• Location: 57 Prospect St, Nantucket, MA 02554, US
• Contact: 508-825-8100
• Social Media: Twitter, Instagram
• Website: nantuckethospital.org

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is located at 57 Prospect Street and is dedicated to giving the island’s people and visitors a comprehensive range of healthcare options. From primary care, emergency services, and specialty treatments to diagnostic testing, They strive to meet the community’s needs with quality care, professionalism, and compassion.

This hospital has the standard for a small community hospital by providing expanded outpatient services and inpatient care and surgery in one central location. Their mission is to ensure everyone has access to the care they need when they need it, and they are committed to providing the highest level of service and care to those who serve. Nantucket Cottage Hospital is open from Monday to Friday, 8 am until 8 pm. The emergency room is available 24/7.

History

Founded in 1911, Nantucket Cottage Hospital was the vision of Dr. John S. Grouard and Dr. Benjamin Sharp. The hospital initially opened in a small building on West Chester Street but, over the years, expanded to meet the expanding needs of the island community and, with new facilities in 1957,  was moved to its current location. The 1960s saw the addition of a wing to accommodate the growing demand for medical care. In 2006 became an affiliate of the Massachusetts General Hospital family.

On February 20, 2019, the new Nantucket Community Hospital opened its doors to the public. Thanks to an impressive $120 million capital campaign, the hospital provided enhanced access, safety, and privacy to its patients while offering a wide range of medical services. It’s great that the new hospital was built entirely with private donations and no taxpayer dollars.

Since its founding, the Nantucket Cottage Hospital has been supported by its community. For half a century, locals have served on the hospital board and committees as volunteers. In the ‘50s, the Pink Ladies give their aid, as the Blue Coats do today.  The community is currently engaged in the Hospital Thrift Shop and various annual events, such as the Boston Pops on Nantucket concerts, the Health Fair, Native Reunion, and the Swing for Nantucket Cottage Hospital golf tournament. The hospital’s founding was over a hundred years ago, but the community still comes together to care for one another.

The hospital continues to look after the island’s needs, providing more care to more people than ever by taking advantage of modern technology and forming new partnerships.

Affiliation with Mass General Brigham

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is part of the Mass General Brigham family. The community hospital on the island has been devoted to delivering top-notch healthcare for as long as anyone. Affiliation with MGB  serves to further this goal by connecting their patients to services that aren’t available on Nantucket.

Patients with complex medical needs who need specialized care unavailable on the island are the main beneficiaries of this partnership. Through a shared electronic medical record and an enlarged pool of consulting sub-specialists, patients have access to better care coordination and services. This provides a direct link to caregivers and services affiliated with MGB, enabling them to get the highest quality care available.

MGB physicians have been consulting with NCH for a long time and seeing patients on the island. They also strongly collaborate in cardiology, neurology, dermatology, and emergency services. In addition, telemedicine and the Patient Gateway link NCH to the MGB system.

Health & Wellness Services

Nantucket Cottage Hospital offers a wide range of health and wellness services, with both general specialists and specialists in specific areas. Now you will see a sneak peek at what they have to offer. If you’d like to see the full range of services, just click here.

The Birth

The Nantucket Cottage Hospital every year delivers around 150 Nantucket Natives. Their facility has three large labor rooms and ante- and post-partum rooms.

Their services include department tours, breast-feeding consultations, Jacuzzi, a birthing bar and birthing peanut, pre-discharge circumcisions, and high-risk pregnancy care through a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital. Plus, they remain connected with you even after discharge, supporting common new parent concerns.

They also provide a range of pre-natal, pregnancy, and parenting resources to help make the transition into parenthood smoother. With FAQs, childbirth education classes, and certified lactation counselors, you’ll have plenty of support! Learn more by clicking here.

They honor Nantucket Natives by adding their names to the Wall of Nantucket Natives since 1999. To add your Nantucket Native’s name to the Wall, you can donate $100. Contact online or call (508) 825-8250.

Allergy & Asthma Care

At Nantucket Cottage Hospital, John A. Johnson, MD, specializes in allergy and asthma care at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and he visits the island every month to provide his services. Check out the link to contact Dr. Johnson and for more information about his practice.

Joint Disease

If you suffer from a joint, connective tissue, or autoimmune disease, like arthritis, lupus, or osteoporosis, a rheumatologist is just the specialist you need. Dr. Philip Molloy, from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth, visits Nantucket Cottage Hospital monthly to see island patients. To schedule an appointment with him, you must obtain a referral from your primary care provider and then be sent to the NCH specialty clinic scheduler. For more information, check here.

