MCH News - Monadnock Community Hospital

The early years of the Hospital saw significant advances in the science of anesthesia, from the introduction of anesthesia machines in the 1930s to new, safer anesthetic drugs, devices that made intubation safer and more effective, and the introduction of the first intravenous anesthetics

1950s

$2 office visit

($24.29 adjusted)

$3 house call

($36.43 adjusted)

In the 1950s Dr. Albert Chandler performed house calls which equaled his time spent in office appointments. He charged $2 per office visit ($24.29 adjusted rate today) or $3 per house call ($36.43 adjusted.)

Early on the Hospital was made to look as much like a cheerful home as possible, with a small kitchen on each floor. The rooms had fireplaces and carpets for comfort. The reception room had comfortable seating and often had fresh flowers. The old reception room is now the library and looks much the same.

Average per patient day during 1960s inflation:

Short term, general, and special hospitals

$41.58 ($397.67 adjusted*)

MCH

$38.84 ($371.46 adjusted*)

In the 1960s rapid population growth in the Monadnock region led to a hospital census at 100%. There was a shortage of patient rooms available. A fundraising campaign for a major million dollar expansion began in 1963. The average contribution from the community was $940 ($8,990.08 adjusted*) from doctors, $320 ($3,060.45 adjusted*) from small businesses, $97 ($927.70 adjusted*) from local families, and $75 ($717.29 adjusted*) from employees. On March 23, 1965 groundbreaking ceremonies were held. The addition increased capacity to 75 beds from the 1949 expansion leaving MCH with 55 beds.

1963 capital campaign average contributions:

Doctors $940 ($8,990.08 adjusted*)

Small businesses $320 ($3,060.45 adjusted*)

Local families $97 ($927.70 adjusted*)

Employees $75 ($717.29 adjusted*)

At the close of the fundraising campaign Dr. George Stewart said: “We are aware not only of the out-poured generosity of the living givers but, at the same time, are reminded also of the superb people who have befriended this institution in years that are gone and who have left us as grateful legatees some portion of their spirit. Over and above that material resources given by such citizens is the sense of trusteeship, the responsibility for the common good, the traits of character they have bestowed to help build in the community its distinguishing character as a worthy region. For all of these we are truly grateful.”

In the 1960s the Hospital’s Auxiliary supplied 5-inch television sets that could be rolled into patient rooms on a cart for $1 a day ($9.89 adjusted*). In 1964 the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra began playing a benefit for the hospital each year. In 1968 a Chrysanthemum Ball was first held as a fundraiser. They were the first black tie, gala raising funds for MCH. The attendance fee was $10 per person ($84.10 adjusted*). In 1973 the Golden Anniversary Ball celebrated the 50^th anniversary.

The early formative years of the hospital’s history.

On June 21, 1923 the front page of the Peterborough Transcript proudly proclaimed:

"The Peterborough Hospital, which opens its doors to the public today, Thursday, June 21st, is something which has been in the minds and thoughts of some of our citizens for a long time and at last the realizations of these plans and dreams have come to pass..."

The highly anticipated opening day of The Peterborough Hospital was a monumental occasion. Over 750 people attended the festivities on opening day to see the new facility that would become a center for medical excellence in the Monadnock region. A visiting physician toured the newly built hospital and told the Peterborough Transcript:

“A finer location, better arranged, more completely equipped, up to the minute, modern hospital than this one cannot be found anywhere.”

At this time there were 47 consulting physicians that came to the Hospital from all over New England, as far away as Boston. They would take the train into town. The most common vehicle at the time was the Model T.

In the first month (1923)

4 births
9 average patients a day
36 operations
40 patients admitted
274 patient days

Within the first 11 months of operation, it was clear that the Peterborough Hospital was a needed service for the community, with patient numbers increasing daily. During this time there were an average of nine patients per day at the hospital. (Patients days are defined as a calendar day a patient is admitted in the hospital.) The first baby born was a healthy boy from Nashua, he was born at 3 AM on July 1, 1923 by Caesarean section. In the first 15 years of operation (ending in 1938) there were 7,525 persons admitted, and 80,559 patient days total.

In 1927 nine towns accepted a share in the future maintenance of the hospital. The breakdown of the amount pledged by each town follows: Peterborough $68,225.35 ($1,147,502.68 adjusted*), Jaffrey $12,751 ($214,462.90 adjusted*), Dublin $12,750 ($214,446.08 adjusted*), Hancock $3,501 ($58,884.3 adjusted*), Antrim $3,295.50 ($55,428.01 adjusted*), Bennington $2,056 ($34,580.48 adjusted*), Temple $1,224.25 ($20,591.03 adjusted*), Greenfield $655 ($11,016.64 adjusted*), and Harrisville $53.25 ($895.63 adjusted*). The community support from these surrounding towns set the framework for what would be incredible philanthropic support for decades to come.

