Backus Hospital in Norwich opens new surgical cath lab

Hartford Business Journal – Monday, August 10, 2026
By David Krechevsky

Backus Hospital, a Norwich-based medical center owned and operated by Hartford HealthCare, has officially opened a new surgical cardiac catheterization laboratory.

A surgical cath lab is a specialized procedure room where physicians use catheter-based techniques and real-time imaging to diagnose and treat heart and vascular conditions

The redesigned, state-of-the-art space, which officially opened on Friday in the hospital at 360 Washington St., offers leading-edge cardiovascular technology and will increase access to minimally invasive procedures, officials said.

The lab also provides eastern Connecticut with a broader range of specialized treatments, including cardiac catheterizations, cardiac ablations, diagnostic heart testing and advanced vascular interventions, they said.

Dr. Michael Fucci, chief of cardiology for HHC’s Heart & Vascular Institute, East Region, said Backus Hospital opened its first surgical cath lab 25 years ago. Opening the upgraded lab “lays the foundation for expanding our capabilities even further,” he said.

Dr. Amr Atef, director of the hospital’s surgical cath lab, said that when he first started the lab did one or two cases a day, “and now we do four or five cases a day, and that’s the norm.” That demonstrates the progress the lab has made, he said.

Atef added that the state-of-the-art equipment at the hospital “improves our workflow, improves patient care and definitely improves safety to patients.”

The William W. Backus Hospital is a not-for-profit acute care hospital that is licensed for 233 beds, according to an annual report produced by state health officials for fiscal year 2024, the latest available. It has about 1,500 full-time-equivalent employees.

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