Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the state’s largest healthcare system, has announced a major expansion of mental health services targeting rural communities across New Hampshire, investing $6.5 million to establish satellite clinics, hire additional providers, and launch new telehealth programs.
The initiative will open five new mental health clinics in communities that currently have limited or no access to psychiatric care: Littleton, Berlin, Newport, Plymouth, and Wolfeboro. Each clinic will be staffed by a combination of psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
“The mental health crisis in rural New Hampshire is severe, and it’s getting worse,” said Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health CEO Dr. Joanne Conroy. “People are waiting months for appointments, driving hours for care, or simply going without. That’s not acceptable.”
New Hampshire has long struggled with a shortage of mental health professionals, particularly outside the state’s southern population centers. According to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, the average wait time for an initial psychiatric evaluation in northern New Hampshire exceeds three months.
The expansion prioritizes services for populations with the greatest need, including adolescents, veterans, and individuals struggling with substance use disorders. New Hampshire continues to grapple with one of the highest rates of opioid-related deaths in New England, with rural communities disproportionately affected.
“Substance use and mental health are deeply intertwined, and you can’t effectively treat one without addressing the other,” said Dr. Sarah Prager, chair of psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. “These new clinics will offer integrated care that treats the whole person.”
The telehealth component of the initiative will allow patients in remote areas to connect with specialists via secure video appointments, reducing barriers related to travel distance and transportation. Dartmouth-Hitchcock will provide tablets to patients who lack devices.
Funding for the expansion comes from a combination of hospital operating funds, philanthropic gifts, and a federal behavioral health workforce grant. The first clinics are expected to begin seeing patients by late summer 2026.
