A message to our community on behalf of the entire team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock:

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, a cascade of events occurred that resulted in one Dartmouth-Hitchcock patient losing her life, her son in custody, and the entire organization facing a new normal. State and local law enforcement from more than 17 communities arrived within minutes. Businesses rallied to provide water and food to evacuated patients. We are immensely grateful for all of their help.

We want to thank so many people. First of all our patients, who were so understanding as we wheeled them out of our facility or sheltered them in place within the institution. I know you were anxious, tired and uncomfortable, but not one of you complained. As our professionals cared for you on stretchers and in wheelchairs under the shade of our trees, you and your families were thankful, appreciative and generous with your praise.

I also want to thank those patients whose care was disrupted on Tuesday when we had to cancel outpatient visits and testing. You were so generous on the phone when we called to reschedule. Patients who were seen on Wednesday had only one question for our staff: “How are you doing?”

We have rescheduled 90 percent of the canceled visits over the next week, and our inpatient operations are almost back to normal.

We are acutely aware that this event affected more than just the D-H Lebanon campus. None of us expected this to happen in this beautiful area of the country, with its farm-to-table ethos, supportive communities and neighborly relationships. It affected the entire Dartmouth-Hitchcock system and our surrounding communities … and was in some respects, a loss of innocence for the Upper Valley and for our state. Our path to return to our new normal will be much faster as we engage the broader community in discussing how to make sure we can prevent or mitigate the impact of any event like this in the future. These tragedies can pull communities together to make them stronger. My hope is that out of this tragedy, we can grow stronger together, and work with our friends, families, neighbors and community partners to regain our sense of peace and serenity that was so tragically disrupted.

So many of our patients who were here Tuesday sent letters and e-mails that thanked us for our commitment, grace under pressure and our focus on excellence. We are so honored to be part of your lives. To our patients and our communities, the entire team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock thanks you so very much for your incredible support.

Joanne Mather Conroy is CEO and president of Dartmouth-Hitchcock.