CONWAY — Memorial Hospital, like many hospitals in New Hampshire, is struggling to meet the health needs of the community while contending with job vacancies, a statewide mental health crisis and more in-patients than ever.
Officials say these problems are nothing new but have worsened in recent years.
kAm“%96 A2?56>:4 6I246C32E65 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D[” D2:5 }6H w2>AD9:C6 w@DA:E2=D pDD@4:2E:@? ':46 !C6D:56?E 7@C $E2E6 v@G6C?>6?E #6=2E:@?D !2F=2 |:??692?[ 8F6DE DA62<6C 2E 2 =68:D=2E@CD’ 3C62<72DE 9@DE65 2E |6>@C:2= =2DE uC:52J]k^Am
kAm%96 2DD@4:2E:@? AC@G:56D DFAA@CE 7@C >6>36C 9@DA:E2=D[ :?4=F5:?8 25G@42E:?8 7@C 3:==D :? E96 {68:D=2EFC6]k^Am
kAmtI64FE:G6 r@F?4:=@C y@6 z6??6J W#\(2<67:6=5X 2?5 =@42= s6>@4C2E:4 DE2E6 #6AD] r9C:D |4p=66C[ s2G:5 !2:86[ p?:E2 qFCC@F89D 2?5 %@> qF4@ 2EE6?565 E96 6G6?E[ 2=@?8 H:E9 |6>@C:2= !C6D:56?E pCE |2E9:D6? 2?5 @E96C 9@DA:E2= @77:4:2=D]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 7:CDE =68:D=2E:G6 3C62<72DE 8:G6? 2E E96 9@DA:E2= D:?46 |2C49 @7 a_a_]k^Am
kAm|:??692? D2:5 E96 EH@ >@DE D:8?:7:42?E AC@3=6>D 724:?8 }6H w2>AD9:C6 9@DA:E2=D 2C6 9:89 @44FA2?4J C2E6D 2?5 DE277:?8 492==6?86D]k^Am
kAm%96 b` 9@DA:E2=D :? E96 vC2?:E6 $E2E6 AC@G:56 b[dcd 365D 7@C A2E:6?ED[ 2?5 >@DE 2C6 7:==65] %96 2DD@4:2E:@? D2:5 365 @44FA2?4J C2E6D 7@C a_aa H6C6 h`]d A6C46?E[ 2?5 62C=:6C E9:D J62C 4=:>365 E@ he A6C46?E]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E92E C2E6 92D 5C@AA65[ |:??692? D2:5 :E :D DE:== “2? 6IEC2@C5:?2C:=J 9:89 C2E6] (6’G6 ?6G6C D66? E92E :? @FC C646?E 9:DE@CJ]”k^Am
kAm|:??692? D2:5 E9:D AC6G6?ED ?6H 25>:DD:@?D 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ ?665 42C6] $96 ?@E65 E92E r~'xs\`h A2E:6?ED ?@H E2<6 FA @?=J 2 D>2== A6C46?E286 @7 365D 2?5 =:?<65 E96 9:89 @44FA2?4J C2E6 E@ H92E D96 42==65 “32CC:6CD E@ 5:D492C86]”k^Am
kAm“u@C D>2==6C 9@DA:E2=D =:<6 |6>@C:2=[ E96 :>A24E :D E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ EC2?D76C A2E:6?ED :? ?665 @7 9:896C =6G6=D @7 42C6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|6>@C:2= :D @?6 @7 `b 4C:E:42= 2446DD 9@DA:E2=D :? E96 DE2E6] %96D6 D>2== 9@DA:E2=D :? CFC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ =:>:E65 E@ ad :?\A2E:6?E 365D[ AC@G:56 E96 7:CDE 2?5 4=@D6DE 2446DD 7@C E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 C6D:56?ED 2?5 :?4=F56 2== E96 9@DA:E2=D :? r2CC@== 2?5 r@@D r@F?E:6D]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 32CC:6CD E@ 5:D492C86 :D =24< @7 365D 2E =2C86C 9@DA:E2=D E92E AC@G:56 >@C6 DA64:2=:K65 42C6] }6H w2>AD9:C6 92D `a =2C86 4@>>F?:EJ 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 7:G6 DA64:2=EJ 9@DA:E2=D[ 2=>@DE 2== :? E96 D@FE962DE6C? BF2CE6C @7 E96 DE2E6[ 2D H6== 2D s2CE>@FE9 w:E494@4< |65:42= r6?E6C[ E96 DE2E6’D @?=J E6249:?8 9@DA:E2=]k^Am
