In April 2015, Jeannie Critchley was coming to the end of another school year and looking ahead to summer on Nantucket. But Critchley, who has been a teacher at Nantucket Elementary School for nearly 30 years, was about to receive some health news that would change her life.

After a routine mammogram at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and follow-up tests, Critchley was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. After the initial shock and deluge of information about her condition, Critchley and her physicians agreed on a plan that included two surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation.

It was daunting to say the least. “The fear factor, the worry, and wondering what will this be like, it was pretty intense,” Critchley said. “I had ideas in my head from TV and movies about what it would be like, and it was really intimidating and scary.” After a gauntlet of surgery and radiation over the following year, Critchley was relieved to discover that she could do her chemotherapy and many of her oncology consults right here on the island thanks to Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s partnership with the Mass General Cancer Center.

“I had been thinking about the travel, the time, and the physical toll it takes to go back and forth with the boat ride and traffic and the whole thing,” she said. “So that was the best piece of information, that I would be able to do my treatment here.” (more…)

Donning hard hats and carrying shovels, the Nantucket Cottage Hospital community came together on Saturday, July 1^st for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the island’s new hospital.

Hospital staff, Trustees, donors, and community members gathered at the construction site in the shadow of the current 1957 hospital to celebrate what will become one of the finest new community hospitals in the country. The ceremony represented an historic milestone for both Nantucket Cottage Hospital, as well as the island community at large. (more…)

Nurses and the island community are invited to attend this lecture on our Baby Friendly initiative on Friday, June 9!

(May 26, 2017) Nantucket Cottage Hospital announced today that Joel J. Hass, MD, will join the hospital’s medical staff as a full-time, year-round primary care physician in June 2017.

Dr. Hass, who signed a five-year commitment with the hospital and has purchased a home on the island, will open his practice at Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s office at 4 Bartlett Road in late June before eventually moving into the new hospital building when it is completed in 2018. His practice will be open to new patients of all ages, and Dr. Hass is looking forward to welcoming families and seeing island pediatric patients for their ongoing medical care.

“As the complexity of healthcare continues to grow and access to primary care continues to burden Nantucket, I am eager to do my part to help island residents get the care they need,” said Dr. Hass.  “A healthy partnership between patient and physician will allow patients to gain the most out of the healthcare system. I believe my 25 years of experience practicing medicine will help me to serve the needs of this great island.”

Dr. Hass will join the primary care group practice at Nantucket Cottage Hospital that includes Drs. Kristy Acosta, George Butterworth, Mimi Koehm, and Diane Pearl. His hiring demonstrates Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s continuing efforts to provide the island community with a full complement of physicians of varying specialties, and options for primary care.

“Dr. Hass shares our commitment to meeting the primary care needs of the island and we hope the community will join the hospital in giving him a warm welcome to Nantucket,” said Dr. Margot Hartmann, President and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “His background in successful family medicine practices and familiarity with the Cape and Islands area make him a good fit for our community, at a time when the Nantucket population continues to grow and the need for primary care has never been greater.”

Dr. Hass was previously affiliated with the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and most recently operated Hass Family Medicine in Sandwich, Mass. He is fully certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, and is a graduate of the Chicago Medical School.

To establish a primary care relationship with Dr. Hass, patients should call 508-825-0142 starting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 5th. You may also register as a patient of Dr. Hass’ by clicking here. 

Dr. Hass is also hosting informal meet-and-greet sessions across the island for patients who wish to meet him in-person.

• Monday, June 5 from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. at the Handlebar Cafe, 15 Washington Street
• Tuesday, June 6 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Faregrounds Restaurant, 27 Fairgrounds Road
• Wednesday, June 7 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Cafe, 57 Prospect Street
• Thursday, June 8 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Saltmarsh Senior Center, 81 Washington Street

Nantucket Cottage Hospital has implemented a new single, integrated electronic medical record system that will improve patient care, communication, and coordination, as well as the sharing of health information among authorized caregivers across the Partners Healthcare network.

The new system, known as Partners eCare, will provide patients with safer, higher-quality care, and a better overall experience. The Partners eCare guiding principle is “one patient, one record, one team, one Partners statement” enabling a seamless flow of clinical and administrative information about a patient anywhere within the Partners system. (more…)