Lamprey Health Care is New Hampshire’s oldest and largest private, non-profit community health center with locations in Newmarket, Raymond, and Nashua. Each year we serve over 15,000 patients of all ages. As a community health center, we provide primary care and health-related services to all individuals and families, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Lamprey Health Care is a Patient Centered Medical Home providing primary health care services. Commitment to community health drives Lamprey Health Care’s mission of providing affordable, quality health care for all individuals within the communities we serve. By focusing on prevention and health care management, Lamprey Health Care strives to keep patients healthy, improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs for patients and communities as a whole.
Organizational Mission
The mission of Lamprey Health Care (LHC) is to provide primary medical care and health related services with an emphasis on prevention and lifestyle management to all individuals regardless of ability to pay. LHC operates four health centers located in Newmarket, Raymond and two in Nashua New Hampshire. By focusing on prevention and health care management, Lamprey Health Care strives to keep patients healthy, improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs for patients and communities as a whole.
We strive to improve the health of our communities by providing high quality health, medical and dental services while removing barriers that prevent access to care. Lamprey Health Care was established in 1971 and is New Hampshire’s oldest community health center.
Removing the Barriers to Care
The multi-site service delivery model described above maximizes access to care across all lifecycles while at the same time ensuring that services are delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Major barriers to health care in our area include lack of transportation, cultural and language barriers, and uninsured/under-insured, poverty and financial barriers.
Our service delivery model addresses all of these concerns:
· by locating sites in areas that have a shortage of primary care resources and/or high concentrations of underserved populations and providing access to transportation we are able to address geographic barriers
· by utilizing a family practice model, we are able to efficiently care for people across all lifecycles
· by tailoring our staff to the communities we serve and ensuring for appropriate cultural and language representation, education and outreach among our staff, we are able to address cultural and language barriers
· by assisting patients with enrollment in coverage programs and providing a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients, we minimize financial barriers as part of the overall patient assessment and needs identification; patients are part of the care coordination efforts which include medication assistance.
Programs and Services
Lamprey Health Care serves patients through all stages in life. LHC provides a full range of comprehensive primary care services including:
• Primary Medical Care
• Prenatal, Obstetrical & Gynecological Care
• Pediatrics & Adolescent Care
• Adult & Elderly Care
• Integrated Behavioral Health
• Women’s Health & Wellness
• Case Management & Social Services
• School-Based Preventive Dental Services
• Nutritional Education & Counseling
• Prescription Assistance Programs
• Chronic Disease Management
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings
• Senior Transportation Program
• Interpretation Services
• Reach Out & Read Early Literacy Program
LHC’s commitment to the community extends to providing and coordinating access to a full range of comprehensive services, as well as achieving the highest level of patient satisfaction through a personal, caring approach and exceeding the standards of excellence in quality and service.
LHC’s target population is the underserved of all ages; particularly, the uninsured, the minority population and those with financial, language, cultural and transportation barriers to care. LHC also provides access to prenatal care for a high risk and underserved population in all three centers.
In addition to primary, prenatal and pediatric care, LHC's "wrap-around" health services include social services and case management, health education, nutrition education and counseling, wellness programs, chronic disease management, transportation services, behavioral health services, interpretation services, health education & outreach, and community clinics & health screenings.
Patient-Centered Model of Care
Lamprey Health Care's sites operate under a family practice model. LHC staff, board certified family physicians, provide services for all life cycles. In addition, LHC employs family nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, certified nurse mid-wives, OB/GYN’s and pediatricians.
LHC operates a multi disciplinary model of care with other health professionals represented on the team. The professionals include staff nutritionist, certified diabetes educator, chronic disease care manager, care coordinators, social workers, outreach and eligibility staff, and interpreters.
To enhance quality of care, LHC supports a care coordination model that is a service enhancement to enable patients with special circumstances to receive timely and appropriate care. Some of the barriers to care include lack of insurance, social stressors, patient and family educational needs, housing, and transportation. To enhance quality of care, LHC supports a care coordination model that is a service enhancement to enable patients with special circumstances to receive timely and appropriate care.
needs. The common goal of care coordination is to enhance quality of care, increase access to care for high risk patients and reduce cost. LHC’s care coordination team includes: social workers, prenatal nurses, nutrition, chronic disease care managers, providers, nurses, and clerical team. By treating each patient as a whole person, their needs are more fully understood and met. Care coordination is enhanced across the continuum of care with the linkage of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Electronic Health Information (EHI) systems.
