View data for this organization below, or select additional hospitals to create a comparison view.
Compare tax-exempt hospitals

Search tax-exempt hospitals
for comparison purposes.

The William W Backus Hospital

The William W Backus Hospital
326 Washington Street
Norwich, CT 06360
Bed count213Medicare provider number070024Member of the Council of Teaching HospitalsYESChildren's hospitalNO
EIN: 060250773
Display data for year:
Community Benefit Spending- 2021
(as % of functional expenses, which all tax-exempt organizations report on Form 990 Schedule H)
9.19%
Spending by Community Benefit Category- 2021
(as % of total functional expenses)
* = CBI denoted preventative categories
Community Benefit Spending Compared to Functional Expenses, 2010-2021
Additional data

Community Benefit Expenditures: 2021

  • All tax-exempt organizations file a Form 990 with the IRS for every tax year. If the tax-exempt organization operates one or more hospital facilities during the tax year, the organization must attach a Schedule H to Form 990. On Part I of Schedule H, the organization records the expenditures it made during the tax year for various types of community benefits; 9 types are shown on this web tool. By default, this web tool presents community benefit expenditures as a percentage of the organization’s functional expenses, which it reports on Form 990, Part IX, Line 25, Column A. (The more commonly heard term, ‘total operating expenses’, which organizations report to CMS, is generally about 90% of the ‘functional expenses’). The user may change the default to see the dollar expenditures.

    • Operating expenses$ 468,889,976
      Total amount spent on community benefits
      as % of operating expenses
      		$ 43,112,270
      9.19 %
  • Amount spent in the following IRS community benefit categories:
      • Financial Assistance at cost
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 3,775,116
        0.81 %
        Medicaid
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 36,121,453
        7.70 %
        Costs of other means-tested government programs
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 0
        0 %
        Health professions education
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 2,447,880
        0.52 %
        Subsidized health services
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 80,079
        0.02 %
        Research
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 0
        0 %
        Community health improvement services and community benefit operations*
        as % of operating expenses
        Note: these two community benefit categories are reported together on the Schedule H, part I, line 7e.
        		$ 615,742
        0.13 %
        Cash and in-kind contributions for community benefit*
        as % of operating expenses
        		$ 72,000
        0.02 %
        Community building*
        as % of operating expenses        		$ 31,634
        0.01 %
    • * = CBI denoted preventative categories
    • Community building activities details:
        • Did tax-exempt hospital report community building activities?YES
          Number of activities or programs (optional)4
          Physical improvements and housing0
          Economic development0
          Community support2
          Environmental improvements0
          Leadership development and training for community members0
          Coalition building1
          Community health improvement advocacy1
          Workforce development0
          Other0
          Persons served (optional)0
          Physical improvements and housing0
          Economic development0
          Community support0
          Environmental improvements0
          Leadership development and training for community members0
          Coalition building0
          Community health improvement advocacy0
          Workforce development0
          Other0
          Community building expense
          as % of operating expenses          		$ 31,634
          0.01 %
          Physical improvements and housing
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Economic development
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Community support
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 12,738
          40.27 %
          Environmental improvements
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Leadership development and training for community members
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Coalition building
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 18,264
          57.74 %
          Community health improvement advocacy
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 632
          2.00 %
          Workforce development
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Other
          as % of community building expenses
          		$ 0
          0 %
          Direct offsetting revenue$ 0
          Physical improvements and housing$ 0
          Economic development$ 0
          Community support$ 0
          Environmental improvements$ 0
          Leadership development and training for community members$ 0
          Coalition building$ 0
          Community health improvement advocacy$ 0
          Workforce development$ 0
          Other$ 0

    Other Useful Tax-exempt Hospital Information: 2021

    • In addition to community benefit and community building expenditures, the Schedule H worksheet includes sections on what percentage of bad debt can be attributable to patients eligible for financial assistance, and questions on the tax-exempt hospital's debt collection policy. When searching a specific tax-exempt hospital in this web tool, Section II provides information about bad debt and the financial assistance policy, and whether the state in which the tax-exempt hospital resides has expanded Medicaid coverage under the federal ACA.

      • Of the tax-exempt hospital’s overall operating expenses, amount reported as bad debt
        as % of operating expenses        		$ 14,590,813
        3.11 %
        Is the tax-exempt hospital considered a "sole community hospital" under the Medicare program?NO
    • Information about the tax-exempt hospital's Financial Assistance Policy and Debt Collection Policy

      The Financial Assistance Policy section of Schedule H has changed over the years. The questions listed below reflect the questions on the 2009-2011 Schedule H forms and the answers tax-exempt hospitals provided for those years. The Financial Assistance Policy requirements were changed under the ACA. In the future, as the Community Benefit Insight web site is populated with 2021 data and subsequent years, the web tool will also be updated to reflect the new wording and requirements. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this section, we encourage you to contact your tax-exempt hospital directly.

