We opened Nantucket’s new hospital just over three months ago, and after all the years of planning, fundraising and construction, it has been so gratifying to see our staff provide quality, safe, and compassionate care to patients in a new building that meets their needs and is worthy of our team’s clinical skills and professionalism.  

Once again, we thank the island community for coming together to make this a reality and creating a legacy for future generations of Nantucketers.

Over these past 90 days, we have just begun to fulfill the promise of our new hospital, even as we recognize some of the challenges that come with such a dramatic change of moving out of a 1957 building and into a modern, technologically-advanced facility.

Starting May 13th, all patients must use the new hospital entrance. The physician clinics entrance near Vesper Lane will close.

Nantucket Cottage Hospital will enter the final phase of the new hospital construction next week, bringing us one step closer to completion of this historic project. Demolition of the old hospital will begin on May 14th, but this final hurdle will also require us to close the hospital entrance at the physician clinics to ensure the safety of our patients.

This means the only patient access to the hospital will be at the new emergency department entrance off Prospect Street, effective Monday, May 13th. The physician clinics entrance is temporarily closed during this period, so there is no access to the hospital from the main parking lot.

We recognize having only one entrance for patient access to the hospital, even temporarily, will be a challenge for our patients and staff, but this is necessary to ensure patient safety during the final construction activities on the hospital campus. The hospital will be implementing several measures to assist patients in accessing the hospital during this interim period, including, including free valet parking for patients at the ER entrance 7 days per week.

The new Nantucket Cottage Hospital will be filled with the healing sounds of music thanks to a remarkable gift from Bruce and Marilou Sanford and their friends in memory of their late daughter, Ashley.

The lobby of the new hospital now features a Steinway Spirio baby grand piano, known as the world’s finest high resolution self-playing piano. This gift from the Sanford family and their friends will be the foundation of the new Ashely Sanford Music Therapy Program at NCH, in partnership with the Nantucket Community Music Center, a tribute to Ashley’s love of music and Nantucket that will impact the lives of island patients.