A year of hope, strength, and Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
The ability to withstand adversity, bounce back, and grow, despite life’s challenges and downturns.
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Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Resiliency drives us to fulfill our mission W
ith a history extending more than 125 years, Cheshire Medical Center, an affiliate of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, plays an essential role in the Monadnock Region as a source of hope and healing. Every day, we deliver on our mission to advance the health and wellness of our community. Cheshire’s 2020–2021 Report to the Community looks back on this past fiscal year—heartbreakingly notable for the lives lost and the hardships we all faced due to the ongoing global pandemic. It’s shown us how much we all depend upon one another. In fact, we cannot end this pandemic without your help. This year is also notable for the resilience we’ve shown in the face of adversity. Executive Director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being Amit Sood, MD, defines resilience as “…the ability to withstand adversity, bounce back, and grow, despite life’s challenges and downturns.” As we take this time to look back, we celebrate our ability to recover from difficulties and persevere. Resilience is not a given or an automatic response to challenges. There must be a strong foundation, willingness to adapt, and an understanding that adversity is part of the journey in order to thrive. Cheshire’s capacity for resilience depends on our longstanding and deeply rooted community benefits structure. As a non-profit, our employees know and value the importance of giving back to our community. Our staff serve on boards locally, volunteer for hunger-relief efforts, and assist with community emergency response. Our membership in the world-class Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system provides
us with access to structures and resources that strengthen our ability to serve patients, families, and colleagues who support our efforts to deliver exceptional care. As we embark on a strategic plan and vision for Cheshire’s future, the most notable advancement toward our goals during the past fiscal year was our purchase of 62 Maple Avenue in Keene, the former Peerless Insurance building, which includes the 147,000 square-foot facility and 47 acres of land. Cheshire’s Board of Trustees reviewed and approved phase 1 of the five-year strategic capital plan. It includes renovations at the West Campus on Maple Avenue to house a new Family Medicine Residency program, and future enhancements at Maple Avenue and on the main Court Street campus to maximize our organization’s growth. Through community generosity, Cheshire Health Foundation (CHF)—the non-profit fundraising arm of Cheshire Medical Center—supports and advances Cheshire’s health and wellness mission.
Rob Therrien Chair, Cheshire Heath Foundation Board of Trustees
Along with its dedicated board of trustees, CHF helps engage our community in supporting fundraising priorities for the Medical Center, including Cheshire’s Family Residency program, COVID-19 response, nursing scholarships, needed equipment, and other programs and services. As we endure the ongoing adversity of the pandemic, we continue to bounce back by developing and growing despite the challenges. On these pages, we share some of these stories with you, along with our annual report updates, community impact, and generous donor information for the fiscal year spanning July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. On behalf of the Cheshire Medical Center Board of Trustees and executive team, and the Cheshire Health Foundation Board of Trustees, we offer our sincere appreciation to everyone who has helped to strengthen our community and contribute to our resilience. ●
Nathalie B. Houder Chair, Cheshire Medical Center Board of Trustees
Don Caruso, MD, MPH President and CEO, Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Planned Residency Program marks start of new chapter for Cheshire Space secured on Maple Avenue will house program as part of West Campus expansion
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n May 24, 2021, Cheshire finalized the purchase of the former Peerless Insurance property at 62 Maple Avenue, which includes the 147,000 square-foot building and 47 acres of land in Keene. The building will house the planned Cheshire Medical Center Family Medicine Residency program, along with other enhancements to maximize the growth of the organization and our ability to serve the needs of our patients as part of Cheshire’s West Campus expansion.
The opportunity to add a Family Medicine Residency program at Cheshire comes at a critical time when community health needs make it necessary to train more primary care physicians. “We are excited to develop a Family Medicine Residency program that trains outstanding full-spectrum family physicians with unique skills to address the health needs of the Monadnock Region and beyond,” says Program Director Karl Dietrich, MD, MPH. “Residents will be the
primary trainees in most clinical settings and will learn from the expertise of excellent faculty and clinicians both in family medicine and in multiple specialty services. We are looking forward to moving into our beautiful new facility in 2022. It will serve as the residency home and be the site of our outpatient practice.” The Family Medicine Residency program clinic at Maple Avenue will be separate from Family Medicine at the main campus. Faculty physicians and residents will provide
This year, Cheshire announced the purchase of 62 Maple Avenue, which includes the 147,000 square-foot building and 47 acres of land in Keene. The building will house a Family Medicine Residency program, slated to open in 2022, along with other enhancements to maximize the growth of the organization and our ability to serve the needs of our patients. Cheshire leaders marked the purchase of the property at 62 Maple Avenue in Keene.
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Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
full-spectrum care, including obstetrics, to their patients at Maple Avenue and in the hospital. Plans call for 18 residents, with the first class of six residents starting in July 2024. The residents will add a new dimension to care and a diverse set of knowledge and experiences as they continue their training and prepare to become independent providers.
2020–2021 Recognition “We are excited to develop a Family Medicine Residency program that trains outstanding full-spectrum family physicians with unique skills to address the health needs of the Monadnock Region and beyond.” —Karl Dietrich, MD, MPH Director, Family Medicine Residency Program
Cheshire Medical Center physicians, providers, and staff honored for their care and commitment Twelve Cheshire physicians have been named among the best doctors in New Hampshire, according to New Hampshire Magazine’s annual “Top Doctor” survey, conducted by the national research firm Castle Connolly. The March/April 2021 issue features Cheshire’s Chief Medical Officer, Cherie A. Holmes, MD, MSc, on the cover and in a profile article in which she reflects on the changing world of medical care. The following Cheshire physicians were named as “Top Docs” in 2021: Barbara A. Bates, MD, Family Medicine Paul C. Bettinger, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery
What is a Family Medicine Residency Program?
To become a family physician, students must first complete medical school, earning a degree as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). After earning a degree, aspiring family physicians need to complete a three-year residency in family medicine, during which they continue their clinical education under a training license, diagnosing and treating patients with the guidance of established faculty doctors. Upon completing the three-year residency program, applicants are able to work as family physicians without supervision. ●
Todd F. Dombrowski, MD, MS, Rheumatology Sherry A. Guardiano, DO, Rheumatology Cherie A. Holmes, MD, MSc, Orthopaedic Surgery Gregory P. Leather, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery Lisa A. Leinau, MD, Palliative Medicine Anthony H. Presutti, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery Matthew J. Rockacy, MD, Gastroenterology Mark B. Silbey, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery Andrew G. Tremblay, MD, Family Medicine Jill M. Winslow, MD, Hematology Oncology
Locally, The Keene Sentinel has named Susan Maydwell, MS, PA-C, one of 10 “Extraordinary Women” in this October’s publication, recognizing women who make a tangible impact in their community. Maydwell was recognized for both the compassionate care she offers at Cheshire and her volunteerism, which includes traveling to Haiti to provide volunteer relief work after the devastating 2010 earthquake and expanding accessible medical services to people experiencing homelessness in the Keene area. Many Cheshire staff and departments were among the winners of The Sentinel’s “2021 Choice Awards”:
Best Local Provider Lisa A. Profetto, APRN (Gold) Donald M. Mazanowski, MD (Silver) Eric M. Goodman, MSN, APRN (Silver) Andrew G. Tremblay, MD (Bronze) Best Local Eye Doctor Lawrence J. Jaeger, MD (Silver) Best Urgent Care Cheshire Medical Center (Gold) Best Hearing Center Cheshire Audiology (Gold) Best Vision Care Center Cheshire Optical Shop (Silver) Best Physical Therapy Farnum Physical Rehabilitation at Cheshire Medical Center (Gold)
Best Local First Responder Cheshire Medical Center (Gold) Lisa A. Profetto, APRN (Silver) Best Local Nurse Terry L. Clough, RN (Gold) Lori A. Guyette, RN (Silver) Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Walk-In moves back to hospital Relocating Urgent Primary Care Visits and creating a special unit for patients with COVID-19 symptoms
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heshire Medical Center undertook several major projects in response to the pandemic, redesigning how we provide care to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. Cheshire mobilized quickly last spring to set up the Keene Ambulatory Respiratory Evaluation Service (KARES) unit to care for patients experiencing symptoms that may be COVID-19. To support the KARES unit with shared staff and to safely offer patients a full scope of care in one location, Cheshire’s Urgent Visits team moved from the Walk-In Care Clinic on Emerald Street back to the Medical Center. “Before COVID-19, a majority of our urgent visits were related to cold symptoms or respiratory complaints. Due to safety concerns, we’ve created an area that allows us safely to evaluate and treat these patients.” says Marika Henegan, MD, medical director of Urgent Primary Care Visits and KARES. “Urgent Visits were available at the Medical Center before moving to Emerald Street in 2015. Moving them back to Court Street allows us to offer same-day appointments for patients with access to extensive health care services right on-site.”
Some of Cheshire Medical Center’s Urgent Visit team. Left to right: K Vanderbilt, RN, triage nurse; Chuck Jackson, RN, clinical leader; and Marika Henegan, MD, medical director of Urgent Visits and Keene Ambulatory Respiratory Evaluation Service.
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Locating the Urgent Primary Care Visits team—which has won “Best Urgent Care Clinic” each year since 2015—down the hall from Family Medicine teams A through C allows care for urgent everyday illnesses and injuries to be an extension of our patients' overall primary care. With dedicated parking at the Medical Center and registration via phone, Dr. Henegan’s team aims to save patients time, give the best care for their needs, and ensure the safety of all patients and staff. ●
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Training and career advancement programs
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he past year has brought numerous training and career advancement opportunities for Cheshire Medical Center employees and our community. We have held five Nurse Assistant Training Programs, one Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Training Program, and sponsored employees in both our Pharmacy Technician and Surgical Tech Apprenticeship Training Programs. With more than 30 new trainees/apprentices earning their state licensure or national certification, our whole community benefits. Cheshire is proud to support our staff through continuing education initiatives and training programs. Continuous growth
and development enhance the care our patients receive. We develop educational and career training programs that expand our current employees’ expertise. A collaboration with Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Workforce Readiness Institute also has facilitated the expansion of Cheshire’s workforce development programs to train people for a range of critical positions. Our training programs are held on site in Keene, Lebanon, or virtually. The apprenticeships are held on site at the Medical Center. To learn more about free, paid training for health care careers, visit: dhwri.org or cheshiremed.org/careers. ●
“I was fortunate enough to be chosen to attend the LNA program, and joined the staff at Cheshire shortly after graduating. This LNA program at Cheshire is a fastpaced, thorough course that is a great entryway into the medical field—with excellent, well-educated, and kind instructors who are hands-on and always willing to help. I was lucky to have made a couple of great friendships along the way, and I am very happily employed with an amazing team.” —Bobbi-Jo Bourgeois, LNA Inpatient rehab
Recognizing and honoring responses to crisis and challenge
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heshire Medical Center issued its inaugural RISE (Resolve, Integrity, Sacrifice, Exceptional Service) to the Occasion awards this year in recognition of individuals who have stepped up in an extraordinary way during a crisis or challenging period, enabling Cheshire to achieve its mission despite adversity. In July, Cheshire President and CEO Don Caruso, MD, MPH, presented the inaugural award to co-recipients Aalok Khole, MD, infectious diseases physician, and Mary Pierce, BSN, RN, infection preventionist. These members of the Infectious Disease department guided Cheshire, its employees, and the community through the uncharted territory and long journey of the COVID-19 pandemic from its beginning in March 2020. “We’ve honored Aalok and Mary with this award to recognize their excellence—for going well above their roles in this organization,” says Dr. Caruso. “Their dedication, wisdom, and guidance have been extraordinary. On behalf of the entire Senior Operations team, I want to recognize and show our gratitude for your ability to meet the needs of leadership, along with every person in this organization, all of Mary Pierce, BSN, RN
R SE
as possible,” says Shawn LaFrance, vice president of the Center for Population Health at Cheshire Medical Center. “Her can-do attitude and resolve were evident daily since the start of community vaccine distribution in the Monadnock Region.” “Despite uncertainties and many complex interorganizational relationships to establish fixed (Krif Road) and flexible point-of-dispensing locations, Tricia assembled commitments, supplies, and volunteers to make vaccines available whenever we received a supply from the state,” LaFrance says.
A W A R D
our patients, and everyone in this community.” A few months later, Tricia Zahn, MPH, director of community strategic partnerships for the Center for Population Health at Cheshire, also earned the accolade. Tricia’s collaborative work, guidance, and direction with the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network were essential in distributing COVID-19 vaccines. “Tricia’s integrity, creativity, and flexibility supported her clear and consistent focus to safely and efficiently provide vaccines to as many people
The RISE to the Occasion award provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the resolve, integrity, sacrifice, and exceptional service of an individual at Cheshire Medical Center who has responded in extraordinary ways during times of challenge or crisis. Going forward, the award will correspond to an event or situation that places pressure on the organization during which an employee has risen to the occasion with a level of extraordinary dedication that merits such recognition. ● Tricia Zahn, MPH
Aalok Khole, MD
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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2020-2021
Community Benefits
Community Benefits is an organization-wide responsibility and commitment.
Programs and Partnerships
As a non-profit hospital, our employees individually make a difference through their volunteer service—giving a talk in our community or serving on a local board of directors, for instance. Each effort impacts the health and well-being of our community.
Health + Wellness Community Education Programs: More than 100 people participated in 44 community health education programs
In total, Cheshire Medical Center provided more than $6.9 million in Community Benefits, such as unreimbursed charity care, behavioral health services, health professions education, subsidized health services, and community-building activities. These contributions are in addition to the more than $31.2 million dollars in unreimbursed Medicaid and Medicare costs absorbed by the Medical Center.
The Doorway: 1,420 individuals served in 2,548 appointments
Diabetes Prevention Program: 19 participants Family Resource Counseling Assistance: Provided assistance to 701 newborns, children, teens, and adults Medication Assistance Program: 172 patients supplied with prescriptions valued at $492,774 Substance Use Disorder–Medication Assisted Treatment Project: 162 patients served Tobacco Cessation Assistance: 147 outpatient referrals with a total of 307 patient interactions Prescribe for Health Initiative: 403 patients served Community Health Services
$1,439,476
Health Professions Education
$1,489,725
Subsidized Health Services Research Financial Contributions
$615,667 $15,963 $439,023
Community-Building Activities
$1,601,362
Community Benefit Operations
$586,383
Charity Care/Financial Assistance
$742,000
Government-Sponsored Health Care
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Supporting the health and wellness of our community
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
$31,229,912
Interpreter Services: 1,848 patient care visits were provided in a language other than English (top five requested languages: Spanish, American Sign Language, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Gujarati) The Behavioral Health Liaison Team: 3,660 patient consults Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers: More than 4,500 hours supporting local high schools and community events Wellpowered Worksites: 45 organizations participated Right This Way: 16 organizations and 475 individual participants Volunteer Support: More than 1,000 hours of volunteer support provided to local non-profit organizations through presentations, board, and committee support
Community Health Improvement Plan: Allocated more than $36,000 to local non-profits to implement programs that advance the work of our Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which sets the strategic direction for the Healthy Monadnock Alliance.
