NEW LONDON – Community members had the opportunity to learn more about the healthcare services available close to home during an open house held at Theda Care in New London.
Tuesday’s event welcomed residents, patients and community partners to explore the hospital’s offerings and connect with healthcare providers and local organizations.
Jenny Derks, Vice President of Operations, said the open house was designed to show people that the hospital provides far more services than many realize.
“I think the focus is community members, but definitely we have patients who want to come in and see what other services we have to offer,” Derks said. “It’s just an invitation for folks throughout the community to come in and see what we’re all about. There’s so much more going on at this hospital than what most people realize.”
Derks noted that many people only experience a small portion of the hospital’s services based on their immediate healthcare needs.
“If somebody is acutely sick, maybe they have a sore throat or they need to be taken care of in the emergency room, those are their points of entry,” she said. “We want to connect them across the continuum of care.”
In addition to emergency and primary care services, they offer specialties including dermatology, cardiology and urology, along with a variety of outpatient services. Representatives from community organizations, including the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), were also on hand to discuss resources such as advanced care planning.
Derks said one of the hospital’s goals is helping residents understand they can receive much of their care locally.
“We want folks to know that they can stay here to get the care they need,” she said. “They don’t have to go to the Valley. They can stay here.”
Among the services highlighted during the open house was the hospital’s breast imaging program. Derks said the facility recently added software that enhances its 3D mammography services for patients with dense breast tissue.
“We have a new software program that allows us to detect concerns earlier and bring patients in for ultrasounds when needed,” Derks said. “That helps us rule out or potentially identify issues sooner.”
While the New London location is smaller than some regional medical centers, Derks said patients have access to many of the same services on a local level while remaining connected to a broader healthcare network.
“The theory is that bigger is better, but better is better,” she said. “We do great care here, and we have many of the offerings that larger hospitals have, just in a scaled-down size.”
She acknowledged that highly specialized procedures such as heart or brain surgery are performed at larger facilities but emphasized that patients benefit from the hospital’s relationship with sister hospitals in the region.
“It’s fantastic to have those connections,” Derks said. “But for most general healthcare needs, people can receive care right here in New London.”
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