Raising three young children and running a family farm on the island means Sam and Rachael Slosek have become well acquainted with Nantucket Cottage Hospital. From broken bones to a ruptured appendix or a simple stomach flu, the Sloseks have been frequent users of the hospital over the years, and in turn have made it a priority to give back.

“The hospital is a foundation of the community, it’s a pillar, and something that we use often,” said Sam Slosek. “We want the hospital to be doing well, we want to have physicians available when we need them, we want to have prompt emergency care, and we want our kids to have pediatric care.” (more…)

Amid the hustle and bustle of The Boston Pops on Nantucket concert last year, you might have missed a slightly smaller fundraiser of sorts, also for Nantucket Cottage Hospital, at the entrance to Jetties Beach. There was young Benjamin Brasher, an 11-year-old boy with a heart of gold, who had set up a lemonade stand to provide refreshments for those waiting in line for the concert and to donate the proceeds to the hospital. (more…)

Facing hernia surgery, Lionel Starr, 70, wanted a procedure that would allow him to quickly return to his job at a service station. He found it at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where laparoscopic surgeon Richard Koehler, MD, used “keyhole” incisions to repair intestinal protrusions that had developed after a previous major operation. (more…)

For Wendi Murrell, life on Nantucket is about new beginnings. Visiting from London 16 years ago, she decided to stay. “I realized life here would be wonderful,” she says. At age 41, Wendi now has another new beginning—motherhood. But her pregnancy was deemed high risk, so when the baby’s heart showed distress during labor, the Nantucket Cottage Hospital obstetrics team sprang into action to perform an emergency C-section. (more…)

“I’ve been working at Nantucket Cottage Hospital since 1966, first as a volunteer, then as a nurse in the OR and ER, and today as the hospital’s compliance officer. While the level of care we are providing today is much higher than when I started, the building itself is now outdated. A new facility will allow us to grow with the technology while also helping us to be more efficient and effective in delivering quality care to our community.”

– Brenda B. Johnson, RN-BC, Director of Compliance, Patient & Family Centered Care