Lebanon
“Yes, the attorney general has met with representatives from Dartmouth-Hitchcock,” Ken Sansone, an assistant attorney general, said on Tuesday. “Discussions continue.”
The confirmation comes a little more than a week after Gov. Chris Sununu said he was optimistic that the state could resolve the dispute with D-H about staffing levels at New Hampshire Hospital.
“It isn’t about lawyering up on either side, or anything like that. You just have to get the right people in the room and work details out, and I think that’s where we are going,” Sununu said during an appearance on New Hampshire Public Radio on May 15.
The dispute centers around whether or not D-H has been in compliance with the $36.6 million contract, which, among other things, requires that D-H staff the hospital with 11 full-time equivalent general psychiatrists and one geriatric psychiatrist.
In an emailed statement on Tuesday, D-H spokesman Rick Adams said the hospital system has been “pro-active” in its attempts to address concerns about the contract.
“D-H counsel have twice met with the Attorney General and DHHS Commissioner (Jeffrey Meyers) to discuss those concerns, and D-H remains open to further discussion to develop a constructive path forward,” Adams said.
Neither side offered details about the substance of the discussions, nor would they provide a timeframe for when they expect the dispute to be resolved.
Correction
New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald took office last month, replacing Joe Foster. An earlier version of this story misidentified who is now in the office.
