CHA study shows that Windham Hospital has worked hard to ensure efficiency and productivity to meet the exact needs of our patients. We have followed best practices and evidence-based medicine to ensure that patients receive just what they need – neither too little care, nor care that does not add value or improve outcomes. By applying a combination of the best clinical science and personalized service, Windham Hospital continues to provide value for its patients and ensure that it is well positioned for coming healthcare reform.
*Costs were adjusted to account for the variation in the severity of illness treated by different hospitals, to provide an “apples-to-apples” comparison of these organizations.
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In everything we do, our goal is to provide our patients with the best care possible, whether it’s investing in training for our people, adding new technologies, implementing new surgical procedures or adding facilities that enhance patient comfort. Our commitment to serve this community drives us to attain the highest results.
The Windham Hospital paramedic team is the first and only 100% fully licensed Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Paramedic team in the state. Having completed a nationally acclaimed course at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, they have the specialized skills to stabilize cardiac patients and determine which Hartford HealthCare facility is best equipped to meet their specific needs. For critically ill cardiac patients, Windham EMTs can perform EKGs and provide the cardiologists at Hartford Hospital with real-time diagnostic information while the patient is still on route.
HomeAlthough emergency room visits to Windham Hospital increased by 7.45% in 2010, our Emergency Department staff continued to provide rapid, expert care to their patients. Approximately 84% of our Emergency Department patients are seen by a healthcare provider within 30 minutes. While our ultimate goal is to ensure that every patient is treated expertly and quickly, in the coming year our goal will be to ensure that we exceed our current benchmark.
Having to travel for an important surgical procedure can be an added burden for patients. Windham Hospital’s surgeons have continued to advance the scope and complexity of surgeries offered at our hospital. In fact, one of our teams performed the first CT interventional abdominal aortic aneurism repair in a community hospital setting.
Previous HomeMore and more hospitals are turning to new technologies to streamline operations and enhance patient care. Windham continues to implement Electronic Medical Records and has already launched online clinical documentation for nursing and allied support staff. Electronic records help reduce paperwork, diminish the potential for recording errors, and give caregiver teams easier access to critical patient data.
When loved ones are critically ill, the strain on families can be intense. To better accommodate their needs, we recently upgraded our family-centered care lounge to help support the families of our critically ill patients. The enhanced lounge offers private space where physicians and caregivers can meet with families, family-friendly books and toys, as well as volunteer liaisons who may assist families as they cope with the hospitalization of a loved one.
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Beyond architecture and technology, the true strength of any hospital rests in its people. And at Windham Hospital, we value the contributions of each and every staff member. In fact, the turnover rate at our hospital is well below the state benchmarks – proof of the satisfaction our staff members feel and the high performance they deliver.
At every level, the staff members at Windham Hospital are committed to improving the experiences to its patients. Our Commitment to Excellence program – a continuous performance improvement process, which is part and parcel of the system-wide culture and operating model, “How Hartford HealthCare Works (H3W)” –engages every single staff member in an ongoing effort to provide the highest standards of care. Everyone here serves in a work group or department, and each group is charged with the task of generating ideas that will improve the Hospital’s performance. Each brainstorming session strives to challenge traditional ways of thinking, look at new ways of working, and value all voices. No idea is criticized or prejudged, and all staff members are free to express themselves. Initiated in 2009 and continued in 2010, the Commitment to Excellence program has already had an impact on making progress toward our organization’s objective of being the best community hospital in the state.
HomeWindham Hospital continues to recruit new physicians to better meet the needs of our patients. In 2010, we added numerous new caregivers to the medical staff. With improvements to our facilities and our membership in Hartford HealthCare, we are able to recruit some of the finest medical talent available to our hospital.
In many ways, the success of our hospital would not be possible without the many contributions of our volunteers. They provide invaluable assistance and support. They interact with our patients, they help our staff, and they demonstrate the profound connection between the community and our hospital. In 2010, our volunteer team included 120 adult volunteers, 69 student volunteers from the University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University, and 53 junior volunteers. Together, they provided more than 20,017 hours of service valued in excess of $417,354. We are profoundly grateful for the contributions of each and every volunteer.
