Celebrating the heartbeat of our communities: New Hampshire’s hospitals

In New Hampshire, hospitals are more than just health care providers — they are vital economic engines and dedicated employers. Hospitals are the backbone of health and the economy.

In a small state like New Hampshire, with 31 hospitals offering patients health, healing and hope 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, the connections are tight and the collaboration strong. Our hospitals are not just care providers; they are community anchors. They are often one of the biggest employers, a place where future health care workers get trained, and the first source of help during a public health emergency. When someone has a serious asthma attack in the middle of the night, when a car accident happens on a busy road, or when a loved one faces unexpected complications during childbirth, it’s the dedicated staff at our local hospitals who answer the call. They do so not just with clinical expertise but with empathy, compassion and a sense of responsibility.

This year’s National Hospital Week theme, “We Are Healthcare,” couldn’t have been more appropriate. Hospitals are not just buildings filled with equipment. The true strength of hospitals is the people within their four walls and in the communities — the nurses who go the extra mile, the doctors and administrators who go above and beyond juggling the many pressures of modern health care, the environmental services staff making every inch of the hospital clean and the supply chain employees who ensure hospitals have the materials they need to run smoothly and efficiently to provide top-notch patient care. It’s all about working as a team to give patients the best care possible. It’s strength in unity.

And let’s not forget: Our hospitals have faced many challenges in recent years. From the pandemic to staffing shortages to rising costs, the challenges have been relentless. Yet, our local hospitals have adapted, innovated and never wavered in their commitment to care. In Fiscal Year 2022 alone, New Hampshire hospitals and health systems invested more than $668 million in their communities in total community benefits. In FY 2023, the total number of direct and indirect jobs created in NH was nearly 86,000 with salaries and benefits totaling $8.5 billion. For all this and more, hospitals and their dedicated staff deserve not only our recognition but our support.

Let’s continue to commit to supporting policies that strengthen rural and community hospitals. Let’s speak up for fair reimbursements, adequate staffing and equitable access to care. And let’s make sure all healthcare employees know we see them and appreciate them.

By supporting our hospitals, we’re not just investing in health; we’re investing in each other, now and into the future.

Steve Ahnen is president of the NH Hospital Association, which provides leadership through advocacy, education and information in support of its member hospitals and health care delivery systems, as they strive to improve the health of the patients and communities they serve.