The Center for Population Health at Cheshire Medical Center Cheshire’s Center for Population Health (CPH) works to improve the health and well-being of people in the Monadnock Region. Throughout this Report to the Community, you can find stories of people whose lives have been impacted by CPH’s programs and partnerships. CPH uses information gathered from a community health needs assessment to guide our work. It measures social factors that influence health. These factors need to be addressed for individuals to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. We follow evidence-based practices to
develop policies, programs, and initiatives that support an active lifestyle, good nutrition, healthy living conditions, and well-being for all in the community. We could not do this work alone. CPH engages and collaborates with community partners to improve the health and wellness of individuals, families, worksites, schools, and more. This work supports access to care, continuum of care facilitation, mental health, obesity prevention, substance use disorder treatment and prevention, and tobacco prevention. ●
Below are many of the friendly faces of the Center for Population Health, shown in a photo taken earlier this year.
Nothing is more valuable than good health—for our lives, families, economy, and community. This year, as people across the Monadnock Region join together to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, we understand, like never before, the importance of better health and well-being for all. For Cheshire Medical Center, this mission isn’t new. Since 1994, the Leadership Council for a Healthy Monadnock and the Medical Center have united community leaders across our region to create a culture of well-being and strive for health equity. The goal is for all people to have the level of support they need to thrive. Because of this unwavering support from Cheshire, the dedication of our founding members, and thousands of community Champions who answered the call, the Healthy Monadnock initiative has been able to evolve throughout the years. Begun as an inspirational vision—to become the nation’s healthiest community—the Healthy Monadnock Alliance is now overseen by the Leadership Council and is a regional partnership of community leaders representing municipalities, schools, businesses, non-profits, coalitions, faith, and civic groups who join together around a common cause. As the principal supporter of the Alliance, we know we can do more by working in concert than any of us can do alone. Guided by our region’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), the Healthy Monadnock Alliance is working to improve five key areas of wellness. These priority areas, chosen based on direct feedback from our Community Health Needs Assessment, include the following: • Improve emergency preparedness • Increase behavioral health resources and acceptance • Ensure access to health care for everyone • Increase protective factors for substance misuse prevention for youth • Provide resources for food access and active living Programs that address these priority areas are reaching thousands of people in all 33 towns of the Monadnock Region and are helping people live healthier lives. ● Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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2020-2021
Community Benefits
Online access to community education programs Providing robust education opportunities for our community on topics aligning with the CHIP is one of our key priorities. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Cheshire knew our community needed us more than ever. Switching the community education workshops and the Cheshire Diabetes Prevention Program to an online platform allowed people to access these offerings from the comfort of their own home—all while staying safe. “I not only met my weight loss goal, but far exceeded that number by twice the amount. I was able to improve my glucose level greatly. This program provided the structure and guidance for making this happen. You get out of it what you are willing to put into it, yourself.”
Program Highlights
Right This Way program
Prescribe for Health program
Right This Way (RTW) is a 10-week, online, holistic wellness challenge designed for people looking to improve their health and wellbeing—and have a little fun along the way! Throughout the summer, organizations engaged in Wellpowered Worksites (a program offered through the Center for Population Health at Cheshire Medical Center) participate in this community wellness challenge.
Over the last year, our Prescribe for Health program has provided support and services to 403 patients and their families. The Prescribe for Health team offer critical support to improve our patients’ social determinants of health and help them navigate the medical system. Often, the people who receive community benefits through such programs go out of their way to show their deep appreciation for the team.
RTW is a team-based program using a mobile app that integrates with more than 80 fitness devices, employing evidence-based behavior change techniques to form wellness habits that produce lasting results. RTW is developed with participant feedback, giving each individual the opportunity to help design a program that feels both authentic and effective. “It is helpful to have a structured program to help focus my health and fitness goals. Logging every day helps keep me motivated.” —Right This Way 2021 Program Participant
—Diabetes Prevention Program Participant
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“I cannot imagine where we would be today without Caitlin’s assistance and encouragement. I cannot express my gratitude enough for her assistance to me and my family throughout this excruciating time.” — Prescribe for Health Program Patient
Building Resilience Against Climate Effects project The Monadnock Region is no stranger to severe weather events. In a 2020 community survey conducted by the Center for Population Health, 45% of respondents stated that in the event of a major disaster, they believe that help would arrive in under an hour. This statistic is concerning for regional preparedness and community expectations during a widespread major disaster such as region-wide flooding. In an effort to improve emergency preparedness in the region, the Center for Population Health, which includes the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network, provided trainings and social media outreach aimed at increasing the personal and family preparedness of local residents. In partnership with Southwest Regional Planning Commission, Antioch University New England, and the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services, we offered our first virtual training about preparedness for extreme precipitation. More than 7,700 people in the region were reached through a multimedia campaign sharing preparedness information and action steps to help residents prepare for severe weather events.
Monadnock Assembly of Trauma and Transformation
Listening to the community and improving access to mental health resources
Behavioral health is as important to overall health as any other condition a person may experience in life.
Cheshire Medical Center’s Center for Population Health contracts with the UNH Survey Center to execute a periodic telephone survey to assess and understand the health needs of the people in our region. The survey’s findings inform our overall community benefits strategy.
Everyone's overall health and well-being has physical and behavioral dimensions. Behavioral dimensions include the ways we process information, experience emotions, cope with life’s stresses, or react to overwhelming setbacks. Physical and mental health quite often influence each other. For example, medications to treat behavioral health issues may increase the risk for cardiovascular conditions and, conversely, cardiovascular conditions may contribute to the onset of conditions such as anxiety or depression. The mission of the newly formed Monadnock Assembly on Trauma and Transformation is to advance healing and posttraumatic growth throughout all communities in the Greater Monadnock Region. The vision of the Assembly is to be the voice and catalyst for transforming our region into a Trauma Informed Community (TIC), bringing people together from all sectors in order to do the following: • Deepen our entire community’s awareness of trauma by engaging them in learning • Seek out proven and new creative strategies to become a TIC • Transform into a TIC by inspiriting, engaging, and motivating our community to implement and embody these strategies in their daily lives This is all born out of the Behavioral Health Workgroup and by putting the regional Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) into action. This workgroup is led by Monadnock Family Services and is comprised of a dedicated group of community members who each play a critical role in planning and making influential changes to improve behavioral health in the Monadnock Region. ●
Mental health needs across the region have increased during the pandemic. Self-reports of mental health that were “not good” increased nearly 100% compared with the 2017 survey. One-third of 606 respondents in the 2020 survey reported their mental health was “not good” for “5 or more days in the last 30 days”—almost twice the percentage of those surveyed in 2017. Analysis of the 2020 responses identified disparities, with much higher rates of poor mental health among younger adults and lower-income individuals. In addition, people reporting unavailable or inadequate mental health counseling for adults and youth increased. The Medical Center has invested considerable resources in mental health care to strengthen access by expanding these services. Family Medicine increased its adult mental health services in 2020 as part of Cheshire’s integrated approach to primary care. Cheshire also completed a demonstration project with Monadnock Family Services (MFS) to strengthen the clinical integration of physical and mental health resources. A Family Nurse Practitioner went to MFS to better integrate
Primary Care Department Chair Andy Tremblay, MD, and Behavioral Health Specialist Denise Wissell, M.Ed.
physical and mental health care for patients served by both organizations. This community partnership fostered more direct communication between physical and mental health professionals. Results from the demonstration project identified more than 200 patients served and a significant shift among patients in selecting Primary Care integrated services available at MFS. The results from this project have led to a commitment to continue this successful community partnership, along with creating new multidisciplinary patient care conferences between staff from both organizations. ●
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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2020-2021
Financials
Year in Numbers
A year of strength, hope, and resilience Our commitment to the Monadnock Region remains absolute, regardless of the challenges our community has faced. As the region’s leading non-profit care provider, we strive to make Cheshire Medical Center a place that patients choose not just for convenience, but also for quality and safety. We are uncompromising in our pursuit of excellence, and our commitment to provide excellent care to every patient and family member is paramount.
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Admissions: 4,100
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Provider Visits: 227,803
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Surgical Cases: 4,543
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Newborns: 410
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ED Visits: 20,982
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Virtual Visits: 18,524
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Walk-In Visits: 5,331*
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Volunteer Hours: 2,686**
Urgent Primary Care Visits: 2,978
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Meals Served: 215,474
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Imaging Exams: 72,366
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EKG/EEG Tests: 15,664
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Laboratory Tests: 600,035
*Walk-In Care relocated to the Medical Center in February 2021.
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Pain Clinic Procedures: 1,396 Respiratory Therapy Treatments: 17,920 Endoscopies & Colonoscopies: 6,299 Physical Therapy & Other Outpatient Treatments: 75,348
Pounds of Laundry Processed: 829,707
**Volunteers returned in September 2020.
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The fiscal year 2020–2021 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021) continued to be challenging for our community as we attempted to navigate a new normal in the presence of a global pandemic. Our services remained open and available throughout the Medical Center, including same-day Urgent Primary Care Visits, the Cheshire Pharmacy, a special respiratory clinic outside the hospital, a very busy drive-through COVID community testing service, and a range of other specialty services. Cheshire and subsidiaries finished the 2021 fiscal year with an operating loss of $3.0 million (-1.3%), an amount that was just $600,000 below budget and better than the prior-year results. For the first half of the fiscal year, volumes were close to pre-pandemic levels and financial performance was improving. However, beginning in January 2021, another COVID-19 surge swept our state, causing volumes to drop precipitously, leading to operating losses for the second half of the year. Patient revenue ended the year $4.4 million lower than planned. Operating expenses were well controlled, ending $1 million under the $243 million budget— despite having over $1.5 million in excess supply costs due to personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies, continuing to staff the testing clinic, vaccination site, and entrance door screening. The Medical Center did receive $600,000 in reimbursement from FEMA and another $313,000 in support from annual giving. Our membership in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system provides us with access to resources—such as a strong balance sheet and access to low-cost borrowing—that continue to strengthen our ability to ride financial disruptions like these without impacting staffing or the quality of our care. This partnership, along with the work of our dedicated employees, allows Cheshire to serve patients, families, and the colleagues who support our efforts to deliver exceptional care—an essential objective of our mission. ●
Cheshire Health Foundation Fiscal Year 2021 Report
Statement of Operations Twelve Months Ending June 30, 2021 (in thousands of dollars) Billed for services to our patients:
Care for inpatients............................................................................. $126,222,384 Services for outpatients....................................................................$606,260,315
Cheshire Health Foundation cultivates and stewards charitable support to advance Cheshire Medical Center‘s health and wellness mission. This includes raising funds for patient care equipment, programs, nursing scholarships, and more. We are grateful to our community for supporting all of our strategic fundraising initiatives. Gifts given between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, totaled more than $6.1 million and represent our community’s commitment to exceptional health care close to home. Your support helps to make Cheshire Medical Center stronger. Thank you for your commitment and all you do to help us care for our community.
Received from other sources................................................................. $8,507,761 (Includes income from incidental services, investments of previous charitable gifts, and unrestricted gifts from hospital donors)
Total from all sources:........................................................$740,990,460
Amounts billed but not received:
Government programs and commercial contractual agreements..... $480,264,939 From patients unable to pay and bad debt......................................... $21,407,758
Therefore, we actually received revenue from patient care and other services of:......................................$239,317,763
Our costs included amounts:
To pay our employees and physicians............................................. $148,704,341
To pay our suppliers and vendors.......................................................$69,756,874 To operate the building, depreciation, and pay interest................... $15,583,878
Resulting in total costs for patient care and other services:..................................................... $234,045,093
Residual earnings..........................................................................$5,272,670
Charitable Contributions by Fund
Committed Expenditures
COVID-19 Response Fund............ $363,731
COVID-19 Response................................. $313,418
Baute Nursing Excellence Funds.........................$300,000
Nursing Scholarships/ Education*................................................. $48,853
Cancer Care & Relief Funds........... $44,140
Cancer Care & Relief...................................$19,733
Lactation Pods & Maintenance Fund......................... $25,200
Lactation Pods.......................................... $23,000
Birthing Pavilion/WACHU Fund.... $26,998
Population Health......................................$92,280
Audiology Fund..............................$28,040
Farnum Rehabilitation .............................. $73,065
Population Health Fund................. $92,280
Emergency Medicine.................................$30,354
Farnum Rehab & Spine Therapy Funds...................... $57,430
Patient Financial Assistance*..................$618,304
Emergency Medicine Fund............ $33,305
Payment of the state Medicaid Enhancement Tax.................. $8,315,940 Net loss from operations.......................................................($3,043,270)
Family Medicine Residency Fund.......................... $5,000,000 Other Funds, including Equipment, and Patient Care & Assistance..................................$163,531 Total................................................$6,134,655
Birthing Pavilion/WACHU.........................$29,980
Family Medicine Residency Program/Facility................................... $4,600,000 Other, including Equipment, and Patient Care & Assistance*.......................................... $533,382 Total...........................................................$6,382,369 * Includes 2020 income from restricted endowment funds
Cheshire Medical Center 2020-2021 Report to the Community
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Here are just a few of the many Cheshire employees, National Guard members, and community volunteers who were essential in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
'Why not be part of the solution?’ 14 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Community comes together to vaccinate Monadnock Region
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oon after she began volunteering at a vaccination clinic in Keene in March, Nancy Lindberg found herself inspired by her fellow civilian volunteers and members of the N.H. National Guard. She felt eager to put in as many hours as possible. “I can honestly say,” shares Lindberg, a retired family physician who practiced in Connecticut before moving to Peterborough, “that there were very few times in my clinical career [before this] when I knew I was making a difference.” Lindberg was one of a collection of volunteers assembled for the mass vaccination effort by Tricia Zahn, MPH, director of community strategic partnerships in the Center for Population Health and director of the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network, and Jane Parayil, MPH, public health emergency preparedness coordinator and Greater Monadnock Medical Reserve Corps director. Though vaccinations began in December 2020 with Phase 1a, the planning began months before the FDA approved the shots.
