Hartford Hospital – FY 2014 Achievements
Major Accomplishments:
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Achieved historically high 90 percent overall hand-hygiene compliance, nearly bestpractice level nationwide. Few hospitals attain or retain this level of compliance.
Fastest-growing hospital in the state for three consecutive years, with inpatient care
(discharges) up 2.3% over the past year.
Emergency Department visits up 2.6%.
Outpatient net revenue up 11.4%.
Significant year-over-year inpatient service-line increases:
o Cardiac surgery, 4.9%
o Vascular, 1.5%
o Neurosciences, 5.8%
o Orthopedics, 13.3%
o General surgery, 4.4%
Length-of-stay improvement from 5.62 in 2013 to 5.46 in 2014 – including psych
and newborns.
Institute of Living reduced length of stay on adult units 1.02 days.
Transfer center volume in FY 2014 was 4,722, compared to 4,156 in FY 2013 and
3,501 in FY 2012.
As part of a national initiative, established a Stop the Stigma Campaign to reduce the
stigma associated with mental illness. More than 10,000 individuals have taken the
Stop the Stigma online pledge.
Became the first hospital in the nation to install tourniquet kits in public spaces, next
to defibrillators, to improve survival rates in the event of a mass-casualty event.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published mass-shooting
response guidelines that incorporate recommendations from the Hartford Consensus,
a national organization led by Dr. Lenworth Jacobs, vice president of Academic
Affairs, chief academic officer and director of Trauma.
Completed the certification process with the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer
Center, implementing MSK cancer-treatment standards throughout the hospital and
Hartford HealthCare and also conducting research with MSK and enhancing patient
access to MSK clinical trials to be conducted at Hartford Hospital.
Operational Enhancements
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Began broader implementation of Lean principles to further improve processes and
enhance our culture of continuous improvement.
Broadened executive rounding to include directors to widen engagement with frontline staff members.
Continued high-reliability training of all staff to improve patient and staff safety.
Created an electronic patient CARE plan for each patient and his or her family to
improve daily communication and provide a consistent message.
Established a “bridge clinic” for congestive heart failure patients to reduce
readmissions.
For the third year, partnered with Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency
medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service, to share advances in airmedical transport services and simulated training techniques.
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Facility Enhancements
 Opened a new post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) in Perioperative Services, providing
12 additional state-of-the-art beds.
 Opened CB3 as a specialized Organ Failure and Transplantation unit that provides
complex, multidisciplinary care for patients with advanced organ disease and
patients who are organ donors or recipients.
 Renovated and expanded North 9 Neurosciences Step-Down Unit, increasing capacity
to care for critically ill neurosurgical and trauma patients.
 Began renovations to the Women’s Health Unit.
Regional Expansion
 Began construction of the Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute, a
multidisciplinary comprehensive care center, on the Hartford Hospital campus. With
its close alliance with the Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation, the
institute will bring the latest advances in care to patients and contribute to the
growth of the hospital (freeing space for additional private rooms and other
enhancements) and the economic development of the community.
 Opened the Farmington Family Health Center to increase access to care.
 Institute of Living opened an intensive outpatient program for LGBTQ individuals, the
first in Connecticut.
 Launched an initiative to develop a Neurosciences Institute to bring together the
strength and expertise of many related disciplines throughout the Hartford
HealthCare system.
 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center celebrated its first anniversary and expanded to
satellite locations in Enfield and Wethersfield.
 Opened the Atrial Fibrillation Center, a joint venture among the Departments of
Electrophysiology and Cardiology and CT Surgery and the first in the region to offer
comprehensive evaluation, management and treatment services for patients with
atrial fibrillation.
 Expanded the LDL apheresis program, making it one of the largest in the nation.
Technology/Medical Firsts
 Hartford Hospital was nearing its 3,000th transplant, with 2,998 transplants
performed by Oct. 29, 2014; 2014 is the 30th anniversary of the program.
 First endoscopic submucosal dissection performed in Connecticut.
 First robotic minimally invasive esophagectomy performed in the state.
 First in the state to implant the new Medtronic loop recorder.
 First in the state to provide a breakthrough treatment option for patients too frail to
undergo open heart surgery: MitraClip®, a device implanted through the femoral
artery to treat mitral-valve disease.
 First in the region to implant a subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD)® in a
patient at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
 First in Connecticut to use the THERMOCOOL® SMARTTOUCH® catheter, the first
catheter approved by the FDA to feature contact-force technology for ablation
procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
 The first cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) designed for use in an MRI scanner was
implanted at Hartford Hospital as part of the Medtronic Evera MRI clinical trial.
Hartford Hospital is the only site in New England selected for participation.
 Received the first post-FDA approval in the state to implant the Metronic Attain
Performa and Viva Quad resynchronization therapy defibrillators, which reduce side
effects from devices in patients with heart failure.
