11 / 4 / 2020

Letter to Our Expectant Mothers

To our expectant mothers,

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our country and the island, The Birthplace at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and the Nantucket Cottage Medical Group are working hard to ensure your health and provide all of our patients exceptional care while at the same time minimizing risk of COVID-19 spread.  We must remain vigilant in our prevention methods, and while some restrictions have been loosened, others remain in place to ensure safety within the hospital. For our pregnant patients and new mothers, we are committed to having the best balance possible between the essential care needed for your pregnancy and keeping you, your family, and our health care workers as safe as possible.  We would like to update you on several modified policies at the hospital that are related to pregnancy care: (more…)

10 / 22 / 2020

Same-Day Reads on All Mammograms

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that Nantucket Cottage Hospital is now offering “same day reads” on every mammogram performed? This allows mammography patients to know the results of their exam before they leave the hospital, and has several important benefits:

  • Our new process allows us to resolve issues, including ultrasound when needed, at the time of the patient’s screening mammogram appointment and provide them with a definitive result – positive or negative.
  • The vast majority of patients get their results in ten minutes or less.

Nantucket Cottage Hospital also offers three-dimensional mammography with the Imaging Department’s Genius 3D mammography unit, which is capable of tomosynthesis scans. This technology provides island residents with enhanced breast cancer detection and reduced false positives. (more…)

10 / 16 / 2020

New Technique in Use for COVID-19 Tests at NCH

Today our clinical team began using a new technique for specimen collection for COVID-19 tests at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital drive-through which is less invasive and will provide a better overall experience, especially for children who require testing.
 
The new anterior nares swab collects nasal specimens from the front of the nostril. For most outpatient COVID-19 tests, this will replace the previous technique NCH staff were using (the nasopharyngeal swab) for specimen collection which was more invasive and required a much deeper swab.
 
This is essentially a self-administered swab, although NCH staff are there with the individuals to assist in the process and collect the specimen, label it, etc.
 
Anterior nares swabs will be used for all outpatient testing at the drive through evaluation site (both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 tests) with the exception of tests for inpatients and patients who require a pre-procedural test before a surgery or medical procedure. In those limited subsets, we will continue to use the nasopharyngeal swabs.
10 / 15 / 2020

Nantucket COVID Grief Project on WBZ Radio

Listen to Nantucket Cottage Hospital Social Services Manager Sarah Munsen, LICSW, talk about the Nantucket COVID Grief Project with WBZ Radio. Learn more about the COVID Grief Project by clicking here. 

10 / 14 / 2020

3D Mammography at Nantucket Cottage Hospital

 

Three-dimensional mammography is available at Nantucket Cottage Hospital with the Imaging Department’s Genius 3D mammography unit capable of tomosynthesis scans.

This technology provides island residents with enhanced breast cancer detection, reduced false positives, and decreases the need for call backs.

In conventional 2D mammography, overlapping tissue is a leading reason why small breast cancers may be missed and normal tissue may appear abnormal, leading to unnecessary callbacks. A 3D mammography exam includes a tomosynthesis scan that can greatly reduce the tissue overlap effect. This type of exam requires no additional compression and takes just a few seconds longer than a conventional 2D breast cancer screening exam. (more…)