“We knew we would have to do mass points of dispensing and had been planning and training for it for a long time,” explains Zahn, whose prior regional relationships through preparedness training helped her get ready for the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the most significant steps in working with the National Guard, Keene State College, local emergency management personnel, and first responders was the hiring of Parayil, who relocated last November from Michigan to New Hampshire to put her emergency preparedness skills to the test. With support from Zahn, Parayil was charged with recruiting clinical and non-clinical volunteers for tasks that ranged from administering vaccines to working the registration table to opening bandages for the vaccinators. Volunteers came from all sectors of the population, including recently retired medical professionals, nursing students, retired teachers, and others who felt compelled to join the campaign. Parayil often spent 14-hour days away from her office, only to return to find her email filled with messages offering help. “I was getting called out to vehicles as people were getting vaccinated to talk to those who wanted to volunteer,” Parayil says. “I had to keep a stack of business cards in my pocket.” One grateful citizen who received a call from Parayil to inform him that his vaccine date had been bumped up to sooner than expected sent her flowers to thank her. “That warmed my heart,” she adds. Between December and June, the mass effort resulted in more than 75,000 vaccinations. At the height of the mission, as more residents became eligible, the regional vaccination site at the Keene State College Owl Athletic Complex—run by the National Guard—was inoculating 1,400 people per day. That was accomplished with the help of a dozen or so vaccinators each shift and up to 18 non-clinical volunteers. “In addition to doctors and nurses spending their days off at the clinic,” Zahn says, “we had a lot of non-medical volunteers—folks from all sorts of backgrounds who could
Whether it was Cheshire nurses or volunteers (left) or volunteers with the GMPHN (above), vaccinating the region was—and is—a team effort.
put their skills to work.” Retired schoolteacher Anne Anderson of Keene contacted the Center for Population Health when she learned of the need for helpers. After passing through the vetting process, Anderson was soon registering community members at the clinic, assisting in vaccine documentation, and scheduling appointments off long waiting lists. “I felt I had the time, so why not be part of the solution?” Anderson says. “Tricia and Jane are the reason the volunteers and National Guard were so successful with the vaccine rollout. Their positive attitudes were contagious.” In addition to the central vaccine dispensing point at Keene State, the operation also included home vaccinations for the infirm; visits to local schools; and a partnership with Community Volunteer Transportation Company, which helped bring people to the immunization site. Pop-up clinic locations brought shots to the public and included mobile clinics at Outlaw Brewing Co., the Monadnock Speedway, and several Keene Swamp Bats games. “We tried to remove barriers, transportation issues,
vaccine hesitancy,” Zahn explains. “We listened to people’s stories and answered their questions. It was a great community atmosphere. It was critical to have volunteers there—without them, we wouldn’t have been able to do those mobile PODs and vaccinate hundreds more.” While they have been credited for spearheading the vaccine rollout, both Zahn and Parayil continue to marvel at the number of unpaid volunteers who have devoted their time to the public good. In August, Zahn received a Leadership Recognition Award for “excellence in caring, character, commitment, competence, and communication.” It’s an honor that humbles her, and one she shares with the countless colleagues, including Parayil, and volunteers who have contributed to the mass vaccination effort. “It has been powerful to see so many people responding to hundreds of voicemails a day and continuing to pull it all together,” Zahn says. “Jane and I are employees constantly surrounded by selfless people who were helping out of the kindness of their hearts for the good of their fellow community members.” ●
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Medicine that always includes kindness and respect Cheshire doctor honored with Hospital Medicine Excellence Award
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think when you show kindness and compassion to patients, you connect with them in a way that positively impacts their care,” says Haris Bilal, MD, who has been a hospitalist at Cheshire Medical Center for seven years and was recently honored with the Hospital Medicine Excellence Award. “You get to know them better and provide more individualized care.” As a hospitalist, a provider who cares for the medical needs of acutely sick inpatients, Dr. Bilal has seen his share of heartbreaking cases of families on the brink of difficult medical decisions or patients near the end of life. His characteristic approach is to treat patients with the greatest respect and kindness at all times. “For example, Dr. Bilal has cared for patients with substance use disorder with great respect and dignity, without any bias,” says Dr. Sandeep Randhawa, lead hospitalist at Cheshire and Dr. Bilal’s supervisor. “When it comes to end-of-life discussions, Dr. Bilal respects the dignity in life, has empathy for a patient’s loss, and supports the family through this difficult time.” Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Bilal was first drawn to Cheshire because he wanted a position close to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, where his wife received a fellowship. Seven years later, he’s still here because of Cheshire’s great work environment and his “amazing” work group of physicians and nurse practitioners, who treat each other with mutual respect. Unfortunately, patients don’t always appreciate or respect Dr. Bilal’s South Asian ancestry. In one instance, a patient said to him, “Why do you people leave your country to come here?” and didn’t want to be treated by him. But after two days of his compassionate care, the patient recognized the flaw in her thinking and apologized.
“Kindness and compassion leave lasting impacts on people’s lives,” says Dr. Bilal. “I owe most of my approach to my mother, who I always saw helping others—known and unknown alike— with utmost love and compassion.”
“Kindness and compassion leave lasting impacts on people’s lives. I owe most of my approach to my mother, who I always saw helping others—known and unknown alike— with utmost love and compassion.”
Dr. Bilal was nominated for the Hospital Medicine Excellence Award by —Haris Bilal, MD Amber Chaput, an RN Hospital medicine and case management supervisor at Cheshire. She recounted being extremely impressed by how he handled very intense conversations with patients and families faced with limited medical options. In one, the patient expressed that she did not want to “live like this any longer,” but was sobbing because she also didn’t want to leave her husband—she felt like she was giving up on her family. “Dr. Bilal held the patient’s hand and reiterated what her family was saying,” says Amber. The patient’s family supported whatever she wanted to do, and she passed later that night. “The two nurses in the room and family were all in tears, yet Dr. Bilal remained composed. I hope if I ever had a loved one in her shoes, that they would have someone like him at their bedside. I am grateful that we have such a caring, considerate provider here at Cheshire Medical Center.” ●
16 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Exceeding expectations Physical therapy patient inspires herself and others during recovery
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n Nov. 23, 2019, Shannon Brooks was airlifted from Springfield, Vermont, to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. A Type 1 diabetic with other medical issues, Shannon was experiencing seizures. She spent the better part of the following year drifting in and out of comas and catatonic states. The immobility of lying in a hospital bed also cost her the capacity to stand on her own. At 56, she wasn’t sure if she would ever walk again. “I needed a Hoyer lift to get transferred from the hospital bed to a wheelchair,” Shannon recalls. “The original prognosis was not good. I had people in the medical profession tell me I would never recover.” That’s when Shannon sought a second opinion from Sharil Cass, DPT, NCS, a physical therapist at Cheshire Medical Center and a recognized clinical specialist in neurological physical therapy. At their first meeting on Oct. 15, 2020, Shannon arrived in the reclining wheelchair, assisted by her sister, Loraine. In her year of hospitalization, Shannon was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and had a shunt inserted in her brain, endured a blood clot, and required a tracheotomy. “Shannon couldn’t talk much,” recalls Sharil, who has been at Cheshire for 28 years. “She couldn’t sit on the edge of the bed and had stiffness in her joints; she was in rough shape. She had been told by other therapists and doctors that this was the best she would ever get—but I’m never going to be the person to say no.” With support from Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Jodi Salomon, Sharil put together a weekly plan for Shannon. Through twice-weekly sessions at Cheshire and additional exercises at home, it was not long before Shannon could sit at the edge of a bed. Within a month, she was able to do squat pivot transfers and moved to an upright manual wheelchair.
Shannon Brooks—wearing a shirt that was made for her that says "Shannon Strong" in her favorite color, purple—stands with Sharil Cass, DPT, NCS, (right) and Jodi Salomon, PTA, (left) during her final physical therapy session in September 2021.
“She had such a good sense of humor and a can-do attitude,” Sharil says. “Sometimes before we meet somebody and review the record, the first impression is ‘wow.’ But I’ve been in this profession long enough to know that can be deceiving. It goes to show that you really have to put aside your preconceived ideas ahead of what could happen.” At home, Shannon practiced her exercises. In the rehabilitation center, Sharil and Jodi worked with her on plantar flexion, so she could put her feet flat on the floor. By mid-December 2020, it was time to start working on standing. Shannon began walking between the parallel bars with Sharil on Jan. 11, 2021.
She is grateful for the support of her family and friends and also to Sharil and Jodi for their unwavering belief in the possibility of her recovery. While she is proud of her role in Shannon’s progress, Sharil points to her patient’s determination and positive attitude. “I know it’s my hard work, but to have [Sharil and Jodi] believing in me was amazing,” Shannon says. “I saw a man in a wheelchair at a recent appointment, and I told him to never give up hope, that when things get tough, he should think of me.”
“I wasn’t sure I would even get to using a walker,” Shannon says. “They tried a set of leg braces and I was dumbfounded. I had thought, ‘Okay, if I have to use a walker, that’s fine.’ Then it was braces and a walker, and now it’s just braces and sometimes nothing. Sharil was right when she told me never to underestimate myself.”
A September PT appointment was expected to be the last for Shannon. Both she and Sharil had mixed feelings about that final meeting. They’ve developed a camaraderie that comes from accomplishing a shared goal. Shannon gets choked up when talking about her admiration for her physical therapist, while Sharil calls their final professional meeting bittersweet.
Shannon continues to make progress, using only her braces for support most of the time. She is able to push a cart at the grocery store, get up and down from a seated position in her garden, and jokes that she is the only person who is thrilled to be able to stand while washing the dishes.
“It makes me feel happy and accomplished,” says Sharil, who presented Shannon with flowers and a card at their final session, “but knowing I’m not going to see her much makes me sad. But the goal is for her to say she doesn’t need me anymore. I am very proud of that—and of her.” ●
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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‘I feel at home already.’
Ann Ihekoronye, BSN, RN, and Felecsha Cohall-Johnson, BSN, RN
18 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Two nurses embrace a new home in New Hampshire with the help of the community—and each other
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nn Ihekoronye, BSN, RN, traveled more than 5,000 miles to start a new job—along with a new life in a different climate, in an unfamiliar landscape that held different people belonging to another culture. The move was challenging, but on her first day at Cheshire Medical Center, she was comforted by the smiling face of Felecsha “Fel” Cohall-Johnson, BSN, RN. “She said, ‘Relax your mind. Things are going to work out,’” says Ann, who was working as a nurse on the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) at the time. “Because initially, I was already feeling lonely.” “That was your first day? Oh my god, I didn’t know that,” says Fel, sitting nearby, bursting out into a laugh. “I brought her home. She didn’t have a ride.” On Ann’s first day at work, her car wasn’t quite ready yet, so Fel gave her a lift. They’ve been close ever since. That was one in a series of obstacles and hurdles to which both women have adapted and overcome with the help of Cheshire staff and community members—and each other—since they arrived in the United States. Fel relocated in July of 2019 from Jamaica. Ann arrived a few months later from her native Nigeria. Both women had been nurses in their home countries. They came to America in search of better opportunities through Avant Healthcare Professionals, a staffing specialist agency for internationally educated registered nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. When they found out they would be living in New
“...I was used to the hospital environment, so to say. But some of the streets I actually Googled while I was still in Nigeria. So whenever I drive through them [now], I’m like, ‘Yeah, I saw this when I was going through Google.’” —Ann Ihekoronye, BSN, RN Inpatient care
“I had to Google the state because I hadn’t heard of New Hampshire before. Everyone was saying, ‘Where in the world is that?’ And I was like, ‘It’s in America!’” —Felecsha Cohall-Johnson, BSN, RN Inpatient care
Hampshire, both women had identical reactions: “Wait, where?” “I had to Google the state because I hadn't of New Hampshire before,” Fel says. “Everyone was saying, ‘Where in the world is that?’ And I was like, ‘It’s in America!’” When Fel arrived, the PCU staff greeted her with open minds—and open search engines. It turns out that Fel and Ann weren’t the only Internet sleuths. The staff had done some Googling of their own, researching Jamaican culture,
food, news, popular slang—anything to help Fel feel like she wasn’t so far from home. “It was welcoming,” says Fel, who remembers people going out of their way to support her. “They always tried to help me when I was on duty, asking me if I needed anything. So when I get people helping me in that way, I’m like ‘OK, I feel at home already.’” Now, more than two years later, Fel and Ann—who both work on Cheshire’s Thompson Unit—have completed their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. Completing their degrees within two years in America was on both of their to-do lists. Of course, they still get homesick. Fel, who wears a small Jamaican flag and palm tree on the lanyard that holds her Cheshire ID badge, has a brother in New York and a sister in New Jersey; everyone else is still in Jamaica. She talks to them every day. There is one thing, try as they might, they both miss. “The food!” Fel exclaims. “I miss my African food a lot,” Ann says, shaking her head in commiseration. While Fel uses her Jamaican spices to liven up the food she cooks at home, (and Ann can usually find her preferred selection of vegetables), they say it’s just not the same. Especially the cucumbers, which are vastly different here than in their home countries. “They’re tough,” Fel says. “They’re bitter!” “I started going for the baby cucumbers,” Ann says. “They taste better.” “I’ll have to try those,” Fel says. Fel and Ann are embracing their new lives—from cars to cucumbers and everything in between. ●
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Clinical Informatics: Helping providers make the most of tech tools bridge the gap between those who use our medical record system and the IT folks and analysts who actually build the system,” says Deb Chamberlain, MSN, RN, the director of clinical informatics at Cheshire Medical Center. The foundation for the Medical Center’s electronic records system is Epic. This software program packages all aspects of a patient’s health care experience in one platform, so it’s easily accessible to both the patient and care providers. The Clinical Informatics team, from left to right: Hillary Stickney, LPN; Sara Sargent, BSN, RN; Christine Driscoll-Carignan, RN; Deb Chamberlain, MSN, RN; Dana Carley; Kris Earle, RN. Missing from picture: Terry Clough, BSN, RN.
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ith a few keystrokes, a doctor or nurse can quickly pull up on a computer screen a patient’s medical history, prescribed medications, lab test results, and notes from previous visits. This convenience means patients receive a continuum of linked care from their primary care providers, the Medical Center’s Laboratory Services or Radiology department, and specialty care such as Physical Therapy, Orthopedics, Cardiology, and Gastroenterology. But it’s not just about keeping track of a patient’s visits and treatment. Computers control medical equipment adjusted for each patient’s particular condition. They also monitor a patient’s vital signs and alert nurses and doctors when something isn’t right. We’ve been living with this kind of technology for decades, and we’ve come to take it somewhat for granted. However, it takes a team of professionals knowledgeable in both health care and computer systems to make it all work well. “When I’m asked what it is we do, my response is that we 20 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
“The electronic medical health record documents, charts, and records everything that happens in our clinics and hospital,” says Christine Driscoll-Carignan, RN, formerly the progressive care unit’s clinical leader and now the clinical informatics coordinator. “The system puts everything right at their fingertips.”
