September 6, 2022 – Amy E. Lee, MBA, MBHA, MJ, FACMPE, will assume the role of President of Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH) effective October 17. After a thorough and inclusive process endorsed by the NCH Board of Trustees, the search committee identified Amy as the ideal candidate to lead this exceptional community hospital into the future. With extensive healthcare experience and proven team-building skills, she will guide NCH’s vision while honoring its unique history and culture.

Amy currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President at Central Maine Medical Group/Central Maine Healthcare, where she is recognized for her leadership abilities and strategic vision, as well as her role as a mentor. Prior to her current role, Amy served as Vice President for Primary Care, Medical Specialties, Physician Residency Programs & Patient Contact Center at Carle Foundation Hospital, a 433-bed hospital in Urbana, Illinois.

Amy earned her Master of Jurisprudence [MJ] in Health Law from Loyola University in Chicago. Additionally, she earned both a Master of Business Administration [MBA] and a Master of Health Care Administration [MBHA] from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Amy also holds multiple professional certifications and has been active on numerous boards.

On Wednesday, August 24th, 2022, Board of Trustees Chair, Craig Muhlhauser, welcomed members of the community to Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s 111th Annual Meeting at The Nantucket Hotel. This was the first in-person NCH Annual Meeting since the summer of 2019. In his remarks Mr. Muhlhauser described a vision for the post COVID-19 future of the hospital that includes an emphasis on community engagement and talent development. Jeanette Ives-Erickson, RN, DNP, Interim President, also spoke about the team and shared excerpts of positive feedback from the public. The Annual Meeting was the first opportunity for many in the community to meet Dr. Barbara Malone since she was named Chief Medical Officer at NCH. Dr. Malone spoke about the record volume that NCH has seen this summer and the adjustments that have enabled the hospital to handle it. The Annual Meeting marked the end of board terms for trustees Stephen Karp and Sally Mason Boemer. Tim Mullen and Betsy Wright were named as new board members and previous trustee Jeanine Borthwick, who co-chaired the capital campaign for the new building, will rejoin the board.

A highlight of every Annual Meeting is the recognition of community members who have had a positive impact on the hospital and the heath of the community. This year NCH presented two Sandy Craig Leadership Awards. The award this year went to retiring Fire Chief Stephen Murphy and to outgoing NCH trustee Stephen Karp. The 2022 Myrt Eldridge Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jeanine Borthwick who architected the “Acks of Love” employee appreciation program in early 2022. The Phil Murray Business Award was presented to Hy-Line Cruises who transported over 50,000 COVID-19 test samples to the mainland free of charge over the course of the pandemic. The Bruce A. Percelay Philanthropy Award was presented to Kim and Alan Hartman who co-chaired the NCH Annual Fund for the past two years. This year’s Seinfeld/Hartmann Prize for Compassionate Care winner is Bonnie Fitz-Gibbon, the Palliative Care Counselor at PASCON.

 August 10, 2022 – Today, the American Academy of Nursing announced that Jeanette Ives Erickson RN, DNP, NEA-BC, FAAN is a recipient of its Living Legend Award.

The Living Legend designation from the American Academy of Nursing is bestowed upon a very small number of nurses in recognition of the multiple contributions these individuals have made to the nursing profession and to society. Moreover, this award recognizes the continuing impact of these contributions on the accessibility of health care services in the United States and throughout the world.

“Nursing is the journey of a lifetime, and I am humbled to receive this recognition. I started my career as a critical care nurse, and I had the great honor of serving as Chief Nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. Today, I am fortunate to be back with the Nantucket community,” said Ives Erickson. “Nurses have the opportunity to influence almost every aspect of health care, from restoring patients back to health, being an educator, researcher, mentor, or policy maker. I have worked with so many nurses who I have incredible respect for, including the nurse leaders who nominated me for this recognition, and they are all living legends in their own right.”

Each Living Legend must be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) for at least 15 years. While over 2,000 nurses have achieved the FAAN designation, only a few dozen have been named Living Legends since the inception of the award in 1995.

“Nantucket is instilled with hardworking people who deserve to have the best health care available to them right here at home,” said Ives Erickson. “Knowing how wonderful and dedicated the people here are made coming out of retirement easy. When I look at who else has been recognized as a living legend, they are icons in nursing. Even with this award, it’s hard to see myself as anything but just a local girl, here to support my community.”

Ives Erickson is Chief Nurse Emerita at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and a Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions. While she had planned to officially retire, in March of this year Ives Erickson came out of retirement to accept the position as Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s interim president and CEO. For Ives Erickson, it will mark her second stint in this position. She previously served in that role for six months following the departure of Margot Hartmann in August 2019.

“Throughout her career, Jeanette has made countless, extraordinary contributions to the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, including serving as a role model for so many of us. Her compassion, caring attitude, self-sacrifice and focus on providing quality care for everyone is exemplary. The impact and legacy she has on this island and with the Hospital and Community will be everlasting. Jeanette is so very well deserving of this recognition, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate her in this manner,” says Craig Muhlhauser, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Nantucket Cottage Hospital. (more…)

At Nantucket Cottage Hospital, over 100 nurses provide high-quality, compassionate care to keep our island healthy. Their skills and expertise are here for you and your family when you need them.

(February 11, 2022) – Nantucket Cottage Hospital is pleased to announce “ACKs of LOVE,” a two-week community initiative, starting Monday, February 14th, to recognize the immense sacrifice and dedication of hospital staff throughout the pandemic by local businesses and grateful members of our community.

The initiative, fully funded by a small group of anonymous donors, will feature 18 local businesses offering special deals to hospital staff, ranging from free yoga classes and coffee to steep discounts on clothing and massages.

“There has been an overwhelming sense of support for Nantucket Cottage Hospital from the local community”, said Jeanine Borthwick, longtime hospital volunteer and the driving force behind ACKs of LOVE. “We regularly hear and share stories about how well patients and families are treated at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and how grateful everyone is to have this incredible facility filled with top notch professionals. We want to make sure that this gratitude makes its way back to the team at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. This initiative is meant to show our thanks in a tangible way and boost morale for a group of people who have sacrificed so much for our island’s health.”

Throughout the pandemic, the staff at Nantucket Cottage Hospital has been credited with preforming over 51,000 COVID-19 tests, administering over 21,000 COVID-19 vaccinations, and caring for over 400 COVID-19 patients.

“Nantucketers take care of each other, and this is just another example of the unique generous spirit of our island. We are grateful for our dedicated hospital workers as well as the big-hearted local business partners who are supporting ACKs of LOVE,” said Borthwick. “A special thank you to the business owners who are such vital and generous community members – this is Nantucket unity and care at its best,” said Cara McCaffrey, a dedicated volunteer who helped to coordinate ACKs of LOVE.

Thank you to the following businesses for participating in ACKs of LOVE.
Staff: please check your work email for details of each offer. 

• 1111 Nantucket
• The Beet
• Corner Table Cafe
• Dharma Yoga Nantucket
• Erica Wilson
• Erin Hielle
• The Hub
• Flowers on Chestnut
• Fusaro’s Homemade Italian
• Island Kitchen
• Lavender Farm Wellness
• Marine Home Center
• Mitchell’s Book Corner
• The Nantucket Bake Shop
• Nantucket Tap Room
• Nantucket Looms
• Roastd General Store
• Supta Yoga Nantucket