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IN THIS ISSUE
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 A MESSAGE FROM DR. MARGOT HARTMANN, NCH President & CEO |
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To the Nantucket Community,
I've promised I would keep you informed about our campaign to build a new hospital and I'm pleased to provide an exciting update.
For more than a year, the hospital has explored the relocation to Wyer's Valley, a process that has raised many thoughtful questions and concerns.
In response to feedback received from the public and the Board of Selectman, the NCH Board of Trustees voted unanimously last Friday to reconsider using its existing site at 57 Prospect Street for a new facility. The hospital will pursue the use of a portion of contiguous town-owned property located at 47 Prospect Street to provide the additional space needed for a new hospital. If approved, the use of this land would allow us to incorporate additional land into our existing site at 57 Prospect Street to create one continuously connected site.
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The 47 Prospect Street land is a portion of approximately twenty-one acres of existing town-owned land in this area. The proposal would call for the Town to retain two-thirds of open public land, including the popular sledding area known as Dead Horse Valley, all of which would remain as public open space.
We are also pleased to have received the following statement from Board of Selectmen chairman Rick Atherton: "A new hospital is critical in serving the needs of Nantucketers. The board feels strongly that combining a portion of town-owned land at 47 Prospect Street with existing hospital land is clearly a viable option to meet the island's long-term medical needs. Based on the public input we've received to date, we think that many citizens agree. We look forward to continuing a dialogue with the public to further consider the details of this alternative."
This is clearly a significant change from our previous plan to relocate to Wyer's Valley, and a decision which we did not arrive at lightly. While Wyer's Valley had emerged as our preferred site for a new building for a host of reasons, not the least of which was its central location and access, we also heard a number of concerns and reservations from the community about the proposed plan.
We have always felt that the new hospital should be a unifying project, something the community comes together to build, the same way it did back in the early 1950s. It should not be divisive or controversial.
So in light of the feedback we received from the community and the Board of Selectmen regarding this alternative, both the board and I believe we must consider this new opportunity.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will be presenting new plans to the community, providing more information, listening to feedback, and answering questions.
Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to secure the future of health care on Nantucket. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions. My door is always open to you.
Margot Hartmann, MD, PhD
President & CEO
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Make a gift today to support the
future of health care on Nantucket.
to learn more and contribute.
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PATIENT PORTAL
VIEW A SUMMARY OF YOUR HOSPITAL VISIT ONLINE
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The Nantucket Cottage Hospital Patient Portal is an online health management tool that allows patients to view a summary of their hospital visit. This record includes a view of clinical data from patients' electronic medical record during their stay at Nantucket Cottage Hospital.
To register now for access to the NCH Patient Portal, please download and print the consent form and return it at the outpatient registration area at the hospital.
Some of the information patients will find in the portal includes:
- Allergies
- Immunizations
- Active and inactive medication
- Procedures completed
- Existing or developing medical conditions
- Certain test results
For more information about the Patient Portal, click here.
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EBOLA PREPAREDNESS
IMPLEMENTING SAFETY PROTOCOLS
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With the largest Ebola epidemic on record happening in West Africa and the first confirmed cases of the disease in the United States diagnosed in Texas and New York, Nantucket Cottage Hospital has prepared its staff, facilities and equipment, and established protocols in the event a suspected case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is identified on the island.
Numerous hospital departments and employees have been involved in this effort to ensure the safety of the public and NCH medical staff. The hospital has been in close contact with state and federal health officials, as well as Massachusetts General Hospital, Partners HealthCare, and other state medical centers. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of EVD in Massachusetts.
During the last week of October, NCH staff members participated in the hospital's Ebola/Infection Control Skills Training workshop to prepare for a potential case of Ebola on Nantucket. Our doctors and caregivers are staying up to speed with the latest guidelines and best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and practicing the donning and doffing of personal protective equipment.
Read more about our preparedness efforts here.
Martha Lake-Greenfield, RN, facilitates Nantucket Cottage Hospital's
Ebola preparedness education
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THE NCH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
ALWAYS READY
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Nancy Serafini was enjoying a beautiful autumn day on Nantucket with a ride on the Madaket bike path in late September when she rounded a corner too quickly and fell off her bicycle.
"I picked myself up and looked down in horror at the back of my left calf," she recalled.
