New urgent care set to open in Meredith this summer

MEREDITH — A new urgent care facility is coming to town this summer. The twin use space will include a Medcheck Urgent Care, as well as additional offices for Speare Memorial Hospital. The building will open Aug. 1, according to sources at Speare. Medcheck is owned by the hospital.

The 7,400-square-foot building is currently under construction on Daniel Webster Highway near Interlakes Animal Hospital, south of the village. The urgent care will have six exam rooms, and three offices for Speare specialty medical practices that will include Plymouth Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, Plymouth OB/GYN, and Plymouth General Surgery.

Urgent health care needs that are nonlife-threatening, in addition to OB/GYN, in-office surgery procedures and consults, will likely be added to the facility, according to the hospital.

“When looking at the communities we serve, we found that Meredith and its surrounding towns were in need of these critical health care services,” said Debra Thompson, outpatient nurse director. “It is Speare’s mission to serve the health care needs of those who reside in central New Hampshire and we take that seriously.”

“I think this is a good move,” said Mike Griffin, director of the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s something Meredith has needed for quite some time, for additional options for residents in our community.”

While expanded access to medical services is a welcome addition for the chamber, the long standing housing shortage may pose a challenge for incoming employees.

“It’s a nice opportunity to bring in some professionals to our area, some doctors, nurses and some specialists,” Griffin said. “Right now, as far as bringing in those specialists, one thing that is a concern all over is that workforce housing piece.”

Like other communities around the Lakes Region and statewide, there is a lack of workforce housing available in Meredith. Affordable housing is especially scarce, but price tags may be a smaller factor for healthcare professionals.

“I know some of our community members are volunteers that work with the Greater Meredith Program are exploring some workforce housing opportunities,” Griffin said, “something we’ll be able to offer along with the timeline coming along with the building.”

The urgent care location comes after the loss of services from Best Care Ambulance last month, which conducted patient transfer services for Speare.

“The loss of Best Care is great. Their staff was phenomenal, providing exceptional critical care, and it is a tremendous loss, truly,” Thompson said, who added that Stewart’s Ambulance Service has been trying to fill the void.

“We are also using WWAS, Canaan Ambulance, Campton Thornton on occasion, 45th Parallel from the North Country, AMR, Great Brook, Lifestar, Action, Careplus, Brewster and Webster Mills.”

Despite the loss of Best Care, Thompson said it will not affect the new urgent care, due to their patient transfer role.

“They will not be transferring patients to hospitals,” Thompson said. “That typically occurs when someone calls 911 needing critical, emergency treatment at an [emergency department], which is outside the scope of an urgent care clinic.”

On the housing front, Griffin cited recent projects downtown and just outside of town.

“A few buildings were purchased on Main [Street] and are being renovated to make room for workforce housing,” Griffin said. “I do know there is some land available now, and there was talk putting up an apartment building closer to McDonald's, which would be in that area.”