Conway Daily Sun – February 10, 2025
CONCORD — Saying that Mission Zero is working, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced on Friday that no adults are waiting in a New Hampshire hospital emergency department for a bed in an inpatient psychiatric treatment facility and further, that the state hospital is not full. According to the news release, “There are two adults waiting in correctional facilities. As a result, New Hampshire Hospital will end the day with open beds for the first time in recent memory.”
“This is amazing news as we continue efforts to strengthen our mental health system and ensure every Granite Stater struggling with mental health challenges gets the care he or she needs,” said Gov. Kelly Ayotte. “I thank DHHS and all of our Mission Zero partners for their efforts to improve care and outcomes for patients across our state.” “The goal of Mission Zero is to eliminate the practice of emergency department boarding for good. Today gets us closer to that goal,” said DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver. “The collaborative efforts among DHHS, the New Hampshire Hospital Association, NAMI NH, hospitals and advocates are making a real difference in the lives of the people we collectively care for. This is a significant milestone and gets New Hampshire one step closer to resolving this seemingly intractable problem.”
The release also noted that over 2024, the average daily waitlist dropped 43 percent from the previous year, and thatthe amount of time patients had to wait for a bed in N.H. Hospital decreased even in months when higher numbers of patients present to the ED. In December, patients averaged 1.61 days of waiting, a reduction of more than three days of waiting from January of2024.
The wait list is updated daily at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents2/drf-daily-report.pdf
For more information on Mission Zero, go to dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/mental-health/mission-zero