June 12, 2024 – Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH) is significantly expanding its physical therapy services, after agreeing to transition Manning & Associates Physical Therapy into its rehabilitation services department on July 8.

Manning & Associates owner, Joseph Manning, has been in communication with hospital leadership this past year about integrating his practice into the hospital’s current programs.

“We were obviously very familiar with the high-quality care Joe and his team provide – many of his patients are ours as well – so we saw it as an important opportunity to ensure that our island community will continue to have access to these excellent physical therapists,” said Nantucket Cottage Hospital president and chief operating officer Amy Lee. “We are committed to ensuring the island has the services the community needs, and also that there will be a seamless transition as they continue their care.” (more…)

(May 13, 2023) The Hospital Thrift Shop reopened for its 95th year in business on Monday, May 13, 2024. The line stretched down India Street and wrapped around to Centre Street, with shoppers eager to browse through merchandise donated over the winter by island residents and visitors. Founded in 1929 by a small group of volunteers, the Thrift Shop sells affordable, recycled clothing and household items to benefit Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Since opening almost 100 years ago, the Thrift Shop has donated over $7.5 million to NCH. Visit HospitalThriftShop.org to learn more.

(February 1, 2024) – Nantucket Cottage Hospital is delighted to announce that local resident Steven Kohler, MD, joined NCH in January 2024 as Medical Director of Urgent Access. A graduate of Temple Medical School, Dr. Kohler’s background includes a transitional internship and Internal Medicine Residency at Cambridge Hospital, a Harvard Medical School program, as well as an Emergency Medicine Residency at University Hospital, Jacksonville, University of Florida.

Dr. Kohler brings a wealth of experience to his new role having served as an Emergency Medicine Physician at Cape Cod Hospital since 1996. He has lived on Nantucket fulltime since then and has been doing the “reverse commute” to Cape Cod during that time. While at Cape Cod Hospital he has experienced over 125,000 emergency room and urgent care patient encounters.

Dr. Kohler commented, “I am looking forward to expanding urgent access on the island. We hope to include expanding the urgent care to non-appointment-based encounters, as well as simple procedures such as laceration care.”

Amy Lee, President, and COO of NCH, remarked, “We took the feedback regarding Urgent Access from the community very seriously and are investing in the expansion of services. We are excited that Dr. Kohler will provide his expertise to this critical role.”

Urgent Access is for minor injuries or illnesses like tick bites, rashes, sprains, coughs, colds, sore throats, fevers, and eye infections. Urgent Access care is available to everyone – not just existing Nantucket Cottage Hospital patients. However, to be treated at the Urgent Access Clinic, patients will need to be registered with Mass General Brigham. Those who have received care at Nantucket Cottage Hospital in the past are already registered. All others should call 866-211-6588 to register.

Patients may make an Urgent Access appointment by accessing MGB’s online Patient Gateway or by calling 508-825-1000.

(September 2023) Nantucket Cottage Hospital is hosting flu vaccine clinics this fall. Appointments are required and are available to book on the Patient Gateway or by calling 508-825-1000. Flu shots will be administered in the Anderson Building on the hospital campus at 57 Prospect Street.

• Monday, September 18, 2023
• Wednesday, September 20, 2023
• Saturday, September 23, 2023
• Tuesday, September 26, 2023
• Thursday, September 28, 2023
• Saturday, September 30, 2023 during Island Health Fair at 57 Prospect Street, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (no appointments required during Health Fair)
• Tuesday, October 10, 2023
• Thursday, October 12, 2023
• Tuesday, October 24, 2023
• Tuesday, November 7, 2023
• Thursday, November 9, 2023
• Wednesday, November 15, 2023
• Thursday, November 16, 2023
• Friday, November 24, 2023 (for all ages – clinic located in Physician Practices in main hospital, not Anderson Building)
• Thursday, December 28, 2023 (for all ages – clinic located in Physician Practices in main hospital, not Anderson Building)

Additional clinic dates will be added to meet demand. Both COVID and flu vaccines are also available to patients during a regular primary care visit.

For COVID vaccine clinic dates, click here.

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year, and the Centers for Disease Control recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.

(April 5, 2023) Nantucket Cottage Hospital received a new, state-of-the-art MRI scanner in April 2023. The new MRI is now the most costly piece of equipment at NCH and was purchased thanks to generous donations from the Hospital Thrift Shop. “The new MRI provides much faster scan times and higher resolution images. The faster scan times are a big improvement in convenience and comfort for patients and will make more appointments available. The higher image resolution means that many diagnostic procedures that have previously required a costly trip off-island can now be done here on Nantucket.” – Dr. Chinyere “C” Rumph, NCH Director of Imaging. Click the video below to get an inside look at the new MRI, produced by NCH staffer Kareem Vessah in the NCH Imaging Department.