EXETER — Exeter Hospital announced Wednesday it has established a call center to address patients’ needs following its recent decision to terminate several healthcare services.
Deb Cresta, president of Exeter Hospital, stated the call center will provide patients affected by the cuts with services such as scheduling, provider options and transitioning steps for “continuous access to high-quality services.”
“We recognize that additional time in planning for the transition of several programs would allow us to work collaboratively with provider groups, our patients and state officials to assure that patients maintain continuous access to high-quality services,” she said. “Over the next several months, we will work with individual patients to address their unique health needs – recognizing that there are a mix of both one-time and long-term care services provided by these programs.”
Exeter Hospital announced in August it was eliminating its Core Neurology, Core Podiatry, Core Pediatric Dentistry, and Core Allergy and Immunology services. In September, the hospital also announced plans to terminate its advanced life support (ALS) paramedic intercept service. The service provides highly-trained paramedics to assist neighboring communities when critical care is needed.
The New Hampshire attorney general announced an agreement with Exeter Health Resources on Sept. 25 to pause the hospital’s proposed reductions as the AG investigates whether the cutbacks comply with the terms of Exeter Health Resources’ 2023 merger agreement with Beth Israel Lahey Health of Massachusetts. Exeter Hospital agreed to keep the services operational until March 2025.
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As part of the six-month pause, Exeter Hospital agreed to develop a detailed transition plan for each of the healthcare services impacted to ensure there is no lapse in patient care, according to the New Hampshire attorney general’s office.
While ALS, Core Neurology, Core Podiatry, Core Pediatric Dental services are still available, Core Allergy and Immunology officially closed on Sept. 27.
Cresta stated affected patients are encouraged to call the center at 603-580-7541 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to connect with a member of the hospital’s team for assistance. Additionally, she stated patients with long-term care are being directly contacted to discuss options for continuing care.
“As the leading provider of health care programs in the Seacoast region, we are deeply committed to both meeting community health needs and assuring that our operations are sustainable in the long term,” said Cresta.
Exeter Hospital previously stated the proposed reductions were made due to “dramatically rising costs, changing patient care trends, and a challenging reimbursement environment.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter Hospital takes steps to support patients impacted by cuts
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