An Opinion Piece – By Bob Tortorice, Ret. Vet. US. Navy

Fellow Vets how many times did we stand in line, with T-Shirts and skivvies waiting for either a single shot of who knows what or better yet in Bootcamp getting 5 shots at a time or shots in both arms at the same time. We didn’t wimp out.  Yes, we complained, but we didn’t step out of line. We took it in the arm (no pun intended).

Even though we balked, we knew the shots were in our best interest.  We joked that “we had to be alive for them or the enemy to kill us”.

“Let’s not push each other into the grave any sooner than planned.”

No vaccine or government mandate is going to take away your birthday, but if we don’t get the vaccine how can we have our buddies six? What we signed up for was not only to protect and serve the US but also to make sure we all got back home as healthy as possible. Our responsibility to our fellow warriors didn’t end with a DD214, we proudly carry the “Vet status” to the grave.

Let’s not push each other into the grave any sooner than planned. Stand in that line again, get the vaccine and booster. Save your life, your buddies, and your country.

What would General Washington do?

Now a little history lesson. These vaccines for the military started with our first commander, General George Washington during the revolutionary war, so it’s nothing new.

Back in the colonial days, when the newly minted Continental Army was fighting for independence from the British, it wasn’t bayonets and red coats they feared most… it was Variola – or the Smallpox virus. At that time, 90% of the deaths among the regular troops who served in the American Revolution were caused by disease, and the smallpox virus was the most vicious of them all. (Gabriel and Metz 1992, 107)

The British had a strong advantage over the virus as their troops were largely immune. Inoculation was widespread in Europe. This was a major problem for Washington (pun intended), who was worried about the health of his troops. Fearing for his army and our nation’s freedom, he wrote to Congress to let them know his plans to inoculate the entire Continental Army. By the end of 1777, more than 11 hospitals had been constructed for the purpose of overseeing mass inoculation.

With Smallpox better in check for the troops, they were able to focus on defeating the enemy. The British who relied on local native American tribes, and deserters who were not vaccinated did not fare so well.

Thinking broadly of the long-term health for all is key!

We all know the outcome of the Revolutionary War, and of George Washington’s military expertise. Thinking broadly of the long-term health of his Army, and of the nation, was the key to Washington and the nation’s success.

As a retired Veteran, I am still mystified why many Americans today are choosing not to be vaccinated. If you are willing to take a bullet for your country, why not a shot?

The continued success of science and vaccines is evident. Centuries of success, with vaccines for Smallpox, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Flu have saved countless civilizations from peril. Today, as we sit amidst a pandemic similar in scope to Smallpox, we should learn from our past leaders and the troops who supported them.

Get vaccinated, get the booster…save yourself and the population.

To learn more about the COVI9 vaccine and how to get your vaccine or booster shot visit our COVID info page.

Bob Tortorice is a retired Master Chief Seabee of the US Navy Reserves. He and his wife Kathe own and operate Building Alternatives Inc. in Franconia, NH. Bob currently serves on the Board of Directors at ACHS.

ACHS becomes Recovery Friendly Workplace

It is estimated that 60,000 New Hampshire residents are in recovery from addiction, including family members, friends, employees, and co-workers.

To help those who are affected keep and obtain employment, and increase their chances of long-term success, Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc. (ACHS) has joined Governor Chris Sununu’s Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative (RFW).

RFWs are businesses that pledge their support to current and potential employees struggling with addiction and substance use disorder. The program provides business owners with resources to create a supportive recovery-friendly environment where employers, employees, and communities can partner to eliminate barriers for those impacted by addiction. Unveiled by Governor Chris Sununu in 2018, the program has over 160 businesses throughout the state who work to include rather than exclude those in recovery.

ACHS pledges to “Include rather than Exclude” those in recovery

Recovery Friendly Workplaces recognize that recovery from substance use disorder is a strength and are willing to support people working to improve their lives.  They help break the stigma associated with addiction by shining a light on the topic and by offering resources to those in need.

“Addiction affects all of us, our friends, family members, and our employees”, said ACHS Human Resource Director, Georgene Novak. “We can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, and it’s important for us partner with those affected to help them stay on the path to long-term success. Finding and keeping a job with a supportive organization is a key part of that journey.”, she adds.

Throughout the ACHS organization, you’ll see the RFW logo – in the breakrooms and cafeterias, lobbies, and restrooms as well as in the agency’s recruitment efforts. Important take-a-way cards that explain their commitment to present and future employees, and their recovery, will be available at all ACHS sites. ACHS’ CEO, Ed Shanshala is pleased with the RFW designation and adds, “It’s paramount to our organization that we support employees recovery from substance abuse, just as we would any health care concern they would have – with compassion, with understanding, and with care.”