LHC’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) System exists as the key component of the organization’s success as a Patient-Centered Medical Home since introduced in 2000. It has enabled the medical team to improve the quality of patient care by using information systematically, thus putting the patient under the care of the entire medical team.
LHC’s Newmarket, Raymond and primary Nashua Centers have received recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home for excellence in patient services, use of best practices, and integration of health information technologies.
The Patient Centered Medical Home model of care focuses on coordinating individual patient care throughout the entire medical team and enhancing the patient-provider relationship to improve health outcomes. A concept already in practice at LHC, this patient-centered delivery of care enables the providers to focus on individual patient needs, proactively treating chronic illnesses and influencing healthier behaviors for better health management.
LHC received Level III NCQA recognition by meeting key program measures such as providing 24/7 access to health care services through on-site medical appointments and after-hours nursing triage; using health information technologies, such as electronic health records (EHRs); practice-wide quality measurement and improvement efforts; screening, referrals and follow-up for at-risk patients; and structured care for patients with chronic conditions.
Community Outreach & Education
Lamprey Health Care utilizes a multi-pronged approach to address the unique needs of our communities. To accomplish the goal of improving health care outcomes, manage the complex patient and ensure patients are receiving the necessary health services, LHC participates at the community level on committees and with agencies throughout the region. Our Newmarket & Raymond Center Staff collaborate with other community health partners such as Families First Health Center and Cross Roads House, as well as the Interfaith Hospitality Network, to ensure the health and safety of our constituents. We also collaborate with community agencies such as United Way, Community Resource Network, Family Assistance Network, the Upper Room, Raymond Coalition for Youth, Service Link, Elder Wrap, and many other community agencies to identify community needs and find solutions that benefit both individual and community.
Our Nashua Center staff partner with community agencies who are focused on community health initiatives that enhance delivery of social services for those in need, promote access and address health disparities. The Nashua Center collaborates with the City of Nashua Health Department on Emergency Preparedness; the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center to provide primary care services to the severely and mentally ill through the Healthy Connections Program; the Baby steps Program which provides early childhood intervention services for healthy emotional, physical and mental development of children; the Continuum of Care which addresses homelessness in the greater Nashua area, including the Health Care for the Homeless Project to provide primary care for prenatal pediatric and high-risk OB/GYN services; the United Way of Greater Nashua on community initiatives and assessments; and many more initiatives focused on the health of the Greater Nashua community.
LHC employs bi-lingual staff, patient advocates, and care coordinators (social workers) who assist patients in navigating social Patient advocates and care coordinators help patients overcome barriers to care.
and health care systems. Patient advocates and care coordinators help patients overcome barriers to care, linking patients to resources such as WIC, Medicaid, NH Health Access, NH Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP), Adult Education, HeadStart, homeless shelters, transportation, area churches and other social service organizations. LHC has developed long standing partnerships with these agencies in each community. In addition, many staff participate in community outreach events such as health fairs, cultural fairs, educational symposia and social service transportation networks.
In addition to our involvement as a community leader in public health initiatives, we strive to provide our patients with the services that meet all of their needs. Both our Newmarket & Raymond Centers have teamed up with various Seacoast Area agencies to enhance patient services and access to care.
Behavioral Health
To address the behavioral health needs of our patients and communities, our centers offer an Integrated Behavioral Health Program. Licensed Behavioral Health Counselors are available to meet with patients during their primary care visits to discuss issues. Patients may schedule follow up consultation with the Behavioral Health team, and where appropriate, the team will assist the patient with referrals to specialty behavioral health services. In addition, the Newmarket & Raymond Centers collaborate with Seacoast Mental Health Center to co-locate a child counselor that allows for better, patient-centered care by meeting our patients’ more complex health needs.
