[mcdude]

From the Baysider

December 10, 2014
ALTON — Huggins Hospital, the leading provider of hospital and medical services in New Hampshire's Eastern Lakes Region, began an exciting new chapter in its history of net- worked, accessible and community-based health services with the Nov. 18 groundbreaking for the new home of Alton Family Medicine (AFM), an affiliated practice group offering a full range of primary, secondary and specialized medical care to residents of Alton and surrounding communities in the region.

Development of the new AFM facilities is the most recent initiative in a long-range, strategic development plan that was highlighted in 2010 by the opening of the hospital's new Wolfeboro facilities, as well as a similar, facilities-improvement project in 2007 for Tamworth Family Medicine, another hospital-affiliated practice group serving the town of Tamworth and its adjacent communities.

Speaking at the AFM groundbreaking ceremony, Timothy Sullivan, chairman of the Huggins Board of Trustees, underscored the hospital's mission, history and traditions and its "commitment to providing healthcare of the highest quality to New Hampshire's Eastern Lakes Region."

"We are integral to the fabric of many communities in this part of our state, and we feel privileged to be their principal and preferred provider of hospital and medical services," Sullivan noted. In his comments, Sullivan placed particular emphasis on "the dedication of the entire Huggins family to making high-quality care fully accessible to individuals and families in every corner of our service area."

As a community-based medical practice group, Alton Family Medicine is a critical part of the Huggins Hospital network of eight provider groups offering primary, secondary and specialty healthcare to communities in the hospital's service area. As with all of them, the AFM group's mission is to make excellent medical care and health services fully accessible to families and individuals in Alton and the other communities AFM serves.

In his comments at the groundbreaking event, Huggins President and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Connelly said that the hospital is "committed to good health and good healthcare for all the communities we serve."

"We hope that you see this facilities- development project for Alton Family Medicine as evidence of the Huggins commitment to the Alton community for the long run," Connelly added. "We are very excited about all of the benefits that this new facility will bring to Alton Family Medicine and the patients it serves."

Connelly expressed confidence that the hospital and the Alton area communities could "look forward to a long, healthy and prosperous relationship."

Led by Dr. Donald B. Rose, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Judy Cole and Certified Physician Assistant Rebecca Rose, the AFM providers and support staff are committed to a high standard of responsive and compassionate care for their patients. They bring impressive, professional skills, expertise and experience to the entire spectrum of family medicine – from annual physicals, childhood illnesses, immunizations, disease management and sleep disorders, to medical counseling, fitness and weight-loss management, pregnancy testing, preventative care and treatment of depression/anxiety and minor injuries. In addition, AFM is equipped to provide on-site laboratory services and medical imaging, while the nearby facilities of Huggins Hospital provide the best in acute-care capacity when needed.

Speaking at the groundbreaking event and noting that, "a building is never more important than the team of professionals working inside it," Huggins Vice President for Physician and Ancillary Services Barbara Quealy said, "This group of health-care professionals shares a firm commitment to and a passion for quality healthcare. I am proud of each and every one of them." Quealy emphasized that the new AFM facility is evidence of the Huggins commitment to the wellbeing of the Alton area and "will strengthen our partnership with those communities in providing a full range of quality healthcare for all." Later echoing the hospital's service tagline for its community practice groups, Quealy asked, "Why travel far to see your primary-care provider? We're here in your backyard."

With the construction and opening of its beautiful, new facility in Alton, the group begins a new chapter in its history of high-quality and patient-focused health care for its communities.

The new AFM home has been designed as a warm and comfortable setting for the delivery of efficient, personalized and effective healthcare services. In addition to the larger, state-of-the- art building, the new location includes expanded vehicle parking and easy access from any travel direction.

The new facility will replace AFM's current facility at 82 Main St., Alton, a Victorian-period home that no longer can meet the needs of a modern healthcare practice or continue to accommodate continually evolving municipal construction codes. From a financial standpoint, it made more sense for Huggins to invest in a brand-new, specially designed facility, rather than continue to budget for the increasing repair and maintenance demands of the existing building. The goal is to provide a replacement structure that allows productive and efficient use of space, while supporting the technical and patient-comfort needs of a thriving medical practice.

The new facility's location, just off the Alton traffic circle, at the intersection of Routes 11 and 28, will provide easy access for Alton and surrounding communities, as well as a rapid route to the emergency and acute services provided at Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro. The new AFM facility will feature 5,500 square feet of usable space on one story, with on-site laboratory and medical imaging services, as well as ample, on-site vehicle parking.

The increased space in a new facility will allow for the addition of a physician and the expansion of Alton Family Medicine's professional provider staff from three to four, thereby improving the accessibility, range and efficiency of quality care for local residents.

Huggins President Connelly described the new AFM facilities as "state-of-the-art and designed specifically to be conducive to good patient flow and allow for more people to be served and to access quality medical care."

"This will be a beautifully modern structure with many technologically sophisticated features," he added, "and it will make use of a variety of other leading-edge building techniques." While it will not be "green-certified," Connelly pointed out that the building will incorporate low-energy lighting and environmentally friendly siding, as well as a variety of other sustainable material components.

The estimated cost of the new structure is just over $1.5 million, including usual additional costs such as architectural design, engineering and furnishings. All permitting and approvals from the Alton Planning Board have been secured. Construction is underway, with completion of the new facility anticipated in the spring of 2015.

Stressing that Huggins Hospital views its commitment to accessible, high-quality, community-based care as "one of the key building blocks of its mission," Connelly said that "the hospital's leadership views the investment in new facilities for AFM as an essential component of that commitment." He also noted that, once opened, the new, expanded facilities will allow the AFM practice group to grow and to serve an even larger population with an even wider range of primary, secondary and specialty care. "That's why we're here," Connelly added.

AFM's new home was designed by Stewart Associates Architects of Laconia, with project engineering services provided by White Mountain Survey and Engineering, Inc., Ossipee, and construction management by NCM Management, Inc. of Laconia.

In addition to AFM, the Huggins network of community-based providers of primary and secondary care includes: Internal Medicine Associates of Wolfeboro; Moultonborough Family Medicine; Ossipee Family Medicine; Tamworth Family Medicine; Wakefield Family Care; Wolfeboro Family Medicine; and Wolfeboro Pediatrics.

Established in 1907, Huggins Hospital has led the way in community healthcare by growing, moving and evolving in response to changes in healthcare technology and delivery and the needs of the community in New Hampshire's Eastern Lakes Region. Today, Huggins is a vibrant, 25-bed hospital with state-of-the-art facilities and medical capabilities, providing quality healthcare and promoting public wellbeing in the communities it serves. The hospital partners with those communities in the Eastern Lakes Region to provide a wide range of high-quality services, as well as prevention and wellness programs. Huggins Hospital takes great pride in its mission and traditions of meeting and exceeding the expectations of those it serves.

A nonprofit, community-based hospital and healthcare institution, Huggins endeavors to offer the best of two worlds – the warmth and friendliness of a small town and the technical, but "high-touch," expertise of a major medical center.

Huggins Hospital is located in Wolfeboro and is the leading provider of primary, secondary and specialty healthcare services in the region. The hospital provides medical services to the area's year-round population of 30,000 residents and the approximately 120,000 seasonal residents and visitors who come from all over the world to enjoy the state's Lakes Region and the communities of Alton, Brookfield, Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Moultonborough, New Durham, Ossipee, Sanbornville, Sandwich, Tamworth, Tuftonboro, Wakefield and Wolfeboro.