      • Does the organization have a written financial assistance (charity care) policy?YES
        Did the tax-exempt hospital rely upon Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) to determine when to provide free or discounted care for patients?YES
        Amount of the tax-exempt hospital’s bad debt (at cost) attributed to patients eligible under the organization’s financial assistance (charity care) policy
        as % of operating expenses        		$ 0
        0 %
    • Did the tax-exempt hospital, or an authorized third party, take any of the following collection activities before determining whether the patient was eligible for financial assistance:
      • Reported to credit agencyNot available

    • Under the ACA, states have the choice to expand Medicaid eligibility for their residents up to 138% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Medicaid expansion provision of the ACA did not go into effect until January 2014, so data in this web tool will not reflect each state's current Medicaid eligibility threshold. For up to date information, please visit the Terms and Glossary under the Resources tab.

      • After enactment of the ACA, has the state in which this tax-exempt hospital is located expanded Medicaid?YES

    • The federal poverty guidelines (FPG) are set by the government and used to determine eligibility for many federal financial assistance programs. Tax-exempt hospitals often use FPG guidelines in their Financial Assistance policies to determine which patients will qualify for free or discounted care.

      • If not, is the state's Medicaid threshold for working parents at or below 76% of the federal poverty guidelines?Not available

    • In addition to the federal requirements, some states have laws stipulating community benefit requirements as a result of tax-exemption. The laws vary from state to state and may require the tax-exempt hospitals to submit community benefit reports. Data on this web tool captures whether or not a state had a mandatory community benefit reporting law as of 2011. For more information, please see Community Benefit State Law Profiles Comparison at The Hilltop Institute.

      • Does the state in which the tax-exempt hospital is located have a mandatory community benefit reporting statute?YES

    Community Health Needs Assessment Activities: 2021

    • The ACA requires all 501(c)(3) tax-exempt hospitals to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years, starting with the hospital's tax year beginning after March 23, 2012. The 2011 Schedule H included an optional section of questions on the CHNA process. This web tool includes responses for those hospitals voluntary reporting this information. The web tool will be updated to reflect changes in these questions on the 2012 and subsequent Schedule H forms.

      • Did the tax-exempt hospital report that they had conducted a CHNA?YES
        Did the CHNA define the community served by the tax-exempt hospital?YES
        Did the CHNA consider input from individuals that represent the broad interests of the community served by the tax-exempt hospital?YES
        Did the tax-exempt hospital make the CHNA widely available (i.e. post online)?YES
        Did the tax-exempt hospital adopt an implementation strategy to address the community needs identified by the CHNA?YES