Chamberlain, who is also a nurse, says their team’s job is to “translate” the needs of health care providers so the in-house software analysts can design programs within the Epic system that are responsive to those needs. “We might have a bare-bones order for a particular nursing procedure that needs to be fleshed out,” she says. “The clinical staff speaks a certain language, and we, as nurses, also speak that language,” Driscoll-Carignan says. “We translate what they need to the analysts so they can build around the need.” Most importantly, Driscoll-Carignan says the records system frees providers up to spend more time listening to patients and discussing their concerns instead of thumbing through documents or coordinating with other medical professionals via phone. “It really does allow the provider to focus on the patient and their needs,” Driscoll-Carignan says—thus improving the quality of care provided at Cheshire. ●
Getting up to move with a 2 p.m. dance party In times like these, couldn’t we all use a good reason to dance? Well, the Clinical Informatics team has found one—the daily dance party. Every day, at precisely 2 p.m., Christine Driscoll-Carignan, RN, pulls out the Bluetooth speaker and plays exactly one song as she and her colleagues bust a move. “We take requests. For example, on the first day of summer, we danced to ‘Surfin’ Safari’ by the Beach Boys,” Driscoll-Carignan says. “It’s 5 minutes away from our desks to be with each other—6 feet apart and masked—but still together sharing a moment of levity.” The daily dance was started some years ago but fell off more recently—until the Informatics team brought it back. “Passersby will join in the dance, and if there is a class in the Education department,” DriscollCarignan says. “We grab them, and they join our dance!” ● Kris Earle, left, gets the 2 p.m. dance party going.
Providing a safe, vibrant learning place for children of hospital employees
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ou can’t go to Canada.” “Keep your hands on yourself.” “You’ve got to play outside.” “Wear a mask, and stay far away from people when you don’t have a mask.”
Lori J. Guyette is proud of the way The Children’s Learning Center has responded to the challenges of the pandemic.
participates in the relationships that create a safe environment. Things like masking, or other changes to our routines, children seem to handle better when we model and share our own feelings about the changes.”
TCLC has followed the school and childcare These are just a few of the pearls of guidance updated regularly through the wisdom that the children at The Children’s New Hampshire Department of Health Learning Center (TCLC) at Cheshire Medical and Human Services, and Cheshire’s own Center have shared from their nearly two Infection Prevention department. They have an years of experience with COVID-19. Providing illustrated “Pandemic Guide” for families and programs for around 100 communicate with parents youth between the ages through signs, social of 6 weeks and 14 years "When the adults are feeling media, and a new app. old, TCLC has offered a OK about things, the children safe place for the children Measures taken during are reassured. And when of hospital employees the pandemic include doing essential work regular screening, diligent adults model how to handle during the pandemic. cleaning, keeping cohorts stress, children also feel safe. separate, and masking “Children follow the The message is always that everyone over two years lead of adults,” says Deb we are here to keep children old. Those entering the Hunter, who has worked safe.” building are limited, at TCLC for 22 years, the and the staff have a low —Deb Hunter past 15 as director. “When threshold for children’s The Children's Learning Center the adults are feeling OK symptoms requiring about things, the children testing or quarantine. are reassured. And when adults model how to “COVID has been a handle stress, children also feel safe. The challenging time for all, yet we never once message is always that we are here to keep closed our doors during the pandemic,” says children safe.” Lori J. Guyette, who has also been at TCLC for 29 years and currently serves as assistant Judy Young, who has been a teacher at the director. “We strive to provide children with center for 29 years, enthusiastically agrees— consistency and the same care they received seven staff have been there at least since prior to COVID. The masks don’t matter to they opened their new building in 2002, and the children; it’s the feeling of unconditional three have been there since the beginning. “Being safe is an interactive process. Everyone care that matters to them.” ● Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Healthier together Appreciating veterans with farmers’ market voucher program is ‛win-win-win’ for community
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very September, area veterans can visit one of a few farmers’ markets in the region and receive up to $20 in free local produce.
It’s made possible thanks to vouchers provided by the Center for Population Health at Cheshire Medical Center in honor of Veteran Appreciation Month. The goal, says Tricia Zahn, director of strategic community partnerships, is to make fresh, local food more easily available while supporting food producers in the region. The program is one of several initiatives the hospital supports to improve local food access, such as funding the Granite State Market Match, which doubles Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when shopping at participating farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, and farm stands. Zahn describes the hospital’s efforts as one puzzle piece in a network of local organizations and initiatives tackling food insecurity. It’s crucial to reach veterans specifically, Zahn says, as they often face disproportionate
negative health impacts. “We do know that veterans, on average, are older. Many veterans on average are lower income,” says Zahn. “And it’s a way to show appreciation for their service and increase access to not only local food but also social connection and community-building.” The program has been available at the farmers’ market in Hinsdale since 2018 and expanded to Keene in 2019 and Jaffrey in 2020. Participation continues to grow. Between the three locations, the program served more than 230 veterans in the Monadnock Region last year, according to Zahn.
Lola Bobrowski works the Keene Farmers’ Market stand.
“It is a win-win-win for our community in support of local farmers, veterans, and the markets,” says participant Nick Nichols of Gilsum. “It is great to see other veterans there, enjoying the sweetness of maple syrup, wonderful baked breads, and great selection of fresh vegetables.” “I really appreciate the vouchers,” adds veteran Don Paige. “More importantly, it is good to see that all veterans are treated with much respect and care.” ●
Air Force veteran Dr. Philip Huckins says he’s grateful for more access to healthy food, as well as more business for local farms. “As a regular customer of the area markets, I can also tell you that the vouchers offered during Veteran Appreciation Month inspire many people to support local agriculture who otherwise might not come out,” Huckins says. “It is a wonderful symbiotic cycle of caring, and I am hopeful that the program will be supported in the future.”
22 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Run and Read a Marathon program goes the extra mile
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rowing children need nourishment to keep their bodies healthy. But their minds need nourishment, too. And, for that, thereʹs nothing better than a good book.
Young readers can focus on both areas of wellness through the Center for Population Health’s Run and Read a Marathon program. Participating children receive a free book and a log with stickers to track the titles they’ve read, as well as help signing up for the DeMar Kids’ Marathon, held each September in downtown Keene. The program expands on another initiative, which provided free books to families during wellness visits. To make reading material even more accessible, the Center for Population Health wanted to bring more books into the community. “With a pandemic and fewer people going to the hospital, and focusing on health equity in our community, what better way to offer access to the program than through local libraries?” says Marissa Mannion-King, youth wellness coordinator.
New program shares surplus meals with shelter
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ccording to Feeding America, food insecurity—defined as a lack of consistent access to food—affects 1 in 11 New Hampshire residents. In 2018, an estimated 1 in 9 people in the U.S. was food insecure, equating to more 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children.
To that end, Tiffany French, RN, director of care management, and Collen Barry, R D, LD, CDE, director of food and nutrition services, created the Cheshire Medical Surplus Meal Project in 2021 to use surplus or leftover packaged cafeteria meals and deliver them to people in need. Every afternoon, Monday through Friday, a trained volunteer picks up the excess meals—food that is safe to consume but won’t be sold that day in the café—from the Medical Center. They deliver the meals to the Hundred Nights resource center in downtown Keene, which distributes them to individuals residing at the shelter. “During the first week we started the program at Hundred Nights, a young girl, probably about 6 years old, was very excited to see me,” French says. “She told me that she had been able to have one of the meals each night since we had started and that they were ‘the best meals ever!’” This program is being run on a volunteer basis by Cheshire employees, who complete the ServSafe Certification process to ensure that they have a general knowledge of safe food handling.
Youth Wellness Coordinator Marissa Mannion-King and Julie Rios, youth librarian at Walpole Town Library.
The program distributed about 1,000 books among nine organizations last year, including Cheshire Medical Center, Monadnock Community Hospital, the Reading on the Road organization, and six local libraries.
Run and Read a Marathon also partnered with Reading on the Road, a program started by local high school students to provide books on Monadnock Region school buses. It has since expanded to partner with after-school programs, delivering book boxes directly to families during the pandemic. Recent Keene High graduate Amelia Opsahl says the program donated about 300 brand-new books related to health and wellness for Reading on the Road's delivery boxes. “I think having really healthy reading habits and being a lifelong reader really puts kids on a good path to be more engaged in school,” Opsahl says. “Itʹs important for all children to have access to books, because theyʹre so valuable in a child’s life.” ●
“I look forward to seeing our employee volunteer base continue to grow—as well as this program,” French says. ● From left to right: Cook Jacob Conant, Nutrition Assistant Savannah Clough, and Team Leader Rick Beam.
Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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‘She refused to settle.’
How one health care worker has overcome challenges to get back to the work she loves
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or two decades, September has been an emotionally challenging month for Kerry Henegan, MS, BSN, RN, CEN. That’s because two events— separated by 19 years and one day— shaped her world forever. Serving as director of Primary Care at Cheshire Medical Center since 2014, Kerry is a force: intelligent, kind, quick-witted, able to assess situations and act while focusing on both shortand long-term goals. With a master’s in health care administration, she’s combined her decades of hands-on clinical work, experience in health care, and leadership skills to serve a vital role at Cheshire. She’s a natural, humble, charismatic leader. During her long career, she sometimes worked 80 hours a week; though, over the past year, she’s learned she must prioritize her well-being in order to help others.
Kerry Henegan, MS, BSN, RN, CEN; and Wendy Platt, MA, CCC
24 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Kerry began her career working as an EMT paramedic in New York City before earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1997. She then worked in Level 1 emergency departments for more than a decade, while also working as a paramedic at Saint Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan’s
Greenwich Village. Although it has since closed, it was the closest trauma center to the World Trade Center. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Kerry had just returned home after finishing a night shift, when friends started calling, telling her to “turn on the TV.” She grabbed her uniform and gear and drove down to Saint Vincent’s, reporting for duty within hours of seeing the first tower collapse. “I couldn't even look in that direction for eight years,” says Kerry, solemnly reflecting on the trauma she saw and experienced. “I did everything I could to avoid Lower Manhattan and the West Side,” which was challenging as she visited her family in Staten Island monthly. Her usual smile disappears as Kerry remembers that time and her blue eyes lose their electricity. Twenty years later, she knows the best way to get through each September is to be home with her wife, Marika, and their four kids. And that is where she was on Sept. 12, 2020. That evening while she was outside, Kerry tripped and fell. There was no question she needed emergency medical attention. If anyone could make that decision, Marika could. As Cheshire’s medical director of Urgent Primary Care, Dr. Henegan quickly assessed Kerry’s injury and called for an ambulance. When Kerry fell, she hit her head on a rock, resulting in a large laceration. As the ambulance brought her to Cheshire’s Emergency Department, she was evaluated, triaged, and given medication for nausea. Robert Leinau, PA, and Kendra Larkin, MD, controlled the bleeding from her head wound, and by 10 p.m., Dr. Larkin determined that the complex wound required surgical intervention. By 4 a.m., she was in the capable hands of the on-call surgeon, H.E. Guy Burman, MD, and the Operating Room (OR) team. While her scar eventually healed beautifully and Brian Stoning, DPT, worked with her through physical therapy, Kerry still had a long road to recovery. After a concussion, which Kerry suffered from the fall,
highly trained, specialized therapists and physicians. As a speech therapist, Wendy works with patients to address cognition, communication, and swallowing issues.
“She was steadfast in her recovery so she could resume her role at Cheshire and help others again.’” —Wendy Platt
Physical therapy
the post-concussive recovery period can last from weeks to months and include dizziness, headaches, and problems with concentration and memory. She met with Val Gendron, MD, a neurologist, who referred her to Speech-Language Pathologist Wendy Platt, MA, CCC, for biweekly therapy. Kerry was impressed with the care she received—and it gave her a new perspective on adjusting her long work weeks, watching for signals, and listening to her body. Resilience in the face of adversity If there’s one word Wendy would use to describe Kerry, it’s resilient. “She was inspiring to work with and lovely to get to know. She was determined to recover fully,” said Wendy. “But it wasn’t just for herself. She was steadfast in her recovery so she could resume her role at Cheshire and help others again. She refused to settle, doing everything she could to move forward.” With Kerry’s determination and Wendy's expertise, Kerry succeeded. Wendy has worked 16 years of her 35-year career in Cheshire’s Rehabilitation department, alongside a team of
After her head injury, Kerry faced significant problems with communication and cognition, compounded by post-concussive syndrome, resulting in hypersensitivity to stimuli. Routine sights, sounds, and nearby movement could feel like a chaotic bombardment of energy, impeding her ability to think or communicate. "This can result in somebody brilliant, like Kerry, being unable to remember stories just a few sentences in length or navigate simple tasks,” says Wendy. “Threshold overload may impair someone’s ability to remember entire conversations or find the words they need to express their thoughts.” Wendy helped Kerry build her tolerance for outside stimuli. Initially, working in quiet spaces until Kerry’s abilities improved, Wendy slowly introduced more stimuli— by just opening her office door, for instance—until Kerry could endure more distracting environments. Therapy also focused on improving Kerry’s word-finding, memory, and problem solving,—allowing her to regain her edge with critical thinking. “We tailored our sessions to meet her evolving specific needs,” says Wendy. “Kerry’s amazing. I was so fortunate to get to know her, to get to work with her, and to be a part of her recovery process. We focused on her personal goal to get back to work at Cheshire. That was always her drive.” While she attempted to enjoy podcasts during her recovery, Kerry has since happily returned to devouring up to four books per month. Upon regaining her ability to read, Kerry caught up on everything related to COVID-19, then got back to her favorite genre of thrillers. While audiobooks can’t quite compare to paperbacks, Kerry did enjoy listening to Michelle Obama’s voice as she read her best-seller Becoming. “Michelle can read to me anytime,” she says. ●
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Collaboration is key to a patient-centered approach in Gastroenterology
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rofessionalism is a word Dale Moore summons when he thinks of his gastroenterologist, Otto Trinkl, MD. Moore, who lives in Peterborough, has been coming to see the veteran specialist at Cheshire Medical Center for the last decade to manage a chronic issue.
The gastrointestinal medicine group is currently staffed by five physicians, one nurse practitioner, and the team that supports their work. The providers’ expertise spans from advanced endoscopy to issues with the gallbladder and pancreas to concentrations in liver and obesity medicine.
“I often feel like I’m going to a meeting rather than a doctor’s appointment,” says Moore. “Dr. Trinkl is very open and concerned; he is not just going through the motions. There is a formal informality about him—he has gravitas, but he doesn’t need to wear it on his sleeve. I have never once questioned his treatment recommendations.”
“Our collaboration is as easy as walking down the hallway to a colleague’s door,” says Andrew Gorske, MD, division chief of the GI department. Dr. Gorske also notes the close working relationship the Cheshire physicians have developed with GI groups across the state through a team approach directed by Corey Siegel, MD, MS, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. “We can share information verbally and digitally to make sure we have the best information,” Dr. Gorske adds.