Audiology Services

Nantucket has a monthly opportunity to access audiology services due to its partnership with the Cape Cod Hearing Center. These services encompass a broad range of services, such as diagnostic audiology evaluations, hearing aid selection and repair, tinnitus assessment and management, and tympanometry. If you’re interested in these services, contact Dr. Cullen’s office directly at (508) 775-0959 to make an appointment.

Orthopedics

Nantucket Cottage Hospital has an orthopedic program designed to provide custom treatments. From ankle sprains to carpal tunnel syndrome, the team can assess your condition and often deliver the care you need without ever having to leave the island. Dr. Raymond Rocco Monto is a lead. The orthopedic team can treat various injuries, from Achilles tendon tears to rotator cuff tears. Whether it’s an elbow injury, knee injury, biceps or tendons issue, or something else, they can tackle it all with the utmost care and expertise.

Neurology

Nantucket Cottage Hospital offers islanders access to elite neurological care with their visiting specialists. These neurologists specialize in treating and diagnosing chronic conditions and come from renowned institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital. To provide this top-tier care, the hospital hosts Dr. Donald Marks of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and Dr. Karen Kerman, a pediatric neurologist from Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island. Dr. Marks visits the island every month, and Dr. Kerman visits quarterly, allowing local residents to receive excellent treatment without leaving the island. For Appointments, call (508) 825-1000

Cancer Care

The Cancer Care and Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital will be with you if you have cancer. This program was created with Massachusetts General Hospital to bring the best cancer care to the island. Their specialists visit weekly to provide consultations and treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Ugne Aleknaite, a Certified Nurse Practitioner on Nantucket, organizes and ensures that cancer patients and their families receive the best care every day, no matter what type of cancer they have or what treatments they need. The center offers numerous services, such as outpatient chemotherapy and immunotherapy, consultation with a variety of cancer subspecialists, collaboration with primary oncologists from MGH or other institutions, creation of treatment plans, screening via CT scans and MRIs, oncology lab tests, specialized cancer nutrition, and dietary support, and palliative care and support services. For more information, call (855) 508-5275.

Cardiovascular Medicine

Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s cardiovascular health services are a great way to save time and money by staying on the island. Through a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, they bring in some of the best specialists, like Dr. Joseph Garasic, to the cardiology clinic on a monthly basis. Diagnostic imaging such as heart and vascular ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans are read remotely by world-class radiologists and echocardiographers from MGH. The cardiology program covers various services, including echocardiograms, diagnostic imaging (MRI & CT), heart ultrasound, and vascular ultrasound. To make an appointment with Dr. Garasic, please call (617) 726-0712.

Gastroenterology

Nantucket Cottage Hospital collaborates with mainland partners to offer patients access to renowned gastroenterology care without having to leave the island with a team of board-certified gastroenterologists, NCH surgeon Frank O’Connor and Douglas Horst, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. They provide colonoscopies and endoscopies on Nantucket while offering a variety of diagnostic tests and treatments for digestive health issues.

Recovery and  physical rehabilitation

Recovering from a major medical procedure can be a complex journey, but Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s Healing Near Home program assists patients with various needs. The facility is designed to provide a comforting and intimate atmosphere where family and friends can visit and support their loved ones.

The Healing Near Home program is available to a wide array of patients, such as those who have recently undergone joint repair or replacement, wound or major surgery, restorative surgery, or those in need of acute physical, occupational, or cognitive therapy. Additionally, this program is ideal for those requiring post-hospitalization pain management or IV therapy or those managing chronic conditions like diabetes, stroke, congestive heart failure, and cancer treatments.

Lung Care

At Nantucket Cottage Hospital, top-notch lung care is provided by visiting specialists. Their advanced pulmonary function lab allows administering a full range of tests, such as lung volume and diffusion capacity. The experienced team can diagnose, treat, and monitor various lung diseases and conditions at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. These include emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, shortness of breath, excessive coughing, and former smokers’ lung function.

Surgical Services

Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s facility features an upgraded interventional services area, boasting two operating rooms and a procedure room. Their team of skilled surgeons, nurses, and anesthesia personnel conduct over 700 surgeries annually on the island, and the operating rooms are always staffed and ready.

NCH is prepared to offer a wide range of surgical interventions. Their general and laparoscopic surgical services include appendectomies, C-sections, colonoscopies, exploratory surgery, gallbladder surgery, gastroscopies, gastroenterology procedures, hernia repairs, lysis of adhesions, tonsillectomy, spinal taps, and various orthopedic operations. Additionally, they offer PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections for treating injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.

Pharmacy

The Inpatient Pharmacy of Nantucket Cottage Hospital is an integral part of the hospital, providing medications, monitoring drug therapy, and administering drugs to both inpatients and outpatients. Working closely with doctors and nurses, the pharmacy strives to guarantee that patients receive the highest quality care.