kAm~E96C 32CC:6CD 2C6 =24< @7 =@?8\E6C>\42C6 365D :? ?FCD:?8 9@>6D 2?5 =24< @7 256BF2E6 9@>6 42C6 E92E H@F=5 2==@H D@>6 A2E:6?ED E@ C6EFC? 9@>6]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ :?4=F56 AC@3=6>D H:E9 A=24:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 A2E:6?ED[ H9@ @7E6? 6?5 FA DA6?5:?8 6IE6?565 DE2JD :? 9@DA:E2= 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?ED]k^Am
kAmqFCC@F89D 2D<65 9@H >2?J 365D H6C6 36:?8 E2<6? FA :? |6>@C:2=’D 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?E 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 >6?E2= 962=E9 4C:D6D]k^Am
kAm|6>@C:2= w@DA:E2= r9:67 }FCD:?8 ~77:46C zC:D s2D4@F=:2D D2:5 E92E H:E9 `a 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?E 365D[ @?6 52J =2DE H66< E96C6 H6C6 7:G6 >6?E2= 962=E9 A2E:6?ED[ D@>6 @7 H9@> 925 366? E96C6 7@C 52JD] $96 25565 E92E H96? D6C:@FD 6>6C86?4:6D 4@>6 :?E@ E96 56A2CE>6?E[ E96J @7E6? >@G6 >6?E2= 962=E9 A2E:6?ED :?E@ E96 92==H2J]k^Am
kAm“(6 24EF2==J ;FDE 925 D@>63@5J 4C@DD E96 `[___\9@FC >2C< Wc` 52JDX[” D96 D2:5] “(6’G6 ?6G6C 925 2?J3@5J 96C6 E92E =@?8] qFE H6 92G6 A6@A=6 E92E DE2J 96C6 2 =@?8[ =@?8 E:>6]”k^Am
kAm|2E9:D6? D2:5 :? E96 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?E[ “365D” 2C6 24EF2==J DEC6E496CD] “%96J’C6 ?@E >256 7@C 9@FD:?8 A2E:6?ED 7@C `[___ 9@FCD[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|:??692? D2:5 E96 DE2E6 :D H@C<:?8 E@ C6@A6? 365D 2E DE2E6 9@DA:E2= 2?5 255 >@C6 6=D6H96C6[ 3FE D96 D2:5 6IA2?5:?8 4@>>F?:EJ >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D :D 8C62E=J ?66565]k^Am
kAm“{:<6 >J 3@DD 2=H2JD D2JD[ H6 ?665 2== @7 :E[ ?@H[” D96 25565]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C DEC2:? @? 9@DA:E2= C6D@FC46D :D 2? :?4C62D6 :? E6>A@C2CJ DE277[ @7E6? ?FCD6D[ E96 4@DED @7 H9:49 92G6 D<JC@4<6E65]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DF=ED @7 2 a_aa =23@C 4@DE DEF5J 7@C }6H w2>AD9:C6 9@DA:E2=D D9@H65 E96 G242?4J C2E6 7@C ?FCD6D 92D 5@F3=65 D:?46 a_`h 2?5 E96 C2E6D E6>A@C2CJ H@C<6CD 86E E@ 7:== G242?4:6D 92G6 >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 DEF5J |:??962? D92C65[ 9@DA:E2=D 92G6 D66? 2 `bb]` A6C46?E :?4C62D6 :? 4@?EC24E65 =23@C 4@DED “E92E 2C6 F?DFDE2:?23=6 2?5 E9C62E6? E96 7:?2?4:2= D64FC:EJ @7 @FC 9@DA:E2=D]”k^Am
kAm|2E9:D6? D2:5 |6>@C:2= 92D E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 `c 7F==\E:>6 ?FCD:?8 A@D:E:@?D 36:?8 7:==65 3J E6>A@C2CJ DE277]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 DA6?5:?8 2 =@E @? E92E[ H9:49 :D 6DD6?E:2==J @FC >2C8:?[” 96 D2:5] “%92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 2 492==6?86]”k^Am
