December 22, 2022 – Nantucket Cottage Hospital has been recognized with two 2022 Performance Leadership Awards for excellence in Outcomes and Patient Perspectives.

Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (e.g., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals.

“Nantucket Cottage Hospital takes pride in improving the health and wellness of our patients – and responding to their feedback,” said Amy E. Lee, President of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “I am immensely proud of our staff, who have an unwavering commitment to treating members of our community with both excellence and compassion.”

The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is trusted and relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

Now in its 12th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance.

“Although the last two years have placed unprecedented pressure on the rural health safety net, the dedication to serving the community that we’re so accustomed to seeing from rural hospitals across the country hasn’t wavered,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader of The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

To view this year’s award winners, visit: https://www.chartis.com/top-performing-rural-hospitals

December 5, 2022 – Crews began site work today to prepare for the construction of three new workforce houses for NCH. The houses are being built on a newly created lot at 60 Meadowview Drive.

The lot was created from an existing lot that the hospital received in an estate gift from island native James R. Dennis. Mr. Dennis gifted the original property to NCH as a Life Estate in 2002. The hospital in turn rented the existing three-unit property from Mr. Dennis from 2002 until his passing in 2018, providing him income from the property during his lifetime.

The new homes, which include a total of 8 bedrooms and 8 baths, are being manufactured off-island by Dreamline Modular Homes of Nantucket and they are expected to be installed and complete by the late spring of 2023. The three new homes are in addition to two newly constructed 6 bedroom duplexes the hospital acquired in March of this year, totaling an additional 20 bedrooms and baths in 7 units added to the hospital’s owned housing inventory in 2022 and 2023.

Photo below: Groundbreaking ceremony at Meadowiew Drive; Chris Glowacki, Chief Development Officer, Jim Cleary, Manager of Housing and Environmental Services, Amy Lee, President and Craig Muhlhauser, Chair of the Board of Trustees

(November 8, 2022) Capping off its 93rd year in business, the Hospital Thrift Shop set a new record by making its largest ever annual gift to NCH after the close of the 2022 season. The Shop presented a check totaling $600,000 to NCH, which is earmarked to fund the purchase of a new MRI machine.

“Our new MRI will enhance patient care at NCH by providing shorter scan times, a bigger entry to help with claustrophobia, and a much more quiet, relaxed scan experience. New procedures will also be added, including MRI breast imaging to aid in the early detection of breast cancer,” said Dr. C. Rumph, the Director of Imaging at NCH.

The Thrift Shop has now donated over $6.9 million to Nantucket Cottage Hospital since 1929. Thank you to everyone involved in the Thrift Shop’s success this season!

The Hospital Thrift Shop sells merchandise donated by island residents and visitors – anything from used books to furniture to artwork and everything in between – from mid-May through mid-October and operates as a separate non-profit organization. Thanks to a small staff, a dedicated team of volunteers and its Board of Directors, The Thrift Shop remains a favorite for island residents and visitors both in terms of donations toward a worthy cause and as a shopping destination.

(October 25, 2022) The open enrollment period for the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state-based health insurance marketplace, begins November 1, 2022 and runs through January 23, 2023. During this time, individuals and families can change their current plan to best meet their needs, and those who are uninsured can shop for and enroll in one of the plans offered through the Health Connector. NCH is available for assistance with open enrollment. Please call 508-825-8196 to schedule an appointment, or call the Health Connector directly at 877-623-6765.

You may also visit the Health Connector website, MAhealthconnector.org to learn more.

(October 17, 2022) NCH is offering phone consultations for Open Enrollment Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) assistance. Please call 508-825-8196 to schedule an appointment between October 17th and December 7th.

Additional assistance is available from the SHINE Program, a State Health Insurance Program that provides free, one-on-one health insurance information, counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries of all ages. Both in-person and phone appointments are available through SHINE by calling 508-375-6762. You can also email SHINE@barnstablecounty.org.

The SHINE Program can assist with questions about any of the following:

• Medicare
• Medicare Advantage Plans (Medicare HMOs, PPOs)
• Insurance Claim Forms
• Medicare Supplements (“Medigap”)
• Medicaid/MassHealth
• Prescription Advantage
• Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
• One Care Plans
• Health Insurance Options
• Prescription Drug Options
• Long-Term Care Insurance

Some of the services that SHINE counselors provide include:

• Reviewing your current coverage
• Reviewing your eligibility for financial assistance
• Providing health insurance plan comparisons
• Helping prepare health benefit claim forms and applications

Patients can consult with a SHINE counselor by phone or request that they visit you at home. Counselors are volunteers trained through the SHINE Program.