Southern NH Health Hosts Forum on Pressing Healthcare Issues Impacting Our Community

By Keith Baldi, Manager of Enterprise Communications

Nashua, NH - Dozens of non-profit organizations gathered at Nashua Community College for a forum, organized by Southern New Hampshire Health, to discuss several immediate healthcare concerns impacting the community. One issue was related to patients experiencing extremely long stays in hospitals. The other was educational awareness about the services provided at freestanding emergency rooms that are appearing in New Hampshire. The emergency room conversation quickly focused on the importance and value of hospital-based emergency departments to the community’s overall well-being.

Freestanding emergency rooms are not physically connected to hospitals, so the facilities do not have operating rooms for surgeries or hospital rooms to admit patients for observation or continued treatment.

The concern among many of the participants at the forum revolved around the lack of awareness that residents in southern NH have about freestanding emergency rooms. Among the issues- worry that when patients seek care at these freestanding facilities, they may end up wasting critical time in a medical emergency because they need to be transported by ambulance to a full-service hospital, potentially not in Nashua.

Multiple leaders who were at the forum work in the community with older adults and individuals with complicated medical conditions. Those advocates said the people they work with might not realize the most serious conditions or life-threatening emergencies need to be treated at a full-service hospital, not a freestanding emergency room.

Many of the participants also appreciated that the city’s hospital systems utilize the same electronic medical record platform. This means when a person gives permission, the patient’s healthcare history can be readily available and shared in an emergency. Some of those taking part in the forum said they'd like to explore the idea of information-sharing among regional non-profits that have mutual patients, in order to improve the care and service provided to the community.

The conversation extended beyond just hospital visits. Some in the group stressed the importance of the care that patients receive after a medical emergency. They said if a connection to a health system is established when a medical issue starts, it makes patients potentially more likely to keep their follow-up appointments for recovery and future treatment.

While emergency department care was a topic during the forum, there was a lot of discussion regarding how community non-profits can further strengthen their clinical partnerships with Southern New Hampshire Health and St. Joseph Hospital to provide resources for patients experiencing long-term hospitalization.

In some instances, patients who do not have the capacity to make medical decisions and do not have a legal guardian or surrogate decision maker, experience extended hospital stays because they cannot be discharged to a long-term care facility or returned home. Several organizations said they would work to collaborate with one another, as well as with agencies not at the forum, to provide free legal services to help address the custodial issue before it happens.

There are also occasions when long-term hospitalization can occur because there’s a lack of space at recovery facilities in the community for patients to be sent. If there is no appropriate setting for someone in the hospital with complex needs to go for further treatment, they may remain in a room for an extended period. That issue can be frustrating for the patient and their family and can also lead to fewer available hospital resources.

Multiple participants who were part of the discussion, indicated a need for state-sponsored training programs for Licensed Nursing Assistants to help with shortages. They also expressed a desire for government officials to have tough conversations about wages and reimbursements, as well as policies meant to streamline community partnerships.

Participating organizations included: St. Joseph Hospital, 603 Healthcare, BAYADA Home Health Care, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, Bridges: Domestic & Sexual Violence Support, Crestwood Center, EPOCH Bridges, Front Door Agency, Gateways Community Services, Greater Nashua Mental Health Center, Home Health and Hospice, Lamprey Health Care, Ledgewood Bay, Marguerite's Place, Meals on Wheels (Hillsborough County), Nashua Post Acute, PLUS Company, Silver Touch Home Health Care, United Way of Greater Nashua, YMCA of Greater Nashua, The Courville at Nashua, and Fairview Senior Living.​​​​​​