Below is the complete version of a letter to the editor that was published in the Dec. 15 edition of The Inquirer and Mirror to update the island community about the new hospital project: 

We have entered an exciting yet challenging chapter in the 105-year history of Nantucket Cottage Hospital as we prepare to build the island’s new hospital. We would like to provide an update to the community about our progress to date, and what’s to come in the months ahead.

If you’ve driven by the hospital recently, you’ve probably noticed that our campus at 57 Prospect Street has begun to transform.  Before we can break ground for the new hospital, we are completing several enabling projects to create space for the new building, which will be located directly behind the existing hospital in the southwest corner of our property.

Already we have temporarily relocated more than 40 employees, including the offices of Dr. George Butterworth (to Sherburne Commons), Dr. Tim Lepore (to 4 Bartlett Road), and PASCON (to 99 Goldfinch Drive). This will enable us to move the Anderson Building to the northeast part of the NCH property along Prospect Street (where you can see a new foundation has been poured), and the Founders Building across the street to 10 Vesper Lane.

Following these building moves, which will occur over the next two months, the parking for patients and visitors at NCH will shift from the front of the site to a temporary parking area behind the hospital, and finally back to the front of the property ahead of the groundbreaking on the new building, which we expect will happen in March 2017.

All of this logistically complex and disruptive work will allow us to achieve an historic goal: the construction of a new hospital that will serve islanders for generations, funded entirely through private donations. We anticipate seeing our first patient in the new hospital in May of 2018.

So what will you see a year-and-a-half from now? With the help of our patients, hospital staff, and architects from Cannon Design, we have designed the right hospital for Nantucket – a state of the art facility that is not over-built, but large enough to accommodate a growing island population. The new hospital will transform the patient experience by enhancing privacy and safety, increasing access to our providers, and incorporating new technology throughout the building. The layout of the building will allow hospital clinicians and staff to work more collaboratively and efficiently to provide better care.  The new hospital creates the foundation for Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s future by providing new opportunities to expand services and attract the best clinicians. The building will honor the architectural heritage of Nantucket, while also reflecting the quality medical care that is provided inside. As we continue fundraising to complete the project and create new hospital housing, we invite you to view the architectural renderings, floor plans and overall site plan by clicking here.

We acknowledge that the construction process for a project of this size, scope, and complexity will be disruptive, so we ask for your patience and understanding as we move forward, and to keep in mind that the end result will be a new hospital that will serve all Nantucketers. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns.