Hand, plastic surgeon will continue providing care, despite closure of office
Norwich — Patients of Dr. Thomas Cherry will be receiving letters this month informing them that despite the pending closure of a Waterford orthopedic practice where he provided care, his services will continue uninterrupted.
“We’re going to let them know we’re still going to be here,” said Cherry, a hand and plastic surgery specialist who works out of offices at the Crossroads Professional Building in Waterford and the Medical Office Building attached to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich.
Cherry, 69, said during an interview at his Norwich office Monday that he is planning to continue his medical practice until he is 75 years old. One of four hand surgeons in southeastern Connecticut, Cherry said his is a busy practice that sees about 50 patients per week in his two offices and performs about 375 surgical procedures annually, “ranging from six minutes to six hours.” About 60 percent of his practice is hand surgery, and most of the remainder is reconstructive plastic surgery.
Confusion about his status was generated by a letter sent Sept. 1 by Hartford HealthCare to all the patients of the Backus Physician Services Orthopedic Surgery group that the practice would be closing on Oct. 30.
Backus is part of the Hartford HealthCare network. Adding to the confusion, an article in The Day last week erroneously reported that Cherry was ready to retire, while the other three doctors in the orthopedic practice are not. Attempts to reach Cherry for the story were unsuccessful.
Cherry said his office staff has been working to clarify his status with patients since the Hartford HealthCare letter was sent. He has provided care in the region for 33 years, performing surgeries at both Backus and at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London. Six years ago, he joined the Backus Physician Services network, becoming a salaried physician rather than running an independent solo practice.
Cherry said he began seeing patients at the Crossroads office 18 months ago, after the retirement of another hand surgeon, Dr. Warren Burrows. He was not, however, a partner with the three other orthopedic doctors in the practice, he said.
When that practice closes, he said, he will move into another office in the same building, and will also continue seeing patients at his Norwich office.
“My surgery schedule is booked through December,” he said. “There will be no interruption.”
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