Concord Hospital enters partnership with New England College

CONCORD — A new partnership between Concord Hospital and New England College is hoped to boost the number of nurses in central New Hampshire

“The current nurse shortage in New Hampshire and throughout the country has been very well documented,” Concord Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Steigmeyer said during a virtual press conference on Thursday. “We're experiencing an unprecedented number of professionals who are leaving bedside nursing.” According to Steigmeyer, the Concord Hospital system has seen 1 to 3% of health-care professionals exit their roles. To combat this shortage, the hospital system is offering clinical sites and paid positions to students in a new three-year nursing program at New England College.

“The partnership is creating a bachelor's of science in nursing.” explained Steigmeyer. “We believe we will create a consistent pipeline of nurses as we move forward. Two private organizations coming together for a challenging reality is truly an innovation.”

Dr. Michele Perkins, president of New England College, said the program will create a streamlined educational track.

“This three year bachelor's degree program which includes summer study, integrates important classroom learning with real world experience through Concord Hospital,” Perkins said. “Because these students enter the work force as licensed nursing assistants after their first year of study, these future caregivers will earn as they learn and will be ready to ease the current burden of a nursing workforce that is spread too thin.”

According to educators, the program will focus heavily on clinical immersion, blending academic and clinical practice throughout a 12-month calendar.

New England College Associate Dean of Nursing, Dr. Angie McPhee-Smith, said the program includes three 14-week compensated immersive experiences strategically scheduled to provide LNA support to the partner practices. “These students will earn nearly 30% of their total academic program in a clinical setting.”

Concord Hospital Chief Human Resources Officer Patrick Boyle stated that students would be paid on par with other LNA members of the organization.

“We established a minimum wage across the organization of at least $15, and we put that in place earlier this year. So anyone in that LNA role is making $15 an hour and above.” Boyle said.

The program is set to begin in the summer of this year with about 40 students for the first cohort. Students will have to complete their first year of the program before working as LNAs.

When asked about the hospital's strategy to alleviate the strain on nurses during this period, Steigmeyer stated that the system was working on numerous initiatives to do so.

“We have a number of current programs in place,” Steigmeyer said. “We are certainly engaged with temporary labor, what we call travelers to ensure our folks have time to rest and recover. We are underway with a variety of initiatives to ensure we have what we need in the meantime and continue to build the work force day by day.”