Health
Bill adds to list of qualifying conditions for medicinal marijuana
Insomniacs and people with autism spectrum disorder may soon have a new treatment option: medicinal marijuana. A bill adding both to the state’s qualifying conditions sailed through the House this month and won unanimous support from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee following a hearing where no one testified in opposition. The full Senate […]
Student loan repayment program to expand
The state is expanding its student loan repayment program, a critical recruiting tool for the community mental health centers and providers who work with low-income people. And there’s hope good budget news this year will allow even more expansion. Currently, certain drug and alcohol counselors, mental health workers, nurse practitioners, and several other health care […]
Pandemic fight, ‘personal liberty’ collide in state legislatures
Rep. Tim Lang introduced his “immunization freedom” bill in 2019, before COVID-19, to end a state requirement that foster parents be vaccinated against the flu and other communicable diseases. Once the pandemic arrived, so did out-of-staters determined to recast it as an anti-mandate, “personal liberty” bill, similar to nearly 500 others pending in state legislatures […]
Commentary: I’m a pediatrician who cares for transgender kids
When Charlie, a 10-year-old boy, came in for his first visit, he didn’t look at me or my colleague. Angry and crying, he insisted to us that he was cisgender – that he was a boy and had been born male. A few months before Charlie came into our office, he handed a note to […]
Tourism rebounds even as pandemic persists
By September, Melissa and Nick Kielbania of Ipswich, Massachusetts, needed a vacation. Their three kids were home, attending school remotely, and their jobs – his at a hospital, hers with the post office – felt relentless. They chose New Hampshire because it was the closest state with the fewest COVID-19 restrictions. “Our governor (Republican Charlie […]
What’s keeping some at state hospital? No transitional housing
A lack of transitional housing is among the top reasons people remain in New Hampshire Hospital longer than needed, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. An unexpected delay in adding 22 more spots means that’s not changing soon. It also means that adults in a psychiatric crisis will continue to wait […]
Vaccination of minority populations continues to lag
When Clifton West learned that there was a surplus of vaccines in Strafford County, he promptly went into fire-drill mode. He made calls, sent text messages, composed emails – any method he could think of to get the word out. “It was like, oh my God, okay, we have to get people there,” he said. […]
With no state mask mandate, it’s decision time for businesses
This story was updated April 19, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. Shortly after Gov. Chris Sununu announced the end of the state’s mask mandate, The Common Man headquarters announced on Facebook and Twitter and in an email that masks will still be required for staff and diners at its 17 restaurants in New Hampshire. “I send […]
Sununu says state mask mandate will not be renewed
New Hampshire’s mask mandate will become a mask recommendation – “when appropriate” – on Saturday. Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday at his weekly COVID-19 update that the state will not renew the mask mandate when it expires Friday. Businesses, cities, towns, and schools can continue requiring masks. He also announced that on May 7, he […]
Pause extended for Johnson & Johnson vaccine
WASHINGTON — Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot will remain paused for at least a week, after a federal vaccine advisory panel said Wednesday that it had too little data on a rare but serious blood-clotting condition reported in at least six women. That means states and federally run vaccine sites will be relying […]
State pauses use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
(This story has been updated to include additional comments from Gov. Chris Sununu.) The state is pausing use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone who has received it and experienced serious side effects within three weeks is urged to contact their health care provider. Gov. Chris Sununu’s announcement follows guidance from the […]
Why are children who need mental health care still ending up in ERs?
During their three-day wait in an emergency room with an 11-year-old son in a psychiatric crisis, a couple watched an agitated adult patient pace the hallway, cursing, threatening people, and exposing himself. They weren’t allowed to close their son’s door. A 12-year-old girl in a nearby bed didn’t even have a door. “It’s just so […]