Moore’s experience is not unusual, and that’s because compassionate care is at the heart of the Gastroenterology (GI) department at Cheshire. In addition to his interactions with Dr. Trinkl, Moore has observed the proficiency of the entire hospital staff. He appreciates the adeptness of the technicians in the laboratory (where he gets his blood drawn twice a year), ultrasound techs, endoscopy team, and all of the other reinforcements, from nurses to medical assistants to receptionists, who “help put me at ease.”
Based on his own experience, Moore praises Dr. Trinkl for the individualized approach to his care. While Dr. Gorske admits that some GI treatment guidelines are “fairly prescriptive,” he emphasizes that he and the team of practitioners at Cheshire are able to apply their specialty’s best practices and adapt them for each patient based on needs, preferences, and medical history. “You have to adjust and work with the patient,” Dr. Gorske says. “That’s where the relationship part comes in; if the patient has trust in their doctor, there is great value in that.” It is that rapport between physician and patient that has most impressed Moore in his years under the care of Dr. Trinkl. Whether discussing a tweak in his diet or a change to his medication regimen, Moore says he always leaves the office feeling like he has a say in what happens next.
Dale Moore, Gastroenterology patient
“I’ve found that I’m participating in my care, not just receiving it,” Moore says. “[Dr. Trinkl] helps me formulate ways to think about how I’m feeling. In doing that, I feel a sense of ownership in the treatment and am more motivated to comply. He won’t let me leave the office until I understand what’s going on, and he will give me as much time as necessary. If I don’t do something, I am not
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only letting him down— which would bother me tremendously—but letting myself down.” Moore is a prime example of someone who sought specialty advice and followed through, reporting that he now feels well enough to hike and pursue his passion for astronomy. Typical patients might contact a gastroenterologist for concerns that range from heartburn to abdominal pain; however, much of what the practitioners on Cheshire’s GI team do is preventive care. According to Dr. Gorske, when it comes to health care maintenance, a colonoscopy is among the most cost-effective screenings available to patients. Still, many selfdefer the procedure for a variety of reasons.
“Overall, we’re finding care is more collaborative now. Studies have shown that an individual is more likely to complete a medical plan when they have an established relationship with their doctor.” — Andrew Gorske, MD Division Chief, Gastroenterology
“You may have no other issues, but at least once come visit your friendly local gastroenterologist to have a colon cancer screening,” Dr. Gorske says. “There’s a lot of misinformation and apprehension [about colonoscopies]. We try to disarm patients from what may be preventing them from coming in. Overall, we’re finding care is more collaborative now. Studies have shown that an individual is more likely to complete a medical plan when they have an established relationship with their doctor.” ●
Interventional Radiology: Nurses at the vanguard
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here are many different specialties in nursing at Cheshire Medical Center. One that is less well known externally—but described internally as “skilled and mighty”—is interventional radiology (IR). “Our radiology nurses are involved with the assessment, planning, and care of patients who “I enjoy being a part of undergo diagnostic and treatment the patient’s journey procedures,” says from pre-procedurally Brenda Glinka, RTR(CV), through the procedure associate director of and recovery and being radiology at Cheshire. able to alleviate any “These are highly anxieties they may specialized, trained, and experienced nurses who have.” assist the radiologists —Brianna Rennick, RN by administering Interventional Radiology conscious sedation drugs and monitoring patient vital signs during the procedure.” The IR team performs minimally invasive procedures with guidance from medical imaging technology, such as X-ray fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasound. Performing both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures through very small incisions or body orifices can be an effective alternative to surgery. For patients, this means shorter recovery times and fewer side effects.
patient care.” IR nurses provide expertise in placing central lines in major veins so patients can be given intravenous (IV) medicines, fluids, nutrition, or blood.
“I am deeply appreciative of this small, skilled, and mighty team,” says Amy Matthews, DNP, MS, RN, CENP, chief nursing officer and VP of patient care services. “They offer effective treatments outside the operating room—with positive patient outcomes. They also support difficult vascular access that allows for treatment in all areas of
“I work with an incredible group of individuals,” says Victoria Zimmermann, BSN, RN, radiology nurse supervisor.
Left to right: Amber O’Connor, BSN, RN; Victoria Zimmermann, BSN, RN; Helena Hall, BSN, RN, CGRN. Not pictured: Brianna Rennick, RN.
They provide education about procedures, enabling patients and their families to participate in decision- making. The nurses closely monitor patients, document their progress, administer medications, and provide post-procedural care.
“From the techs performing the scans or images to the radiologists making a diagnosis and performing IR procedures—to the specially trained IR techs in CT and Fluoroscopy to the nurses—this is a very dedicated group. I celebrate their commitment to the organization and our patients.” Zimmermann says the team is growing and planning so Cheshire can offer additional procedures, “so patients can be treated locally instead of traveling to a different hospital.” ●
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Dedication and innovation in Laboratory Services
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ix days a week, patients come to Cheshire’s Laboratory Services for blood work to help ensure medication is at the right level, evaluate organ functions, or to diagnose or monitor a medical condition. “We test the blood in-house for most things,” says Patricia Snow, MBA, MT(ASCP)SBB, the director of Cheshire’s laboratory. “Some more specific requests are sent to Dartmouth-Hitchcock for testing.” Lead Phlebotomist Brice Morin says between 170 and 200 people a day come in for blood tests. Phlebotomists are the health care professionals who draw the blood from patients and make sure the proper amount is taken and labeled.
"They have taken on so much extra work and have been extremely responsive. They are incredibly dedicated.” —Patricia Snow, MBA, MT(ASCP)CBB, RN Laboratory Services
Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratory and Pathologist Claire Fabian, MD, says Cheshire’s phlebotomists take the time to make sure patients are comfortable throughout the process. “It can be very stressful having your blood taken— especially for children,” she says. “But they make everyone comfortable. Our phlebotomists have very good skills.” After blood is drawn, it goes to Central Processing, then to Cheshire’s Clinical Laboratory, or is distributed to a reference lab for testing. But it’s not just blood that is sent for testing. Clinical lab scientists also assess other specimens, such as urine samples to help determine if someone might be suffering from kidney disease or a urinary tract infection and stool samples to diagnose digestive tract conditions.
Clinical Lab Scientist Jake Duby
Nearly 50 employees work in Laboratory Services—from the phlebotomists who interact directly with patients to those who process and test the specimens. With the extreme increase in demand during COVID-19, all of them were put to the test.
illness can be tested for 19 different viruses, including COVID-19, and bacteria, using BioFire, a respiratory pathogen panel test.
In the Clinical Lab, “due to COVID testing needs, we became chemists overnight when we had to develop our own viral transport media needed to collect samples for COVID testing, because the demand for testing created a shortage of supplies,” Dr. Fabian says.
Throughout the pandemic, says Snow, the folks in Laboratory Services have kept their focus on patient care.
In short order, the lab was evaluating 150 to 250 samples for COVID every day and has kept that pace, testing nasopharyngeal swabs and, most recently, saliva samples. In addition, says Dr. Fabian, everyone who comes in to the Emergency Department showing symptoms of a respiratory
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“If a patient doesn’t present with a respiratory illness, we still test, but just for COVID-19,” says Dr. Fabian.
“They have all been wonderful,” she says. “They have taken on so much extra work and have been extremely responsive. They are incredibly dedicated.” “Laboratory people are very accustomed to change and adaptation,” says Dr. Fabian. “Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, professionally and personally, they got the job done.” ●
A generous life met with generous support
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Delivering delight
ruce and Janet Chamberlin met as juniors at Ithaca College. They were both physical therapy majors and had all of their classes together. They fell in love, became college sweethearts.
When Bob Melanson, a courier at Cheshire Medical Center, makes deliveries to The Children’s Learning Center, one is reminded of Mr. McFeely, the “Speedy Delivery” man, in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—where many children have learned that smiles are “there to share.” Bob is friendly and cheerful—and always has a big smile on his face.
“He was a funny guy. You could not miss him,” says Janet as she lets out a big laugh. “He always made me laugh.” After college, they worked for a year in Pennsylvania, then as traveling physical therapists for a year. They settled in the Keene area, became part of the community, and had a family. Parents to three children, they visited each one during their study abroad programs in college. They had visited every state in the U.S. except Hawaii. They loved to travel.
Janet Chamberlin, PT, WCS, and Bruce Chamberlin.
After more than 20 years at Cheshire, Janet and Bruce Chamberlin embarked on a five-week bucket list trip in March 2020, including time in Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand; then, they met their first grandchild in Maryland.
Bruce started losing weight a year before—something was wrong. By June 2019, he was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized to his lymph nodes, so he wasn’t eligible for surgery. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation. Bruce was always a giver. Empathetic, charismatic, deep. That love came back to the couple as they navigated the turmoil of Bruce’s terminal illness with support from their Cheshire friends and colleagues. It meant the world to Bruce and Janet. “To me, it felt like a family. Everyone was looking after us. Even if it was just a quick hello,” says Janet, “It was nice. People thought of things we weren’t thinking about.” As the Cheshire community grieved Bruce’s death, they
shared stories about what Bruce had done for them. “He could read a situation and knew what to do. He could look at people, analyze them, and know what to say,” says Janet. “He was always willing to engage and make a positive impact.”
While he wears the same khaki uniform to work every day—and the same friendly smile—he rotates different silly hats all week long, simply to delight the children. On rainy days, he wears an umbrella hat, which serves practical purposes, too. Other days, the children may hear him before they see him if he’s wearing his brightly colored jester hat adorned with bells. Some days, he’ll wear a Viking hat or soccer ball hat. He has a gold crown hat and blue-and-white-striped top hat too. Whichever hat he is wearing, he always makes deliveries and spreads smiles! ●
His kindness, compassion, and care—all of those intangible qualities that forged deep connections and impacted people’s lives in significant ways—were his legacy. The support their colleagues offered is the same support Bruce offered others through the years. In the end, he got back what he gave. And Bruce and Janet wanted our community to know how much it meant to both of them. In memory of Bruce, Janet has donated to the Farnum Rehabilitation Center Fund. ●
Bob Melanson waves to the kids through a window at TCLC. Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Routine procedure leads to life-saving intervention Technician says she’s just happy she could help
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hen Keene resident Janice Sargent came to Cheshire Medical Center for a routine knee replacement, her preoperative physical and EKG looked good, and the procedure went smoothly. The last thing she expected to hear was that she had a lifethreatening arrhythmia “I was so happy for Janice and so and needed a pacemaker. glad that I was able to play a small “To have the doctor part in helping to keep her alive. come in after surgery and Usually, we don’t get to learn the say I needed a pacemaker was a shock,” says outcomes of the patients we help, Janice, who hadn’t been and we usually never meet them, hospitalized in years. so this was special.” “I had no issues before that would suggest heart —Amber Bessette problems, such as feeling Central monitor technician faint or other symptoms. I’m so grateful that it was discovered when it was.” Janice can be thankful for Amber Bessette, who has worked at Cheshire since last year as a central monitor technician. This newly created position includes monitoring remote cardiac telemetric readings. Bessette had just arrived for her nightly shift when she noticed Janice’s heart rhythm had too many “P waves,” indicating a heart block.
Central monitor technician Amber Bessette and patient Janice Sargent
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“I suspected it may have been a complete heart block—meaning the top and bottom of the heart beat completely independently, which is extremely dangerous,” Bessette
Circle of Gratitude: The synergy of care and connection
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says. “When I printed it out and took measurements, I confirmed my suspicions. If you were looking at the rhythm only in one moment—when the rhythm lined up just so—it would have been easy to miss.”
nce you meet Serena Shomody, DPC, FACFAS, and Ellen Slocum, RN, it comes as little surprise that patient Deborah Snyder chose to honor them both through the Circle of Gratitude. The two have an easy and enviable rapport, often finishing one another’s thoughts about what it means to each of them to care for their Podiatry patients.
Bessette immediately called the charge nurse, learning soon after that a stat diagnostic EKG corroborated what she had found. Janice would be getting a pacemaker to correct the arrhythmia right away.
Both were extremely touched—and surprised—by Snyder’s recognition. They were also unwilling to take all of the credit for the strides Deb has made in the last year on her long journey toward healing and better health.
“When I found out that she was going to get a pacemaker, I honestly started to tear up a bit,” says Bessette, whose interest in telemetry emerged after she witnessed a dear friend suddenly pass away from a heart attack. “I wanted to understand more about how the heart worked, and I wanted to be able to help people.” “I was so happy for Janice and so glad that I was able to play a small part in helping to keep her alive. Usually, we don’t get to learn the outcomes of the patients we help, and we usually never meet them, so this was special.” Janice says she had nothing but the greatest care at Cheshire and will not soon forget her good luck and Bessette’s careful eye. “The thought of having a car accident and hurting someone else because of a heart attack—I couldn’t live with myself,” she says. Her recovery from the knee surgery has been good, and she plans to have her other knee replaced at Cheshire soon. “Hopefully, the next time won’t be a ‘two-for-one’ deal again,” she says. ●
“Deb is a very special patient,” says Dr. Shomody, “and being honored in the Circle of Gratitude is really a testament to our entire department and how they play an integral role in our patients’ health care.” Slocum and Shomody agree their time spent with patients who need more intensive and frequent care, such as Deb, enables them to form deeper, more meaningful connections. This is a sentiment echoed wholeheartedly by Deb herself.
Ellen Slocum, RN, and Serena Shomody, DPC, FACFAS
“Ellen and Serena are so in sync with one another that it enables them to be in sync with their patients. I am so blessed that they are part of my team.” —Deborah Snyder Patient
“Ellen and Serena are so in sync with one another that it enables them to be in sync with their patients,” she says. “I am so blessed that they are part of my team.” While Shomody and Slocum point to internal synergy among multiple care providers as the driving force behind Deb’s progress, Deb emphatically turns the spotlight back where she feels it belongs: on her podiatry team. “I have been blown out of the water by the incredible care these two women have provided to me,” she says. “I think it’s really important to recognize them publicly for their care and kindness.” ●
Has a Cheshire provider or employee made a difference in your care or visit? If so, please visit CheshireHealthFoundation.org/Circle-of-Gratitude to learn how you can recognize them. Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
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Event Highlights
The gift of a strong community It is said that adversity reveals character. Here in the Greater Monadnock Region, our community’s resilience and kindness have been demonstrated repeatedly during the last year through unwavering and generous support of Cheshire Medical Center. Even when facing economic and other uncertainties of their own due to the pandemic, donors continued to give in support of Cheshire and its mission of providing exceptional care to all. Last year, our community stepped forward and generously gave of themselves, donating more than $6.1 million in support of Cheshire’s health and wellness mission. Here are a few highlights: We received many gifts benefiting the Medical Center’s COVID-19 response. These funds allowed Cheshire to purchase specialized equipment for treating patients, protective gear for employees, and much more.
