Cheshire Medical Center

It's time for our annual refresher on ticks. Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis are a serious health concern in New Hampshire. Although ticks are likely to be active any time the temperature is above freezing, you are more likely to contract a tick-borne illness in the spring or summer months. “While there are several tick-borne illnesses to watch out for in our area, they are carried by the smaller Deer [or Black Legged] Ticks, not Dog Ticks,” says Marika Henegan, MD, a provider at Cheshire’s Urgent Primary Care Visits. “A baby, or nymph, Deer Tick can be hard to notice, which is why checking yourself thoroughly for ticks is important after you have been in the woods or long grass.” At first glance, a nymph may just look like a small brown or black spot that is hard to remove. However, all ticks have 8 legs, even if you need a magnifying glass or your phone’s camera zoom function to see them. Most Lyme disease cases are caused by nymph ticks because larger ticks are more easily discovered and removed. Be sure to check warm regions such as underarms and groin carefully, as ticks prefer warm, damp conditions, and nymphs can be difficult to see among hair. Read full story: https://lnkd.in/ekm4PAnH

As another Nurses Week draws to a close, we wanted to take one more opportunity to share some photos of our tremendous nursing staff. You all make a difference every day for our patients and our community! 💓 💓 💓 #nursesweek #nursesmakethedifference #teamcheshire

A few weeks ago, we shared a photo of the yet-to-be-colored banner celebrating #LabWeek. Here's the finished (and much more vibrant) product! Shown here are Denise Paul, Monique Archambault, Elizabeth Flanagan, Taylor Ballard, Anna Brown, and Lisa Geiselman. 🔬 ICYMI, here's our spotlight on our medical laboratory professionals: https://lnkd.in/eFdHp97H

An unexpected financial event can set into motion a cascade of coping mechanisms, and often, the food budget is the first to get cut. It can start with food anxiety, wondering if there will be enough food for the week or month. If the financial hardship continues, that can lead to decreased adult food intake and then children’s food intake. Food insecurity decreases cognitive bandwidth and toxic stress. It also decreases nutritional quality, and at times, calories increase through less healthy foods. Food access is a priority focus area for the Healthy Monadnock Alliance, our regional public health network, which is principally supported by Cheshire Medical Center. In the Monadnock Region, we partner with multiple community organizations, many listed here, that work to improve both food and nutrition security. Full story: https://lnkd.in/em3x9ems

As we celebrate our nurses during this Nurses Week, we'll continue to share some photos of our wonderful nursing staff. Here are a few more from the other day! 😎 💓 🤓 💓

“My first passion, what I thought I wanted to do, was geriatric medicine to care for her,” Mindy Asbury, MD, PhD, told The Keene Sentinel. "And then over time, based on different experiences, different education, different opportunities, it just melded over time to eventually land me in psychiatry.” Asbury’s motivation to expand health care for rural residents has driven her to New Hampshire, taking on first-of-their-kind mental health posts at both Monadnock Family Services and Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. “I really wanted to go somewhere where community was a value,” she said, “where my being there would hopefully make a big difference.” Read all about the work Asbury is doing for community mental healthcare here: https://lnkd.in/g6gtiaH4 Photo by Hannah Schroeder / Keene Sentinel

"The Cure" podcast — which delivers up-to-date health information in a practical and easily digestible format hosted by a team of Dartmouth Health hospital medicine physicians — has a new mini-series called "The Bug Stops Here" dedicated to delivering helpful information on hot topics in Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infectious Diseases. The first episode centers on Asymptomatic Bacteriuria, which can result in unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and associated downstream effects. Join host Jessica Swain, Dartmouth Health director of infection prevention; and guests Julie Ann Justo, clinical pharmacist lead in infectious diseases and a co-director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center; and Aalok Khole, infectious diseases physician and medical director of infection prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship programs at Cheshire Medical Center. Listen along using the link below or download the episode wherever you usually download your favorite podcast. https://lnkd.in/ejy7aKkH

Happy Nurses Week to all the amazing nurses at Cheshire Medical Center, our satellite locations, and throughout the Dartmouth Health system! You make a difference in the lives of our patients, their families, and our whole community. Join us in recognizing the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide and at Cheshire. This is your chance to express gratitude and support for our nurses' capability and fortitude. Let’s come together to celebrate Nurses Week 2024 and show our appreciation for these extraordinary professionals! To celebrate our fantastic nurses and kick off the week, here are a few photos of our various nursing teams we took recently! The first two photos show a mix of nurses, followed by teams from Medical-Surgical, Inpatient, Pre-Operative, Quality, and Ambulatory.

Cheshire Medical Center, a Dartmouth Health member, has acquired a second three-dimensional mammography system by Hologic, and upgraded its existing mammography machine with the latest 3D high-resolution detector technology and imaging software, augmented by artificial intelligence, replacing two-dimensional computer-aided detection software. The new device, which was deployed in Cheshire’s Breast Care Center on March 20, enhances the hospital’s ability to detect breast cancer early, reduces false positives, improves patient experience, provides a critical redundancy for more streamlined scheduling and enables the Breast Care Center to significantly increase the number of mammograms it can perform annually, expanding patient access. “Cheshire is committed to ensuring everyone in the rural Monadnock Region has access to routine breast cancer screenings. These technological upgrades will increase our ability to detect signs of cancer earlier, improving patient prognosis, and serve more patients each year,” said Cheshire CEO and president Joseph L. Perras, MD. “I would like to thank the Cheshire Health Foundation, generous donors and the volunteers who worked hard to fundraise for this critical equipment. This new mammography system and the excellent care provided in Cheshire’s Breast Care Center enables world-class care close to home.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eBj7k3SG

For Care Experience Week (April 29 to May 3), we celebrate our staff for their efforts to create a kind and trusting care environment, which is essential not only for our patients and families but for our healthcare teams, too. 💞 Thank you to everyone at Cheshire Medical Center for your kindness and compassion—today, and every day.