    Supplemental Information: 2021

    This section presents qualitative information submitted by the hospital, verbatim from the 990H record.
    • Statement of Program Service Accomplishments
      Description of the organization's program service accomplishments for each of its three largest program services, as measured by expenses. Section 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations are required to report the amount of grants and allocations to others, the total expenses, and revenue, if any, for each program service reported.
      • 4A (Expenses $ 51162779 including grants of $ 0) (Revenue $ 59112186)
Cancer:Hartford HealthCare is Connecticut's most comprehensive healthcare network. Our fully integrated health system includes a tertiary-care teaching hospital, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, two community hospitals.The Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute encompasses comprehensive cancer centers at seven hospitals across Connecticut; Hartford Hospital, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Backus Hospital, Midstate Medical Center, Windham Hospital, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and St Vincent's Medical Center. Collectively, the cancer programs within the Cancer Institute treat more than 5,000 new cancer patients per year while caring for tens of thousands of existing patients, offering a full range of innovative, evidence-based and personalized treatments designed to meet the needs of each individual patient. Our innovative Institute approach is unlike any other in the state and is among the most highly regarded in the nation. Through our Institute, which is organized around a specific disease and not necessarily location, we can apply best practices throughout our system so that patients receive the same high standards of care no matter where they live or which Hartford HealthCare cancer center they choose. For all of our patients, a dedicated team of oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, clinical researchers, technicians and others collaborate to provide the exact course of care they need. The Institute's multidisciplinary disease management teams meet and collaborate regularly to lend expertise and insight on numerous cancer types, translating into exceptional coordinated care. The Institute's accomplished, fellowship-trained physicians are nationally recognized for their level of sophisticated care in areas such as radiation oncology, medical oncology and surgical oncology. Patients are also cared for in an environment that emphasizes compassion and personal connections, with a team of trained nurse navigators who provide guidance and support to patients and families, from diagnosis to recovery. The Institute also boasts a thriving survivorship program. In 2013, the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute became the first community-based cancer program to become a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, establishing a relationship with one of the world's premier cancer centers. The Institute's membership in the Alliance provides patients in Connecticut access to the most advanced, leading-edge treatments available anywhere. In 2017, the Institute was accredited as a network by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, one of a select few institutes nationwide to be recognized as a system, rather than individual cancer centers. For patients coming through our doors with a cancer diagnosis, that means three things: standardized care, more options and more hope.More than four years after the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute became the charter member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance, cancer patients now have unprecedented access to the world's most advanced clinical trials. And more than ever before, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and researchers are working collaboratively to implement cancer treatment standards and protocols developed at MSK, the premier cancer treatment center in the country. This distinctive cancer care and clinical research partnership means the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute brings the most innovative, evidence-based cancer care directly into community settings.For FY22, the approximate number of cases were as follows:Hartford Hospital - 3,381Hospital of Central Connecticut - 1,325Backus Hospital - 921Midstate Medical Center - 720Windham Hospital - 164Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 308St Vincent's Medical Center - 696The five most common types of cancer diagnosed by teams of specialists at the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute are cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, lung and prostate. Each patient has a unique scenario requiring a personalized plan.Approximately 1,714 Breast Cancer cases were treated across the system as follows:Hartford Hospital - 638Hospital of Central Connecticut - 2324Backus Hospital - 240Midstate Medical Center - 212Windham Hospital - 70Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 52St Vincent's Medical Center - 178Approximately 851 Lung Cancer cases were treated across the system as follows:Hartford Hospital - 381Hospital of Central Connecticut - 167Backus Hospital - 131Midstate Medical Center - 61Windham Hospital - 17Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 36St Vincent's Medical Center - 57Approximately 1,175 Prostate Cancer cases were treated across the system as follows:Hartford Hospital - 580Hospital of Central Connecticut - 158Backus Hospital - 130Midstate Medical Center - 125Windham Hospital - 1Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 54 St Vincent's Medical Center - 127 Approximately 393 Bladder Cancer cases were treated across the system as follows:Hartford Hospital - 146Hospital of Central Connecticut - 58Backus Hospital - 72Midstate Medical Center - 51 Windham Hospital - 12Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 32St Vincent's Medical Center - 22Approximately 334 Colon Cancer cases were treated across the system as follows:Hartford Hospital - 145Hospital of Central Connecticut - 60Backus Hospital - 33Midstate Medical Center - 43Windham Hospital - 7Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - 12St Vincent's Medical Center - 34As always, Hartford HealthCare is creating a better future for healthcare in Connecticut and beyond. We are a community of caregivers engaged in developing a coordinated, consistent high standard of care. We use research and education as partners in care delivery. We create and engage in meaningful alliances to enhance access to services. We invest in technology and training to develop new pathways to improve the timeliness, efficiency and accuracy of our services.
      4B (Expenses $ 35379112 including grants of $ 0) (Revenue $ 42448822)