Hospital Stats: 1923

2903 patient days
274 admissions
43 births

1949

1675 patient days
1844 admissions
286 births

In the 1940s it was common practice for hearses to be used as ambulances. Funeral homes handled ambulance calls as well as funeral transportation. The vehicles were bought as combination hearses/ambulances. Arthur Wheeler of Jellison Funeral Home never lost a patient in transit despite only having Red Cross first aid training.

1946 was a time of transformation and growth as the Peterborough Hospital changed its name to Monadnock Community Hospital. There was a continuing need for increased services, with the hospital running full census (full capacity) in 1934. The tight finances during World War II made expansion a challenge. By 1946 the Hospital was often beyond capacity. The community donated food from their victory gardens, and raised money with donations, benefits, bequests, investments, state funds, and more. In 1949 the North Wing addition began, which was going to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 19 beds to 55. When the North Wing was completed in 1950 Monadnock Community Hospital was considered one of the finest in New England.

Profits 1937

net operating loss $12,000

(-$243,879 adjusted*)

1949

profit $691.41

($8,501 adjusted*)

2022

net gain

$2,897,000

[post_title] => A Trip Down Memory Lane with Monadnock Community Hospital: 1923-1949 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-monadnock-community-hospital-1923-1949 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-26 10:51:40 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-26 14:51:40 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36238 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 36236 [post_author] => 9192203 [post_date] => 2023-05-24 08:30:39 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-05-24 12:30:39 [post_content] => The Board of Trustees of Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH) invites the Monadnock community to ask questions about the proposal for MCH to withdraw from GraniteOne Health and dissolve the system. GraniteOne Health is a limited affiliation of MCH, Huggins and CMC that was created in 2016 and that the Boards of all parties have voted to dissolve. The community information session will include a brief introduction from the Chief Executive Officers from GraniteOne Health organizations: Huggins Hospital and Monadnock Community Hospital - followed by opportunities for questions and comments. When: Monday, June 12th, 4pm Where: Virtual meeting with link available at graniteonehealth.org Details: A draft Notice to the NH Charitable Trust Unit is available at graniteonehealth.org with more information about the proposed withdrawal and dissolution Members of the public may also submit written comments to: Laura Gingras VP of Philanthropy & Community Relations Monadnock Community Hospital 452 Old Street Road Peterborough, NH 03458 [post_title] => GraniteOne Health Community Information Session [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => graniteone-health-community-information-session [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-24 20:35:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-25 00:35:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36236 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 36224 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2023-05-16 12:04:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-05-16 16:04:20 [post_content] =>

Contact:

Alycia McDuff, Marketing & Communications Manager Monadnock Community Hospital (603) 924-4653 Alycia.McDuff@MCHMail.org A Trip Down Memory Lane with Monadnock Community Hospital: 1915-1923 A time of development for the hospital’s history and the Peterborough area. The history of Monadnock Community Hospital goes all the way back to 1917 when community members asked Robert Parmelee to donate his unoccupied summer home to the town of Peterborough to become a community hospital. In 1873 the first American hospital survey located only 178 hospitals in the country. People who were ill were treated at home or went to the poorhouse/almshouse. Household medicine was nearly identical to hospital treatment. In the early 20th century major scientific advances were made in germ theory, antiseptic surgery, clinical pathology, x-ray, and more. Acute care was centered in hospitals, such as the ones closest to Peterborough in Keene, Nashua, and Fitchburg, MA. There was little chance for a rapid medical response or immediate physician contact in our small rural community. In 1915 Robert M Parmelee and his wife Alice Elizabeth Parker Parmelee began to build Evergreen, their summer home in Peterborough. It was situated on 70 acres with a beautiful view of Monadnock. Site work was a labor-intensive operation in the early 1900s. Horse power went hand in hand with manual labor. In 1917 the home’s value was assessed at $35,776 ($353,718.08 adjusted*): “It can be established that it will be supported by the people of Peterborough and the adjacent country, if they can be made to feel that it is theirs and so conducted that they (the residents) will be proud of it.” – Robert Parmelee World War I slowed progress on the fundraising and conversion of the home to a hospital. In December 1918, 185 generous community members pledged $10,330.40 ($200,215.35 adjusted*) for each year over a period of five years. In March 1919 Mrs. Benjamin P. Cheney and Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kauffman underwrote the entire $200,000 ($3,876,236.20 adjusted*) needed to renovate the Parmelee house and equip it as a hospital. Robert Parmelee wrote, “I am so glad to have my friends and neighbors share with me in this, which will make us all, I trust, better neighbors, better friends.” On March 28, 1919 the first meeting of the Peterborough Hospital Corporation was held. After many contributions from the war-burdened community and the efforts of many committee members and skilled craftsmen, the Peterborough Hospital opened its doors to begin caring for the community on June 21, 1923. There were few rural communities the size of the Monadnock region that could boast having its own modern hospital.