The fall had left Serafini with a deep laceration on her leg. Within 20 minutes, she arrived at Nantucket Cottage Hospital's Emergency Department seeking immediate care for her wound.
"I was immediately seen by an intake nurse and was quickly taken to a private room in the ER and the kindest, gentlest doctor (Glen J. Sickorez, MD) introduced himself by his first name," Serafini said. "He assured me at once that I had not severed my Achilles tendon as I feared. He was extremely honest in his assessment of my leg and kept us informed every step of the way while he cleaned and sutured the wound."
Dr. Sickorez informed Serafini that she was in for a long recovery, and he outlined a recovery plan that included several X-rays and a stint on crutches.
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Nancy Serafini, right, visited Cuba with her leg still bandaged
shortly after her accident on Nantucket.
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Serafini was sent to the NCH Imaging Services Department where "I met (radiologic technologist) Tanya (Van Treek) who without a doubt in my mind was the kindest, most caring and capable radiological technician I have ever encountered. She was fast, efficient and above all, so careful not to inflict any more pain that I was already suffering from."
Serafini, an interior designer who splits her time between Nantucket and Boston, said her experience at Nantucket Cottage Hospital's Emergency Department was memorable, and gave her confidence to continue living and working on the island.
"My wounds will heal but I will never forget the kindness of strangers who assured my eventual return to health," she said. "The nurses were terrific and provided me with a divine pair of surgical scrubs for the ride home. My true compliments to the superb staff at Nantucket Cottage Hospital with my whole family's gratitude and relief."
The Nantucket Cottage Hospital Emergency Department is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and treats more than 11,000 patients annually.
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CELEBRATING PASCON'S COMMITMENT
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL PALLIATIVE & SUPPORTIVE CARE MONTH
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November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the importance of quality care for hospital patients and families. At Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket (PASCON), is a specialized health care program that provides physical, emotional, social and spiritual care to people facing any stage of a life-threatening illness, as well as support for their families. Island patients are provided with compassionate and skillfull care by PASCON's interdisciplinary team, under the direction of the patient's physician, as well as bereavement care for the family for a year when a patient dies.
Tree of Remembrance Service
Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Each year, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, PASCON hosts its Annual Tree of Remembrance Service. Gathering at the memorial tree, donated by the Stout Family, in the garden of the Jared Coffin House, community members come together to remember loved ones who've died, and add ornaments with their names to the Tree of Remembrance. Learn more about the ceremony here.
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NCH TURNS 103!
NOVEMBER 17, 2014
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On November 17, 1911, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legally established Nantucket Cottage Hospital as a corporation. Conceived by the visions of Dr. John Grouard and Dr. Benjamin Sharp, Nantucket Cottage Hospital was initially located in three cottages in downtown Nantucket. The hospital expanded to its current location on Prospect Street in 1957.
Photo: The original hospital, located in three cottages on West Chester Street.
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BENEFIT NIGHT AT THE SEAGRILLE
NOVEMBER 13, 2014
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On Thursday, November 13, The SeaGrille will donate 10% of all dinner sales to Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Join us between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm to help support the hospital. Thank you to the SeaGrille for supporting so many community organizations throughout the year.
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- TAKE A TOUR: See first-hand why it's time to build a new health care facility for the island. Join our staff every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. for a tour of our building. You'll get a look into how the hospital currently operates, visit patient rooms and see our equipment. This is also a chance to ask questions about the old building, and what a new facility will mean for our patients. Call the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation at 508-825-8250 to reserve a spot in our next tour.
- HOSPITAL THRIFT SHOP: Open for donations on Saturday, November 8th and Saturday, November 15th from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
- SUPPORT THE NCH FUND: The NCH Fund provides the annual support our island hospital needs to advance the health and wellbeing of all Nantucketers. Click here to donate or mail checks to 57 Prospect Street, payable to Nantucket Cottage Hospital.
- WHY WE NEED A NEW HOSPITAL: Do you have questions about why we need a new hospital on Nantucket? Visit nantuckethospital.org/newbuilding to learn why a new health care facility will benefit the community.
STAY CONNECTED
We'd love to hear from you and get your opinions.
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This newsletter is produced by the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation
57 Prospect Street | Nantucket, MA 02554 | 508-825-8250
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