Meeting Critical Care Needs in Rural New Hampshire
Huggins Hospital, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, was facing a challenge that’s become all too familiar in rural healthcare: maintaining consistent, high-quality inpatient care through the night without placing extra strain on its team. Averaging 1.5 admissions and 10 emergency department visits each night, the hospital needed a sustainable way to deliver timely care while keeping its clinical staff supported and engaged.
Sadly, this struggle is not isolated to this hospital, community, or region. Across the country, rural hospitals are under similar increasing pressures. The National Rural Health Association reports that 77% of rural counties are Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and nearly 48% operate at a financial loss. In this environment, forward-thinking solutions like tele-nocturnist programs are proving a new route for sustaining quality care and protecting the future of rural hospitals.
For Huggins Hospital, the path forward meant addressing staffing needs while upholding patient trust and maintaining the hospital’s strong reputation for care. That required a solution that could balance operational efficiency with the personal, community-centered care patients expect.
Balancing Quality, Staffing, and Community Trust
Huggins Hospital leadership recognized that maintaining stable processes for nighttime admissions was critical to patient safety and operational efficiency. Partnering with TeamHealth for consistent nocturnist coverage addressed immediate needs, but the hospital sought a more adaptable model.
One concern was community perception. Ranging from lifelong residents to seasonal visitors, the hospital serves diverse populations with varying familiarity and comfort levels with telemedicine. Leadership wanted to ensure patients would embrace the change while still feeling confident in the quality of care. Eagle Telemedicine was able to ensure quality and trust through their 120 implementation strategy, personalized support, and strengthened partnership.
A Partnership for Around-the-Clock Care
TeamHealth collaborated with Eagle Telemedicine to implement a tele-hospitalist night shift program. Eagle’s board-certified internal medicine specialists provided comprehensive remote inpatient care, seamlessly integrating with on-site teams.
These tele-hospitalists:
- Managed code blue events and coordinated patient transfers
- Entered orders and documentation directly into the hospital’s EHR
- Engaged with patients and staff via Amwell telemedicine carts equipped with interactive stethoscopes and ophthalmoscopes for accurate remote assessments
Before launching the program, Huggins conducted extensive due diligence, speaking with other hospitals using Eagle’s services. The consistent quality and efficiency reported by peers gave them confidence in moving forward.
“Patients appreciated the efficiency and even commented on the technology, seeing it as cutting-edge and a sign of high-quality care.”
— Barry Gendron, DO, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Huggins Hospital
The Impact
The results were immediate. Admission times dropped, minimizing delays in the emergency department and improving overall patient flow. On peak nights, the team could manage as many as seven or eight admissions without overwhelming staff. Additionally, communication between nurses and physicians also increased, allowing nurses to work at the top of their license and contribute more effectively to patient care. At the same time, the program created meaningful cost efficiencies, enabling the hospital to redirect resources toward other patient care priorities. Even patients verbally noted the difference. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the professionalism and responsiveness of their tele-hospitalist physicians.
Huggins Hospital’s experience is just one example of how tele-nocturnist programs are reshaping care delivery in rural settings. Across the country, hospitals are finding that these models not only strengthen clinical outcomes but also help stabilize operations and improve staff satisfaction.
Ready to Strengthen Nighttime Care at Your Hospital?
Huggins Hospital is proof that even small, rural facilities can overcome staffing shortages and deliver exceptional care around the clock. With the right tele-nocturnist program in place, hospitals can improve patient flow, empower nurses, and preserve critical resources, all while maintaining community trust.
Explore the Huggins Hospital story and see how Eagle Telemedicine can help your hospital achieve the same results.
