Caitlin O’Hearn Kaplan, PA-C, has joined the Nantucket Cottage Hospital medical staff as a full-time physician assistant who will support the Walk-In Care service and primary care practices.

Kaplan, who previously worked at Nantucket Cottage Hospital as an emergency room technician, has returned to the island after completing additional education and clinical training through Northeastern University and serving as a physician assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In addition to her familiarity with Nantucket patients through the NCH Emergency Department, Kaplan has also worked with island physician Tim Lepore and the Yale Medical School on three separate studies on tick-borne diseases.

“I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to return to the place where I started my medical career,” Kaplan said. “I love my island community!”

Physician assistants are an important part of the NCH medical team who are trained and qualified to diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, and prescribe medications.

As a member of the Nantucket Cottage Medical Group, Kaplan will support the hospital’s Walk-In Care service and the primary care group practice that includes Drs. Kristy Acosta, Derek Andelloux, George Butterworth, Joel Hass, Mimi Koehm, and Diane Pearl.

Kaplan received her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Northeastern University, and is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.