Leading the Industry in Health Care Innovation

In 2015, Backus Hospital continued to be an industry leader in health care innovation utilizing the latest state-of-the-art technology and using national and internal benchmarks to ensure the highest quality and level of safety for our patients and staff always.

In 2015, Backus became the first hospital in Eastern Connecticut to offer MAKOplasty^® for partial knee resurfacing and total hip replacement procedures, performed using the RIO^® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System. RIO is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants. Also, in 2015, Backus became the first hospital in the Hartford HealthCare system and only the third hospital in the state to own and utilize the very latest da Vinci surgical robot, which has broader capabilities than past models and can be used for even more minimally invasive procedures including genitourinary, gynecological, colorectal and some bariatric procedures.

For the fifth straight year Backus has been recognized as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the nation with a “Most Wired” award by Hospitals and Health Networks, a health care publication of the American Hospital Association (AHA). The survey measures the level of IT adoption in U.S. hospitals and health systems, and is useful tool for hospital and health system leadership to map their IT strategic plans.

Backus nurse residents played a major role in helping Hartford HealthCare standardize nursing education and orientation. On January 16, 21 nurse residents from Backus participated in a combined nursing orientation/education day with nurses and nurse residents from Hartford HealthCare’s Hartford Region. Using teleconference technology, the day-long conference which was held in the Backus main lobby conference room utilized case studies to educate nurses on caring for specific patient populations. The combined orientation was the first of its kind for nurses in Hartford HealthCare.

On June 29, LIFE STAR crew members performed the first blood transfusion in the state to a critically injured patient while en route to Hartford Hospital’s Level-One Trauma Center.  Weeks earlier, LIFE STAR began carrying blood products on board the Hartford Hospital-based aircraft. On July 7th, LIFE STAR II began carrying blood products on board its second aircraft based at Backus Hospital – just hours later, flight crews aboard that flight administered blood to another critically injured patient for the first time.