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First LINX magnetic lower-esophageal sphincter augmentation was performed at
Hartford Hospital to treat acid-reflux disease.
Comprehensive Liver Center was first in Connecticut to use Fibroscan® technology, a
painless alternative to liver biopsy.
Eye Surgery Center was first in New England and one of the first in the Northeast to
use femto-second laser technology to improve cataract surgery.
Hartford Hospital surpassed 100 trans-catheter aortic-valve replacements (TAVRs).
Research and Academics
 Research Administration established a centralized Hartford HealthCare system-wide
Institutional Review Board with the highest level of accreditation from the national
review board of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection
Programs Inc.
 An Institute of Living and Genetics Research Center study received a $1.25 million
grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the leading federal
agency focused on patient care and clinical outcomes, to design and validate a
personalized medicine tool to guide selection of drug therapy for major depressive
disorders.
 Genomas celebrated its 10th anniversary.
 In collaboration with Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
clinicians, Research collaborated on four clinical-trial protocols of an investigational
valve designed to improve patient outcomes of the TAVR procedure.
 Opened the Olin Center Annex at the Institute of Living; the center is at the forefront
of neuroscience research in brain disorders in the world.
 Major collaborations with the National Institutes of Health, the Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins Medical School and many partnerships
with drug and device clinical research trials helped advance the standard of medicine
through innovative new treatments that provide more options for Hartford
HealthCare patients.
Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation
 Began 25,000-square-foot expansion to add a virtual reality lab, tissue lab and
several simulated patient rooms, including a bioterrorism suite. Expansion will
increase training and research capabilities and is expected to attract additional hightech industry partners.
 Selected for training by the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center.
 Named a comprehensive Accredited Education Institute by the American College of
Surgeons.
 Renewed a three-year contract for training U.S. Navy MDs and submarine medics.
Nearly 300 Navy personnel have been trained since 2007.
 Received Harvey® The Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator, another high-fidelity
human patient simulator – purchased with a $71,500 grant from the Connecticut
Health and Educational Facilities Authority to improve the health and education of
state citizens.
 Launched mobile training for Jefferson House, Southington Care and Jerome Home
nurses and certified nurses’ aides with the goal of reducing readmissions. More than
380 students have been trained, with a focus on congestive-heart failure,
pneumonia, cardiac arrest, ISBAR communication and IV insertion, and port-a-cath
care.
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Philanthropy
 Launched the early phase of a campaign to raise funds for the Bone & Joint Institute
and other critical components of the hospital’s facilities master plan.
 Formed a strong campaign steering committee of community and corporate leaders,
chaired by George Estes.
 At the close of the fiscal year, reached nearly $36 million in commitments to the
campaign, including million dollar commitments from Orthopedic Associates of
Hartford, Hartford Anesthesiology Associates, Jefferson Radiology, the Hartford
Hospital Auxiliary and two anonymous donors.
 The Hartford Hospital Campaign received support from 100 percent of Hartford
Hospital’s vice presidents.
 The Black & Red gala raised more than $1 million for the Institute of Living.
Community Benefit
 The hospital’s total community benefit is calculated at more than $118 million.
 Assisted 10 employees and their families with buying homes in the City of Hartford
through our Housing Incentive Program – an investment of $100,000.
 Provided four community nonprofit organizations with grants to launch programs for
community health.
 Contributed to the Hartford Promise to provide Hartford Public School students with
access to higher education.
 Supported more than 90 nonprofit agencies in the community to address basic
human needs such as shelter, community health, women’s health, behavioral health,
obesity, nutrition and a host of much-needed services.
 Continued to participate in the Take Charge of Your Health Project, launched last
year with the Omega Foundation to inspire action among black men to lead healthier
lives. Project statistics include 3,100 individual encounters; 1,030 free screenings
(blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer); 168 connected to primary care providers; and
75 connected to insurance.
Awards and Recognition
 Named among the most technologically advanced hospitals in the world by Top
Master's in Healthcare Administration.
 Awarded a “gold” designation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Resources for raising organ-donation awareness, registering new donors and
supporting donor families.
 Named the top hospital in the region by U.S. News & World Report with 11 banners
of distinction.
 Listed among 100 hospitals named by Becker’s Hospital Review of “Hospitals with
Great Women’s Health Programs.”
 Named among the Most Wired Hospitals for the seventh consecutive year by
Hospitals and Health Networks.
 “Mobility is Medicine Project," which trains volunteers to mobilize patients, won the
National Association of Rehab Agency and Providers Innovation Award.
 Earl Morrison, with hospital Engineering, received a prestigious Health Care Hero
Award from the Hartford Business Journal for creating EARL (Early Ambulation Saves
Lives), a cart enabling ICU patients to walk.
 Received recertification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center from the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association and the Joint Commission.
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