For over 50 years, White Mountain Community Health Center and our predecessor organizations have been working to make sure everyone in our community can access the healthcare they need. We do this mainly by offering programs and services that help people overcome barriers to care.
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But there’s also something less tangible that’s always been a key piece of how we make healthcare accessible. We hear from so many patients that in the past, they’ve had medical experiences that left them feeling talked down to, brushed over, or scolded. When people are met instead with understanding and respect, they are more likely to get the care they need.
Ben Colbath told us recently that this is what made all the difference for him many years ago, when he was 19 and he and his girlfriend were expecting a baby:
“Having to live with that stigma of, you screwed up and got your girlfriend pregnant at such a young age, you didn’t always feel like you were looked at great. Shawn Rogers always treated us like part of the community. It felt like all the stigma was removed from being a young parent.
“When Gavin was 12 months old and he didn’t have any words, Shawn was like, it might not be anything, some kids talk later, but it could be something, and you should consider speech therapy. I followed her lead to get early intervention services for him, and at three years old he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She introduced it in a way that wasn’t scary. She handled it so well, she knew we were young parents. I don’t know if he would be as successful as he was if I hadn’t done those steps and I hadn’t put those safeguards into place with the early intervention.
“Because we had gone through the health center, it made his services obtainable and affordable. The social worker on staff there was really helpful about making sure we were signed up for New Hampshire Healthy Families.
“Having children young, I tried to really prove the point that I could do this, so I had a lot of work commitments. It made it really difficult to have a regular doctor. If something came up, it was always really easy to call the health center and schedule an appointment, and I always got in very quickly. I never caught an earful about why I hadn’t had a checkup in so long, when I had two kids in elementary school and two in pre-k.
“When you have that support, it’s one less thing you have to worry about. It’s one less thing that will consume your time, energy, emotions. Shawn Rogers and the services she provided at White Mountain Community Health Center were paramount to us making it through parenthood at such a young age.”
We heard the same sentiments in our anonymous post-visit survey this past year:
“They care about people. They take the time to understand what you're going through. They take the time to solve the problem that you're going through…They're wonderful caretakers. Everybody is so sweet. It's because they care about your health.”
“I think Marcello is one of the BEST care providers I have seen…he made me feel assured and heard. I am someone who is autistic, so I am educated in what I talk about, which concerns most providers and I feel affects the appointment as I am "off" in their minds. I appreciative that before I even informed Marcello, he didn't seem judgmental.”
“I've never liked or felt heard by medical providers in the past and WMCHC has completely changed my mind on what community based care can look like.”
“Josie and her team are some of the most amazing people I have ever come into contact with for medical care. Josie actually listens to you as a person and actually cares about her patients and the care they receive. Even when she refers us elsewhere, she always follows up and wants to know how I was treated there. And a couple of the receptionists are even amazing. They are personable and actually care about what's going on with you. I have never felt judged at her office. And that's very difficult being a trans man.”
“Muy buena atención por parte del personal, atienden nuevos pacientes, asequible.”
“They were very nice and they listen well. And they explain things well.” (From a 9year-old patient)
“Alberto, Josie and Erin were wonderful. I have debilitating anxiety and they always make me feel comfortable and safe.”
“The kindness and respect is over the top. I feel blessed I found this facility. You can tell they truly do care! That alone is worth very much. Words alone cannot express how safe, and comfortable I feel when there.”
“White Mountain Community Health Center is a community for all the smalls town around it. I rely on its kindness.”
We are able to serve the community because of the support we get from within our community. Like our patients, our supporters come from a wide variety of backgrounds. What you share is a commitment to making sure everyone in our area can get healthcare they can afford, and that people seeking healthcare are met with kindness.
I hope you will continue to stand behind this approach to healthcare, so that we can continue our work to make sure everyone in our community can access the care they need, delivered with kindness and respect.
Thank you,
JR Porter
Executive Director
P.S. Did you know…
- In 1968 the Children & Youth Project opened so that low-income families could access pediatric care.
- In 1988 the Family Health Centre opened so that low-income women could access birth control, prenatal care, and other sexual and reproductive healthcare.
- In 2001, the two merged to form White Mountain Community Health Center, adding primary care for adults.
- Over the years, we’ve added dental care for children, a teen clinic, mental health counseling, dietician services, adult dental cleanings and x-rays, and substance use disorder treatment.
- In the last two years, we’ve added staff fluent in Spanish, gender-affirming hormone therapy for adults, and expanded mental health care, including psychiatric services.
- In the last year, we provided over 10,500 visits to about 2250 patients.
- About one-third of our patients have a household income lower than 100% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL), which is about $15,000 for an individual, or $31,000 for a family of four.
- Our sliding fee scale lowers the cost of a visit to as little as $10, and we waive that when it’s a barrier to care.