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Campers may soon pay more for tent and RV sites at state parks
Camping at state parks would be considerably more expensive under a proposal going before lawmakers next week but still cheaper than camping elsewhere, according to the state Division of Parks and Recreation. If approved, this would be the first increase in rates since 2012, Sarah Stewart, commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, […]
Adults on Medicaid need more dentists, especially adults with disabilities
If there was any question about whether adults with Medicaid would take advantage of having preventative dental care for the first time, consider this: In the program’s first eight months, more than 8,000 people have seen a dentist, oral surgeon, or hygienist. Two other numbers are shaping the program’s goals. Only about 145 of the […]
They’ve disagreed on gun bills. Together they want to tighten background checks.
Two of the House’s most ardent gun legislation advocates – a Republican who’s fought for gun rights and a Democrat who has advocated for gun control – are partnering on a bill that would add certain mental health records to background checks for firearm purchases. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been adjudicated mentally ill […]
State facing class-action lawsuit over in-home care for older and disabled residents
This story was updated on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at 12 p.m. to add the name of a law firm involved in the case that contacted the Bulletin after the story had appeared. Until last week, the Department of Health and Human Services was facing a lawsuit from two people who said the state had […]
Together, New England College and hospitals aim to tackle nursing vacancies
The state’s health care industry had to get creative after the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing workforce shortages, doubling the vacancy rate for nurses and LNAs between 2019 and 2022, according to the New Hampshire Hospital Association. Employers offered generous signing bonuses and paid training. The state made it easier for out-of-state practitioners to get a New […]
Executive Council Republicans again reject family planning contracts
For the fifth time in three years, the four Republicans on the Executive Council voted Wednesday to reject contracts with three organizations that had provided the majority of the state’s low-cost basic reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, STD treatment, and contraception. Only Democrat Cinde Warmington voted to approve funding to Planned Parenthood of […]
Hospital shooting prompts recommendations for security enhancements at state buildings
The Department of Safety has recommended several security improvements at all state buildings in response to the Nov. 17 shooting at the New Hampshire Hospital that killed a security officer. At the psychiatric hospital, those measures include upgrading the existing weapon detection system to scan staff, visitors, and patients for guns, knives, and other prohibited […]
State wants feedback on its home and community-based care and services
Lawmakers made historic investments this year in long-term home and community-based care for older people and individuals with disabilities. Now the state wants to hear how those services, which allow people to avoid a nursing home, can be improved. This includes the Medicaid-funded Choices for Independence program, which saw a 42 percent increase in reimbursement […]
DHHS: Kids’ needs warrant a larger replacement for Sununu Youth Services Center
The state’s new secure facility for at-risk youth won’t have more than 18 beds, as lawmakers demanded, but it will be bigger and cost more than the $21.6 million budgeted. That’s largely due to the needs of the teenagers who will be there, according to Morissa Henn, deputy commissioner of Health and Human Services. Henn […]
Police took Madore’s guns after 2016 arrests amid mental health concerns. He got new ones.
This story was updated Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023 at 12:55 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. with new information from the Attorney General’s Office. Strafford Police confiscated guns from John Madore in 2016 following his arrest during a tense scene in his mother’s home, where he allegedly told the police, “I have firearms and this is not […]
‘I have firearms and this is not going to end well’
John Madore was barricaded in his Strafford bedroom, with a loaded 9-millimeter pistol and an assault rifle next to him, warning the police officers on the other side of the door. He had just allegedly choked his sister until she couldn’t breathe and knocked his mother to the floor, according to court documents. “I have […]
Vigil for slain hospital security officer will include mental health support
State officials and mental health providers are holding a candlelight vigil Monday at 4:30 p.m. near the state hospital to remember the security guard killed in the hospital’s lobby Friday and to support the staff and patients. NAMI NH will be available on-site. Anyone who cannot attend but would like mental health support is encouraged […]