We’re extremely pleased to announce this partnership with two well-respected, community organizations and being able to offer increased childcare opportunities for our employees who in turn, serve the greater community.
Joanne M. Conroy, MDDartmouth Health is partnering with the Carter Community Building Association (CCBA) in Lebanon to open a new childcare center for Dartmouth Health employees. After CCBA made the difficult decision in December to close its preschool program due to staffing shortages and flood damage, the two organizations forged a collaborative partnership to renovate the space. Doors will open in the fall of 2024 to over 40 children aged 18 months to 5 years old. This partnership also includes the Early Care & Education Association (ECEA), a nonprofit network of center-based childcare providers in the Upper Valley region, which will provide training opportunities for early childhood educators at the new center.
“We’re extremely pleased to announce this partnership with two well-respected, community organizations and being able to offer increased childcare opportunities for our employees who in turn, serve the greater community,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, president and CEO of Dartmouth Health. “Limited options for housing, childcare and transportation impact many families in rural New Hampshire and Vermont and create barriers for healthcare institutions to recruit and retain the workforce necessary to deliver the healthcare people need. This is just one of many ways Dartmouth Health invests to address the childcare shortage and support our employees and their families.”
The center will be open to all Dartmouth Health employees who live and work in the greater Upper Valley region, including those who work at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, New London Hospital, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center and Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire.
“CCBA and Dartmouth Health share a deep commitment to promoting health and well-being in our community,” said CCBA Executive Director Kerry Artman. “This partnership allows us to continue to serve young children with enriching preschool programming and is one of several ways we plan to improve our programs and services to meet the needs of families across the Upper Valley.”
Founded in 1919, the CCBA is a nonprofit recreation and fitness organization located in downtown Lebanon which operates two buildings and a park with fitness studios, a pool, gymnasiums, athletic courts and more.
ECEA’s chief goal is to sustain and support its network of early childhood professionals. This network demonstrates the power of collaboration in growing efforts to sustain, expand and improve equitable access to developmentally appropriate care in the Upper Valley.
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Carter Community Building Association (CCBA) promotes healthy lifestyles, personal development, and community connections by offering recreational, fitness, and educational programs for people of all ages and abilities. Founded in 1919, CCBA provides a welcoming environment for people across the Upper Valley to gather, play, learn, exercise, and compete. Today, CCBA is the only organization in the Upper Valley to offer the broad range of recreational programs and amenities it maintains, serving people ages six weeks to 100 years old. As a nonprofit organization, CCBA relies on philanthropic support to keep its programs and services accessible and affordable for all.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.