Vanessa Hahn, APRN, has always taken a holistic approach to healthcare. For many years she was a massage therapist and owned her own business. Through massage she worked collaboratively with a chiropractor and a naturopathic provider to address her patients’ needs.

It is that same collaborative approach she hopes to have with her patients at Speare Primary Care in the new era of medicine that is more patient-centered and less doctor directive. “It is about balance,” says Hahn, “and you have to meet patients where they are so they feel comfortable sharing what is going on in their lives, so we can work together to make a difference in their health.”

Hahn says she wants to learn about her patients—conditions, concerns, stressors, accomplishments, goals—so she can determine how much time they can and are willing to invest in themselves through diet and exercise. She explains, “Increasing exercise and watching what they eat can help patients reduce the amount and number of medications they need. But, life happens, and it is a huge challenge and commitment to make changes. A patient has to be ready . . .and I’m excited to be here and help them take care of themselves.”

Originally from Maine, Hahn says she loves the outdoors. It was central New Hampshire’s natural environment that furthered her interest in the position at Speare Primary Care. That she lives in Gilford, had previously worked with Ann Thatcher, APRN, and completed a rotation with Plymouth Family Practice, also contributed to her interest. Hahn is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her bachelor’s in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in Naperville, Ill., and holds a master’s from Massachusetts’s College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences University.

Speare Primary Care is accepting new patients. Please call the office, located on the second floor of Speare Memorial at Boulder Point, 103 Boulder Point Road in Plymouth, at (603) 536-6355.