Gastroenterology:Committed to excellence in quality and service for the region, The William W. Backus Hospital boasts a state-of-the-art Emergency Department that consistently ranks in the highest percentiles of customer satisfaction. The hospital also offers convenient and modern satellite services including two Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinics and a Center for Women's Health offering mammography, bone density, and integrative health.The medical staff brings specialties and diagnostic disciplines in the areas of Surgery, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Critical Care, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Oncology, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology (GI), Neurology, Nephrology, Sleep Medicine, and Pain Management. The hospital is committed to providing its patients with up-to-date treatment options for gastroenterological disorders with the sole purpose of improving quality of life.Gastroenterologists perform many specialized tests, such as endoscopy, to diagnose or treat diseases. When necessary, they may consult with surgeons.At the completion of the Fiscal Year FY22, the Division of Gastroenterology had 12,428 cases with an average length of stay of 4.3 days.
      4C (Expenses $ 33488836 including grants of $ 0) (Revenue $ 38364615)
Heart and Vascular:As a member of Hartford HealthCare, Cardiology services at William Backus Hospital are provided through the Hartford HealthCare Heart and Vascular Institute. While some of the symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF) can be managed, patients often need advanced care as the disease progresses. The stress of driving long distances for care and assessment can have a serious impact on the patient's quality of life. The Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute advanced CHF patients in the Norwich area now have the option of receiving some of their care close to home. The care provided at Backus location works seamlessly with the Heart & Vascular Institute's Center for Advanced Heart Failure at Hartford Hospital. The program enables patients who have been diagnosed with congestive heart disease to manage their health and improve the quality of their lives through early symptom recognition, continuity of care, diet planning and medication management.At the completion of the Fiscal Year FY22, the Division of Cardiology had 20,194 cases with an average length of stay of 4.4 days.
      4D (Expenses $ 306879293 including grants of $ 100417) (Revenue $ 345210227)
Other program services include EHR revenue, purchase discounts, contract services and other miscellaneous income.
      Facility Information
      Schedule H (Form 990) Section C. Supplemental Information for Part V, Section B.
      The William W. Backus Hospital
"Part V, Section B, Line 5: The Community Health Needs Assessment is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in Hartford HealthCare's service areas. The information garnered from the assessment may be used by Hartford HealthCare to inform decisions and guide efforts to improve community health and wellness. Hartford HealthCare operates in five Community Benefit regions Central Region (Hospital of Central Connecticut & MidState Medical Center), East Region (Backus Hospital, Natchaug Hospital & Windham Hospital), Hartford Region (Hartford Hospital), Northwest Region (Charlotte Hungerford Hospital) and Fairfield Region (St. Vincent's Medical Center). The collaborative regional approach has been decades in the making across Connecticut. The Hartford HealthCare (HHC) regional approach improves the efficiency of the CHNA process and utilizes essential components of collaborative partnerships including: * Creating a vision that is broadly understood * Working across organizational boundaries * Including those most affected by health challenges in solution-creation * Utilizing ongoing planning and joint accountability to measure changeThe regional approach includes partners within and across regions, hospital services areas, and community-based health equity champions. Recognizing the need to reduce and eliminate health disparities and to increase diversity at the leadership and governance levels of health care and other local organizations is a central and necessary first step in community health improvement. The second step to improving health equity is to collect and use data about race, ethnicity, and language preference to develop a shared understanding of the challenges in the community. Education about cultural sensitivity is also required. The HHC regional teams involved a team of health ""Equity Champions"" representing multiracial or other marginalized communities to help ensure the research is reflective of the community perspectives.Please note, due to overlap in fiscal years, this narrative includes a combination of information from both 2021 and 2022 CHNA, as well as both 2018-2021 and 2022-2025 CHIP. Backus Hospital worked closely with health service area collaboratives including local public health departments to complete its CHNA. At a minimum, local public health worked with Backus Hospital to review hospital, state and local data and help define 2021-2022 CHNA priorities. Additionally, to increase their understanding of community members' perspectives on identified health issues and ideas for addressing them, staff solicited input from individuals representing the broad interests of the community such as staff from social service and public health organizations and community residents. Staff collected feedback through a range of methods, including focus groups and interviews. Community input came from diverse groups in terms of age, race/ethnicity, cultural group, and other demographics. A special effort was made to reach historically underserved communities including, but not limited to: low-income, elderly, and racial/ethnic minority populations. Where possible, the hospital aligned their process with assessments being conducted by local public health and other community agencies. Input from persons representing the broad interests of the community was taken into account through key informant interviews with thirteen (13) individuals. Stakeholders included: individuals with special knowledge of or expertise in public health; local public health departments; hospital staff and providers; representatives of social service organizations; and leaders, representatives, and members of medically underserved, low-income, and minority populations. Data from multiple sources were gathered and assessed, including secondary data published by others and primary data obtained through community input. Input from the community was received through key stakeholder interviews. Interviewees (listed below) represented the broad interests of the community and included individuals with special knowledge of or expertise in public health:*Backus Hospital Emergency Department *Center for Healthy Aging*Connecticut Alliance for Basic Human Needs*FoodShare/CT Food Bank *Madonna Place*Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation*Health Services Mohegan Tribal*Nation Health Department*Reliance Health, Inc.*Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc. *The Health Education Center *Uncas Health District*United Way of Central and Northeastern ConnecticutSignificant Community Health Needs were determined by analyzing secondary community health data and gathering input provided by community stakeholders. In addition, data were gathered to evaluate the impact of various services and programs identified in the hospital's previous CHNA process."
