Colebrook's Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital—the smallest hospital in the state and a federally designated critical access hospital—is one of 12 members of the New England Alliance for Health.  Located at the northern tip of Coos County, the 16 bed facility is a not for profit hospital that is confident in its mission to improve the health status of the community it serves through the provision of high quality services.

What is a Critical Access Hospital?

A small, generally geographically remote facility that provides outpatient and inpatient hospital services to people in rural areas. The designation was established by law, for special payments under the Medicare program. To be designated as a CAH, a hospital must be located in a rural area, provide 24-hour emergency services; have an average length-of-stay for its patients of 96 hours or less; be located more than 35 miles (or more than 15 miles in areas with mountainous terrain) from the nearest hospital or be designated by its State as a "necessary provider". Hospitals may have no more than 25 beds.  

UCVH was the first hospital in the State of NH to receive the designation of Critical Access Hospital and has been joined by 12 other facilities over the course of time.

The name Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital refers to the headwaters of the Connecticut River that is part of the 850 square-mile service area of the hospital, which includes 20 towns and 8,500 people in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  For more about Colebrook, check this link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colebrook,_New_Hampshire

 

 

 

 

Services Provided at UCVH . . .We provide an 

array of services, including Inpatient Acute & SNF care, 

Outpatient Diagnostic Services, 

24-hour Emergency Department, Surgical & Specialty Services, and Ambulatory Nursing Services including Chemotherapy.  See the associated link for specific information on each service.

 

 

 

Many Count on Us . . .

The hospital is extensively involved in community outreach efforts in health education and disease prevention.  We run the School Health Program, provide health screenings, and maintain active partnerships with collaborating organizations.  We organize a yearly school back pack drive; sponsor several families and the elderly at Christmas; and participate in food drives and the community dinners at the Methodist Church.

Connections . . .
We know we are stronger & serve our patients better when we have system connections like we do with DHMC

•         CREST (Center for Rural Emergency Services and Trauma)

•         STEMI Program (Acronym for a Heart Attack)

•         Oncology

DJ Lee, OCN, works at both UCVH and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  Since joining their staff and developing relationships with Dartmouth Oncologists, the number of chemotherapy visits returning to UCVH  has increased 1 ½ times.  (28 in 2008, 39 in 2009, and 42 in 2010).  These numbers do not include the other supportive therapies associated with chemotherapy infusions.

Sharing with others results in “Wins” . . .
Our own Dr. Kiernan covers at Weeks to help them with call, generally during the last week of the month.  

 

Sharing with Weeks Medical Center . . .

•         Lisa Gagne, MD-Pathology    
•         John Howell, MD-Radiology

                                                    
 

Sharing with AVH to Improve Medical Care in Coos County . . .