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In an ongoing effort to make our services more readily accessible to patients throughout the communities we serve, Windham Hospital continued to add to its facilities, programs, and staff in 2010.
Opened in April 2010, this brand new facility provides advanced digital mammography, bone density testing and integrative health services, including massage, in a warm and inviting setting. Conveniently located behind the Eastbrook Mall, the Center was specifically designed for women. Since the Center opened, there has been a 5% increase in mammography volume. We also completely renovated the Breast Imaging Center, conveniently located on the first floor of the Hospital. Now, women throughout the area have easier access to the advanced imaging and other services they need.
To provide patients with easier access to follow-up care, Windham Hospital Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation now has two locations, in Storrs and Willimantic. Both facilities offer the most advanced care available in physical,
Homeoccupational, and speech therapy. Since opening in December 2009, the new center in Storrs has exceeded its business plan and goal for patient volume by 34%.
In recent years, hospitalists – physicians who specialize in managing a patient’s care while he or she is in the hospital – have become an increasingly important part of our team. These professionals can quickly respond to changes in the patient’s condition, order medical changes or tests, and answer any questions a patient’s family members may have. Under the leadership of David Jaworski, MD, the Hospitalist Program at Windham Hospital – now in its fifth year of operation – continued to grow in 2010. In FY 2010, the Hospitalist Program also moved from a contract service to an employment model. All of our hospitalists are board-certified, either in internal medicine or family medicine.
This year, we completed the initial plans and the permit process for a new Medical Office Building on the hospital campus. The new building, which will be adjacent
Previous Hometo the hospital, will house primary care physicians, physical therapy, laboratory, and specialists including oncology and orthopaedics. With expanded facilities and close proximity to the Hospital, the new Medical Office Building will provide greater convenience to patients and staff alike. Groundbreaking for the new building is anticipated for spring 2011.
By relocating our Pulmonary Function Lab to the Hatch area (convenient to the practices of our pulmonary medicine specialists, Dr. Robert Bundy and Dr. Marlene Schwartz), we have increased efficiency for our staff (since these services sometimes go hand-in-hand), as well as convenience for our patients. Since the new facility opened, there has been a 15% increase in patient volume.
The Surgical and Wound Care Clinic opened in November 2010, and is temporarily located in the Ambulatory Care Unit on the second floor. Open Monday through Thursday afternoons, the Clinic offers comprehensive surgical evaluation, outpatient post-op care, fine needle aspiration/site biopsies, and the evaluation and
Previous Hometreatment of wounds of all types. Staffed by clinic coordinator Susan Fargo, RN, and Drs. Siracusa, Kloss, Ridyard, and Kolodziejczak, the new Clinic is already making a difference. Fifty-seven patients were seen in November and eighty-one patients used the service in December. Most of these patients are individuals who, because of their insurance coverage, would otherwise have to travel in order to be seen by a participating provider. Providing this essential service to our community is what Windham Hospital is all about.
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As it has been the case for many other institutions, the economic climate in recent years has posed challenges for Windham Hospital. Although the Hospital was operating at a loss as of the close of the Fiscal Year of 2010 ( this was the first time in six years), we are well positioned to provide the high-quality care our patients need. As is noted elsewhere in this report (see QUALITY), in recent years Windham Hospital has remained one of the lowest-cost acute care providers in the state (this is on a case-mix adjusted basis).
The ongoing efforts of our staff and medical staff have increased our competitiveness and provided the best healthcare value for our patients. By following best medical practices, we have continued to raise the standards of the care we provide, enabling the Hospital to continue on its path greater financial strength.
For the first time in six years, the Hospital did not produce an operating gain, however the core operation remained profitable and would have shown a gain of nearly $100,000 without some one-time-only accounting adjustments.
HomeThe loss reflected the expensing of cash transfers by the Hospital to Windham Family Medical Services and Hartford Medical Group, which, in past years, would have been recorded as loans (since the Hospital anticipated that these amounts would be paid back).