      The William W. Backus Hospital
Part V, Section B, Line 6a: For this community health assessment, Backus Hospital collaborated with the following Hartford Healthcare hospitals: Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Hartford Hospital, Hospital of Central Connecticut, MidState Medical Center, Natchaug Hospital, and Windham Hospital. These facilities collaborated by gathering and assessing secondary data together, scheduling and conducting interviews together, and by relying on shared methodologies, report formats, and staff to manage the CHNA process.The William W. Backus Hospital:Part V, Section B, Line 7a: https://backushospital.org/about-us/community-health-needs-assessment
      The William W. Backus Hospital
Part V, Section B, Line 7d: The needs assessment was published in September 2022 and is available on the Hospital's website. In addition, electronic copies are available upon request.The William W. Backus Hospital:Part V, Section B, Line 10a: https://backushospital.org/about-us/community-health-needs-assessment
      The William W. Backus Hospital
"Part V, Section B, Line 11: The 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment (""CHNA"") for Backus Hospital, part of Hartford HealthCare's (HHC) East Region, leveraged numerous sources of local, regional, state and national data along with input from community-based organizations and individuals to provide insight into the current health status, health-related behaviors and community health needs for the Hospital service area. In addition to assessing traditional health status indicators, the 2022 CHNA took a close look at social determinants of health (SDH) such as poverty, housing, transportation, education, fresh food availability, and neighborhood safety and contains an Equity Profile. These two enhancements are in response to the lessons of COVID and in recognition of an emerging national priority to identify and address health disparities and inequities. HHC and Backus Hospital are committed to addressing these disparities and inequities through its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The intent of our CHIP is to be responsive to community needs and expectations and create a plan that can be effectively executed to leverage the best of the system resources, regional hospital and network resources, and community partners. The CHIP supports HHC's mission ""to improve the health and healing of the people and communities we serve and is part of HHC's vision to be ""most trusted for personalized coordinated care."" More specifically, this CHIP is collectively aimed at living our Value of Equity which reminds us all to do the just thing.A large portion of our community health improvement strategies for the 2022-2025 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) fall under the focus area of improving health equity, coordination of services, and access to care. Covid-19 has had a lasting impact on our health care system and community and has taught us valuable lessons about how to better collaborate with heath care organizations and health and human services agencies.The 2022 assessment identified promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles, reducing the burden of chronic disease, improving health equity, social determinants of health and access to and coordination of care and services, and enhancing community-based behavioral health services as priority needs for 2022-25 across all Backus Hospital geography. Prioritized communities:- disadvantaged communities, people of color, and others who have historically lacked adequate access to services.Objective/goal progress:1. Promote Healthy Behaviors and LifestylesRX for Health Program provides vouchers for fresh produce to individuals who are in need of nutritional support. Funded by Backus Hospital, vouchers are distributed in various settings such as pediatrician offices, soup kitchens, diabetes services, farmers markets, etc.- Provide fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income individuals and families via RX for Health Program.Healthy Choices Backus Hospital-based registered dietician, holds two information sessions at a local food pantry to teach staff and volunteers about food choices specific to health conditions (kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes) in order to provide disease specific food boxes. HHC provides laminated handouts to staff, pantry clients and volunteers for education-Educate food pantry staff and volunteers about strategic food choices for medical conditions.2. Reduce the Burden of Chronic DiseaseHeathy Cooking Initiative that will be implemented in New London County. Participants in this initiative will attend 4 in person cooking sessions (1X week for 4 weeks) at a local teaching kitchen to prepare 4 separate meals that they will then bring home to share with their families. The sessions are taught by Backus Hospital Food Services Chef and nutritional support is offered throughout the program by Backus Hospital Dieticians. Participants learn kitchen, meal preparation skills and are educated about choosing foods best suited for their diagnosis and how to maximize foods and meal planning based on a limited budget. The hope is that the initiative will have a positive effect not only on clinical measures (A1c, BMI, Cholesterol, etc.) but subjective measures as well such as how often families are consuming fast food and how often families are sitting down to eat meals together.-Educate and teach individuals on how best to prepare food for themselves and their families while keeping in mind their medical conditionsA-Ok with HHC consists of a blood pressure screening, along with an Hgb A1c test to screen for the possibility of diabetes. During testing, participants will be given culturally relevant education regarding high blood pressure and the importance of keeping their blood pressure in the ""normal"" range. Participants will be given information about Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) as well as Urgent Care if needed. Every participant is given a brief health history questionnaire that includes questions such as: current medications, family history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, recent Emergency Room visits-Provide testing and resources to assist individuals who remain undiagnosed due to lack of regular medical care in places like soup kitchens, mobile health fairs, mobile food pantries, homeless shelters, and brick and mortar food pantries.3. Improve Health Equity, Social Determinants of Health, and Access to and Coordination of Care and ServicesCommunity Benefit Infrastructure-Provide community benefit training to directors and reporters as well as trainings in the CBISA database. Establish communication channels for hospital departments to share, celebrate, and report on community benefit work. Collaborate with hospital departments on new initiatives in the community that would be beneficial to address CHIP goals-Create a community benefit