[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 106 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING WILLIAM W. BACKUS HOSPITAL AND DAY KIMBALL HOSPITAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 19, 2010

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
exceptional patient care and service exemplified by two eastern 
Connecticut hospitals, William W. Backus Hospital and Day Kimball 
Hospital.
  Located in Norwich and Putnam, these two hospitals have been 
providing quality health care to the residents of New London and 
Windham Counties for over 100 years. Founded in 1893, Backus Hospital 
operates the only trauma center in eastern Connecticut, and has the 
only facility with a hangar for LIFE STAR to transfer patients by air. 
This capability is extremely beneficial for the critically injured, and 
expedites transfers to trauma centers across the state.
  Serving northeast Connecticut, Day Kimball Hospital maintains a 
unique partnership with UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA, 
which allows it to stabilize and transport heart attack patients hours 
faster than the national average. This partnership in concert with the 
level of excellence in cardiac care at Day Kimball Hospital are 
extremely advantageous for Connecticut residents. With such resources 
and capabilities, these two hospitals make achieving outstanding 
patient satisfaction a top priority.
  Recent data published by the Department of Health and Human Services 
illustrates the hospitals' strong commitment to patient care, with data 
showing that both hospitals are performing better than the national 
average in a number of areas. In these hospitals, patients with chest 
pains or potential heart attacks receive electrocardiograms over thirty 
minutes faster than the national average, and over 98 percent of 
cardiac patients are given aspirin within 24 hours of arrival.
  Both William W. Backus Hospital and Day Kimball Hospital strive to 
further improve their already excellent level of patient care and 
satisfaction. I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the 
benefit these two hospitals provide to the residents of Connecticut, 
and the example they set for other hospitals across the country.

                          ____________________