Inpatient Discharges 5,117
Inpatient Days 20,874
Average Length of Stay 4.1 days
Outpatient Surgical Procedures 5,425
Emergency Department Visits 32,758
Imaging Studies & Radiology Treatments 60,913
Respiratory/Pulmonary Tests & Procedures 27,565
Cardiac Tests 14,099
Sleep Studies 845
Births 428
For nearly 80 years, The Auxiliary to Windham Hospital has played a vital role in generating good will in the community, sponsoring fund-raising events, staffing the Coffee and Gift Shops and making a variety of other important contributions to the Hospital's success. The Annual Autumn Gala, the Auxiliary's biggest fundraiser of the year, is held in Hartford. In 2009, the event honored Lynn A. and Harry M. Johnson, Philanthropists of the Year, Nadia Nashid, MD, Physician of the Year, and Eileen Madeiros, RN, Caregiver of the Year.
Additionally, the Auxiliary hosted the annual Spirits and Song Celebration in June at the home of David and Marilyn Foster, Recognition Luncheon honoring Sally S. Thompson and the late Anne L. Card for 50 years of service each to the Auxiliary, Holiday Bazaar, and Special Vendor Sales in the Hospital Atrium. Funds raised throughout the year helped provide magazine subscriptions for waiting rooms, co-sponsored the annual Go Red for Women event at the Hospital in February, supported Hospital staff recognition programs, and created two Student Scholarships which were awarded to students entering college to pursue careers in healthcare. The Auxiliary also provided funding in 2010 for new equipment and renovations to patient rooms and waiting areas.
As a community hospital, Windham provides much more than clinical services to its 19-town service area. We also address a wide range of community health needs. Our role is not just to heal, but to also provide people in the communities we serve with the tools they need to make better health decisions and stay well. That is why we offer free community health education classes, outpatient services for the medically underserved, and a host of other programs. In 2010 alone, Windham Hospital staff members donated approximately 13,000 hours of their time in service to our communities and the Hospital provided more than $1 million in “charity care.” Many of our community-based programs provide little or no income to the hospital. We continue to offer them, however, because they’re an important part of our mission to provide quality care, education, and support to the people we serve.
Windham Hospital’s School-Based Clinics provide much-needed services to an underinsured population. Based at Windham High School and the Windham Middle School, the clinics allow students to sign up for services on a “contract” basis. In 2010, 1,311 students – about 70% of the student population – were enrolled in the
HomeClinic. The Clinic served 269 different students, many of whom made multiple visits for a variety of health issues including mental health services, school and sports physicals, treatment for acute illnesses, treatment and monitoring of chronic illnesses (such as asthma, obesity or diabetes), reproductive health services, and more.
A great many of the students seen at the Clinics are either uninsured or underinsured. Approximately 50% are on Medicaid, and 30% have no insurance. Only about 20% of the students seen at the Clinics have commercial insurance. For many, the services provided by the School-Based Health Clinics represent the only medical care they receive all year.
The Windham Hospital School-Based Clinics also collaborate with a number of other organizations including Planned Parenthood, Generations Family Health Center (including the “Across the Smiles” dental program) and the Americorps for Girls group. The Clinics also serve as mentoring sites for students from EO Smith High School, the UConn Nursing School and UConn Allied Health.
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Each year, members of the Windham Hospital community earn distinction for their skills, training and performance. Throughout the organization, these “milestones” are proof of the high level of professionalism and talent available at our hospital, as well as the strong “commitment to excellence” demonstrated by our staff.
In October of 2010, Dr. Bekir Melek and Ms. Diana Rosiene were named “Fellows” in the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE). The ASE recognizes professionals who have met both training and performance standards set forth by the Society. Windham’s Dr. Mark Fisherkeller has also earned the FASE distinction, giving Windham Hospital the only Echocardiography Laboratory in Connecticut in which 100% of the staff hold the ASE fellowship designation. By meeting this important practice standard, our team has shown their commitment to sustained excellence in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.
In addition, the Echocardiology Laboratory at the Windham Hospital received
Homeaccreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories for adult transthoracic and transesophageal imaging. The 3-year certification was awarded based on laboratory excellence and a site inspection by the Commission. Achieving this prestigious certification recognizes the skill of Windham’s sonographers; the quality of the equipment used; the experience, training and knowledge of the interpreting physicians; as well as quality assurance measures in place at the Hospital.