Room rates 1923:
Room with three beds (ward): $2.50 ($42.79 adjusted*)	Private room: $3.50-5.00 ($59.90-$85.57 adjusted*)	Private room with bath: $7.00/day ($119.80 adjusted*)

The capacity was twelve beds. Most rooms were furnished as wards with three beds. Room rates were $2.50 per room with three beds ($42.79 adjusted*), $3.50-5.00 private rooms ($59.90-$85.57 adjusted*), one private room with bath was $7.00/day ($119.80 adjusted*). There were four permanent doctors, 12 associate physicians, 47 medical consultants from as far as Boston. There were six bassinettes in the maternity ward.

Doctors:
1923:
4 permanent doctors	12 associate physicians		47 medical consultants
1974: 29 members medical team
2023: 108 active doctors		41 associate doctors

Monadnock Community Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital offering Primary Care, Medical and Surgical Care, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Behavioral Health services. In addition, a wide variety of outpatient services are available, including an extensive Primary Care Network, Orthopaedics, Cardiology, Cardiac and Physical Rehabilitation Services, 24-hour Emergency Care, Oncology, Occupational Health, a fully equipped laboratory and an extensive Radiology department. MCH is very fortunate to have strong leadership and a dedicated medical community that allows us to meet the ever-changing requirements of today's healthcare environment. As that environment changes, MCH is also committed to changing and providing the communities we serve with appropriate and innovative programs. [post_title] => A Trip Down Memory Lane with Monadnock Community Hospital: 1915-1923 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-monadnock-community-hospital-1915-1923 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-26 10:42:03 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-26 14:42:03 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36224 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 36014 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2022-12-07 12:16:52 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-12-07 17:16:52 [post_content] => Media Contacts: Monika O’Clair, Huggins Hospital VP of Strategy & Community Relations moclair@hugginshospital.org Lauren Collins-Cline, CMC Director of Communications & PR lauren.collins-cline@cmc-nh.org Laura Gingras, Monadnock Community Hospital VP of Philanthropy & Community Relations Laura.Gingras@mchmail.org The boards of GraniteOne Health (GOH) members – Catholic Medical Center (CMC), Huggins Hospital (Huggins), and Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH) – have voted to withdraw from GOH and dissolve the system. The long-standing clinical partnerships these hospitals share will continue, providing patients throughout the state access to high-quality specialty care, technologies, and resources close to home. “We strongly value the relationships among our organizations,” said CMC CEO Alex Walker. “We have strengthened our clinical partnerships and grown to meet our patients’ needs. But with growth comes change and each hospital’s current needs have changed since GOH was created. CMC remains dedicated to supporting rural health care and will remain a partner of Monadnock Community Hospital and Huggins Hospital.” Over the years, and especially since 2020, each hospital has been faced with challenges both universal to the healthcare industry and unique to their organizations. These have included staffing shortages, the need to grow different specialties, and the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “Throughout our time with GOH, Huggins Hospital has continued to grow and require more specialty services to meet the needs of our community,” said Huggins President & CEO Jeremy Roberge, CPA. “Within GOH, each partner has had to focus internally and manage its growth independently. We believe it is best to dissolve GOH so we can increase that focus on our local needs and decide what is best for each of our organizations.” “A lot has changed in the past 5 years and our Board of Trustees has begun a strategic planning process to look at our needs today and chart the path forward,” said Monadnock President & CEO Cynthia McGuire. “Our focus is on how we can deliver accessible, high-quality, valued-based care as we enter our second century of caring for our community. With the current challenges we are all facing in healthcare across the nation, we have confidence there will be benefit in evaluating new strategies for our future outside of GOH.” GOH will file the necessary paperwork with the Charitable Trust Unit of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office early in 2023, after which there will be more information available and opportunity for public comment. [post_title] => Hospital Boards Vote on Future of Granite One Health [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-boards-of-graniteone-health-goh-members-catholic-medical-center-cmc-huggins-hospital-huggins-and-monadnock-community-hospital-mch-have-voted-to-withdraw-from-goh-and [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-16 11:59:27 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-16 15:59:27 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36014 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 34275 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2021-06-08 06:24:35 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-06-08 10:24:35 [post_content] =>

