President and CEO Don Caruso, MD, MPH, and Cheshire Medical Center, a member of Dartmouth Health, were named as finalists for the American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award. The award recognizes small or rural hospital leaders who guide their hospital and community through change and innovation. Other finalists include Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Oregon, for leading their rural hospitals through change and innovation. Top honors went to Bolivar General Hospital and CEO Ruby Kirby, RN, in Bolivar, Tenn.
Under Caruso's leadership, the hospital launched The Doorway at Cheshire Medical Center to facilitate treatment and make referrals for substance use disorder. Improving access to care included expansion of the Behavioral Health Consult Team in primary care, leading a new partnership among behavioral health treatment providers in the community to reduce barriers to mental healthcare, and integrating hospital and local public health efforts to prevent drug overdose deaths.
"I am honored AHA selected Cheshire as a finalist and extremely proud of the incredible work we've accomplished with The Doorway to improve access to both mental healthcare and services for people with substance use disorders," said Caruso. "The Doorway program has expanded treatment services resulting in a significant reduction in overdose deaths in the Monadnock Region."
Cheshire Medical Center is a non-profit rural community hospital serving more than 75,000 patients in southwestern New Hampshire and the only designated Medicare Dependent Hospital in the state. For over three decades, Caruso has dedicated himself to the care and well-being of Cheshire's staff, patients, and the greater Monadnock Region's community. During his tenure, Caruso has served in various roles at Cheshire, including chair of Family Medicine, associate medical director, then chief medical officer, and president and CEO for the past seven years. He will be retiring in May 2023.
"Under Dr. Caruso's leadership, Cheshire Medical Center has grown into a critically important hub for healthcare in a largely rural area of New Hampshire," said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and president of Dartmouth Health. "The Rural Hospital Leadership Team finalists and award winner were chosen for their outstanding leadership, responsiveness to their community's health needs and a collaborative process that has led to measurable outcomes. Don and his team at Cheshire have done just that - demonstrated a commitment to our system-wide exceptional, high-qualty care for patients and the community."
To contact The Doorway, call 211 anytime or visit 24 Railroad Street in Keene, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. For more information about The Doorway at Cheshire Medical Center, visit The Doorway web page.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.