Interview with New London Hospital CEO Bruce King

I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Bruce on many different occasions. The one thing that really stands out about him is his easy going nature and the fact that he will make time to meet with anyone who would like to learn more about what is happening at the New London Hospital.

With the the major expansion of the hospital space, I decided to interview Bruce and try to get a quick snap shot on the affects of the new hospital space and what that means for everyone in the community.

Due to the expansion are hospital rates/fees increasing?

Each year during the NLHA budgeting process, our team reviews the cost of medical services for comparable size hospitals in our region and projects our own costs based on clinical personnel, equipment and materials for our service area.  Any cost increase for medical services is then factored into the budgeting process.  When we applied for our Certificate of Need for the Building Towards the Future (BTTF) project, a process required by the state, we stated that we would not increase our charges due to the project.

What new services may be coming to the hospital as a result of the project?

We are constantly looking at opportunities to add clinical services for which there is a community need.  Over the past several years we have added our Coumadin Program, the Sleep Disorders Center, Neurosurgery and Pain Management to name a few.  Our new building and Specialty Services area gives us the flexibility to grow existing services and the potential to add new ones.  We intend to expand our oncology services in collaboration with the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and increase our cardiology services. In addition, our Sleep Disorders Center will double its space.With increased space for leased tenants, we will definitely see the expansion of the orthopaedic services offered by Concord Orthopaedics, enlarge the space for urology and podiatry services, and we will continue to explore new partnerships with DHMC and Concord Hospital, as well as other individual specialty practices.

Is pediatric care returning to the campus?

Yes, our pediatric services, in collaboration with Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (ChaD) will be returning to the main campus from Georges Mills in the late spring.  It will be located in newly renovated space in what is currently the rear of the medical office building at 249 County Road.  One of the main goals of the BTTF project has always been to reunite the main campus by returning the pediatric practice to the renovated building and moving our rehabilitative services from the Stahlman Building on Pleasant Street into the new attached building.

With this expansion, how many new jobs will be created?

We anticipate adding a small number of staff in maintenance to accommodate the additional 46,000 square feet we are adding to the hospital. We are moving all the staff from the current medical office building into the new building in order to provide our primary care and specialty services.

What is going to happen to the current medical office building?

The front portion of the medical office building located at 249 County Road will be razed early this winter.  This building is over 40 years old and was declared functionally obsolete by a facilities study NLH undertook in 2006.  The space created by the razing will become additional parking. The rear portion of the current medical office building is about 18 years old and will be renovated to accommodate our pediatric practice on the ground floor; Gregory Barban, MD will continue to operate his practice on the second floor; and the third floor will be dedicated to administrative space.  In addition, the G. William and Tina Helm Conference Room will be created in space on the second floor.

What was the original goal with the BTTF expansion?

The goals today remain the same as the original ones proposed in 2006 and embodied in our Certificate of Need and project planning.  The main attributes of the project are:  improve access to clinical services by building a new space for providers and services; expand space for specialty clinical services; create all private inpatient rooms; and unite the campus.

What is the expected completion date of the BTTF project?

The completion date for all phases of the project is anticipated to be June 2009.

Where do you see New London Hospital in ten years?

New London Hospital (NLH) occupies a unique place as a rural, community hospital in that it sits exactly midway between two large tertiary care centers.  This gives the hospital the distinct advantage of collaborations with these two medical centers and the ability to seamlessly transfer patients as needed to an institution with advanced medical care.  This geographic distinction also provides NLH with the opportunity to provide our service area with both primary and secondary medical services in a smaller, closer environment that allows patients to be seen and treated without lengthy travel or long waits often associated with larger medical facilities.

With the advent of electronic medical records, digital radiography, advanced laboratory techniques, and new mobile technologies, patients can see a provider in New London and all their clinical records can be quickly transferred to any specialist at any institution for diagnosis without the patient needing to travel.  NLH will also continue to grow as an outpatient facility with same day surgery as an important component. With our array of surgical services from general surgery to orthopaedics to neurosurgery to pain management, NLH will provide same day procedures to patients who can then return safely to their homes, knowing that their provider and any required medical services are only a short distance away.

As new medical treatments are introduced in the next ten years, NLH is well positioned to take advantage of these advances through our many clinical collaborations with a teaching and research institution. Most importantly, NLH will continue the tradition of medical care in our community, ensuring that we meet the healthcare needs of our community and remain a close, quality-driven hospital where patients are respected and have access to experienced clinicians.

Tagged as: BTTF, Facilities, Health, Health care, Hospital, Medicine, new london, New London Hospital, NLHA, Primary care