Founded in 1975, ACHS is a nonprofit community health center offering a network of affordable health care services to residents of 26 New Hampshire towns in northern Grafton and southern Coos counties.  With sites located in Littleton, Franconia, Whitefield, Warren, and Woodsville, their Clinical teams provide comprehensive services – including primary, dental, and behavioral health care on a sliding fee scale to nearly 11,000 patients. For more information about ACHS, visit www.ammonoosuc.org or call 444-2464.

For more information on the Governor’s Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative visit:  https://www.recoveryfriendlyworkplace.com/

Photo Caption:

Georgene Novak and Ed Shanshala accept the Governor’s Recovery Friendly Workplace Certification

March 6, 2021 – WOODSVILLE, NH, Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc. (ACHS) held their first COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Saturday, March 6th. The event marked the beginning of a series of vaccine clinics that are part of the US Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Health Equity Vaccine Program. This initiative, outlined by President Biden in February, aims to ensure America’s most vulnerable populations get equal access to the vaccine.  In the area that ACHS serves, the program focuses on vaccinating seniors over 65 and those in rural locations.

ACHS is the first Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) in the state of New Hampshire to be designated part of the program – one of just 250 across the nation. The program will expand to additional health centers in the upcoming months. It is estimated that 30 million people, most in underserved areas, get their care from FQHCs or similar. The goal of the vaccine program is to help make it easy for all – no matter their location or socioeconomic status – to get the vaccine.

Slow rollout will quickly expand to multiple ACHS sites

ACHS began slowly with a small batch of vaccines over a single clinic day. They rapidly filled in all spots and will be expanding clinics at their other ACHS locations. The next clinic locations are planned throughout March and April at ACHS-Woodsville, Whitefield, and Warren.

Dr. Sarah Young-Xu, Medical Director, along with the ACHS’ Incident Command team worked around the clock to stand up this first clinic. “We are thrilled to be able to bring more vaccines to our community to save lives and reduce illness. We are grateful to the community health center advocacy group Bi-State Primary Care, as well as state resources and the federal agency HRSA for making it possible for us to have these clinics.”, said Young-Xu. “We serve about 11,000 patients at our 5 sites in rural NH. Many are seniors with reduced mobility, limited access to the internet, or transportation barriers that have made it more difficult to get the vaccine. We want to be sure we reach our most vulnerable citizens. These clinics are a great first step!”

“Now I can finally see my daughter!”

ACHS patient, Ellen Skosberg was equally happy she was able to get the vaccine at her local community health center. Skosberg, who is 64 and works as a paraprofessional at an area school, has two chronic conditions. She was pre-qualified for vaccine Phase 1b by her ACHS physician back in February. However, because of the heavy volume to the NH vaccine registration website, the earliest she could get an appointment for the vaccine was in April. When Ellen heard about the ACHS vaccine clinic she was excited to book her appointment. She was able to reserve the very first spot at ACHS. “I still can’t believe it. I trust my community health center, so it was a relief they were giving the vaccine. The process was smooth and easy, and I even saw some familiar faces. After I get my second dose, I’ll finally be able to see my daughter!” (Ellen’s daughter has already been vaccinated.)

ACHS and its team are pleased to be able to assist patients like Ellen and community members through the pandemic and are looking forward to providing more vaccine clinics in the upcoming months.

Founded in 1975, ACHS is a nonprofit community health center offering a network of affordable health care services to residents of 26 New Hampshire towns in northern Grafton and southern Coos counties.  With sites located in Littleton, Franconia, Whitefield, Warren, and Woodsville, their Clinical teams provide comprehensive services – including primary, dental, and behavioral health care on a sliding fee scale to nearly 11,000 patients. For more information about ACHS, visit https://achsproduction.wpengine.com/ or call 444-2464.

October 16, 2020 – LITTLETON, NH. There was a chill in the air and a steady beeping coming from the parking lot of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services’ (ACHS) site last Thursday as an oversized delivery truck from Henry Schein Dental and Medical Supply backed in an unloaded its much-anticipated cargo. Inside were eighty-eight surgical quality air purification systems – one for every clinical exam and behavioral health counseling room at ACHS’ five primary care sites.

Powerful HEPA-RX filters destroy germs & viruses

The state-of-the-art Jade Surgically Clean Air Systems use HEPA-RX activated carbon to filter out 99.998% of harmful particles such as chemicals, bacteria, and viruses. The remaining particles are destroyed by ultraviolet and titanium dioxide. The high-tech units are hands-free and quiet enabling medical providers to conduct their health care services with patients unencumbered.

