New Hampshire Hospital contract gets political in U.S. Senate race

A former nurse practitioner at New Hampshire Hospital accuses Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan of putting politics before patient safety in a new attack ad launched by Republicans.

Victoria Cronin criticizes Hassan in the 30-second spot as “corrupt” or “inept” in her management of a $36.5 million contract that puts Dartmouth-Hitchcock in charge of psychiatric care at the state hospital. The medical provider won the state contract earlier this month, two days before it announced plans to layoff between 270 to 460 employees by year’s end.

Chief Executive Officer James Weinstein has said the cuts won’t affect New Hampshire Hospital, the Concord facility that treats adults and children with severe mental illness. But the news sparked concern among executive councilors who weren’t aware of the planned layoffs before they approved the three-year contract.

Cronin was among nearly a dozen medical employees who left the hospital in July amid a labor dispute with Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Read more: http://www.concordmonitor.com/Republican-NRSC-puts-up-ad-slamming-Maggie-Hassan-on-New-Hampshire-Hospital-Dartmouth-Hitchcock-4943515