Cottage Hospital celebrates Ray of Hope's 10th anniversary
Bernie Marvin
Holding a new sign for the nationally recognized Cottage Hospital Ray of Hope Elderly Unit are at left, Christina Olcott, Ray of Hope Geriatric Psychiatry Specialist and, at right, Cottage Hospital CEO Holly McCormack. The hospital observed the unit’s 10th Anniversary recently. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.
Woodsville, NH – The Cottage Hospital Board Room was recently filled as hospital employees and a few area state officials and politicians met to celebrate the 10th Birthday of the Cottage Hospital Ray of Hope, a specialized 10-bed voluntary, short-stay mental health unit for older adults.
This vital regional resource is for patients across New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and beyond. This Ray of Hope facility fills gaps in behavioral health for aging populations throughout the region.
The Ray of Hope has a strong history dating back to 2016. At its inception, Cottage Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Holly McCormack was asked to lead the development of this new geriatric psychiatric service.
At the unit's 10th Birthday celebration, she spoke of the program's beginning and said that when the Certificate of Need was approved, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. At that time, she found the opportunity exciting—and a little daunting, she offered later, "because it was well outside our usual wheelhouse. We wanted to create more than a new unit; we wanted to create a place that felt safe, calm, and healing. We sought guidance from experts and visited similar units in neighboring states," Ms. McCormack said.
"We were especially fortunate that two providers already living and working in our community, Lili Cargill and Michael Cote, joined us. Ten years later, they remain an integral part of the Ray of Hope, McCormack said.
Ms. McCormack continued her remarks on the history of the Ray of Hope. "As opening day drew closer, one important question remained: What would we call this special place? We wanted a name with meaning, a name that reflected what we hoped every patient and family would find here."
"During a brainstorming session, one word kept rising to the top: Hope. Then our CEO suggested honoring Executive Councilor Ray Burton for all he has done for the North Country. In that moment, the name became clear: the Ray of Hope."
She told the audience that since the doors opened, the Ray of Hope—or, as they affectionately call it, "the Ray”—has cared for more than 1,200 individuals from 272 ZIP codes. New Hampshire and Vermont account for 97 percent of their primary service area.
North Haverhill, Whitefield, St. Johnsbury, Keene, and Woodsville are the five leading ZIP codes for referrals, followed closely by Littleton and Berlin, New Hampshire, and Rutland and Barton, Vermont.
“Our reach has extended even farther, with admissions from Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and even New Mexico. These numbers tell us something important: the Ray is rooted here in the North Country, but the need for its care reaches well beyond our immediate community,” Ms. McCormack said.
Ms. McCormack said that women have represented 66 percent of the patients served on the Ray, and the average length of stay is currently 16.9 days. In 2026, 33.7 percent of Ray of Hope patients were discharged to their homes. Each of those numbers represents a person—and a family—moving toward greater stability, independence, and hope, she said so eloquently in closing her comments about the Ray of Hope.
Local leaders attending the recent Ray of Hope 10th Anniversary celebration at Cottage Hospital were, from left to right, Little Rivers Health Care CEO Andrew Barter, NH Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, NH State Senator David Rochefort, and NH Hospital Association Steve Ahnen. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Helping celebrate the Cottage Hospital Ray of Hope 10th Anniversary were these spirited hospital employees, who turned out to hail the event that put the revered name of the late Executive Councilor Raymond Burton on the nationally recognized elderly care unit. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Lili Cargill, Psyche-NP from the Cottage Ray of Hope, speaks during the unit's recent 10th anniversary celebration at Cottage Hospital. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Cottage Hospital CEO Holly McCormack speaks to the importance of the hospital's Ray of Hope elderly unit and care program. The program gained national prominence for its care standards and was named to Becker's Healthcare 2024 list of "Hospitals and Health Systems With Great Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Programs." The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin