Complimentary

I remember Will Torrey as a resident in the 1980's and haven't seen so much of him since then, as he has been primarily at Dartmouth and The Hitch. I liked him then and am very glad he has risen through the ranks over the years and came back to us in two difficult times: when we lost half of our medical staff three years ago because of a contract dispute with DHMC, and now just before all the C19 crisis came into play. Another person I like very much is coming in at the new Medical Director, but at the moment Will is still on the hot seat.  (As a humorous side note, at this year's Yankee Swap at a hospital Christmas party, it was Will who chose the spicy salmon that my son in Nome catches and puts up to give all of us every year.  He worked as a bartender in Ketchikan in the early 80s and used to get tipped in salmon.  He was thrilled. That's the kind of psychiatrist you want, my friend.)

He wrote this complimentary letter about us to the local paper.  It's exactly what a leader should do for morale in hard times. Of course most of it is automatic acknowledgement of all the big little people who make things go.  Yet you would be surprised how many people in leadership can't be bothered to do the polite thing.  Or maybe you wouldn't be amazed.

No one asks to develop a psychiatric illness such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia – conditions that can be made worse by the social isolation, health anxiety and economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. These illnesses are painful, frightening and confusing. They are also common and very treatable. People who become ill need a health system that takes them seriously by offering them timely, outstanding care.

New Hampshire Hospital provides the quality of care that any of us would want for ourselves, or a loved one, should we need state hospital level of service. NHH is our state’s psychiatric intensive care unit. Like a medical or surgical ICU, the hospital is prepared to meet the intense needs of the patients who enter its doors. Teams of dedicated expert nurses, social workers, psychologists, mental health workers, rehabilitation specialists, and general medical and psychiatric care providers offer thoughtful, respectful and coordinated care. The state of New Hampshire runs the hospital and, for more than 30 years, contracts with the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine for the psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, general medical doctors, and clinical leadership. This state-academic partnership provides excellent care and trains much of the mental health workforce that serves New Hampshire.

One of Commissioner Lori Shibinette’s first official acts when she took over leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services this year was to appoint a strong new CEO for NHH, Heather Moquin, who has gathered a remarkably capable senior leadership team. Who would have known that very shortly after her appointment, Moquin’s group would urgently need to prepare for the arrival of COVID-19? Her team jumped into action to get the technology in place, sort out workforce requirements and think through the many contingencies. Not surprisingly, the planning showed that licensed professionals play an essential role in psychiatric and general medical care during this pandemic. But what also became obvious was that the hospital could not face the challenge without environmental services keeping patients and staff safe through effective cleaning, supply chain professionals obtaining needed protective gear, and experts applying their knowledge in pharmacy, communications, technology, operations, training and many other areas.

The preparation has been intense. Despite each individual’s complicated life circumstance and understandable fear of illness, the state and Dartmouth-Hitchcock employees have stepped up by turning up, contributing ideas and staying focused on the mission – taking great care of the patients.

I trained at NHH as a resident in the 1980s and have the honor of serving as the hospital’s interim chief medical officer at this challenging moment. In this role, I have a front-row seat to witness the quality of the people who work at NHH and the outstanding service they provide. I am deeply impressed. The citizens of New Hampshire are extremely fortunate to have this resource at all times and especially at this crisis moment.

(Dr. William C. Torrey is the vice chair for clinical services in the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.)