Windham Community Mem Hospital

Description

About Us
Our awardwinning staff is committed to compassionate high quality care and to making you feel better using the very latest in diagnostic and treatment skills and equipment We provide a vital core of inpatient outpatient rehabilitation and emergency services in a caring and personal community setting in Northeastern Connecticut

Through our membership in Hartford Healthcare our patients have easy access to the best care here at Windham at Hartford Hospital and at other Hartford Healthcare member facilities

Our Mission
To enhance the lives and well being of people in the communities we serve by providing quality healthcare

Our Vision
We will be recognized as the outstanding community hospital in Connecticut Across the generations our patients and their families will experience healthcare that is consistently high in quality seamless in transition and accessible to all We will be the leader in healthcare and a catalyst for improving the communities we serve

Our Values
Excellence

Accountability

Compassion

Commitment to the Community

Teamwork

Collaborating with families acknowledging their strengths and resources and respecting their choices and priorities are the cornerstones of Family Centered Care at Windham Hospital

History

Our History
In 2008 Windham Hospital celebrated its
75th Anniversary

By the turn of the century hospitals had become an integral part of American community life and in1908 St Joseph Hospital in Willimantic was opened by the Sisters of Charity of the St Joseph parish By July 1926 heavy utilization of the 40 bed hospital and the need for modernization was discussed by the Hospital Directors and the Trustees of the St Joseph Catholic Congregation However the Sisters of Charity based in the Netherlands had decided to recall their staff from St Josephs and there was concern that the necessary funding could not be raised from within the Congregation alone As a result St Josephs asked that a new hospital be built as a community effort On October 1 1930 an incorporators meeting was held and it was decided that the new hospital would be a nonsectarian community hospital with a nonsectarian Board To reflect this change they proposed the name Windham Community Memorial Hospital

Windham Hospital under construction 1932
Windham area residents enthusiastically supported the new hospital building program raising 450000 over a two month period ending December 31 1930 This accomplishment is noteworthy given the fact that the Great Depression was underway over 3700 people pledged their financial support for the new hospital

Construction of the new hospital began in 1931 and on April 12 1932 the cornerstone of the building was laid The formal dedication of Windham community Memorial Hospital took place in the main lobby on April 5 1933 On that same day Windham began accepting maternity patients and at 600 pm the Accident Room precursor to our Emergency Department was opened On April 25th the first birth occurred at the new hospital Edna Gile and the next day the eight patients remaining at St Joseph Hospital were transferred by ambulance to Windham

Windham Hospital as it appeared in 1952 just prior to the West Wing Expansion
The foresight and enthusiasm of community planner created a health institution that was remarkable for its time gaining national recognition Windham Community Memorial Hospital was featured in an article in the November 1933 issue of Modern Hospital a journal wellknown in the health care field The article was complimentary of the interior design and amenities citing the many modern innovations of the new hospital

The size and shape of the building has changed and the services offered at Windham Hospital have kept pace with the needs of the community Today we offer the latest medical technologies to 19 communities in eastern Connecticut The one constant is the people that have devoted their lives to helping others Our staff is among the most caring and compassionate and the personalized care that is offered at Windham Hospital is our hallmark looking back and into the future

Footnote The sections describing the history of Windham Hospital were excerpted from Windham Hospital A History written by Richard Ogrean FACHE and edited by Annette Hansell in 1983