Commentary: Rochester residents can count on Frisbie Hospital
My earliest memory of Frisbie Memorial Hospital is as a five-year-old, having my tonsils removed by Dr. Roland Tremblay and recuperating in my child-sized bed on Frisbie’s sunporch. Since those early years in Somersworth and another 33 years spent in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, the healthcare landscape has changed dramatically – especially here in Rochester.
Now, in honor of National Hospital Week, I felt it was important to share my story about Frisbie and the role our local hospital plays in the community. Frisbie’s growth has been clear to me and my neighbors since the hospital became part of HCA Healthcare in 2020, bringing new resources and investments. I feel especially indebted to the staff at Frisbie for the excellent care I received from their wound care department. After my injury, the doctors and nurses at Frisbie were very professional, welcoming and organized. The head nurse was comforting and reassuring, and my doctor, Dr. Natasha Saiyed, made sure I knew exactly what my care plan would entail. After a few weeks of treatment, my wound was completely healed.
Because my prior experience with the wound care department had exceeded my expectations, I chose to return to Frisbie for my cataract surgery last January. It's important to note that this decision was made with a good deal of fear and trepidation from past failures to insert the IV at other hospitals. Thanks to the skillful hands of Dr. Goblatt at Frisbie, my fear was quickly erased. My experience should be yours, as we all deserve access to quality healthcare, a walkable city and a safe place to live. As a community hospital, Frisbie plays a vital role in Rochester's revitalization.
Clearly, change isn’t easy and it’s no surprise that Frisbie has suffered its share of bumps and bruises along the way. Regardless, my husband and I are committed to seeing Frisbie grow and thrive so that all of us have timely access to competent, compassionate care. Our aging population especially depends on the one-on-one care offered by Frisbie to help navigate their health journey and to easily understand all of the care options available to them.
I am grateful to Frisbie’s medical team for their professionalism, competency and compassion as well as the entire support staff who carried us through the pandemic with safety protocols and practices that ensured a clean, safe environment for health and healing. Their passion for the work they do and the pride with which they do it is noteworthy.
My experiences with the team at Frisbie have given me confidence that this is a hospital my community will always be able to count on. I am pleased that the people who have shown me such care are going to be able to continue doing this for years to come.
Marsha Miller resides in Rochester. She served in senior management positions in retail banking at Dartmouth National Bank, National Bank of Lebanon, and also as a consultant for the Department of Education's Career Pathway Project. She now volunteers at St. Thomas More Parish in Durham, and at the Rochester Economic Development Commission and the Share Fund Thrift Shop.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Commentary: Rochester, NH residents can count on Frisbie Hospital
