During that time, I have come to deeply appreciate the tremendous resources this region has for providing high quality health care to the community. The caliber of doctors, nurses and other professionals dedicated to patient care in our region is truly world class. Unfortunately, over the years, it has become increasingly clear to me, as well as my colleagues in the medical community, that the region’s current model for health-care delivery is unsustainable.

Our patients are served by two hospitals that were built more than 100 years ago. I have no doubt that when they were built, Waterbury and Saint Mary’s hospitals were regarded as visionary models for providing health care, but times have changed. Under the current dynamic, the hospitals compete in a market that is much more suitable for a single hospital, and they face enormous financial pressures that have become commonplace for independent community hospitals. These pressures come from the government, commercial interests, and from buildings and infrastructures that are no longer conducive to providing optimal care for patients.

That is why the announcement last year that the hospitals entered into a merger agreement with LHP Hospital Group has been so warmly and enthusiastically welcomed by the region’s medical community.

The linchpin of the proposed merger is a plan to build a $400 million medical center in Greater Waterbury. This facility will give doctors and nurses the modern tools they need to continue providing the highest-quality care to the people of this region, now and for generations to come. LHP’s track record for building patient-centered, convenient and cutting-edge hospitals is well-established, and this new hospital will be the company’s and the community’s crown jewel. Patients who experience long emergency- room wait times or limited space for patient beds at either hospital should embrace this proposal wholeheartedly, as the new medical center will be built specifically to eliminate these kinds of problems. For the medical community, the proposal offers nu merous exciting opportunities, including a modern, unified, integrated medical- record system that will create greater efficiency in provid ing the appropriate care and diagnosis for patients, as well as a much-needed upgrade in equipment and technology.

I understand the public may have many questions and concerns about the proposed merger, but the bottom line is this region needs to do something bold and innovative to continue retaining and attracting top-notch doctors and other medical practitioners, and to ensure that the people of our community can receive all of their health care locally. The proposed venture is a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity for Greater Waterbury. It is my hope that in four or five years, we will be treating patients in a newly opened medical center that will be able to meet the community’s health-care needs as well as Waterbury and Saint Mary’s hospitals have for the last 100 years.

William F. Flynn Jr., M.D.
Southbury, Connecticut
 
Original publication:
Republican-American News eEdition (www.rep-am.com)

“Technology enables us to bridge our services to our patients needs. It exemplifies the high standards of patient care that define NOSS,” said David Lane, Chief Operating Officer at NOSS. “Our cutting edge advancements promote positive patient experiences and encourage the partnership between our patients and our practice.”

The functions of the online Patient Portal include the ability to request an online appointment from a specific doctor or location. They can register as a patient and fill out their medical history form before their first visit. They can also request a refill of medication that their doctor’s/PA’s have already prescribed. For added convenience, they will have the ability to pay their bill online as well.

The Patient Portal is fully integrated with NOSS’s practice, complies with all privacy and confidentiality rules and the team at NOSS is able to immediately see requests and answer them within the business day they are received. This allows for more convenient communication between their office and their patients. NOSS is pleased to offer yet another way to enhance their patient’s experience and to grow their brand as leaders in patient and doctor integration.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep updated on our community events, health and wellness articles and general information our patients need to know about our services.

Dr. William F. Flynn, Jr. is a board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeonspecializing in joint reconstruction and sports medicine.

Our staff’s passion for healing and helping inspired us to implement Friday “Casual For Causes”.  Each month the practice selects one charity and staff members donate $5 every Friday that month if they choose to participate and wear jeans to work.  Since the inception of the program in 2010, we have donated over $5000 to many worthy causes including:

• Alzheimer’s Resource Center
• Harold Leever Cancer Center
• Multiple Sclerosis Society
• St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen Shelter
• Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
• March of Dimes
• Rose Hope Animal Rescue Center
• Toys for Tots
• Operation ShoeBox
• Wounded Warrior Project

NOSS is proud to sponsor many local athetic teams, the Waterbury Symphony, the Waterbury YMCA Triathlon Club, Southbury Santa’s House and Relay For Life Northwest Hills as well as other charity and community events and associations.

– SRS, the leading provider of productivity-enhancing EHR technology and services for high-performance specialty practices today announced that Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics & Spine Specialists, P.C. (NOSS) has selected the SRS EHR for its 20-provider practice. Located in Waterbury, Connecticut, NOSS delivers comprehensive orthopaedic, neurosurgical, pain management and spine care to patients in their area.

“The SRS EHR’s ability to integrate with our current PACS and PM system and openly communicate with the systems at the two hospitals where I conduct my surgeries played an important role in our EHR decision-making process,” says William F. Flynn, M.D., NOSS. “The results of the integration are smoother workflows and clinical gains in our office and at the hospitals.”

“SRS has a compelling network of orthopaedic practices that operate with enhanced efficiency using the SRS EHR. That speaks volumes,” says David O. Lane, Practice Administrator, NOSS. “Being able to layer and analyze the operational data from our PM system alongside the clinical data from the SRS EHR provides our practice with enhanced revenue opportunities.”

“The OpenPath™ architecture of the SRS EHR allows our software to communicate with other technologies with ease, streamlining practice workflows and enhancing efficiency practice wide,” says Evan Steele, CEO of SRSsoft. “We’re confident NOSS will experience these benefits that distinguish SRS from other EHRs and we’re excited to have them join our growing national network of high-volume practices.”

About SRS

SRS is the leading provider of productivity-enhancing EHR technology and services for high-performance specialty practices—with a successful adoption rate unparalleled in the industry. Offered via the Unified Desktop, the robust EHR, SRS CareTracker PM, and SRS PACS increase speed, boost revenue, free physicians\’ time, and heighten patient care and satisfaction. For more information on SRS, visit www.srssoft.com, e-mail info@srssoft.com, fax 201.802.1301, or call 800.288.8369.