FRANCONIA — U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander visited Ammonoosuc Community Health Services (ACHS) in Franconia on Monday, meeting with staff and leadership to discuss the pressures facing rural health centers and the scheduled closure of the facility by year’s end.
Goodlander toured the site and spoke with providers about how Congress can help ensure reliable access to health care in rural communities.
“The extraordinary team of community healthcare providers here at ACHS-Franconia has built a lifeline of quality care for people across our North Country. But as Republicans make the biggest cuts to healthcare in American history, this clinic and the Granite Staters who rely on it are paying the tragic and needless price for these cuts,” Goodlander said in a statement. “The GOP’s Big, Brutal Bill is forcing this clinic to shut down, and this should outrage everyone in our state. I am proud to stand with our partners across the North Country in fighting back and protecting the healthcare that our people need and deserve.”
Ed Shanshala, chief executive officer of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services Inc., said the loss of funding has created a significant shortfall.
“After a decade of economic erosion and disinvestment in our mission and the patients we serve, the BBB culminates an economic impact of $1.8M ($11M budget),” Shanshala said. “This forced us to close the ACHS Franconia location without layoffs or elimination of patient services. Unfortunately, New Hampshire should expect further decrease in access to critical healthcare services, especially in the North Country.”
ACHS is a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves more than 30,000 patients across five — soon to be four — sites in northern New Hampshire. The centers provide medical and behavioral care for children and adults and do not deny services based on ability to pay.
Goodlander, a member of the Community Health Centers Caucus and the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, opposed the GOP’s Big, Brutal Budget. She testified before the House Rules Committee in opposition to the cuts and in support of four amendments she introduced. Since taking office, she has met with health care workers and patients across New Hampshire to hear concerns about the impacts of the legislation.
