Welcome to the world of New Hampshire Possible! We’re proud to be a space for leaders across the state who are committed to creating an economy that works for everyone, health and well-being for all, and engaged and inclusive communities.
In the months to come, we’ll use this blog to lift up exciting work that partners are pursuing, to wrestle with the very real challenges we face, to reflect on how those challenges are affecting everyday people, and to share ideas about how we can build a movement for practical solutions to move New Hampshire forward.
What’s in a Name?
We spent significant time developing the name and identity of New Hampshire Possible because we believe strongly that how we talk about things affects how we think about them.
Right now, we have a choice. We can believe the rhetoric about what divides us and keeps us from solving our problems. We can settle for the status quo, or we can insist that a better future is in our hands, creating exciting new solutions and inspiring our neighbors to join us.
Choosing New Hampshire Possible as a name is our way of pushing back against cynicism and negativity and embracing the power of our state to set its own course. It’s a way of welcoming people from many backgrounds and points of view and creating space to focus on the important issues of today and the future.
New Hampshire Possible: Optimistic About Our State’s Future
Right now, many Granite Staters are not confident about the future, but New Hampshire Possible believes that, as tough as things may be, if we work together, our state’s best days are ahead of us. Our challenges are real, our divisions may seem deep (especially around election season), but Granite Staters always find a way forward.
For example, for years, Granite Staters worried about an aging and shrinking population. Today, we’ve found a way to grow by making the state more welcoming and by engaging young people to prevent brain drain. New Hampshire Possible believes that if we continue to create inclusive communities, that growth can continue and indeed increase.
Even on big trends that feel inevitable, New Hampshire Possible sees opportunities where others see roadblocks.
New Hampshire Possible: Possibilities, Not Ideology
New Hampshire Possible is non-ideological and non-partisan, which allows us to offer a space for people who don’t usually work together to find common cause. If you’re serious about creating a future for our state where everyone can thrive and contribute, then your ideas and perspectives are welcome here.
Health care costs are a critical example of why focusing on solutions over disagreements is so important. Though high costs affect families, healthcare advocates, healthcare providers, and business owners differently, the reality is that each of these groups has a vested interest in curbing their runaway growth — families and advocates need to ensure patients can get care without sacrificing other essentials, providers need patients to seek treatment before issues become serious and chronic, and small businesses need to be able to provide insurance for their employees without breaking the bank.
These groups need to find ways to work together around this shared interest, and to engage directly with hospitals, because there is no single cause of healthcare cost growth and no single person, provider, group or policy intervention alone can control costs. Many of the most powerful ideas for curbing costs, such as a healthcare cost oversight board, a long-term statewide healthcare vision, and expanded resources and oversight for consumer protection, all require deep collaboration.
Groups like the New Hampshire Health Cost Initiative are bringing everyone to the table, from patients to doctors to large hospital groups to community organizations, for a thoughtful conversation and the development of solutions that everyone can get behind. New Hampshire Possible will lift up this work, to show Granite Staters what can happen when we prioritize solutions over finger pointing.
New Hampshire Possible: Flexible and Dynamic
Though we do have a few key issues that we’re eager to get moving on, most notably healthcare costs and the need to grow the healthcare workforce, we recognize that our state is changing, and tomorrow may bring new and different challenges. New Hampshire Possible is committed to broad areas of work – an economy that works for everyone, health and well-being for all, and engaged and inclusive communities. We’re also keeping an eye on the horizon to spot emerging issues.
At the same time, we recognize that issues are related. To cite just one example, we shouldn’t think about the state’s workforce, changing demographics, and healthcare costs separately; we should think about how we can build on the assets and opportunities statewide to make New Hampshire an affordable and welcoming state where people can grow up healthy, raise a family, and age with dignity.
We’re Just Getting Started
As New Hampshire Possible’s work unfolds, we hope you’ll connect and find ways to participate. Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about what’s happening, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have ideas on how we can collaborate.