Local, Accessible Resources — from cancer technology not available elsewhere in New England, to regional health centers and outpatient care centers, Backus Hospital is committed to keeping vital resources accessible.

Highlights 2006

Susan Vinchesi and Sandeep Varma, MD, Medical Director of the Backus Arthritis Center, in the lobby of the Backus Outpatient Care Center.

The construction of a new Arthritis Center, the evolution of the Endocrinology,Diabtetes,and Metabolism Center and the vast array of services offered by Backus Hospital's Cancer Center are three examples of how the hospital continues to make quality healthcare accessible to the local community.

With an aging baby boomer population and cancer patients living longer than ever before, Backus is strategically building on its efforts to expand healthcare services for people suffering from chronic health problems.

Many of these services are now conveniently consolidated at the Backus Outpatient Care Center in Norwich, a formerly vacant department store. Here is what has emerged at the center in the past year:

• The construction of new space for the Backus Arthritis Center, allowing it to expand its scope and consolidate its services in one location.
• Physical,occupational and speech therapy services.
• A blood drawing station
• An Anticoagulation clinic
• In 2007,DaVita hemodialysis will open its outpatient operations.

Meanwhile, the Backus Cancer Center, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2006, continued its transformation from a fledgling oncology unit a decade ago to a regional cancer center today.

The American College of Surgeons'Commission on Cancer has rewarded this growth by designating Backus a Comprehensive Community Hospital Cancer Program, meaning it offers the best in cancer care for patients, close to home. Only one in four hospitals with cancer programs nationwide receives this honor. Major achievements in 2006 include:

• The addition of a second linear accelerator with Image Guided Radiation Therapy technology, which is the latest tool in the treatment of cancerous tumors.
• Nearly 600 people attended Cancer Survivors Day, which featured keynote speaker Dr.Mel Goldstein, a WTNH Channel 8 meteorologist and cancer survivor himself. It was the largest turnout in the history of the event.