Tribute event honors community change-makers In early December 2020, our community came together virtually to honor and celebrate John N. Walter, Jr., MD, and George Scott during Cheshire Health Foundation’s 8th annual Caring, Candlelight and Community event. More than $48,000 was raised in recognition of the many contributions both men have made to Cheshire Medical Center and the Greater Monadnock Region. The profoundly moving evening highlighted the significance of generosity and community-mindedness, and how powerful both can be when wielded by selfless individuals like John and George. It was a privilege to share more widely with others how their work has impacted the health and well-being of countless individuals, while fostering community growth and cooperation. ●
The community also stepped up to meet Cheshire’s needs elsewhere. Donors provided the funding needed for a new sound proof audio booth and testing equipment for the Medical Center’s Audiology Department; Lactation pods to benefit Cheshire’s nursing employees; and needed equipment in the Farnum Rehabilitation inpatient unit, the Birthing Pavilion, Cardiology, and Women’s Health. Finally, philanthropic support helped Cheshire Medical Center purchase its West Campus property on Maple Avenue, the first step toward implementing its Family Medicine Residency program. This support will help Cheshire grow to meet the increasing care needs of our community for decades to come. We are profoundly grateful for the support of the community, and humbled by the generosity directed toward our non-profit medical center. Every donation— regardless of its size—has a measurable impact and ensures that quality health care will be available close to home for decades to come. It is a gift to belong to a community that prioritizes the health and well-being of others so highly through incredible generosity of spirit. Thank you. ●
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John N. Walter, Jr., MD
George Scott
Learn how John and George impacted the Medical Center and community of the Greater Monadnock Region by visiting the Tribute section of CheshireHealthFoundation.org.
Fundraisers' ingenuity makes second virtual Bald is Beautiful a true success Although Cheshire Health Foundation’s 13th annual Bald is Beautiful (BIB) event had to be virtual for a second year, our community of fundraisers still ensured it was a resounding success. Thanks to their dedication and creativity, $27,000 was raised in support of local patients receiving treatment at Cheshire’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center – Kingsbury Pavilion. The money raised through BIB benefits the Medical Center’s Patient Relief and Cancer Care Funds. Undergoing cancer treatment is challenging at any time, but patients experienced additional difficulties due to the pandemic. Through the Patient Relief Fund, Cheshire helped patients with expenses such as medication co-pays, transportation costs, and even care for support animals. The Cancer Care Fund provided special equipment and items that support the treatment and comfort of patients, such as heated infusion chairs and televisions for the infusion room and a breast board for radiation oncology treatments.
‘No golf tournament? No problem!’ our sponsors said Like so many other in-person events in 2020, Cheshire Health Foundation’s Golf Tournament did not take place as planned due to the pandemic. However, participants who typically spend a day out on the links with their teams took this change in stride. With their generous support, more than $21,000 was raised for the Medical Center’s COVID-19 Fund. Knowing that many businesses faced significant challenges of their own last year makes the gifts we received in lieu of the actual tournament that much more extraordinary. We are grateful to all of our sponsors—and to the Keene Country Club staff who helped get players out on the course in a non-tournament format. ●
Sarah Commerford, RN, gets her head shaved by MJ Doody, owner of MJD & Company.
BIB fundraiser Chris Tacy decided to get colorful this year.
BIB’s success this year was due to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our dedicated fundraisers, every one of whom also has a story to tell about how cancer has impacted their lives. We were amazed by their creative use of social media and chat groups to promote giving, inspired by the imaginative ways they shaved their own heads and beards, and incredibly touched by the depth of caring for others they displayed every day. We are grateful to every individual and organization who participated in BIB this year. Thank you for helping us to care for Cheshire’s cancer patients. ●
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Giving comes naturally to Cheshire staff Caring for and helping others is in the nature of Cheshire employees—generosity that extends to charitable giving in support of the Medical Center. Employees’ reasons for giving philanthropically to Cheshire, in addition to the work they do, inspire a powerful example of the strength and kindness within our greater community.
For Maryam Gul, MD, and Meena Neva, MSW, CCM, it was experiences with their own families that inspired them to donate, as well as a sense of responsibility to the community as a whole.
We are humbled to see Cheshire’s employees giving so selflessly, day in and day out. They are wonderful examples of the power of caring and generosity—and the change that is possible when we give in the service of others. For Leon Macie, making a gift through the Circle of Gratitude was a way to give back and honor providers who cared for him during a time of need.
“The staff who took care of me in the Wound Clinic did a phenomenal job. I really wanted to give all of them the recognition that they deserved.”
—Leon Macie
“Being a mom of three, I gave in support of Cheshire’s lactation pods because I have experienced firsthand the struggle of nursing an infant while also working full-time. I was a resident when I had my first, and the call room where I could nurse was at the opposite end of the building; it frequently was not available for me to use in privacy. It was not easy, and there were many of us who lived through those difficult kinds of moments. I first saw a lactation pod at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where I had taken my youngest for an appointment. I was in love with it instantly and wished we had them. That’s why I give: to spread the joy I felt, the comfort I missed, and to make available the ease, convenience, and support all nursing mothers need.”
Environmental services
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—Maryam Gul, MD
Nephrology and hypertension
“Investment in our interconnectedness and striving comprehensively and equitably to meet diverse, planned, and unplanned wellness and care needs of our patients and their loved ones advances our healing mission. Forging and sustaining community partnerships and addressing social determinants of health builds a healthy community. My daughter was born in our WACHU. My son’s dislocated shoulder was relocated into place in our ED. My husband and his appendix emergently parted ways in our OR. Through preventative to critical care, through a public health crisis, come what may, every day I am fortunate to witness staff in every role of our organization meaningfully contribute to the health of our region. That is why I give.”
—Meena Neva, MSW, CCM Case management
Working together benefits the entire community
For Jeannine Lucius, RN, and Todd Dombrowski, MD, their gifts are extensions of the care they provide to patients daily. Lucius wants to ensure patients have what they need in order to get better, while Dombrowski’s gift helps to further Cheshire’s mission of providing care to anyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay.
“The reason I donated to Cardiac Rehab at Cheshire Medical Center is because I believe in our program. I hope that more comfortable equipment will improve the patient’s experience throughout their time here.”
—Jeannine Lucius, RN Cardiac rehabilitation
“Living in the same community as the patients I take care of, my donation will help ensure my patients have access to the care they may be unable to afford.”
—Todd Dombrowski, MD Rheumatology
Left to right: Bill Fenton, Katie Fenton, and Donovan Fenton.
For the Fenton Family Dealerships, community comes first. Whether it is encouraging their employees to get involved in philanthropic causes or donating directly to organizations like Cheshire Medical Center, the Fentons understand that charitable giving plays a vital role in keeping the Greater Monadnock Region healthy and thriving. “We feel that the community has really supported us over the 30 years we’ve been here,” says Bill Fenton, president of the Swanzey-based Fenton Family Dealerships. “We continue to grow and be successful—and it is all because of the community. That’s why we want to give back.” Because the needs of a community are many and varied, Fenton Family Dealerships focuses the bulk of its charitable giving on essential needs, including food, shelter, and medical care. Its recent gift of $10,000 to the Medical Center directly supports Cheshire’s mission of providing care for all who need it.
“We’re blessed to have Cheshire in our community so close by,” says Donovan Fenton, vice president of Fenton Family Dealerships. “All of our employees are probably patients.” After undergoing a recent surgery at Cheshire, Donovan adds that he feels the region is fortunate to have the quality of services the Medical Center provides. “We are lucky to have the staff and specialties here that we do,” he says. In turn, our community is fortunate to be home to a philanthropic company that recognizes the importance of exceptional health care close to home. The Fenton Family Dealerships supports our Medical Center through direct donation and by encouraging a culture of giving, such as paid volunteerism during work hours. Through this, the Fentons give a priceless gift to the community, perpetuating itself for years to come, benefiting all who live and work here. We look forward to partnering with them in the future and working together to build a safer, stronger, and healthier community. ●
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Gratitude and Inspiration The health and wellness of our community is supported by the kindness and generosity of Cheshire Health Foundation’s donors. We are grateful to be able to acknowledge those who supported Cheshire Medical Center’s health and wellness mission by making a gift from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. Every effort has been made to publish an accurate list. Please bring any errors to our attention by calling 603-354-6800. Cheshire Health Society ($25,000 and up) Ashok Bahl Joe* and Stephanie Baute Don and Jill Brehm Richard and Jan Cohen Jim and Judy Putnam Jarrett and Ann Scott Anonymous (2) 1802 Founders ($10,000–$24,999) Bill and Kathy Baldasaro Barbara Coburn Linda Guinane Jean and John Hoffman Kathy and Donald Wilson, MD Elliot ($5,000–$9,999) Don Caruso, MD and Nancy E. Johnson, MD Estate of Emily Mason Edward and Mable Bergeron SB Legacy Fund Linda Guinane Geof and Donna Molina Eileen and Michael Sarson, MD Dorrie and Donald Upton
Monadnock ($2,500–$4,999)
Frederick Burgess, MD Megan Burke Kidder David P. LaCoste and Stephen Fleet, MD Patricia I. Campbell, DO Lisa and George Foote, Jr. Louise and Edouard Carignan, PsyD Daniel Gross Barbara and William Chase, MD Donall and Joyce Healy George and Ann Colony Cherie A. Holmes, MD and Elizabeth B. Cotter Yvonne Goldsberry, PhD Ranger and Karen Curran Nathalie B. Houder Allison Deen Amy and Keith Matthews Robert and Mary Jane Nardone Michael and Theresa Desilets, APRN Christine and Thomas Doane Jennie Norman and Susan C. Doyle William Walker Donna and Michael O'Shea, MD Richard and Patricia Dugger Alfrieda and Robert J. Englund, MD Sandie Phipps Jacquelyn and Paul Ethier James E. Robertson Claire Fabian, MD and Robert and Lianne Therrien Jack Fabian, PhD Kathryn and John Willbarger Marcia French Granite Cecile Goff ($1,000–$2,499) Mitch and Erika Greenwald Robert Guardiano, DO and Genny Alexander Sherry Guardiano, DO Douglas E. Barrett Charlotte Guyer and Jill Batty and Daryl Stutes George Scott* Suzette Borden Jennifer Hanrahan Judith A. Boule, MD and Gregory Hansen, MD and Scott Lane Deborah Hansen, MD Lauren and David Bressett
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Kathy and Mark Gross Nancy and Roger Hansen, MD Kerry Henegan and Marika Henegan, MD Eric and Dottie Herr, MD John Hubbard* Ruth and Carl Jacobs, Jr. Karen P. Johnson Arthur Foard III and Melany Kahn Michael and Tricia Kapiloff Jennifer and Gerard Kiernan, MD Barbara and Paul Koutras, MD Mary Ann Lancey Martha M. Landry Jane and Steven Larmon, MD Rachel Lovins, MD and Andrew Hogan George Maydwell Timothy and Ann McCann Heather and Thomas Minkler Robert Mitchell Helene and Chris Mogridge Anne and Bill Moyle, MD Michael L. Ormont, MD Maria Padin, MD Robert and Judith Perry Andrea Plaskiewicz, MD Jim Janetos and Dale Pollack, MD Lisa A. Profetto, APRN and Eric M. Goodman, APRN Sandeep Randhawa, MD and Arvind Randhawa, MD Louise and Dan Rath, MD Reinette and Brian Reilly, MD Katherine Richardson Wendy, David, Scott and Mark Rose Connie and John Schlegelmilch, MD Robert Scott
Patti and Gregory Seymour, MD Rev. and Mrs. Charles Shook, Jr. Marni A. Silverstein, MD Katherine Snow and Paul Ledell Jane and David Stabler Valerie and Jonathan Starbuck Barbara Taft Julie and Gregg Tewksbury Sandra Van De Kauter and John N. Walter, Jr., MD Sarah Chartener Whitehead Jeanne Williams Anonymous (9) Ashuelot ($500–$999) Susan Abert, Esq. and Thomas Abert Patrick Ahern and Katelyn Ahern, APRN Charles Anderson and C. Elizabeth E. Gamerl-Anderson Tracy and Mike Beam Michelle M. Beatrice Sarah Beckley Chantal Bedard-Symington David and Patricia Beffa-Negrini Paul and Elaine Bieber Jim and Bev Boden Mark Bodin Peter and Maria Bradshaw John Bunce Suzanne and Larry Butcher Cynthia Caddell Mary Lou Caffrey and Kenneth Stewart Leslie and James Casey Emmy and Jerry Chamberlin
Katherine Clarke and Lily DeYoung Timothy and Chris Corrigan Thomas Crouse and Kay Enokido Richard Crowe, Jr. Alison Cuomo-Nason and Donald Nason Rosemary Dettelback Sean Drower Karen Eng Vanderbilt Brad and Sharon E. Ferguson, DO Deborah J. Flagg Kevin and Dawn Forrest Tiffany French, RN Mark and Barbara Gavin James and Brenda J. Glinka Michael and Jennifer Gomarlo Francoise Gooding Julie and Andrew Gorske, MD David and Rhunell Gruender Cynthia and Matthew Guiltinan, MD Margaret Guyer Jocelyn Guyer Lori A. Guyette Audrey L. Hadcock Paul and Sussan Henkel Julius R. Hof, Sr. Ken and Carol Jue Jay and Cheryl Kahn Judy and Rich Kalich Larry and Ashton Kane Alison P. Kapadia, MD and Nirav Kapadia, MD Richard and Diana Kasper Margaret Kasschau and Donald Gillis* Liam Kelly and Lesley Loke Neha Varma and Aalok Khole, MD Kathleen A. Kirstein
* Deceased
Norman Kristoff Shawn LaFrance and Rebecca Farver Gail Laraba Stephen and Leslie LeBlanc Charles and Sheila Lennon Joanne LeRoy Steven R. Levene, MD and Susan W. Peters Jeannine Lucius Charlton and Diana MacVeagh Michelle and Carl Majewski Billie Marks Laura May-Scott Jennifer Michelson, RN Jeffrey B. Miller and Carol MacKinnon Michelle A. Miner Amy Moisan Charles and Mary Lou Montgomery Bob and Maryann Mucha Alisa and David Nash, MD Tina Needham Susan and Steven Paris, MD Debora Pierce-Settle Anne Piper and Roy Piper* Jane and Leslie Pitts, MD Kirsten and William Prigge, Esq. Martin and Barbara Purcell David and Susan Quigley Laura Reyor, APRN Larry Robbins, MD Ann and James Robinson, MD Scott and Cathleen Samson Lisa and Eric Sandstrum Richard Scaramelli Suzanne Scott
* Deceased
Todd A. Silberstein, DO and Lisa A. Leinau, MD Suzanna and Thomas Strempfer Alan and Melissa Stroshine Mary and James Suozzi, DO Jeanie M. Sy Sarah M. Tatro Larry Taylor Maria and Kimball Temple, MD Andrew G. Tremblay, MD and Suzanne F. Nabi-Tremblay, MD Autumn Versace, CNM Nancy and Paul Vincent Joe and Judith Walier Michael J. and Cynthia Waters The Honorable Lucy Weber Robert Westlake, MD and Susan Byrne Rebecca Wilder Ellen M. Wright Joseph and Lorraine Youngs Ali Zia, MD Anonymous (13) Elm ($250–$499) Mary Annear Janet Aug, OD Maureen Bailey Peter Bakker Toni Barrett Janet Benvenuti Susan A. Beringer FNP-C Hugh Beyer Deborah Blanc Robin Bond Judith and Robert Boynton Cynthia Brooks Ingrid Calebro
John and Cynthia Cantin Anita Carbone Regina Chan Heidi G. Clark Deb Collins Sarah L. Commerford Ashley Covert Moira Croteau and Steve Creamer Jane B. Cunningham Dana E. Dash Alexandra Davison Mary Delisle and George Foskett Klaus and Margery Dickinson Elisabeth M. Dignitti Tom and Jean Dobson Thais and Todd Dombrowski, MD Dennis Donegan Jennifer and Shawn Doyle The night crew - the “stars” that come out at night Barbara Duckett and John McPeake Jay Eason Hala El Chami, MD Marla and Todd Evans Susan Farrell David Finley David Fischmann Catherine Forrest Jessica and Patrick Fuller Ann Gagnon Maich Gardner and Ed Tomey Sara B. Gilbert Catherine and James Gray Julie and Doug Green Maryam Gul, MD Kate Guyette The Rev. Canon Samir and Kathryn Habiby Gail Hamblet
Sue Warren, Planned Giving Donor Parker and Sally Hansel Peter and Bridget Hansel Coby and Katherine Hauser Kelsie and Stephen Hennessey Dennis and Evelyn Huston Charles T. Jackson, RN Carroll Johnson Lauri and Basilio Kalpakian, MD Patricia and James Kasal April M. Kerylow Suzanne and Paul Krautmann, DDS Harry and Liz Lajoie, RN Cynthia J. Lamoureux Sara LaShay Angela LeFebvre Marcia Legru Sonya MacDonald Goodell Deborah Malila Susan and John McGinnis
“I have lived in Keene for the past 49 years and it has become the center of my universe. I find Keene to be the perfect blend of a strong community, great entertainment and exercise options, and excellent medical care. The entire staff of Cheshire Medical has touched my family’s lives in so many positive ways that I was inspired to help maintain that opportunity for the next generation by making Cheshire a beneficiary of my estate plan.”