In addition to the inpatient pharmacy, The Cottage Pharmacy is conveniently located at 10 Vesper Lane and is open seven days a week. Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 6 PM, and on Saturday and Sunday, the hours are 9 AM to 3 PM. Everyone can visit, not only NCH patients.

Laboratory Department

At Nantucket Cottage Hospital, patients get the most accurate diagnosis, treatment, and protection. Their lab conducts over 200,000 tests annually with speed, accuracy, privacy, and professionalism. Whether your physician has ordered a blood test or an EKG, you can count on the laboratory to finish its job excellently. They are open 7 AM to 4:30 PM Monday to Friday and 8 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. About the services they offer, look here.

Emergency Department

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is no stranger to emergencies, handling more than 11,000 of them yearly. Their Emergency Department team is always ready and available, 24/7, to address the needs of the local residents and visitors. From setting broken bones to providing the initial treatment and triage of heart attack and stroke patients, they are equipped to take on all kinds of medical cases. In addition, they collaborate with emergency physician groups during the busier summer months to best accommodate the influx of patients. In cases where a patient requires specialized acute care, such as trauma centers, critical care transport will be arranged for them to mainland hospitals via Boston MedFlight or other agencies.

The Emergency Department team is experienced in treating various medical issues, such as trauma from accidents, severe respiratory attacks, cardiac events, strokes & seizures, pediatric medical emergencies, bone injuries, extreme burns, and lacerations. If you have a non-life-threatening condition requiring attention, their Urgent Access facility is available.

Urgent Access

NCH’s Urgent Access Clinic at 57 Prospect Street is open to provide easy and convenient medical care for non-life-threatening conditions.  Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., appointments can be made through Mass General Brigham’s Patient Gateway. Log in to your Patient Gateway account and select the “Find Urgent Care Center” option under the “Find Care” menu. If no appointments are available, call 508-825-1000 – phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Urgent Access Clinic is here to help with various issues, such as colds and sore throats, ear and eye infections, fevers, minor injuries, back pain, rashes – even sexually transmitted infections and tick bites. Getting help for your health needs is usually billed as a doctor or nurse practitioner appointment. Most of the time, the out-of-pocket amount is limited to the copay your health insurance plan requires. When you arrive for your appointment, have your co-payment ready. Depending on your plan, you may need a referral or authorization for the visit. Bear in mind that the provider might be in-network or out-of-network, which will impact the amount you pay.

Getting taken care of by Urgent Access Clinic requires registration at the Mass General Brigham. If you’ve visited Nantucket Cottage Hospital before, you’re already registered. If not, give 866-211-6588 a call.

Virtual Urgent Care

Virtual urgent care is a great choice for those seeking treatment for minor illnesses and injuries that don’t need to be seen in a hospital emergency department. Now, patients aged three and above can be treated from the comfort of their homes!

The difference between Care on Demand and Scheduled Care visit. Care on Demand doesn’t require an appointment; you’ll be connected to an urgent care provider who can help with a variety of healthcare concerns. Scheduled Virtual Urgent Care, on the other hand, is available to exist Mass General Brigham patients who have a Patient Gateway account. You can choose your appointment time or contact the office of your primary care provider.

For Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents aged three and up, this virtual urgent care service is available from 7 am to 3 pm every day of the week. For more, click here.

Supporting the Community

NCH is dedicated to providing wellness and healthcare services to everyone on Nantucket, regardless of age. They strive to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors through prevention, education, and access to healthcare. As a leader in the Nantucket community, they collaborate with local groups to ensure their services meet the community’s changing needs.

Each year, they report to the Attorney General’s Office to share the details of their charitable, volunteer, and community health efforts. In 2020, this report included information about Health Fair, flu clinic, and free health and wellness screenings.

In October 2021, NCH was part of a five-month initiative to research and identify behavioral health services needed on the island. This included bringing together community members and civic and government leaders to investigate the major issues facing behavioral health stakeholders, and the result is the Nantucket Behavioral Health Assessment Report. You can read the report here.

Accreditation

Stepping into Nantucket Cottage Hospital is a guarantee that you’re entering one of the safest community hospitals for patient care in the entire state of Massachusetts. This is due to the fact that the hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, a non-profit body that evaluates and certifies healthcare organizations in the US. The hospital’s pledge to render protected and proficient patient treatment is highlighted by earning The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval. This prestigious emblem of quality displays the hospital’s constant effort to give the best care imaginable.

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is dedicated to partnering with the community to provide holistic well-being through health and related services, and they want the island community to experience complete physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and happiness.

In this hospital, you will be in safe hands. If you are searching for a way to schedule an appointment, click here or quickly find a doctor on their website.