How to Register

Creating an account in VINI (https://vini.nh.gov/providers/s/)

Each vaccine recipient needs their own account and each account needs its own unique e-mail address

Yes, we can register people on their behalf if needed

Once they create/log into their VINI account they will:

Select “Create/Manage Appointments”

Click “Schedule Appointment”

Select their needed does type: first or second

First dose options are Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson (single dose needed)

For those who need their 2nd shot: only Pfizer is an option – people needing their second shot of Moderna should search other clinic locations with that product

Enter MCH Clinic Code: NH4959

Enter Peterborough Zip Code: 03458

Click Search

Select the “Monadnock Community Hospital” clinic

Choose an appointment slot that works for them an hit “submit”

*A limited amount of walk-ins will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Children 12 and over are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, offered at the drive-through clinic.

Drive Through Clinic FAQ

Q. Does it cost any money?

A. No, all COVID-19 vaccines are provided free of charge.

Q. Do I need to put in health insurance information? Can I be vaccinated without health insurance?

A. No insurance information is needed or required.

Q. What vaccine will be provided?

A. Janssen (Johnson & Johnson available for those 18 years of age and older) and Pfizer for those interested or under the age of 18.

Q. How old does my child need to be to participate?

A. Each vaccine recipient needs to be 12 years of age or older at the time of the clinic, June 19th 2021.

Q. If I choose Pfizer, when will I receive my second dose?

A. The Pfizer vaccine doses are provided 3 weeks (21 days) apart and there will be a second dose clinic at MCH on July 10th – second dose appointments can be booked on site after your first dose. You can also log into VINI and choose a location/date/time of your choice.

Q. Can my 16/17 year old go to the vaccine clinic on their own?

A. Yes, if you have completed the COVID-19 vaccine consent in VINI prior to the appointment.

The CDC suggests these steps to help prepare for your child’s vaccination visit:

· Get tips for how to support your child before, during, and after the visit.

· Your child will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine 3 weeks after their first shot.

· Talk to your child before the visit about what to expect.

· Tell the doctor or nurse if your child has any allergies to any ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

· Comfort your child during the appointment.

· To prevent fainting and injuries related to fainting, your child should be seated or lying down during vaccination and for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given.

· After your child’s COVID-19 vaccination, you will be asked to stay for 15–30 minutes so your child can be observed in case they have a severe allergic reaction and need immediate treatment.

MCH fully endorses the CDC’s guideline and urges parents to vaccinate their children.

[post_title] => Drive-Through Vaccination Clinic [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => drive-through-vaccination-clinic [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-06-08 06:24:35 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-06-08 10:24:35 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=34275 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 34106 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2021-05-24 12:01:13 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-05-24 16:01:13 [post_content] => NEC Networks, LLC d/b/a CaptureRx has notified multiple organizations of an incident in which certain files on their systems were accessed without authorization. CaptureRx is a 340B third party administrator that provides services to certain healthcare providers, including Monadnock Community Hospital as well as other hospitals and pharmacies across New Hampshire and the country. To-date, CaptureRx is unaware of any actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of the incident that occurred on February 6, 2021. By March 19, 2021, CaptureRx confirmed that some information from local residents was included in the file. This information included first name, last name, date of birth, prescription information, and for some people, their medical record number. CaptureRx communicated this information to Monadnock Community Hospital in April of 2021. At this time, any person whose information was accessed has been contacted directly via a letter from CaptureRx with details regarding the incident. While the CaptureRx investigation has not identified any actual or attempted misuse of the information, individual notices and this public notice are being shared to ensure people are aware of the incident. CaptureRx suggests remaining vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud and to review your account statements and monitor your free credit reports for suspicious activity or errors. Through CaptureRx’s investigation and response, the organization confirmed the security of CaptureRx systems, reviewed the contents of relevant files for sensitive information, and notified business partners associated with the sensitive information. As part of CaptureRx’s ongoing commitment to the security of information, all of their policies and procedures are being reviewed and enhanced and additional workforce training is being conducted to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. If you have any questions, you can contact CaptureRx toll-free at (855) 654-0919, Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 9 PM. For more information about the incident and steps for how you can protect your personal information, please visit www.capturerx.com/data-incident. [post_title] => CaptureRx provides details regarding unauthorized access [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => capturerx-provides-details-regarding-unauthorized-access [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-05-24 13:50:00 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-05-24 17:50:00 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=34106 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [7] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 32877 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2021-01-21 06:44:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-01-21 11:44:24 [post_content] =>

