HealthFirst Names New COO

Laconia and Franklin, NH: HealthFirst Family Care Center is proud to announce the hiring of Susan E. Smith, MHA, BSN as new Chief Operating Officer. This addition to the community health center’s leadership team will enable HealthFirst to continue expanding services, coordinating care, and upholding our commitment to providing quality, individualized healthcare to each and every client.

Smith hails from Gilford, NH and was formerly Executive Director of NH Voices for Health, an organization devoted to healthcare advocacy and public policy at State and Federal levels. Susan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Saint Anselm College, completed a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration at the University of Minnesota, and most recently, earned a Graduate Certificate in Analytics from the University of New Hampshire. She is also a Board-Certified Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Her background includes management and senior leadership positions at Wake Medical Center, LRGHealthcare, and the Taylor Community.

HealthFirst President and CEO Rick Silverberg said, “We are quite fortunate to have someone with Smith’s breadth of experience in healthcare and vested interest in this community. We are looking forward to the positive impact that Susan’s leadership will have on our staff and the patients we serve.”

About HealthFirst: HealthFirst Family Care Center, Inc. is a Federally-Qualified Health Center in Franklin and Laconia, providing integrated primary and behavioral healthcare, treatment, prevention, and health education to residents of the Twin Rivers and Lakes Region of New Hampshire (a five-county area including 23 rural townships). HealthFirst has twice received recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. To learn more, visit http://healthfirstfamily.org.

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