infrastructureMulti Lingual Strategy-Research a current inventory of linguistic resources and needs from the Surgical Services and Radiology Departments. -Identify pertinent patient Hospital forms that are provided for patients to review and sign and make them available in the top 5 languages for our service area. These forms may be in EPIC or paper forms ordered through the HHC Digital Storefront. -Create standard work to automatically update all languages when a form is changed. -Provide information and services that are linguistically responsive and culturally relevant in order to facilitate access to health-related services.4. Enhance Community-Based Behavioral Health ServicesPreventative Medicine Team-Identify at-risk patients and enroll in Preventive Medicine registry-Personal interview and in-depth clinical and psychosocial assessment-Identify and address social determinants of health (SDOH)-Complete depression screening (PHQ-2/PHQ-9)-Assess self management abilities-Solicit patient, family, and caregiver engagement and understanding of current health status and goals of care-Review and/or educate on Advance Directives-Complete intensive medication reconciliation and thorough review of medical history-Explore current reported Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and elicit patient driven course of action for improving future HRQOL-Develop personalized Transitional Care Guide-Update problem list/medical history in EMR-Educate on chronic disease states-Coordinate transitions with community medical providers and partners-Follow up with patient after discharge (phone calls and home visits as needed)-Maintain a tertiary prevention program to identify at risk patients, implement interventions, and establish triple aim goals for experience of care, cost, and population healthRecovery Coaches through CCAR-Define and investigate current data points of the recovery coach program-Explore opportunities and barriers within the Recovery Coach program-Identify departmental partners for recovery coach program-Investigate and document that effectiveness of the Recovery Coach program through partnership with CCAR.Support GroupsCollaborate and partner with local community agencies to offer support groups for the community at Backus Hospital. Utilize space and resources at Backus in order to bring support to the community-Provide support groups at Backus HospitalAll needs identified in the CHNA are currently being addressed.Many strategies proposed are also being currently worked on in the current CHIP 2023-2025. All strategies proposed in the 2022 CHIP have shown progress in identifying CHNA needs with the exception of support groups and Freedom from Smoking. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic; Hospital policy, community reluctance and limitation of outside agencies have severely limited the existence of support groups in the area. As the hospital continues to open up spaces for public gathering and as CBO reengage in their programming our hope is that supports groups will once again be prominent in the hospital."
      The William W. Backus Hospital
Part V, Section B, Line 13h: Family eligibility criteria for financial assistance also include family size, employment status, financial obligations, and amount and frequency of the health care expenses.
      The William W. Backus Hospital
Part V, Section B, Line 15e: In addition, patients may ask a nurse, physician, chaplain, or staff member from Patient Registration, Patient Financial Services, Case Coordination, or Social Services about initiating the Financial Assistance Application process. Part V, Section B, Line 16a: FAP Website:https://backushospital.org/patients-visitors/patients/billing-insurance/financial-assistancePart V, Section B, Line 16b: FAP Application Website:https://backushospital.org/patients-visitors/patients/billing-insurance/financial-assistancePart V, Section B, Line 16c: FAP Plain Language Summary:https://backushospital.org/patients-visitors/patients/billing-insurance/financial-assistance
      The William W. Backus Hospital
Part V, Section B, Line 16j: Patients are informed directly by staff of the availability of the Financial Assistance Policy.
      Supplemental Information
      Schedule H (Form 990) Part VI
      Part I, Line 3c:
The Organization uses Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) to determine eligibility. In addition, the Hospital takes into consideration, medical indigency, insurance status, underinsurance status, and other family eligibility criteria such as family size, employment and financial obligations. Part I, Line 6a:Although the Organization does not prepare a formal Community Benefits Reports, it does submit a quarterly report to The Connecticut Hospital Association and Form 990 is submitted to the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) annually.
      Part I, Line 7:
The Organization utilized an overall Cost to Charge Ratio (RCC), developed from the Medicare Cost Report. Total expense was adjusted for: Medicaid provider taxes, directly identified community benefit expense and community building expenses. This Cost to Charge Ratio was used to calculate costs for Part I, Line 7a & b. The costs associated with the activities reported on Part I, Line 7e were captured using actual time multiplied by an average salary rate. The costs associated with Line 7h, were the actual costs reported in the organization's general ledger less any industry funded studies. These costs were removed from the calculations to avoid duplication. Costs reported in Part III, Section B6, were calculated from the Medicare cost report and reduced for Medicare costs previously reported in Part I, Lines 7f &g.Part I Line 7a:The methodology used to capture costs on Line 7a was updated to better reflect the cost of care provided to our patient population.
      Part I, Line 7g:
No physician clinic costs were included in the Subsidized Health Services cost calculations.
      Part III, Line 3:
A pre bad debt financial assistance screening is in place to identify patients that may be eligible for financial assistance. Pre bad debt accounts that are identified as meeting the requirements are adjusted prior to being sent to bad debt. Therefore, any bad debt expense that could have been attributable to charity care at the end of FY 2022 would be immaterial.
      Part III, Line 4:
Please see the text of the footnote that describes bad debt expense beginning on page 26 of the Audited Financial Statement. This note also relates to Part III, Line 2.
      Part III, Line 8:
Cost Reports were used to report Medicare allowable costs. Medicare defines allowable costs as those appropriate and helpful in developing and maintaining the operation of patient care facilities and activities. It specifically excludes certain costs that are not directly related to patient care. The hospital incurs additional expense related to the provision of care to Medicare patients that Medicare has deemed non-allowable. This additional expense includes costs of physician services (emergency on-call fees, Hospitalist Programs, recruitment, etc.), advertising costs, cafeteria costs for meals sold to visitors, etc. The Hospital attempts to collect coinsurance and deductibles from Medicare beneficiaries. To the extent collection efforts are unsuccessful; Medicare reimburses the hospital at 65% of unpaid amounts. The table reconciles the shortfall or surplus from Line 7 to the actual surplus or shortfall. The additional costs were allocated to Medicare based upon Medicare's percentage of total allowable costs. The unpaid coinsurance/deductibles were estimated using historical collection results. Any shortfall amounts have not been treated as Community Benefits.