Ashley McNamara Lisa Meier Sandra and Robert Miller Stephanie K. Miller Dale Moore Jean Murphy Meena and Addison Neva Michael and Beth Newbold Ann Newsmith Elizabeth Olmstead Lindsay and Erik Pattison, MD Michele and Richard Penna Mary and Bob Rooney Mircea Rusu, MD and Raluca Rusu, MD Paul and Mirna Saba Sara Sargent Beverly Schmidt Judy and Anton Schoolwerth, MD
Rose Sethi Jane and Gary Shapiro, MD Lynn and Arthur Simington, MD Linda B. Singer, MD and Greg W. Rothman, MD Winifred J. Skeates and John Kerrick Jane P. Skofield* Charles and Marcy B. Southgate Debra Stallings Elaine Sun Robert and Amy Sweet Ian Symons, MD Chris Tacy Wendy Tenney Raymond Thompson Nancy P. Thompson Deborah A. Titcomb Bayard Tracy
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Gratitude and Inspiration “I support Cheshire because caring for people is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I want our patients to know that we are going to do all that we can to make them feel better. Our staff really strives to be the best at all we do.” Sarah Commerford, RN Anthony and Barbara Tremblay Eugenia and Wilhelm Trinkl, MD Jason and Stephanie Vallee Robert and Constance Walsh David and Cynthia Westover Samantha and Stefan Wilhelm Richard and Sharon Wilson Mark Woods Philip Wyzik Sara Young Louise Zerba Anonymous (10)
Carmela Azzaro David and Fay Barden Deborah Barrett Ruth Barrett Gary and Susan Bascom Robert Bayer Earl Beaman Deanne and Paul Belanger Bruce and Elizabeth Beliveau Alyse and Paul Bettinger, MD James and Lauris Bissell Michael and Kathryn Blair Jon Blomquist Stone Arch Gail Bomba ($100–$249) Julie M. Boucher Lori and Robert Bourassa Michael A. Ahern Debra Bowie Janice and Louis Albano Alicia Bowman Charlotte Alexander Stephen B. Bragdon and Nathan Alexander, CPA Cheryl Belair Joan Ames Elizabeth and Brewster Ames, Jr. Irwin Brodsky Marie and Robert Broughton Marcia Armstrong Cynthia Brown Dorothy Arwe Paul and Shannon Aubin Keith Brown
Jack Calhoun and Beth Healy Kim Canfield Trina Carmody Valerie Caron Harriette H. Carter Lorraine and Gregory Chaffee Kari Chamberlain Mike and Kathy Chelstowski Elizabeth Chickering Elizabeth and Michael Christiansen John C. Clark and Judy Unger-Clark Ellen and Bruce Clement Bob Cochran, MD Ross and Carrie Cocklin, MD Martha and Maurice Collins Bob and Kathy Collinsworth Mary and Edward Comerford Joseph and Marina Coneeny June and William Congdon AnnMarie M. Coppo Jamila Coulter Susan and Michael Cox
38 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Jack and Nancy Crawford Deb and Larry Crowder Shirley and Wayne Crowell Lindsey Cushing, APRN Kenneth and Kathryn Dale Linda and Robert Davis Hilda L. de Moya Karen E. DeMinico Norman Descoteaux Caroline and Royal Desrosiers Nancy E. Dimauro Edward and Carolyn Dinnany Thomas Durnford Tammy Dwyer Shirley and Richard Elsesser Frederick and Else Ernst Caroline and Tom Ewing Jennifer Fabis Kathleen and Paul Fagley Donald and Paula Flemming Cornelius Flynn John and Carole Foley David and Robin Fournier Lucius and Rhonda Fowler Janet Fox Richard W. Freeman George and Jane Freund Kevin and Susan Frewert Alice and Mark Funk, MD Carol and George Gage Glenn Galloway, CPA Richard and Sue Gatley Martha W. Gilroy, APRN Christelle Gonzales Jane Goodband Susan Goodrich Nancy Graham Lynch Bruce Graves
Teresa Gray Wilma Gregory Ian Griffin-Bales Anita Hall Richard and Marian Hamilton Marianne and Doug Hamshaw Wayne Harper Victoria Hawkins Joanne Hayward Sharon Helie Melissa and Ken Herman Samuel T. Hicks III Donald and Jane Hienkle Judith Hildebrandt Leonard and Frances Himmelberg Carrie and Steve Hoffman, DMD Kate and John Hoffman, III Mark Horton, MD and Heather Lesage-Horton Jason D. Houston David and Susan Howell Barbara and Paul Hudgik Paula and William Hudon Stanley D. and Deborah Hutchings Cecille Ingalls Cynthia Isabelle Alouette Iselin Helen Jesse Karen Johnson-Brum Thomas Jordan Ruth and John Joslin Constance Joyce Marie Juhlin Karl and Roxanne Karter Risa and Douglas Keene, MD Frank and Dorothy Kelley
Kathleen Kennedy-Burke Deb and Ronnie Kilyanczik Joslin Kimball Frank Christopher King Sandra Kingsbury Anne and Eugene Klein, DDS Dennis and Patricia Koch Thomas and Linda Lacey Justin LaMontagne Elizabeth and Maurice Landry Loretta and Robert Lariviere Julien Larkin Liam Larkin Elizabeth LaRose Kim Lauer Marion Lefrancois Bob and Linda Lester Cindy and John Letendre Rory and Marlene Longe Ellen Loughney Cynthia H. MacMillin Louise G. Malcolm Peter and Sharon Mangan Sue and Jim Margraf, MD Robert and Susan Marshall Radek Masner, MD Wade and Katrina Masure, APRN Bella Maxfield Sylvia and Craig McBeth, DMD Greg and Susan McConahey Sarah McLeroy Deborah and Lewis McMahon Ellen and Allen Mendelson Laura Merrifield Diane and Mike Metell Herbert and Paula Miller Helen Miller Bruce and Beth Miller
* Deceased
John and Sally Miller James and Deborah Miller Faith Miller Kathy Morehouse Randall Morse Kathleen and John Moyer Nancy Mynard James Neilsen Susan and Jeffrey Newcomer, MD John H. Newman, MD Karen and James Nickerson, MD Richard and Angela Nicoletti Shirley Nordberg Dale O'Connor Dean and Katherine Ogelby David and Susan Olson Cheryl L. and Donald C. Osborne John Palkowski Margaret Palmer Norman Parkhurst, Sr. Ashley Perham Judith L. Perry Clifford Peters Holly and Bradley Piccirillo David Pittman Perley E. and Jane E. Plante Mary Pleasanton Tony Poole William Preston Ann E. Quirk and James P. Phippard Joseph Ragusa Edyth Raleigh Vicky and Andrew Riggio Louise Robbins Amoriel Robinson Carol and Ronald Roof Alison and Dennis Rossiter
* Deceased
Paul Roth Barbara and Lester Ryals Sherrie and Joseph Sabolevski Stephen C. Salamin and Abigail R. Mather Claire Schuerman and Gabrielle Schuerman, APRN Patti and Mike Schuman Joseph and Lorraine Scrivani Margaret Seaver Ruth Seidman Helen and Harry Shaw Carol A. Shelley Carl and Marjorie Shepardson Mary A. Sherwin Lucy Shonk Cynthia Sieracki Steven and Sharon Skinner Pamela Slack Terry and Denise Smith Anna and William Smith Deborah J. Snyder Katherine and William Stahl Christopher Stake William Starkey, Sr. David and Cynthia Stinson Patricia and James Strickland Arnold and Leannette Suokko Roger and Ann Sweet Christine Symonds Ann and Carl Szot, MD Matthew Tacy James and Catherine Talbert Scott and Gail Taylor Cameron Tease and Dixie Gurian Gloria Tenofsky Eustace and Carol Theodore Marc and Sharon Tieger
Mark Tigan Christopher and Lisa Tkal David Todd Elsie L. Tretler Karen Trosset Robert F. Parent and Patricia Trow Parent Eleanor Vander Haegen David and Nancy Vesco Justin Vincel Janice Walker Norma Walker Kate Wallace Rogers Ernest J. Walsh Pamela Walton William and Judy Waterston Anne and Richard Webb Peter and Suzanne Whittemore Helen Wilson Elaine Winzheim Rita Wirth Carolyn and David Wood, MD Norman and Barbara Woodward Donna and Ernest Wright John and Gail Wrigley Melissa Yuen Tricia Zahn William and Ruth Zimmerman Anonymous (53) Community (to $99) Zachary Adams Tim Ahern Kay Ahern Peggy Alexander William Allen Frances Allen
Marcia Allen Heather Atwell Leonice and Jean Auger Payson Ayer-Dufner, PA-C and Anaka Nunnink, APRN Bonita Bagley Mary L. Bakalar Robert Baldrian Robin Baldwin Yvonne and Michael Ball Michael Ball Carol and Gary Ballou Lin Banek Elisabeth Bartashevich Shirley Bartashevich James and Pamela Baucom Jill Beam Rodney Beauregard Chris Beauregard David and Judith Bell Charles Bell Lorraine Bellows Judith and Bruce Bellows Tamara Benaquist Nicola and Cheryl Bencivenga Carol and Richard Benda, MD Shirley Beteau Steven and Kathleen Bill Judy Black Fred Black Deb Blair Linda and Carl Blicker Zara Bode Kenneth A. and Elizabeth Borchers Margaret Bost Robert Bourassa Irene A. Boyea Michael A. Breen
Grace and William Brolin Margretta and Mark Bromley Karen Brook Ronnie Brown Sarah Brubaker Hara Buddhiraju Amarylis Buffum Marilyn Burday Stephanie Burns-Leary Richard and Jane Butler John and Catherine Byrnes Francis Caffrey Ellen and Thomas Cakouros Donna and Joseph Calabro Richard and Frances Cappucio Beverly and Fred Carey Dana and James Carley Randall Carmel Stuart R. Carswell Wanda Chabott Elaine Cheng Lillian and Michael Chirichella Robert N. Clark Jennifer Clark Kathleen L. and William W. Clark Deirdre Cohalan Laurel Colby Elizabeth Collinsworth Patricia Consigny Megan Cormier Sharon and Dale Courtney Joan and Roger Crooker Ingrid Crowley Sandra and Robert Cunningham Karen Cushing Nelia Daniels Denise and Salvatore D'Atri Mark Davis
Fatima Sol Davis Carole Davis Barbara and Carl DeMatteo, MD Jean and John Diemond Patricia Dille Kellie DiLoreto Jennifer L. DiNubila, DO Frank Dobisky Jeanne and Lawrence Donohoe Doris Donohue Gertrude Donovan Shanda Donovan Sarah Downing Sarah Dresser Margaret A. Driscoll Shirley Dunn Michelle Dunn Shirley Durham Cheryl and Richard Durkee III Matthew and Ellen Edson Judith A. Ehrich Joshua and Katheryne Emond Leslie Farmer Joel Feldmann Janice Fiandaca and Leo Rheaume Gina and Sheldon Fifield Diane Finnell Jill Fischman Susan F. Fitzgerald Jason Fletcher Margaret and Arthur Flick Betsy R. Follansbee Bonnie and Robert Forcier Darren Forrett Barry Fowler Gretchen Fowler K. Poggi Fox Anne Francisco
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Gratitude and Inspiration
Suzanne F. Nabi-Tremblay, MD and Andrew G. Tremblay, MD Family medicine
Deborah Francoeur Barbara and John Fraunfelder Jay and Dorothy Frazier Eileen Frigon Herbert and Kathy Frink Mary and Rufus Frost Catherine Frye Cathleen M. Gagnon L. Robert Galloway JoAn Galloway Jean and David Garrecht Carmella Gaskill Ross and Sherry Gauthier Joan Geary Dona Girvan Carol and Bernard Glabach John and Bonnie Glass Allison Gomarlo Odoardi Pamela Goodell
“We moved to Keene 20 years ago to become part of the growing Family Medicine Department at Cheshire Medical Center and ,for Andy, this was a return to his hometown. We believe wholeheartedly in being here for our community and our patients through all phases of life, in both wellness and in sickness. We also know that, in order to continue this care and ensure its growth for generations to come, it requires ongoing investment in people, services and technology today. It is because of these beliefs that we give to the Cheshire Health Foundation.”