By TIM GOODWIN

Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

Published: 1/20/2021 4:49:37 PM

Those who meet the criteria for Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine can begin scheduling appointments on Friday, New Hampshire officials announced last week. As the vaccine rollout enters its next stage, Monadnock Community Hospital is gearing up to provide the most up to date information to the community and preparing for, if and when, they will be part of the vaccination process for area residents. “The COVID vaccination process is an enormous undertaking. Here at MCH and across New Hampshire, hospitals are coordinating with State officials to create and staff additional local vaccination clinics that are needed to get the vaccine accessible to patients as quickly as possible, while still caring for our patients with complex needs” said MCH President and CEO Cyndee McGuire. “We ask people to be patient and check out the resources on our website to stay informed, and please sign up to receive a vaccination as soon as they qualify."

New Hampshire residents who qualify under the Phase 1B criteria can start registering at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 22 to receive their vaccine at one of the state clinics. According to a press release from Gov. Chris Sununu’s office on Tuesday, an estimated 300,000 individuals are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination within Phase 1B of the state’s distribution plan with clinics set to begin on Jan. 26. According to the release, Phase 1B includes people 65 years and older; residents who are medically vulnerable at significant risk – including family caregivers for those under 16; residents with developmental disabilities that receive services in a congregate residential setting, as well as staff in those settings; corrections officers and staff; and populations that experience health disparities. Residents can learn more about these qualifying conditions by calling the state’s hotline at 2-1-1 or by checking out the Vaccine Phase Check at www.vaccines.nh.gov, where registration will take place, if they qualify. Those who qualify and register on the state site will receive an email from the CDC inviting them to register for a vaccine. Mike Flynn, director of Pharmacy and Oncology at MCH, said it may take several days to receive the email from the CDC, but once it’s received, residents can register for a vaccine appointment at a clinic in New Hampshire. Appointments will be offered at the fixed sites located around the state, Flynn said, with the closest fixed site clinics set up in Keene, Concord and Nashua. Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to vaccine availability. “Hospitals are working with DHHS to create additional access in our area by offering public clinics for vaccination in addition to the fixed sites,” Flynn said. “Not all of these clinics will be in the registration system on Friday. They will be visible as a choice as the clinics are set up.” Flynn encouraged residents to sign up for the earliest appointment they can conveniently get to. “The focus of the effort is creating efficient access and getting the vaccines administered to our population as quickly as possible. People who do not have access to email and the internet can call the state hotline at 2-1-1,” Flynn said. Flynn said MCH is working with the state, the New Hampshire Hospital Association and other hospitals to create as much access as possible. “We are striving to collaborate with our partners in the community as we develop our vaccine clinics at MCH,” he said. “We are developing our clinic plan and the state is doing the same,” adding that he is in daily contact with the state regarding vaccine allocations and the latest guidance. As of Tuesday, Flynn said the plan is to have all MCH employees who have opted to get the vaccine to have the opportunity for the first dose by the end of next week. “About 90% of our employees have opted to get the vaccine. To date, we have had five employee vaccine clinics. The sixth clinic will be Friday, Jan. 22. We anticipate that second doses for employees should be complete by the end of February,” he said. According to data released by the NH Department of Health and Human Services outlining vaccinations in NH hospitals, MCH had administered 80 percent of the 425 doses they had received from the state as of Jan. 14. Flynn said the remaining doses the hospital had on hand were for their vaccination clinic scheduled for Friday, adding that after Friday’s clinic all the vaccines the hospital has received should be administered. “This number fluctuates based on when we receive our allocation from the state and when the clinics are scheduled,” Flynn said. So far, Flynn said, MCH has received a weekly allocation of vaccines from the state. The State of New Hampshire vaccine distribution plan includes three phases, based on individuals’ risk. Up to this point, Phase 1A designated individuals – health care workers, first responders and adults in residential care settings – are among the first group to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Flynn said the biggest variable is the limitation of doses nationwide, as the state receives vaccines from the Federal government, which is then allocated to clinics by state. According to Tuesday’s release by Sununu’s office, “for those unable to schedule an appointment online, the 211 Hotline remains available. An extremely high call volume is anticipated. Wait times may be long, but every call will be answered by a live person,” the release stated. “Limited supply of vaccines from the federal government means appointments may be booked weeks out. Everyone in Phase 1B who wants an appointment will get an appointment. If allocation should increase, appointments will be rescheduled to earlier dates and times.” Personnel resources may also be a limitation, Flynn said, and the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network is coordinating all vaccine clinic volunteers for the Monadnock Region. People can sign up at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WVN5LTZ. In an effort to provide the most up to date information, MCH created a COVID-19 vaccine page on its website, www.MCHvaccine.org, which anyone can sign up to receive weekly emails from MCH with the latest news, even if you are not a patient of MCH.

