New Hampshire and Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock reached a settlement that includes a staffing review of Concord-based New Hampshire Hospital, according to a New Hampshire Union Leader report.
The settlement comes months after Dartmouth-Hitchcock blamed the state for alleged staffing problems at the psychiatric hospital. With the settlement, D-H and the state resolve previous claims that D-H understaffed NHH and therefore failed to comply with its contract, according to the report. D-H argued against those claims.
Per the settlement terms, a staffing review will be funded through a no-bid $85,000 contract with Joint Commission Resources and cover the time period of Nov. 1, 2016, to the end of last April, according to the report. D-H will also provide the state with a $75,000 credit, "which releases both parties from any legal claims in connection with the previous argument of compliance," the report states. Neither party admitted wrongdoing or liability.
Jeffrey Meyers, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services, told New Hampshire Union Leader D-H will fund the staffing review, which is due in approximately 120 days. The settlement states the review will be "used solely and exclusively for the state's internal purposes related to improving patient safety and quality, and is confidential and privileged," according to the report.
The following comments, which D-H provided to Becker's Hospital Review, were made in the settlement regarding the state and D'H's collaboration moving forward.
"Both the state and Dartmouth-Hitchcock are committed to providing the best possible care for our family members, friends, and neighbors suffering from mental illness and requiring treatment at New Hampshire Hospital. As the state seeks to address the crisis caused by a shortage of acute care beds and community resources, both I and the governor are grateful that Dartmouth-Hitchcock — the state's only academic medical center — provides its services across a range of service areas, including at NHH.
"The state recognizes and values Dartmouth-Hitchcock's crucial role in improving the health of our citizens and we look forward to working together to ensure that patients at NHH receive nothing less than the quality care they deserve."
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