Christine Gowen Martha and James Grant Lawrence Graves Zaiga Greenhalgh Jennifer Greenstone Linda Greenwood Michael Grumm Paula Gulo Marian Gunnell Elizabeth and Stanley Gunnerson Jacob and Henryka Haberman Ron Haenchen Eric Hale Nancy and Jim Hall Jackie Hamel Sandra Hamlin Rev. Robert and Sandra Hamm Robert Hamshaw Susan M. Hancock John C. Hanrahan
Rachel R. Hanson Robert and Nancy Harkins Colleen Harper Donald P. Hart Kimberly Hartgrove Diane and Moe Harty Wendell Harty Robert Hauser Karen and David Hazelton Ann Hebert Verde Hebert Ralph Herrmann Joseph Higgins Nancy and James Hillier Robert and Bette Holmes Phil Honigfeld Brenda L. Hope Deborah Hopla Ryan Hornblower
40 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
Herbert Howard Abrahm and Tisha Howe Jill Howe Terri Hudson Deborah Hudson Debra and Scott Hunter Stephen Ide Kate Ingram, APRN Leo J. Iozzo Michelle and Rob Jackson Kyle H. James, MD Cherryl Jensen David E. Jewett Paul Jimerson Pete Johnson Sandra and Kenneth Johnson Beatrice and Jeffrey Johnson Sarah Johnston Mary Jane Jones Katherine Jordan Rebecca Josey Karen Kay Charlene Keith Kerry Kelley Barry Kellom Molly M. Kelly and Arthur Luptowski Thomas Kenison Jeanne Kennedy Susan and Robert Kessler Allen Kiblin Kiran Kumar Killamsetty Jean Kilyanczik Carol E. King Sheila Kinnare Lisa A. Kinnare Kopcha, RN Anita and Marc Koolen Susan Kowalczyk Susan Krebs
Sally and Louis LaBarre Douglas and Pauline LaBree Suzanne M LaCroix Melissa Lake Barbara Lammela Richard Lammers Miriam and Larry Lanata Lyn and Elaine Landry Joseph R. Landry Phyllis and Howard C. Lane Margo Langlois Anna Larkin Ian LaRose Emma Le Patrick Leary Doris and Barry LeClair Jeannine Leclerc Marcia and Gary Levesque Charlotte Lewis Roy Lightfoot Jacqueline Lindberg William and Barbara Lindsey Aaron Lipsky John and Joan Little Robyn Loudin Cynthia E. Lovejoy Michael Lowe Evan Lowy, MD Joan and Malcolm Luz Meredith A. MacDonald Anne Macharia Leon Macie Kelly and Gary Mack Ann and Ray Mahoney Edward Maki Mary Malone Sue Mansfield Jennifer Marandino Scott Marquis
Sheila and Thomas Marron Roger and Judith Martin Millicent Martineau Carrie Mattson Meredith Matuszewski William and Joan Maxwell Lorraine McAvoy Kimberlee McTaggart Maureen Means Richard and Catherine Mecheski Paul Mecheski Eva Medvidofsky Yen Meek Alan H. Merrill, Jr. Sandra Metivier Ian Michaels Cynthia Michaels Carol Michaels Paul and Kathy Miller Larry and Mary Milliron Cynthia and William Moffitt Jen and Evan Moreau Stephanie Morgan Francis Moriarty The Morrison Family Betty A. Mullen Constance D. Murray* Diane Myers-Miller Steven Myre Chandra Kanth Neeli Susan and Leonard Nelson John Nesbitt, MD Sandra and James Newell Minh Sang Nguyen James and Melissa Nikiforakis Kathy Nikiforakis Louise Nolan Marjorie and Timothy Noonan
* Deceased
Thomas and Marianne O'Brien Bryant Oja Margaret and Phillip Olmstead Elizabeth D. Olmstead EJ Orkins Troy Palmer Judith Palmer Susan and Frederick Pasler Jennifer Patek, APRN Patricia Patnode Carol Patten Sandra Peace-Carey Paul and Celia Pearson Carolyn Peck Neil Pelsue, Jr. Hope and Robert Pettegrew Paul and Sharon Pezone Charles Phillips Kerry Pickering Barbara Pierce Sandra and Jim Pietrowski Norma and Adrian* Pinney Merope and Panos Pitsas Stanley and Lori Plifka Aimee Plotczyk Dennis Poirier Harry Pollock Neal and Grace Presa Jeanne and Mark Pride Katherine and Robert Pritchard, MD Irene and James Profetto Gary Puffer Joy and Karl Putnam Sandra and David Raabe Erika Radich and Leonard Fleischer Nancy Rafferty Wendy Rafford Lisa Ranauro Carol Dostilio Redfield
* Deceased
Joan Reilly Carla Richardson and Timothy Mowry Rachael Richardson Marilyn B. Richardson Frank and Barbara Richter Carol Riel Kin and Gary Rilling Sally Rinehart and Bertram H. Boyce Eli and Jen Rivera Donna S. Robbins Anne M. Robichaud Nellie and David Robinson Janet and Vincent Roche Marjorie Ann Rogers Philip Rogers and Sally Brooks Rachel and Mark Roper Cynthia and David Rose Michelle A. Rose Linda Rose Rosemarri and Hans Roth Jim and Sharon Rousmaniere, Jr. Cammie Royce Melissa Russell Frank and Marianne Sanders Derek Savory Leonard Scarborough Kathryn and Stephen Schnyer Chris and Randall Schon Angela Seaver Karen Sebastian Ernest and June Severance Daisy Mae Seymour Linda Shand James A. Shanks Marion and Paul Shapiro Daniel Shattuck Walt and Carolyn Shelley
Valerie Sherwood Elizabeth Shields Kimberly Shonbeck Paul Sica Karen Sielke Sierra Simmons Rebecca Simpson Roberta Sinclair Stella S. Sise Elizabeth Slack Norma Slanetz Mandi and Ed Slate Jean Slepian Ernestine K. Sloan Collin Smith Robert and Nancy Smith Penny Smith Keith B. Somers The Somerset Family Robert and Susan Spicher Wendy St. Louis Joan G. Stack Eleanor and James Stack Susan Stacy Julian Stanway Gloria and Michael Stewart Sally Stockwell Stillman Stone Patricia and Michael Stoudt Nat and Sharon Stout Melissa Sutherland Amanda Swain Joan Sylvester Deborah Syrjamaki Jennifer Tacy Sandra Tatham Rebecca Taylor Martha J. Tenney Michael and Nicolle Tenters
“My support began in 1987 when my husband had a heart attack. Although Jim has since passed, he had wonderful care here, and for that I am very grateful. I still receive excellent care here, always with a warm, personal touch. We’re really fortunate in this area to have Cheshire Medical Center so close by.”
Lori Thoin Wayne Thomas Mitchell and Cindy Thomashow Francis V. Thompson, Jr. Briana Thompson Marilee and Brian Tilton Gary and Susan Tochterman Max Tolle Karen and Robert Tortolani Kelly Townley Jean Travers Constance Tremblay Steven Tullar Kellen Twigs Sheila and Robert Twombly Susan Van Der Vorst Hanneke and Johannes Van Riel Ruth and Paul Venezia Alei Verdi
Linda Guinane, Donor
Courtney Vicaire Pam Viles Paul Vittum Shirleyjean Walker Nora Walter Kristen Walter Dana Wasserbauer Martha and Larry Waters Kevin and Heather Watterson Donna Watterson Rosemary F. Watton Elsa Waxman Marcia Werninger Sable Westover Paula Wheeler David and Lena Whipple Robert Whitaker Patricia Whitcomb Lydia White David and Angela White
William and Maureen Whitfield Nancy and Doug Whitney Kenneth Whittet, Jr. Mary Whittle Scott Wilbur Susan Wiles Frederick and Janet Wilkinson Lisa and James Wilkinson David L. Williams Susan A. Williams Craig and Susan Wilson Laura Wilson Clifford Wilson Jewel Wilson Dawna W. Woodhull Deborah Wright Sam Wyman Laura and Thomas Ylitalo Debra Zilske Anonymous (91)
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Gratitude and Inspiration “Without good health, we really have nothing. That’s why I would encourage people to make a donation to the Cheshire Health Foundation of whatever you can afford to promote health and well-being in our community.” Dan Chalifour, Eastern Architectural Representatives Gifts Made in Tribute and Memory Every year, individuals and businesses recognize, pay tribute to, and memorialize their family, friends, and co-workers with gifts to Cheshire Health Foundation. We are honored to be the beneficiary of so many meaningful sentiments. In Memory of June and Melvin Abell George Ares Alice Kingsbury Bakemeier William Ball Walt Banek Peter Barrett Warren D. Barrett Gary Beaman Roy C. Beatrice, Sr. Evelyn J. Bergeron Leon Beteau
Mary E. Bill, RN Robert B. Bohannon Paul Breckell Jeff Brooks Cheryl Burrows Evelyn F. Caffrey Rosemarie T. Carroll Frank Carter Tom Casey Bruce Chamberlin Karen Clay Russell Cook Bill Cotter John J. Cunningham Pauline Cyr Helen DiNubila John F. Donovan Sharon Eason James Boyer Ebert, Sr. Mark P. Fachada, DPM E. Paul (Ted) Fachada, MD Family Members Jack Feldman Catherine Fifield
Joseph and Edna Frigon Stanley and Lillian Glinka Arne Gonzales Cassidy Rose LeBlanc Goodsell Eric Wells Gough Linda Graves Robert L. Graves Jeanne Guillet Stanley Gunnerson Dexter Guyette Peggy Heyman Doris M. Hof Ma and Pop Hopla Dorothy Farrar Howard Doris M. Huntley Mary E. Ide and Dawn E. Ide Isabel Jessamyn Iselin Nancy Johnston Mary Anna Jones Eileen and Anthony Jordan Joanne F. Kaarto Vrinda Khole, MD Marie M. Kiblin
42 Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community
H. Thayer Kingsbury Pauline and Harry Krugman Jean Lake Barbara Langman Walter Lepinski & Family Marcy Leversee Carol K. Longley Lewis Major Annie May Harold May Sally May Karen L. Mays Harry E. Miller Robert Anderson Miller IV and Elizabeth Hotchkiss Miller Janice Miner Anthony Molesky Laurence P. Newell Walter G. Pearson Bob Pellerin Elizabeth Phillips Kitty Picotte Doug Pleasanton George B. Porter Vanessa D. Prigge George Rawlings Charles Reilly Vincent E. Riel Leland Robbins Walter C. Rose, Jr., MD Sister Vivian Saba Judith Sargent Phyllis C. Sawyer James L. Schumann George Scott Eugene A. Seaver Vincent and Priscilla Shea Elizabeth Shook Katherine Simon James Sise, MD
John David Sloan Barbara Stampalia Joan Starkey CYD Cheryl Sullivan Walter P. Sy, MD Jeanne Symonds Lena and Michael Tacti Charles Tatham III Ben Tatro Buck and Joan Taylor Gail Thomas Hattie Todd Leda Twiss Abe Visser Todd Walier Barbara B. and Earl C. White Sarah L. White John P. Whittle Jean and Leslie Williams Charles Winzheim David B. Witherell John Zilske In Honor of All the dedicated Cheshire Medical Center staff All healthcare workers Jude Al Riz Joe and Stephanie Baute Craig Carey Cheshire Medical Center volunteers Robert Cochran, MD Cooper Cushing-Lizotte Joan Donegan Bob Englund Wayne A. Fowler Eric Goodman, APRN Nancy and Roger Hansen, MD Darlene Hill
Alison Kapadia, MD Lisa Kopcha, BSN, RN Steven Larmon, MD Whitney Lawton-Linnenbringer Pat Leary Heather Lesage-Horton Donald Mazanowski, MD Ian Michaels Stephanie K. Miller, CMA People who listen Lisa A. Profetto, APRN Ray Record Kathryn Scoville, APRN Linda Singer, MD Otto W. Trinkl, MD John Walter, MD Dawn Welshman Iris N. Wright Corporate and Foundation Giving Alexander's Sheet Metal, Inc. American House Keene Ask Amy, LLC Baudelaire, Inc. Bergeron Construction Company, Inc. Borns Group Brady Sullivan Properties, LLC C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. Cheshire County Literacy Coalition Clark-Mortenson Insurance CMG Financial Connecticut Sleep Lab Crown Uniform and Linen Service DEW Construction DiLuzio Ambulance Service Eastern Architectural Representatives Edward Jones - Keene Branch
Edward Jones - Walpole Branch Everett E. Houghton Co, Inc. Fenton Family Dealerships FirstLight Frazier & Son Furniture FujiFilm Medical Systems Geiger Gomarlo's Inc. Hamblet Electric Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England Health Plans, Inc. Hillside Village Keene Hogancamp, PC Hutter Construction Corporation IBM Corporation Ingram Construction Corp. Johnson & Johnson Kapiloff Insurance Agency, Inc. Keene Center Genesis Healthcare Keene Elm City Rotary Club Keene Emblem Club #24 Keene Lodge B.P.O.E. 927 Keene Rotary Club Keene State College Kurtz Family Foundation Lamprey Health Care, Inc. Lavallee Brensinger Architects Life Safety Fire Protection, Inc Limerick Charitable Trust Main Street America Group Mascoma Bank Monadnock Community Hospital Monadnock Rugby Football Club Monadnock United Way Nelson Congregational Church NG Advantage, LLC
Northeast Delta Dental Norton and Abert PA Order of the Eastern Star - PortianHenocon-Astoria #14 Orthocare Medical Equipment, LLC Pepsi Beverages Company Putnam Foundation RE/MAX Town & Country Red River Computers RiverMead Savings Bank of Walpole Senior Swingers - Keene Senior Center Service Credit Union - Keene Branch Stanley Elevator Sterling National Bank Charitable Foundation SymQuest Group Inc. The Melanson Company, Inc. Transamerica Retirement Solutions United Church of Christ UnitedHealth Group Vanguard Charitable VFW Post 799/Men's and Women's Auxiliaries
Non-profit hospitals like Cheshire Medical Center rely on local support to keep pace with the growing needs of the communities we serve. Your donations fund key investments in state-of-the-art technologies, health and wellness programs, educational opportunities, and patient financial assistance, ensuring exceptional care for you and your loved ones close to home.
Thank you! Learn more about how you can support our non-profit medical center at cheshirehealthfoundation.org/give.
580 Court Street, Keene, NH 03431
A year of hope, strength, and Cheshire Medical Center 2020–2021 Report to the Community