Backus hires pain specialist, filling long vacancy at clinic

Norwich — The William W. Backus Hospital has replaced a specialist at its pain management clinic, several months after the previous primary physician retired.

Dr. Edward Hargus, the primary physician at the clinic, retired last fall, leaving about 150 patients at the Backus Pain Management & Palliative Care Services center being treated for cancer-related pain, back injuries, nerve damage other ailments without a permanent doctor.

The clinic has been run by temporary physicians since September. Next month Gaurav Kapur, an interventional spine physiatrist, will start seeing patients.

According to a Backus news release, Kapur will perform spine procedures, soft tissue or joint injections and will provide “limited pain medication management.” He specializes in acute and chronic neck or back pain, pinched nerves, disc herniations, spinal stenosis and musculoskeletal disorders.

Hospital officials did not specify whether Kapur will be prescribing opioid pain medications.

Hospital officials said last year they were having difficulty finding a replacement for Hargus because pain management experts, especially those who are willing to move to Norwich, are few and far between.

Kapur earned his medical degree at the Indira Gandhi Medical College in India. He completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilita-

tion at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., and a fellowship in spine medicine and pain at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

He fills a gap in a short list of pain management specialists in the area.

The Lawrence + Memorial Hospital network includes two private pain specialists in New London, and the Backus network includes one in Norwich.

Yale-New Haven Health’s Northeast Medical Group also employs two pain specialists in Westerly and plans to expand into an office in Norwich, according to Lawrence + Memorial spokesman Michael O’Farrell.

Dr. Nader Bahadory, Backus’ medical director, said last year that the region was seeing the symptoms of a nationwide shortage of pain specialists because the number of doctors completing pain fellowships has not yet caught up to the demand from patients.