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By TIM GOODWIN

Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

Published: 12/9/2020 2:36:07 PM

Monadnock Community Hospital officials said the Phase I distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely reach the facility within the next couple of weeks. MCH President and CEO Cyndee McGuire said the first phase of the vaccine rollout is earmarked for high-risk frontline healthcare workers providing direct patient care, first responders, and adults living in long term care facilities. In conjunction with the State of NH and the CDC, McGuire said the hospital administration was asked to identify staff members who meet the requirements for the initial distribution of the vaccine. McGuire said that approximately 230 employees of the Peterborough-based hospital, including those in the Emergency Department, inpatient Medical Unit, Birthing Suite, Oncology, physician practices, lab, and radiology – anyone who are giving direct clinical care. “My understanding is that the vaccine will be at no cost to the hospital or to the patient,” McGuire said. “That streamlines things a lot more.”

MCH has approximately the equivalent of 500 full-time employees, and eventually the plan will be to offer the remaining number of employees the opportunity to be vaccinated as more of it becomes available. McGuire said it’s not a guarantee that all 230 employees will get the vaccine in the first distribution. She said her understanding is the state will receive a certain number of doses of the vaccine and then distribute to facilities based on a formula. “It’s likely we won’t get all those employees vaccinated in the first round,” McGuire said. While the vaccine will not be mandatory for hospital employees, Laura Gingras, Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Relations, said they recently held a virtual employee education forum to provide the information the hospital currently had available on the vaccine and to answer questions. “This is what we have in front of us and we are anticipating moving forward,” McGuire said. “We need to get a handle on this.” The vaccine will be administered by hospital staff, just like any other vaccine Chief Medical Officer Michael Lindberg said, and won’t require any special equipment, training or deep freeze storage units to meet the storage temperature for the vaccine of -80 degrees Celsius. “When we get it, we have five days to use it before it expires,” Lindberg said. Once a vial, containing five doses each, is opened, Lindberg said they have six hours to administer it. “We definitely do not want to waste doses,” he said. From what Lindberg understands, he believes MCH will receive the Pfizer vaccine “but we don’t know that definitively yet,” he said. The vaccine will come packed in dry ice as “most hospitals do not have refrigeration that will hold something that cold,” Lindberg said. Lindberg said that the vaccine requires two doses to get an immune response and they must be administered 21 days apart. An internal vaccine preparation team has been working on a plan for MCH for the past two months, McGuire said. “We will make sure the people who get the first dose are scheduled 21 days later,” Lindberg said. In the case they have more doses than what is needed for Phase I, he said they will find someone in the next tier to receive it. The vaccine is the first step in protecting employees of the hospital, but personal protective equipment protocols will not change, McGuire said. Lindberg cited that the vaccine trials have produced a 94 percent efficacy rate, but there are still unknowns around it, like if a vaccinated person can still carry the virus. “We want to make sure every safety measure remains in place for our staff and patients,” McGuire said. McGuire said the imminent distribution of the vaccine provides a sense of relief and it “will help shore up the healthcare services,” she said, but they are still bracing themselves as the number of positive coronavirus tests climb in the state with the potential for more with holiday gatherings coming up. To that end, the hospital continues to push the message of wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining a safe six foot distance and avoid gatherings. “We still have a lot of social responsibility,” Lindberg said. McGuire said she has not been made aware of when the second round of distribution will be made available for more employees. She said to her knowledge, administering the vaccine to first responders and nursing home staff and residents will not be done at the hospital. While there is no indication when the vaccine will become available to the general public, Lindberg said the conversation has been focused on the spring of 2021. It all depends on how fast the current vaccines and newer ones set to be available can be produced, he said. In the meantime, they have been discussing what the process would look like for administering it on a wider scale, Lindberg said. “This is a phased process and the timeline is a bit of a moving target,” McGuire said. “It depends on how quickly pharmaceutical firms can produce it and safely distribute it,” Lindberg said. McGuire said while it has been a long nine months, the employees of MCH continue to be a guiding light. “These folks have been working a tremendous amount of hours, lots of extra time has been involved and they’re staying the course to get us through this next wave,” she said. As numbers in the state and Hillsborough County grow, with 807 positive tests announced on Tuesday, just one day after NH reported more than 1,000 new cases for the first time since the pandemic began, Gingras said hospital officials meet daily, sometimes twice a day, to discuss the current state of COVID-19. Hospitals around the state are feeling the effects of COVID-19 admissions, McGuire said, but “so far we haven’t seen any type of inpatient surge,” she said. She added the partnership with Catholic Medical Center to take inpatient COVID-19 patients from MCH remains in place as of now.