The Windham Hospital Lab received notice of re-accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a rigorous on-site inspection. The lab’s director, Dr. Nadia Nashid, was congratulated by the CAP for the excellence of the services provided at Windham Hospital. During the accreditation process, CAP inspectors examined laboratory records and quality control procedures for the past two years, investigated staff qualifications, inspected equipment and facilities, researched the program’s safety record, and looked at the overall management of the lab. This stringent inspection program ensures the highest standard of care for all patients served by the lab.
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The Diabetes Education Department was also re-accredited for four years by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Windham Hospital has the distinct honor of being the first community hospital nationwide to be accredited by the ADA.
Following its annual tradition of honoring local businesses for service to the Windham community, the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce honored Windham Hospital as Corporate Citizen of the Year for 2010. In presenting the award, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Roger Adams, cited the Hospital’s long-standing service to the community and noted that the Hospital has opened two new satellite facilities within the past twelve months: the Windham Hospital Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, in Storrs, and the Windham Hospital Center for Women’s Health at Mansfield. In addition, the Hospital is currently in the planning process for the proposed construction of a new Medical Office Building, to be built on the Hospital’s main campus on Mansfield Avenue. Adams noted that such projects go well beyond the obvious benefit of providing
Previous Homehealthcare to the community. They also bolster the local economy, by creating jobs and by purchasing goods and services from local firms. “The Hospital continues to be a good corporate citizen and neighbor,” said Adams. In accepting the award, Dick Brvenik, Windham Hospital President and CEO, commented: “We are truly honored to receive this award from the Chamber, and we are certainly committed to providing excellent healthcare for the citizens of our area. That commitment was a part of our original charter, and today, as a proud member of Hartford HealthCare, it remains a central tenet in everything we do at Windham Hospital.”
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Despite the difficult economy, loyal donors continued to give generously, and the Foundation raised a total of $472,888 in FY 2010. Two major gifts signaled the confidence and enthusiasm of some very special friends of Windham Hospital.
Jack Sumner, a longtime Corporator and Board Member of Windham Hospital, made a generous $100,000 gift to name the newly renovated cafeteria in his family’s name. Staff and visitors alike enjoy this inviting new facility, which is now known as “The Sumner Family Trust Café.” Jack Sumner has had a long relationship with the hospital. In fact, he was one of the first babies born at Windham Hospital after it opened in 1933. Today, he volunteers his time each week, greeting everyone with a friendly hello and a smile.
HomeGina Barreca and Michael Meyer joined together in 2010 to initiate a fund to support women who cannot afford life-saving diagnostic tests. “Gina’s Friends” is a testament to the generosity of these UConn professors, who have both experienced first-hand the outstanding care at Windham Hospital. Gina Barreca is an author, professor, humorist and feminist. She values our local community hospital and encourages others to make Tribute Gifts to the Foundation to honor people they love.
The Foundation, now in its fourth year, generates resources to assist the Hospital in meeting the health needs of our community. Through a focus on collaboration, individual, business and organizational giving, donors are recognized as leaders, which stimulates others to give. The President’s Circle recognizes individuals – some of our most loyal supporters – who annually give $1,000 or more.
Previous HomeIn the past year, we launched a new initiative, called “Business Partners.” In this new program, organizations and businesses that contribute more than $1,000 to the Hospital – by giving to support Auxiliary events, the Golf Classic, or in any other way they choose – will earn special recognition. In years to come, a new plaque in the Atrium will honor each of these important partners in philanthropy.
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For 16 years, the Windham Hospital Golf Classic has provided a fun and entertaining way to raise funds for important projects at the Hospital. As part of its continuing effort to raise $1 million in support of the Outpatient Services Expansion Project, the Golf Classic draws local golfers and friends of the Hospital for a day of golf and an evening of camaraderie and good fun. In 2010, the event returned to the University Club of Connecticut. To accommodate all participants, two tournaments were held on the same day. The venue and food were outstanding, and there were plentiful door prizes and gifts. This year’s Golf Classic raised more than $60,000 in support of the Outpatient Services Expansion Project. The success of the event and the support shown by the community are clear evidence that our sponsors and golfers appreciate all that Windham Hospital provides to its community each and every day.
Thanks to our sponsors and golfers for helping to support the Hospital’s Emergency & Outpatient Services.
