More than a thousand Granite Staters are left without accessible medical care following the closure of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, N.H. The closure not only affects those who use the facility but also those who access other facilities which will see an increase in patients.
The closure comes off the effects of the prolonged government shutdown, a shutdown where Democrats were ironically aiming to extend tax credits, which in turn would lower the cost of medical services and healthcare.
“Officials blamed cuts in Medicaid, the federal program that millions of low-income Americans rely on for health care,” according to reporting by AP.
N.H., like other New England states, is home to a fairly high number of elderly people who all have various health concerns. It is not only the closure of a medical facility, but one that was a destination for many of the elderly living in the state. These folks had connections with staff members and felt comfortable with this location because of its proximity.
“The 1,400 patients, almost half of them older and some facing serious health challenges like cancer and early-stage dementia, must now drive at least 10 miles (16 kilometers) along rural roads to reach the nearest health center, which also is near a regional hospital. A second center is twice as far,” according to reporting done by AP.
So now the patients are forced to go to other locations, and indirectly overflow the other medical facilities around the area. The connections and comfort are swept out the door and coincidentally, at other facilities, those may decrease if facilities keep closing.
Medicaid cuts also forced the closure of Health First Family Care Center in Canaan, N.H., creating another group of senior citizens who are lost and searching for their next care destination.
I would also be remiss to mention that the closure of these facilities means the loss of many important healthcare jobs. The people who serve and help the elderly and those with health concerns are just as important to celebrate and keep around as the elderly population itself.
A few years back, in 2023, Franconia disbanded its town’s volunteer ambulance service, and now, in 2025, actual facilities are falling. The town is home to about 1,000 residents, and it is important to ask what town or city will be next.
Once the state begins moving into bigger cities with higher percentages of individuals who desperately need these facilities, the effects will be felt heavily. The health-care facilities that are around in large cities will become overrun with those who have already lost theirs, and then even the facilities that remain will not be able to function with an excess of patients.
Why would a young couple even bother to start a family or move from another place to N.H. if the state can not keep its healthcare facilities open and accessible? These are effects felt from federal decisions, but the state must see that the priority is to keep these facilities running that keep their residents alive and well.
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
