SW New Hampshire News

Cheshire Medical Center issued the following announcement on September 9.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health (D-HH) is taking a major financial step to ensure its ability to attract and retain employees to fill critical roles within the system. Effective October 3, 2021, the state’s largest private employer will raise its minimum rate of pay for all D-HH positions from $14 per hour to $17 per hour.

“The delivery of safe, high-quality patient care is the foundation of our mission, and our commitment to that mission is uncompromising,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and President, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, in announcing the increase to D-HH staff Thursday. “Fundamental to achieving our mission is recognizing and supporting our employees, and we are proud to take steps to ensure our pay and benefit programs are highly competitive in the health care industry and, increasingly, and necessarily, outside the health care marketplace in the regional economy.”

A major national trend of acute shortages of staff, in nursing, other clinical specialties, and vital support staff such as food service and environmental workers, has been magnified by the pandemic – a trend that is impacting D-HH as well.

In December, 2020, D-HH, with approximately 13,000 employees, increased its minimum rate of pay to $14 per hour. Now, at a time of acute staff shortages across all positions, moving to $17 per hour underscores the system’s efforts and commitment to recognize and retain staff by staying aggressive with wage programs and providing a competitive starting rate of pay.  Current employees in affected pay ranges will receive a base pay adjustment in October to reach a minimum of $17 per hour.

“Providing high-quality, safe care to our patients takes a coordinated team of people – and each position on the team is critical to our success. From our staff who schedule appointments, to those who manage patient records, ensure our facilities are clean, comfortable and safe healing environments, to those who do mountains of laundry, directly care for our patients, and to our food service staff who ensure everyone is fed,” said Aimee M. Claiborne, DA, MBA, BSW, D-HH Chief Human Resources Officer. “Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic and our ongoing recovery, we are immensely proud of our team who has continued to provide outstanding care and keep operations moving forward. Maintaining competitive pay programs is one way to recognize our workforce for their tireless contributions and to attract and retain additional colleagues to join us in making a difference every day. ”

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health includes Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, Cheshire Medical Center, New London Hospital, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire and 24 Dartmouth-Hitchcock multi-specialty clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont.

Original source can be found here.