Coös County, NH – May 8, 2026 – North Country Healthcare is proud to share that three of its doctors were named New Hampshire Top Docs 2026 by New Hampshire Magazine: Dr. John Ford, MD, Primary Care Physician at Weeks Medical Center’s (WMC) Whitefield Patient Care Clinic; Dr. Jessica Jacobs, MD, Pediatrician at WMC’s Whitefield and Littleton Patient Care Clinics; and Dr. Leon McLean, MD, Ph.D, MPH, Gastroenterologist at Granite State Gastroenterology’s office at Androscoggin Valley Hospital (AVH), were recognized in the 2026 Top Docs list.
New Hampshire Magazine publishes the Top Docs list every year, using national research firm Castle Connolly to conduct the survey process. Doctors in any specialty are nominated by their peers; any licensed physician can nominate another doctor in any part of the country. Once nominated, Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to assess educational and professional experience as they select the top doctors at both the national and regional levels. Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians.
Dr. John Ford obtained his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the UMass Chan Medical School in 1996, and completed his residency at Washington Hospital in Washington, Pennsylvania. He has been on Weeks Medical Center’s staff since 1999 as a practitioner of family medicine. Dr. Ford has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for ten years. “I feel privileged to help the North Country prevent and manage health issues,” said Dr. Ford.
“Dr. Ford has been a cornerstone of care at Weeks Medical Center for over 25 years,” said NCH Chief Medical Officer Mark Morgan, MD. “He brings a steady, thoughtful approach to his patients and deeply cares about the communities he serves. Being recognized as a NH Top Doc ten years in a row speaks to the trust and respect he’s earned from both patients and colleagues. On behalf of NCH, I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.”
After graduating from Yale University, Dr. Jessica Jacobs completed her MD at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. She completed her residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and obtained a certificate in Pediatric Leadership from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Jacobs has a special interest in pediatric patients with behavioral health concerns. She joined the Weeks Medical Center pediatric team in 2022.
“Dr. Jacobs has been recognized as a New Hampshire Top Doc since 2023,” said Morgan, “and her 2026 honor continues to reflect the exceptional pediatric care she provides to families across our region. NCH is proud to celebrate Dr. Jacobs’ continued recognition and grateful for the trust she has earned from our patients and community.”
Dr. Leon McLean is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He obtained both his Master of Public Health (MPH) and MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, and obtained a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His post-graduate training was at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology. Dr. McLean has special interest and advanced training in the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Through AVH’s partnership with Granite State Gastroenterology, Dr. McLean has provided gastroenterology services to North Country Healthcare’s patients since 2018. In 2025 he was named a top AAPI doctor by Castle Connolly.
“Dr. McLean is a bright and well-trained physician,” said AVH Chief Medical Officer Keith Shute, MD. “He manages complex patients and collaborates well with other providers. He is an outstanding, thorough, and safe endoscopist, performing upper endoscopies and colonoscopies for hundreds of local patients each year. AVH and NCH are proud to have Dr. McLean as a NH Magazine Top Doc serving our communities.”
To schedule an appointment with Drs. Ford or Jacobs, please call 603-788-5095. For more information about AVH’s Gastroenterology services, please call 603-752-2300.