      Part III, Line 9b:
The William W. Backus Hospital has adopted the Financial Assistance Policy of its Parent Company, Hartford HealthCare Corporation. The following is included in the Financial Assistance Policy: Patients who are deemed ineligible for financial assistance or who receive a partial discount and do not pay their bills may be subject to the following Extraordinary Collection Action (ECAs):*Wage Garnishments*Liens on primary and secondary residences, bank or investment accounts, or other assets*Legal actions and reporting the matter to one or more credit rating agencies*Other ECAs not listed aboveIf an individual has not submitted an application within the first 120 days from the date on which Hartford HealthCare first issues its first, post-discharge billing statement, then Hartford HealthCare may begin engaging in the ECAs described above.ECAs may begin after the first 120 days from the date on which Hartford HealthCare issues its first, post-discharge billing statement. If the patient applies for assistance within 240 days from the first notification of the self-pay balance, and is granted assistance, Hartford HealthCare will take all reasonable available measures to remove any collection actions such as negative reporting to a credit bureau or liens that have been filed.Before Hartford HealthCare initiates any collection actions, it will issue a written notice to the last known address of record for the patient (or his/her family) that describes the specific collection activities it intends to initiate (or resume), provides a deadline after which such action(s) will be initiated (or resumed), and includes a plain language summary of this Policy. ECAs can begin no sooner than 30 days from the date written notice is transmitted. Patients who are ineligible for financial assistance, or qualify for partial financial assistance and who are cooperating in good faith to resolve the outstanding accounts, may be offered extended payment plans. No further collection action will be taken as long as the patient continues to meet the terms of the payment plan.
      Part VI, Line 5:
A Regional Board governs Backus, Windham and Natchaug Hospitals. The board is responsible for maintaining outstanding quality services and credentials its medical staff. All of the directors either reside or work in our service area.
      Part VI, Line 7, Reports Filed With States
CT
      Part VI, Line 2:
"The Hartford HealthCare Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) serves as a component in the overall efforts to improve community health and health equity in each of the seven-hospital service areas. It is a process that provides a means of identifying and collecting community data while engaging community members in both the data collection and the prioritization of collaborative efforts for improving the well-being of the area. The ultimate purpose of the HHC CHNA is to improve community health and to do so in an effective and efficient way. The supporting objectives are to do the following: 1. Enhance Community Engagement and Better Incorporate the Consumer's Voice - CHNA/CHIP process leads to continuous and trusting feedback loops with diverse populations and enhances our methods for on-going engagement with the communities we serve. 2. Grow and Sustain our Community-based Partnerships - CHNA/CHIP process leads to more formalized partnerships with regional and community organizations and collaborations, and more meaningful relationships with key community opinion leaders. 3. Align Community Health with our Equity Value and Across the Regions - CHNA/CHIP process leads to a greater sense of team and purpose within HHC, assures each region is equitably resourced, and that collectively we know and understand more about identifying community health needs and improving health outcomes. 4. Bring Greater Clarity and Social Impact to our Community Health Work - CHNA/CHIP process leads to more effective, justified, measurable, and reportable interventions across our collective CHIPs and inspires and informs our social investment, sponsorship, and donation activities.Approach:The major pieces of the assessment helped to assemble a large list of needs. Major assessment activities are listed below: Note that the survey and qualitative research numbers refer to HHC system CHNA activities not solely this hospital.* Data analysis - an extensive set of Hospital Service Area (HSA) data tables reflecting demographics, Social Influencers of Health, lifestyle characteristics, disease incidence (morbidity and mortality) and others* Qualitative research - an in-depth series of 100 stakeholder interviews and 30 focus group discussions* Survey research - a bilingual community survey with approximately 600 responses Interestingly, ALL of the needs are important, yet to achieve the ultimate goal of the CHNA, HHC leaders deployed a needs prioritization process to identify a granular list of 12 needs. The prioritization process and other assessment activities are described in the body of this CHNA.Categories of needs:In order to truly affect change and address high-priority needs, needs were identified and categorized into the following groups:* Ones with the greatest opportunity for immediate impact (i.e., the ""low hanging fruit"" issues for which HHC can take a leadership role and rapidly deploy activities and resources)* Issues supported by the data that have the greatest impact on health outcomes* Needs identified by community as urgent or high-priority concerns* Issues that present the greatest opportunity for collaboration and policy changeThe CHNA is formulated in a way to ultimately impact individuals and families in the service area. To accomplish this, HHC leaders will take CHNA results and deploy a systematic approach to developing the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) an activity critical to achieving this ultimate goal. Some of the initial, well-defined steps to develop and deploy the CHIP include the following: STEP 1 - Culling the Findings Brainstorming with your local collaboratives by answering the following questions: CHNA Immediate Impact findings where is the low hanging fruit? CHNA Greatest Impact findings -- what will most influence health outcomes? CHNA Most Desired Change findings - what change does the community most want? CHNA Forging Opportunities findings - where are the greatest opportunities for partnership? STEP 2 - Organizing the focus areas and assembling your rationale for action STEP 3 - Selecting your Strategies and Interventions STEP 4 - Executing and EvaluationAssessment Approach & Methodology;Hartford HealthCare (HHC) worked with its assessment partners Crescendo Consulting Group and DataHaven to formalize and deploy a highly inclusive assessment framework. The framework was structured to be welcoming to priority communities and others, steeped in best practices, and designed to triangulate insights. At the conclusion of the process, the local stakeholders developed a succinct, prioritized list of community needs. To do this, the methodology included a mixed modality approach ""quantitative, qualitative, and technology-based techniques"" to learn about the human stories and voices while weaving them with the best available data. Crescendo engaged community partners, used data analytics, and invited others to join the discovery process to help describe a positive cycle of change. The assessment activities meet the following goals:* Identify community resources, strengths, and barriers.