William W Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT
Also known as Backus Hospital
In a medical emergency, call 911. This page is for information only.
About William W Backus Hospital
William W Backus Hospital is an acute care hospital in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. It reports its ownership to Medicare as nonprofit (other). It provides emergency services. It is listed as a Level III trauma center. Its CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating is 4 out of 5. It has 213 licensed beds, according to state license data via HIFLD. It meets the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation criteria for maternity care. The nearest other listed hospital is Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center, about 13 mi away.
Quality ratings
How this hospital compares with the national rate on each measure group:
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information. How star ratings work.
Emergency room times
Lower times are better. Reporting period ending September 2025. Source: CMS Timely and Effective Care. What these numbers mean.
Infections and sepsis care
- MRSA bloodstream infectionsNo different · SIR 0.00
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)No different · SIR 0.44
- Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infectionsBetter than national · SIR 0.04
- Central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI)No different · SIR 0.22
- Surgical site infections after colon surgeryBetter than national · SIR 0.00
66% of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock received all the recommended early care steps (SEP-1). Higher is better.
SIR is the standardized infection ratio: below 1 means fewer infections than predicted for a hospital like this one. Period ending September 2025. Source: CMS Healthcare-Associated Infections and Timely and Effective Care.
What patients say
- Patient survey star rating
- Would definitely recommend63%
- Rated the hospital 9 or 1060%
- Completed surveys955
Survey period ending September 2025. Source: CMS HCAHPS Patient Survey.
Map
41.54275, -72.08892
Nearby hospitals
- Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center230 Waterford Parkway South, Waterford, CTHospital13 mi
- Windham Community Memorial Hospital112 Mansfield Avenue, Willimantic, CT · Emergency roomAcute care hospital14 mi
- Lawrence & Memorial Hospital365 Montauk Ave, New London, CT · Emergency roomAcute care hospital14 mi
- Natchaug Hospital189 Storrs Rd, Mansfield Center, CTPsychiatric hospital15 mi
- Westerly Hospital25 Wells Street, Westerly, RI · Emergency roomAcute care hospital18 mi
Frequently asked questions
Where is William W Backus Hospital located?
William W Backus Hospital is at 326 Washington St, Norwich, CT 06360 in New London County.
Does William W Backus Hospital have an emergency room?
Yes. William W Backus Hospital reports emergency services to Medicare, and patients spent a median of 174 minutes in its emergency department before leaving. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
What is the CMS star rating of William W Backus Hospital?
William W Backus Hospital has a CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating of 4 out of 5. The rating combines measures of mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care, compared with hospitals nationwide.
Is William W Backus Hospital a trauma center?
Yes. It is listed as a Level III trauma center in the HIFLD hospitals data, which is compiled from state trauma registries (source date April 2024). Trauma designations are renewed periodically, so confirm with the Connecticut EMS or trauma program. In an emergency, call 911: paramedics take seriously injured patients to the right trauma center.
What is the phone number of William W Backus Hospital?
The main phone number on record with Medicare is (860) 889-8331.
Would patients recommend William W Backus Hospital?
In the most recent HCAHPS patient survey (955 completed surveys), 63% of patients said they would definitely recommend the hospital, and 60% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10.
Related guides
- How CMS Hospital Star Ratings WorkThe five measure groups behind the 1 to 5 star Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, how it is calculated and what it leaves out.
- How to Choose a Hospital to Give BirthLevels of maternal and newborn care, the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation, quality data and questions to ask on a tour.
- How to Choose a HospitalA practical checklist for planned care: insurance networks, procedure volume, quality ratings, certifications and cost estimates.
- ER Wait Times ExplainedHow triage and the Emergency Severity Index decide who is seen first, why emergency rooms get crowded and where to find timing data.