One of the long-standing benefits of working at Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc., is the easy access to free primary care and behavioral health services at Hitchiner’s on-site Health and Resource Center.  Now, thanks to a partnership with SolutionHealth, parent company of Southern New Hampshire Health in Nashua and Elliot Health System in Manchester, Hitchiner employees can get rapid COVID-19 testing at this on-site facility.

As a leading manufacturer of castings to the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries around the globe, companies rely on Hitchiner’s skilled employees to provide volume production, reduced lead-times, and just-in-time manufacturing. But like so many industries, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Hitchiner’s staff. If risk of infection should arise, whether it’s an employee traveling outside of New England on personal time or known exposure, our essential workers need access to convenient and reliable COVID-19 testing so that they may return to work, safely, as soon as possible.

“This service allows our employees to get back to work as soon as possible in the event of travel or an exposure to COVID-19, all with peace of mind that our colleagues are working in a safe environment,” said Hitchiner’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Services Timothy C. Sullivan, Esq.

This unique partnership is also an example of how corporate collaborations can help keep workers safe while also keeping US Department of Defense critical essential businesses running. Hitchiner’s Health and Resource Center is not only the designated clinic for Hitchiner employees for rapid COVID-19 testing, but it is also a place where employees, spouses, and dependents have accessed free, walk-in medical care for years. Located on the Hitchiner Milford, NH campus, employees and their families have used the center for check-ups, testing, and other basic care, and employees are now able to get rapid testing for COVID-19 here as well.

The idea for this partnership was first raised by Sullivan, who serves on the SolutionHealth Board of Trustees, just as the second wave of COVID-19 began to take hold in New Hampshire last fall. Thanks to the support from SolutionsHealth President and CEO Sherry Hausmann, this additional and new program got off the ground quickly and was running by Christmas.

“At SolutionHealth, our goal is to provide high-quality, value-based health care to the people in the communities we serve,” said Hausmann. “We pride ourselves on developing innovative ways to bring that care to our patients. This new collaboration with Hitchiner is a shining example of what can be done when we work together for the betterment of the people of southern New Hampshire.”