“We did a tremendous amount of research on these systems”, said ACHS’ CEO, Edward Shanshala. Shanshala who holds Bachelors’s degrees in Chemistry and Biotechnology as well as a Master’s in Science from Rochester Institute of Technology wanted to be sure the systems at ACHS utilized the latest technology. “The JADE systems clean an average exam room every 20 minutes to help reduce the risk of spread for airborne illnesses such as flu, strep, and SARS-COV (COVID19). Each unit not only filters the air but charges it with negative ions to help combat fatigue, too. This will enable us to maintain better air quality for patients and staff – especially important as we head into the winter months.”, added Shanshala.

Funding from Direct Relied & HRSA made the systems possible

In June, ACHS received $17,500 from medical aid organization Direct Relief, in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers. ACHS was one of 518 federally qualified health centers that received funding through Direct Relief’s $25 million COVID-19 Fund for Community Health. With these funds, ACHS purchased and tested twelve of the JADE units for the ACHS Dental Center. “We were very pleased with the results.”, said Katie Latulip. ACHS’  Registered Dental Hygienist and Dental Clinical Manager. “So, I recommended to Ed that we roll them out to all our primary care sites.” Funding for the latest shipment of 88 systems came from a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant

“Keeping our patients and our team healthy is our number one priority.”, said Shanshala. These JADE air purification systems, are a tangible sign that the air is being cleaned. We are so thankful for the funding and support from our champions to enable us to improve our care during the pandemic and beyond.”

Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs) such as Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc. are no strangers to health care crises. Since 1975, we’ve handled a variety of contagious diseases beyond the traditional seasonal flu. As a home for integrated health care including, primary dental and behavioral health, FQHCs are often the first stop for ill patients, who call and visit their primary care providers (PCP) first when something just does not feel right. It is our job to be ready for whatever comes down the pike.

Despite our experience, we like everyone else, have been taken aback by the COVID19 pandemic. The real difference is the sheer volume of planning and strategy that preparing for this illness has required. Combine that with a complete change of business model, a very high contagion rate and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and you have a whole new ballgame.

ACHS has five health care sites and one dental clinic. We serve over 26 towns in northern NH and care for over 11,000 patients. When the COVID19 pandemic made its way to our state, we were already developing a plan on how we could best serve our patients, where we could see them and how we could keep both patients and staff safe.

PPE Shortage hits hard

Our incident command task force met daily, to determine our best way forward. Our first goal was to find a way to continue to care for our patient’s needs while keeping our staff out of harm’s way. This proved no easy feat when PPE was in such short supply. Each day, we struggled to locate protective equipment for our patients and the clinical team.

Community efforts and ingenuity help save the day!

Fortunately for us, we are part of an incredible community. Individuals and organizations such as Bergeon Outdoors of Lincoln, NH quickly saw our need and began making and manufacturing cloth face masks. These masks were provided to our health care team who use them in our non-COVID settings and in front of surgical masks to help extend the masks’ longevity. The masks are also distributed to our six offices for patients to wear in their visits, as well as to volunteers at the Warren-Wentworth Food Pantry. The masks became a vital part of our efforts to help stop the spread of the virus in our community and flatten the curve.

In addition, local theatre group Upstage Players worked with our providers to create a pattern for gowns that could be wiped off and reused. The gowns fashioned from vinyl tablecloths are essential as they provide an additional layer between the virus and our health care providers. Cleanable and reusable, they became the outer layer of protection for our providers who triaged COVID19 symptom patients. (See video here!)

ACHS also received a shipment of hand sanitizer from area business, Tamworth Distillery who also adapted their distillery business to help meet the needs of the community by creating alcohol-based disinfecting hand-sanitizer that worked and smelled great.

Supporting essential workers comes in many forms

With our essential staff still coming into work, many putting their lives on the line while we address this pandemic, it is key that we support them as they work to keep us all healthy. To that end, many businesses such as Chang Thai Café, Reklis Brewery, Gold House Pizza, Red Kite Candy, Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs, Mutual of America, Bethlehem Soap Company and more have donated delicious food, treats, and other items, or offered discounts for our team. For these we thank you!

As prepared as we are for COVID19, we could never be fully prepared for the amount of love and support we have received from our community. Together strong, we will get through this.

#FQHCs, ValueCHCs, #COVID19, #NH. #603Salute, #ReadyNH #Togetherstrong

Have a cloth mask? Here’s how to wear it.