By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
COLEBROOK – North Country residents are voicing concerns to their elected leaders about a North Country Healthcare decision to outsource financial functions of the three hospitals and home health and hospice unit, and possible layoffs under its umbrella.
Some Coos County folks took to social media concerned that the functions will be outsourced to Hartzler Healthcare, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is owned by Matt Hartzler, North Country Healthcare’s interim vice president of revenue cycle.
James A. Patry, vice president for marketing and community relations for North Country Healthcare, tried to tamp down that concern, saying that Matt Hartzler had no involvement in the decision granting his company the business.
Patry said Hartzler Healthcare was one of a number of entities that were vetted. He said he wasn’t sure how many other companies or which ones were looked at.
When reached by phone Monday, Matt Hartzler referred all questions to Patry.
This could impact patients in the North Country who access Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, Weeks Memorial Hospital in Lancaster, Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin and North Country Home Health and Hospice, which serves more than 50 communities in Grafton and Coos County, which are all part of the nonprofit affiliation.
Patry also said it hasn’t been determined how many layoffs there would be, but on social media, people were estimating anywhere from 30 to 200. He said some people would be retained and offered different jobs, some going to new positions as well as leaving.
They are non patient-facing roles, in health information management, patient financial services and patient success.
When asked if this move could be a first step in selling NCH, he said he hasn’t heard any rumors to that effect or desire on the part of either buyers or seller.
Rebecca More, whose family helped build Weeks Hospital in the 1940s and who is a former board member, wasn’t comforted by the fact that Matt Hartzler had no role in his company being chosen.
She said there are many other questions that need to be answered as well including one doctor who was let go without explanation who treated 1,100 patients, bloated salaries to administrators and not hiring more doctors.
“People aren’t told who they’ll be seeing,” More said. Rather people are assigned a doctor, she said. It doesn’t matter if they are in their 80s or cancer patients, she said, adding there is no oversight of healthcare.
Executive Councilor for the most of that region, Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, said he is hearing from many concerned constituents.
On Monday morning, he said: “I have to let the dust settle” to understand the impacts and stressed that the North Country needs to maintain its emergency rooms which are “an absolute concern.”
He said he is expecting more answers to his questions in the coming hours and days.
State Rep. Lori Korzen, R-Berlin, wrote on Facebook that she had heard that as many as 180 could be laid off.
On Monday, Korzen she has heard from many constituents who are losing their jobs and they are “scared.” She said they have asked her not to use their names for fear of retribution, fearing they will be immediately terminated for speaking publicly.
She said state Sen. David Rochefort, R-Littleton, is also hearing from people and the non-profit which was nationally recognized this May as among the top 150 health care centers to work for in the country according to Becker’s Hospital Review. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/150-top-places-to-work-in-healthcare-2025/.
Rochefort said he believes it will be more like 30 people laid off. He also told InDepthNH.org he is planning to discuss the situation with the Attorney General.