kAm{68:D=2E:@? E@ 255C6DD E6>A@C2CJ H@C<6CD :?4=F56D 2 3:== E@ C6BF:C6 286?4:6D E92E AC@G:56 E6>A@C2CJ DE277 E@ C68:DE6C H:E9 E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6 H2?E65 H2D E96> E@ 5:D4=@D6 E96:C 4@DED[ H92E E96J 492C86 2?5 9@H >F49 E96 24EF2= 6>A=@J66 :D 86EE:?8] %92E A2CE 2== 8@E E2<6? @FE[” |:??692? D2:5] qFE D96 25565 D@>6 =68:D=2E@CD D66 C68:DEC2E:@? 2D 2 DE2CE]k^Am
kAm|:??692? D2:5 E96 2DD@4:2E:@? H2D A=62D65 H:E9 E96 DE2E6 3F586E A2DD65 :? E96 w@FD6[ H9:49 :?4=F565 |65:42:5 C2E6 :?4C62D6D] $96 D2:5 E96 2DD@4:2E:@? 92D AC:@C:E:K65 255:?8 7F?5:?8 7@C =@?8\E6C> 42C6[ 2E 3@E9 ?FCD:?8 9@>6D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ 6?DFC6 E92E @FC 4@>>F?:EJ A2CE?6CD[ E96 =@?8\E6C> 42C6 7@=<D 2?5 3692G:@C2= 962=E9[ 2C6 86EE:?8 E96 7F?5:?8 E92E E96J ?665 :? @C56C E@ @A6? FA 365D 2?5 DE277[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 >66E:?8 HC2AA65 FA @? 2 A@D:E:G6 ?@E6[ H:E9 9@DA:E2= 3@2C5 !C6D:56?E $96==6J ~’s@??6== D92C:?8 96C 72>:=J’D 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 |6>@C:2= w@DA:E2=[ 2D H6== 2D 96C H@C< @? E96 3@2C5 2?5 2D 2 G@=F?E66C]k^Am
kAm“x 86E E96 A=62DFC6 @7 H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96D6 7@=<D 2?5 D66:?8 H92E E96J 5@ 7@C E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ] x’> =62C?:?8 D@ >F49 7C@> E96> 2?5 E96? =62C?:?8 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJ H96? x’> DE@AA65 2E E96 DFA6C>2C<6E @? 9@H >F49 E96J =@G6 E9:D 9@DA:E2= … D@ x E92?< J@F 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E J@F 92G6 5@?6[” D96 E@=5 E96 25>:?:DEC2E@CD]k^Am
kAm|2E9:D6? C67=64E65 @? E96 r~'xs G244:?2E:@? 4=:?:4 E96 9@DA:E2= D6E FA :? }@CE9 r@?H2J ':==286[ 56=:G6C:?8 >@C6 E92? b__ G244:?2E:@?D 2 52J 7@C >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D H9J H6’C6 96C6[” 96 D2:5] “%92E’D H9J CFC2= 4@>>F?:EJ 9@DA:E2=D 2C6 H92E E96J 2C6[ E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ :? 6G6CJ H2J A@DD:3=6]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 :E H2D 2 8C62E @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C 9@DA:E2= DE277 2?5 G@=F?E66CD[ 2?5 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“qFE 2D x D:E 96C6 E@52J 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE E96 492==6?86D E92E 2C6 29625 @7 FD[ x E9:?< @7 >2?J >@C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D =:<6 E92E[ H96C6 H6 92G6 E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 7@C @FC 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 E96 96=A @7 E96 =6256CD @7 E96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.