LANCASTER - The New Hampshire Attorney General's Charitable Trust Unit has concluded that North Country Healthcare violated its fiduciary duties when it terminated former Weeks Medical Center Affiliate President Mike Lee without following proper bylaw procedures and failed to appoint a permanent replacement, according to a report released Thursday.
The investigation, which began in November 2025 after complaints from patients and community members, did not find legal violations on other issues including the termination of Dr. Elizabeth Cooley, executive compensation, or the selection of vendor Hartzler Healthcare, the report said.
North Country Healthcare operates hospitals in Colebrook, Lancaster, and Berlin, as well as home health and hospice services. It is the largest employer in the region.
The Charitable Trust Unit found that the organization's handling of the affiliate president's removal and the prolonged vacancy breached its duty to follow its own governing documents. As a result, NCH has agreed to a series of conditions.
The agreement requires NCH to hire an independent board governance consultant, chosen by the Department of Justice, to oversee the recruitment of new Weeks Medical Center board members and a permanent affiliate president. NCH must also hold quarterly public listening sessions for the next year. The consultant will provide quarterly reports to the DOJ.
NCH will reimburse the Charitable Trust Unit $75,000 for costs related to the investigation.
Attorney General John Formella said in a statement, "Ongoing communication with stakeholders within our nonprofit healthcare systems, together with full compliance with charitable trust laws, is critical to maintaining public trust."
CEO Tom Mee acknowledged the findings, stating, "The report identifies areas where NCH has follow-up work to do. We respect the CTU's review process and accept the CTU's recent findings."
State Sen. David Rochefort, R-Littleton, called the report "thorough" and said it found "some pretty big issues" that need addressing.
Originally reported by InDepthNH.
Photo: Mohan Nannapaneni via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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