Manchester, N.H. – During the last few years, those working in our healthcare community under extraordinary and unimaginable circumstances have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make sure New Hampshire’s healthcare system works and that Granite State residents are safe and well-cared for. Matt Bouchie, the Homeless Outreach Coordinator at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, was named a NH Healthcare Hero and honored during a pinning ceremony on Wednesday, March 2 for his commitment to securing the safety of people living with mental illnesses on our streets.

For its second year, the NH Healthcare Heroes effort is honored to recognize the dedication, courage, and commitment of several individuals in the state’s healthcare community. Seven healthcare heroes were recently selected from across the state through nominations submitted by colleagues, family, friends, and patients and represent the second group of individuals honored through this program.

“We continue to see how critical the healthcare workforce is to New Hampshire,” said Roxie Severance, healthcare sector advisor for the New Hampshire Sector Partnerships Initiative (SPI).“It takes a full community of professionals – from nurses and Licensed Nursing Assistants to cooks, maintenance technicians, and dentists – to run our healthcare system. We’re excited to honor each of them and share their unique stories, so they serve as inspiration to those in or considering a healthcare career.”

Here’s what Matt’s nominators said about him: “People living with mental illnesses often stay in the shadows. Matt is one who ventures into the shadows to connect people with mental health treatment and other lifesaving services. Nothing stops him from his outreach work – not even political winds or a pandemic. In fact, at the beginning of the pandemic, Matt led our organization in partnership with the Manchester Fire Department and other non-profit organizations to improve the hygienic situation at many homeless camp locations. This project was crucial because so many shelters had closed, and data showed that the homeless population was more susceptible to contracting the virus. Beyond working with his team, Matt works with state and local officials to improve policy and support for this population. He truly cares about people and treats each person with respect. He is a steady, trusted resource in the lives of so many.”

In 2020, the healthcare sector team at SPI developed the NH Healthcare Heroes effort to shine a light on the essential roles and opportunities to help others by working in the healthcare field. SPI is a collaborative, industry-led program that provides funding, training expertise, and other resources to help companies within a growing industry sector collaborate on workforce development needs together.

The NH Healthcare Heroes effort is sponsored in part by the NH Bureau of Economic Affairs through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and through the support of our generous sponsors, which include the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Health Care Association, the New Hampshire Sector Partnership Initiative (SPI), North Country Healthcare, Northeast Delta Dental, NH Needs Caregivers! initiative, Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center, and River Valley Community College.

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Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester’s Matt Bouchie Named a NH Healthcare Hero