Oral Health
To address the need for dental services and the importance of integrating primary health care with dental care, we began our school-based dental program in 1995. This program currently provides access to preventive and therapeutic dental services, such as education, screenings, oral hygiene instruction, cleanings (prophylaxis), topical fluoride, fluoride rinse programs and sealants, to children of low income families in need or oral health services in 9 towns and 10 schools within the Newmarket & Raymond communities, serving over 3,252 children in the 2015-2016 school year.
The goal of our School-Based Dental Program is to identify children from low income or uninsured families who don't have access to oral health care or a dental home. Recognizing the economic and financial barriers that parents face in providing oral health for their children, LHC focused on placing services in schools that have children who are at high-risk and vulnerable. The Program prioritizes children who are eligible for school-based services, and working in conjunction with a network of community dentists, Recognizing the economic and financial barriers that parents face in providing oral health for their children, LHC focused on placing services in schools that have children who are at high-risk and vulnerable.
links them to a dental home by providing referrals. The program strives to improve access to oral health care for our children by responding to, and engaging, our schools as our community partners in this initiative.
Prescription Assistance
In other areas of the state, many indigent adults with emergency prescription needs must rely on samples from their doctor or help from the local welfare office. For patients seen at Emergency Rooms, samples are not always an option. The Medication Assistance Program is the only program in the state that provides emergency assistance for medication needs. LHC works with patients to help them determine their eliibility for assistance through pharmaceutical assistance programs, and if found to qualify, helps patients navigate the application process.
Leaders in Community Health
Lamprey Health Care has been regionally and nationally recognized as a leader among the nation’s community health centers. We have been repeatedly cited for our quality of care, patient outcomes, technological leadership and community involvement. (Please see attached Recognition & Awards.) LHC’s senior business and clinical leaders are widely respected for their expertise, industry knowledge and effectiveness. They are frequently asked to consult with other community health organizations regarding management issues and best practices.
All three of LHC's centers were nationally recognized as a Level III Patient-Centered Medical Home for its excellence in patient services, use of best practices, and integration of health information technologies. As a Medical Home, Lamprey Health Care continuously strives for clinical excellence by:
· putting each patient and their health care at the center of the medical process · providing 24/7 access to health care services through on-site medical appointments and after-hours nursing triage
· using health information technologies, such as electronic health records (EHRs)
· practice-wide quality measurement and improvement efforts
· screening, referrals and follow-up for at-risk patients
· and structured care for patients with chronic conditions
The Patient Centered Medical Home model of care focuses on the patient - coordinating individual patient care throughout the entire medical team and enhancing the patient-provider relationship to improve health outcomes.
A concept already in practice at LHC, this patient-centered delivery of care enables the providers to focus on individual patient needs, proactively treating chronic illnesses and influencing healthier behaviors for better health management. LHC has always focused on these core principles of care, and we were one of the first health care organizations in New England to implement the electronic health record.
Community Health Center Values
As the community health partner of the Greater Seacoast Area and Southern New Hampshire, Lamprey Health Care remains committed to serving as an important option and a key player in achieving healthy outcomes for our communities. Our mission at LHC is to provide primary medical care and health-related services, with a focus on prevention and lifestyle management, to individuals & families of all ages – regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
By providing access to affordable health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles through prevention, education, and It is our vision to be a pacesetter in the use of new knowledge for lifestyle improvement and quality of life, and to be a center of excellence in service, quality and teaching.
outreach, LHC strives to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs for their patients and communities as a whole. We will continue to provide enhanced access to critical health care services, and improve the lives of our patients and their families – through wellness programs, primary health care, prevention and lifestyle management.
It is our vision to be a pacesetter in the use of new knowledge for lifestyle improvement and quality of life, and to be a center of excellence in service, quality and teaching. We will continue to be a part of an integrated system of care with other health care systems to ensure access to affordable medical care for all individuals and families.
LHC remains committed to existing as the outstanding primary care choice for our patients within our communities, and the standard by which others are judged. By establishing partnerships, linkages, networks and referrals with other organizations, we’re able to provide access to a full range of services that meet our communities’ needs.