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Monadnock Community Hospital began to re-introduce elective appointments and procedures in May and we have seen a steady increase in our patient volumes. This is great news for the health and well-being of our patients as well as for the financial viability of our Hospital. All of our service lines are open and we are happy to be able to provide care that was postponed in March and April. The team at MCH has worked very hard to redesign many of our patient protocols to keep the community and our employees safe as the pandemic continues. For example, we are now scheduling many appointments that had previously been walk-ins, such as laboratory and radiology, to comply with social distancing and spacing of patient visits. We are also learning more every day as to how to employ tele-health visits prior to, and sometimes in place of, face-to-face visits with your physician. Our patients are providing feedback that many of the changes are more convenient and that they feel safe when they come to MCH. The protocols are necessary but in some cases mean that we cannot see the same level of appointments as we did pre-Covid.

We are seeing approximately 80% of pre-Covid patient volumes and this has greatly impacted our finances. Originally, we projected that we would lose $20 million for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. We are very pleased to report that our actual loss this year will be in the neighborhood of $7 million. We anticipate our monthly losses to continue next year when we project a loss of $6 million. Our ability to fully restore patient volumes depends on having a vaccine available or another way of assuring that the protocols in place are no longer needed. We are so grateful to our community for their generous support and contributions during this difficult time. We have received so many gifts from past contributors and people who are donating for the first time. Every gift is helping us to keep our hospital strong.

As a not-for-profit hospital, our focus is meeting the needs of our community. We have expanded our surgery program and look forward to giving more patients the option to have their care right here close to home. We recognize that the uncertain times may cause concern about the future of the hospital, and we want to assure you that our strategy is to maintain all of the services we currently offer. Our pending combination with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health is still working its way through the regulatory process and we hope the process will be finalized sometime in the next 12 months. This new relationship, building on our work with Catholic Medical Center, will allow our patients to have access to more specialty services.

The Bond Wellness Center at MCH has been closed to fitness members since March. We held a series of small focus groups on September 10^th to hear from our members as we evaluate options to get our fitness members back to exercising. The Bond Wellness Center remains an important part of the MCH mission to improve the health and well being of our community and we are concerned about the health and wellness of our 1,600 fitness members.

And although our community has yet to see a spike in the number of Covid-19 positive cases, we will remain vigilant and prepared to care for our patients even if our cases increase. We are following NH Department of Public Health guidelines for testing our patients and have an adequate number of tests to accomplish this. As a small hospital, we still do not have the ability to do general widespread testing. Patients can find information about where they can be tested on our website: www.MonadnockHospital.org Please know that, to assure your and our safety, we maintain a universal face covering policy for all hospital staff, visitors, patients, and others while on campus.

We continue to be grateful for the partnerships in our region. Our towns, businesses, individuals, and long-term care organizations have done a great job helping us to keep the virus under control. As we approach fall and the traditional flu season, we are encouraging everyone to get their flu shot as soon as possible. Flu shots are available at our primary care offices and we will be announcing some flu clinics shortly.

Thank you for helping us to keep our community safe and keep Monadnock Community Hospital strong as we approach the centennial of our founding in 1923. Parmelee Drive is a tribute to Alice and Robert Parmelee who gave their home and estate to become our community’s first hospital. Thanks to years of community leadership and support, we are fulfilling the Parmelee’s desire to have a local hospital to serve our region.

