Dear Colleagues,
Our frontline staff is working tirelessly to care for the growing number of COVID-19 patients flooding our health system. Meanwhile, countless others have made the switch to remote work in order to help flatten the curve while still keeping our operations up and running. Theirs might be “seen as behind the scenes” work. I wanted to reach out today to keep you posted on some of the other “behind the scenes” work on which SolutionHealth leaders are focused during this unprecedented time.
For weeks now, we’ve engaged in helping the state shape its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our President and CEO, Sherry Hausmann, and our Executive Vice President and Elliot Health System President, Dr. Greg Baxter, lend their expertise to the Department of Health and Human Services and our Governor. Our leaders also work collaboratively with local and state public health departments to ensure beds will be available for the sick and resources will be available to our frontline staff across the state, throughout this crisis.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the National Guard have stepped in to develop surge capacity at Southern New Hampshire University and at Nashua South High School. Both Scott Cote, Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management at SNHMC, and Kevin Healey, Emergency Management Officer for the Elliot Health System, have played critical roles in coordinating these activities with state and city officials in Nashua and Manchester respectively.
Our leaders have also had conversations with our key elected officials, including Congressman Pappas, Congresswoman Kuster, Senate President Soucy and Governor Sununu. We have briefed them on our needs for personal protective equipment (PPE), additional COVID-19 testing materials and ventilators, and our concerns around protecting our clinicians and staff in the event that standards of care are required to be changed in the face of a COVID-19 surge in New Hampshire.
Going forward, much of our conversations with the state will center on the question of funding that might be available to support our health system. While clearly the right thing to do, stopping all elective activity has had significant financial impacts on our finances, and the state has both federal and state resources which can help us create a bridge to the future.
In the coming days, you will put your lives on the line to care for our patients and each other. Please know that your SolutionHealth leadership is behind you, advocating for the resources you need.
Stephen Norton
Chief Strategy Officer
SolutionHealth
