Hospital Medicine and Inpatient Care

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If you, or a loved one, need a hospital stay for an illness or procedure, you can expect superb care at Cheshire Medical Center. Our inpatient teams specialize in comprehensive, complex care for hospitalized patients of all ages. We are committed to delivering excellent, compassionate care in a safe, well-run environment.

For patients and families, a hospital visit is often a stressful experience. We evaluate every facet of that experience regularly to gauge our progress and identify areas for improvement. We strive to design and use evidence-based approaches that improve the quality of care for every patient.

Available 24-7

Cheshire’s hospital staff are onsite and available in our inpatient units 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are also available to administer treatments, interpret test results, or approve a person for discharge. This continual presence allows teams to respond quicker and evaluate patients faster.

Collaboration for the best care

We put Cheshire's membership in the Dartmouth Health system to work for you. Patients who need complex care may also receive real-time treatment from specialists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). We use telemedicine video conferencing to share vital signs and all the information DHMC specialists need to join our team. That means a patient can stay here in Keene, yet receive a higher level of complex care, if needed.

Patients with severe cases sometimes need transportation to DHMC via helicopter to receive the highest level of care. The Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) is always standing by so our patients have access to the right care at the right time.

In the same way DHMC supports Cheshire’s inpatient teams, we support other Dartmouth Health locations. We recently expanded our services to become a Regional Referral Center for smaller hospitals in New England. ICU and other patients are referred to our medical center for a higher level of care than critical access hospitals offer.

Discharge

When a patient is ready for discharge, we coordinate the care plan with the primary care team or specialist. Cheshire's primary care patients have Care Coordinators and Collaborative Care Nurses on their team. These professionals make sure the transition goes well and patients have everything they need to follow their plan of care at home.

Your team of experts

Patients stay in specific units depending on the care they need. Each unit's team includes a diverse staff of medical professionals. Here are some examples of what our team members do:

• Hospitalists are providers (physicians and APRNs) who plan patients' care.
• Specialized nurses provide 24-7 care and monitoring.
• Respiratory therapists help with breathing problems.
• Physical and occupational therapists help patients improve strength and flexibility.
• Dietitians give advice about special eating concerns and nutrition.
• Wound care specialists treat complex or chronic wounds.
• Social workers and case managers help the family with financial concerns, resources, and insurance.
• Clergy, such as a priest, minister, or rabbi, offer spiritual support to patients and family.
• Other support staff assist with tasks, such as drawing blood, moving patients, and serving meals.

Contacting inpatients

To talk to a hospitalized patient at Cheshire Medical Center, call 603-354-5400. If the patient has given consent to receive calls, our operators can connect you to their room.

Visiting in-person: Please review our current visiting policy.

Other ways you can connect with patients:

• Call or video chat on their personal phone
• Make a staff-assisted Virtual Visit. Contact the patient's health care team to arrange a Virtual Visit.
• Send mail to this address:
  
  Patient's Full Name
  Cheshire Medical Center
  580 Court Street
  Keene, NH 03431