
On June 3rd, Colin McHugh, president and CEO of Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH), addressed the Rotary Club of Nashua regarding, the state of Southern NH Health in Greater Nashua. Colin is a NH native, who grew up in Manchester. He worked at Catholic Medical Center, then Portland, Maine, at various healthcare facilities and then moved back Nashua in 2019 to become the CEO of SNH Health. SNH Health now has a very strong Executive Board of Directors which has helped their recovery from a few difficult years.
SNH Health has seventeen different locations in Greater Nashua. It offers the only neurosurgery Trauma center, primary stroke center. SNH Health has been in Nashua since 1891. It began as Nashua Memorial. Tom Wilhelmsen, a former Rotarian was it’s CEO for many years until he retired in 2016. Since Tom retired, there have been 6 different CEO’s.
Colin entered just as COVID hit and the hospital was trying to convert to one type of electronic medical records from 5 types that were in play at the time. They had many leadership changes. Finally they created a new leadership team and practices. They have been making steady progress since.
From fiscal year 2021-23, they lost multimillions per year as did many healthcare facilities. They sought outside consulting on developing and revising systems and established monthly reviews. Revised scheduling has provided increased access for providers. They are hoping for a year finishing in the black this year. Workforce has been stabilized.
Here are some recent improvements in the Southern NH – neuro surgery unit, bariatric unit, psychiatric community related services that are loss leaders are supported by those programs that are profitable.
Q and A – followed
Q - What is being done about delay in insurances not reimbursing hospitals on a timely fashion. A – Medicare is easier to collect, Medicaid is okay but smaller reimbursement.
Q – How is housing shortage effecting employee retention/attraction. A – Challenge is real and being studied.
Q - Is ER room a money maker? A – very expensive, high-cost area, but eventually generates funds from what is found in ER and needs treatment elsewhere.