Cheshire Medical Center Sets Nov. 6 Closing Date for Winchester Family Medicine

The organization said it will help with transfers to Keene-based providers so care can continue with as little disruption as possible.

Cheshire Medical Center will shut down its Winchester Family Medicine clinic permanently on Nov. 6, leaving about 1,400 patients to find new primary care options. The Dartmouth Health affiliate said it is working to move affected patients into primary care practices in Keene.

The clinic at 20 Warwick Road has been operating with only one primary care provider, Lisa Moulton, APRN, and the closure follows her departure. Cheshire Medical Center said the decision was made after continuing difficulty finding and keeping health care workers, a problem the system says is especially severe in rural areas.

Patients have already been informed by mail, according to the medical center. The organization said it will help with transfers to Keene-based providers so care can continue with as little disruption as possible.

Joseph Perras, MD, president and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center, said the health system looked at other options before settling on closure, with patient safety and continuity of care driving the outcome. He also said past patient transfers from Winchester to Keene have worked well and produced favorable feedback.

All six employees at the Winchester location have been offered other roles elsewhere in the Dartmouth Health system. Perras said the move is not a reflection of the clinic staff and does not change the system’s commitment to safe, high-quality care.