November 12, 2024 – Wrapping up its 95th year in business, the Hospital Thrift Shop presented a check this morning to Nantucket Cottage Hospital totaling $625,000.

Hospital President, Amy Lee, commented, “I can’t thank the staff and volunteers of the Thrift Shop enough for their ongoing dedication and hard work. These much-needed funds will go toward new, improved mammography equipment, a new state-of-the-art ultrasound machine, and supplemental funding for employee housing.”

“I would like to thank the entire Thrift Shop team for another exceptional year and this generous donation. Fulfilling our mission to our island community would not be possible without your generous support, and for that we are eternally grateful,” said Craig Muhlhauser, Chair of the NCH Board of Trustees.

The Hospital Thrift Shop has donated more than $8 million to the hospital since its founding in 1929 when a group of dedicated volunteers came together to provide affordable clothes and household goods to the island community. Its first gift to the hospital that year was $603. Many have contributed to this success: residents who donate gently used items, shoppers who get great deals, numerous volunteers who devote substantial time and energy, and a small staff who run the daily operation of this thriving organization. It’s a tradition that continues to generate great returns for the community by providing affordable goods and for the hospital by providing ongoing financial support that will benefit Nantucket patients into the future. The gift of $625,000 matches last year’s record for largest donation in a single year.

Mary Casey, Executive Director, Hospital Thrift Shop
Amy Lee, President, Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Craig Muhlhauser, Chair, Board of Trustees, Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Jennifer Anderson, Vice President of the Board of Directors, Hospital Thrift Shop

August 23, 2024 – Nantucket Cottage Hospital recognized several individuals and organizations at its 113th Annual Meeting on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Craig Muhlhauser, Chair of the NCH Board of Trustees, welcomed Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Barbara Malone, and Chief Nursing Officer, Aimee Carew-Lyons, PhD, RN, to speak about the medical updates within the hospital and throughout the MGB system.

The hospital also announced its annual awards to hospital staff and community members who have made significant contributions to the mission of NCH over the past year, as well as welcomed new members to the ranks of its Board of Trustees.

To cap off the Annual Meeting, nurse practitioner, Annette Adams, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, was awarded the prestigious Seinfeld/Hartmann Prize for Compassionate Care. The prize honors a staff member who has demonstrated exceptional compassion and care throughout their career. Annette was nominated for the past four consecutive years and awarded the cash prize in 2024. Judy Seinfeld, one of the prize’s founders, was on-hand to deliver the award.

Bruce A. Percelay Philanthropy Award presented to Nantucket Golf Club Foundation

• Over the past 22 years the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation has raised an astonishing $42 million for the benefit of Nantucket youth. Well known for its Nantucket Scholars program, which has awarded two full college scholarships to graduating Nantucket high school seniors since 2006 – and three scholarships in 2024, the Foundation has also made grants to over 80 island organizations that serve the interest of Nantucket children. Their Nantucket Professional Workforce Scholarship program is now in its 7th year, and has given partial scholarships to as many as 15 high school graduates each year pursuing education in a vocational field. This includes nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

Phil Murray Organization of the Year presented to Boston MedFlight and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

• For decades, NCH has relied on Boston MedFlight and The United States Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod for getting patients who need a higher level of care to their destination hospital safely and quickly. “I think we are all familiar with the critical role MedFlight plays in transporting patients off the island. Somewhat less visible is that several times a year, the Coast Guard transports critically ill patients in weather conditions that are prohibitive for MedFlight. In those cases, NCH staff accompany the patient. Over the past year, thanks to leadership from Jennifer Wheeler at Boston MedFlight, the two organizations have committed to a new level of collaboration with NCH and each other,” said Muhlhauser. This has included collaborative training sessions and resource commitments that make the Coast Guard flights much safer and more efficient for both our patients and our staff.

Myrt Eldridge Volunteer of the Year presented to Catherine S. Ward

• Cathy has been a trustee at NCH for 10 years and served as Vice-Chair for several of those years. Not only is she a board member, but she volunteers in the hospital emergency department. Cathy is a long-time volunteer at the Hospital Thrift Shop, where she has served as President, and she is also serves as board member at The Community Foundation for Nantucket.

Sandy Craig Leadership Award presented to Pauline Proch

• Pauline has been an extraordinary leader in public service on Nantucket for over 20 years. In January of 2022, she founded “Our House, Nantucket” where she is the Executive Director. “Our House, Nantucket,” is a not-for-profit that provides a place for young adults in high school to spend time after school engaging in social, academic, and recreational interests. Pauline also serves as the chair of the Nantucket Public School Committee, a board she has been elected to for more than 10 years, and she also serves on the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Advisory Committee.

The NCH Board of Trustees welcomed four new members, including: Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH, MBA, Doug Karp, and Beth Tilney, and thanked outgoing Trustees Lisa Clarey-Lawler, Roberto Santamaria, and Cathy Ward.

May 29, 2024 – Patients and visitors to Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s Urgent Access clinic will notice several new prominent artwork pieces throughout the Anderson Building. This new artwork adds the finishing touches to the newly renovated and expanded Urgent Access clinic and was made possible with the support of Flowers on Chestnut and the Artists Association of Nantucket.

Two original oil paintings, “Nantucket Road” by Alison Smith and “Abstract #1” by David Lazarus, are on display in the waiting room thanks to a loan from the Artists Association of Nantucket, coordinated by Patty Keneally, President of the Board of Directors. “We are thrilled to loan these pieces to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and we hope they bring some level of comfort and joy to the patients who need to visit Urgent Access,” said Tracey Sears, Executive Director.

A striking element of NCH’s new Urgent Access space is a wall of nine nautical flags spelling NANTUCKET provided by Michael Molinar and the team at Flowers on Chestnut. Molinar and his colleague, Ferhat Yuseinov, also provided design advice and hung each piece throughout the waiting room, hallways, and exam rooms.
“I’d like to thank the Artists Association for these beautiful pieces, and Michael Molinar and his team for their ongoing aesthetic guidance to Nantucket Cottage Hospital,” commented NCH President, Amy Lee. “Michael has been a dedicated volunteer at Nantucket Cottage Hospital for decades and was instrumental in the design process of the new hospital.”

The Urgent Access clinic underwent an extensive renovation this Spring resulting in a much larger space to meet patient demand. Urgent Access is open daily in the Anderson Building at 57 Prospect Street and walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be scheduled through the Mass General Brigham Patient Gateway or by calling 508-825-1000.

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(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.

NCH is pleased to bring back our ACKs of LOVE initiative from February 14 through February 29, 2024 celebrating NCH staff with discounts and giveaways at local businesses. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, staff can take advantage of the following perks by showing a hospital-issued ID.

Staff – please log into Vitals to view the list of this year’s ACKs of LOVE participants.