* Develop a deeper understanding of community health equity and inequalities.* Enable the community to coalesce around, and act upon, the opportunities for population health improvement.The assessment involved substantial qualitative data gathering to highlight local knowledge and expertise, and support outreach efforts for community engagement. The primary qualitative mixed-mode approach engaged policy leaders, key stakeholders, non-profit organizations, health care consumers, the criminal justice system, diversity representatives, people experiencing homelessness, and others throughout the hospital service area. * Health Equity Champions Outreach* Stakeholder One-to-One Interviews* Focus Group Discussions Systemwide, 100 interviews and 30 focus group discussions were held. Conversations with community stakeholders helped us identify weaknesses of programs and resources in the community."
      Part VI, Line 3:
"Backus Hospital provides information about its financial assistance policy as follows: (1) Provides signage, brochures and/or a written plain language summary describing the policy along with financial assistance contact information in the emergency department, labor and delivery areas, discharge paperwork, other patient registration/admission areas, as well as in billing and collection communication.(2) Makes paper copies of the policy, financial assistance application, and plain language summary of the policy available upon request and without charge, by mail.(3) Posts the policy, plain language summary and financial assistance application on the website with clear linkage to such documents on the Hartford HealthCare and each affiliated hospital's home page.(4) Educates all admission and registration personnel, financial counselors, billing and collection specialists and social workers regarding the policy so that they can serve as an informational resource to patients.(5) Includes the tag line 'Please ask about our Financial Assistance Policy"" in applicable Hartford HealthCare written publications."
      Part VI, Line 4:
"The William W. Backus Hospital (""Backus Hospital"") is a 233-bed, not-for-profit acute care community hospital that has provided inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation, and emergency services in Norwich, Connecticut, and surrounding towns since 1897. The hospital has an on-campus Cancer Institute infusion center, multiple rehabilitation and diagnostic imaging locations, and a new Waterford Family Health Center with primary and specialty care. For more information, please visit www.backushospital.orgBackus Hospital is a member of Hartford HealthCare. Hartford HealthCare operates seven acute-care hospitals, air/ambulance services, behavioral health and rehabilitation services, a physician group and clinical integration organization, skilled-nursing and home health services, and a comprehensive range of services for seniors, including senior-living facilities. For more information, please visit https://hartfordhealthcare.org/ The Backus Hospital Service Area is a region of 116,542 residents, 29% of whom are people of color. The regions population has decreased by 2.1% since 2010.* Of the regions 45,776 households, 68% are homeowner households.* Thirty percent of the Backus Hospital HSAs households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least 30% of their total income on housing costs.* Among the regions adults ages 25 and up, 22% have earned a bachelors degree or higher.* The Backus Hospital HSA is home to 51,318 jobs, with the largest share in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector. The median household income in the Backus Hospital HSA is $69,142.* The Backus Hospital HSAs average life expectancy is 79.2 years.* Fifty-three percent of adults in the Backus Hospital HSA say they are in excellent or very good health. In 2020, 65 people in the Backus Hospital HSA died of drug overdoses.* Seventy-nine percent of adults in the Backus Hospital HSA are satisfied with their area, and 39% say their local government is responsive to residents needs.* In the 2020 presidential election, 81% of registered voters in the Backus Hospital HSA voted.* Thirty-nine percent of adults in the Backus Hospital HSA report having stores, banks, and other locations in walking distance of their home, and 47% say there are safe sidewalks and crosswalks in their neighborhood."
      Part VI, Line 6:
"Hartford Healthcare Corporation (HHC) is organized as a support organization to govern, manage and provide support services to its affiliates. HHC, through its affiliates including The William W Backus Hospital, strives to improve health using the ""Triple Aim"" model: improving quality and experience of care; improving health of the population (population health) and reducing costs. HHC and it's affiliates including all supported organizations, develop and implement programs to improve the health care in our Southern New England region. This includes initiatives to improve the quality and accessibility of health care, create efficiency on both our internal operations and the utilization of health care, and provide patients with the most technically advanced and compassionate coordinated care. In addition, HHC continues to take important steps toward achieving its vision of being ""nationally respected for excellence in patient care and most trusted for personalized, coordinated care.""The affiliation with HHC creates a strong, integrated health care delivery system with a full continuum of care across a broader geographic area. This allows the small communities easy and expedient access to the more extensive and specialized services the hospital is able to offer. This includes continuing education of health care professionals at all the affiliated institutions through the Center of Education, Simulation and Innovation located at Hartford Hospital. The affiliation further enhances the hospitals' abilities to support their missions, identity, and respective community roles. This is achieved through integrated planning and communication to meet the changing needs of the region. This includes responsible decision making and appropriate sharing of services, resources and technologies, as well as containment strategies."