[post_title] => News from Monadnock Community Hospital [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => news-from-monadnock-community-hospital [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-09-12 06:56:13 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-09-12 10:56:13 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=31355 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [10] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 30307 [post_author] => 14 [post_date] => 2020-06-01 10:10:51 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-06-01 14:10:51 [post_content] => Thanks to the work of hundreds of community sewers, Monadnock Community Hospital is well stocked with masks and mask covers! MCH has received over 6,500 masks and we have been able to share some of those with our partner healthcare providers in the community, such as Crotched Mountain, RiverMead, Scott-Farrar and Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Resources. The response we received from our call for help has impressed people from all over the country! The Monadnock Region is so very special, and our employees are grateful for each and every mask that was made with loving hands. As the pandemic continues, MCH will reach out if the need for more fabric masks arises in the future. At this time, MCH feels the community’s efforts could be directed to other needs within the business community and individuals who need masks. If you are interested in participating in an effort to help others, please go to the Facebook group “Monadnock Community Mask Makers” for more information. If you have questions about the community mask effort and how you can participate, please contact Heather Stockwell 762-5718 or heather@radnh.org or Kate Coon kate2coon@gmail.com [post_title] => MCH Fabric Mask Donations Paused [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => mch-fabric-mask-donations-paused [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-06-01 10:10:51 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-06-01 14:10:51 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=30307 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [11] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 30052 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2020-05-07 06:23:23 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-05-07 10:23:23 [post_content] =>

MCH and hospitals across the country postponed many elective and non-critical medical appointments beginning in March 16^th in the effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and prepare our hospitals for a predicted surge of COVID-19 patients. Thanks to significant steps the state has taken and our community’s compliance with the precautions, New Hampshire has not yet experienced that surge that would stress and potentially overwhelm hospital capacity.

Each hospital is now in the process of reintegrating certain services to care for the ongoing medical needs of our patients. Decisions about how and when to bring back services will be up to each individual hospital and will look different depending on the capacity of the hospital to ensure the safety of all patients and staff. While we have to remain vigilant, it is time to plan for responsibly resuming health care services and work our way back to a more normal health care environment.

Our focus is to ensure that all patients coming back for medical care will be seen in a safe and secure environment. Patients can enter MCH knowing no one takes the delivery of health care more seriously than our doctors, nurses and staff who are courageously leading our institution through this crisis. “Preventing the spread of COVID-19 and caring for those in our community who may be impacted by COVID-19 remains our top priority. We remain committed to protecting our patients and staff through ongoing vigilance as we navigate through what may be our new normal in health care delivery,” said Cyndee McGuire, President and CEO.

Following the guidance released by the state on May 1st, MCH will phase-in procedures and appointments based on our assurance and ability to deliver safe and effective health care in accordance with:

Established guidelines ensuring safe segregation and treatment of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.
Sufficient availability of personal protective equipment to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
Adequate testing supplies and equipment.
Alignment with established guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and other regulatory agencies.
Flexible policies permitting immediate response to any COVID-19 surge.

“Our reintegration of service will be a slow, thoughtful, and phased process. We need to consider our aging population and the specific needs of our community. We urge patients not to delay care, and to call their physician’s office if they have any concerns. Our Tele-health Service has been significantly expanded to allow providers to consult with patients in a virtual setting which has been well received. Monadnock Community Hospital is eager to begin our return to normal operations, but only when it is appropriate to do so, and in coordination with local, state, and system partners,” said Cyndee McGuire.

While the crisis is far from over, we know that COVID-19 will continue to be the primary focus of hospitals and health care providers for the foreseeable future, however we are mindful of the many New Hampshire residents who have deferred care for chronic conditions and other non-urgent medical needs. MCH will continue to partner with public health and others to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic so that we can be prepared for periodic or unpredictable increases in the number of cases that may occur in our region and make the adjustments necessary to ensure the safety of our patients and healthcare workers.

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A time of expansion in the hospital’s history.

1950s

$2 office visit

($24.29 adjusted)

$3 house call

($36.43 adjusted)

Average per patient day during 1960s inflation:

Short term, general, and special hospitals

$41.58 ($397.67 adjusted*)

MCH

$38.84 ($371.46 adjusted*)

1963 capital campaign average contributions:

Doctors $940 ($8,990.08 adjusted*)

Small businesses $320 ($3,060.45 adjusted*)

Local families $97 ($927.70 adjusted*)

Employees $75 ($717.29 adjusted*)

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Following the guidance released by the state on May 1st, MCH will phase-in procedures and appointments based on our assurance and ability to deliver safe and effective health care in accordance with:

Established guidelines ensuring safe segregation and treatment of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.
Sufficient availability of personal protective equipment to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
Adequate testing supplies and equipment.
Alignment with established guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and other regulatory agencies.
Flexible policies permitting immediate response to any COVID-19 surge.

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