(March 24, 2020) Nantucket Cottage Hospital has received confirmation of a positive case of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the island, the second confirmed case for Nantucket. The patient is isolated at home and monitoring their symptoms with our clinicians.

The patient was screened at Nantucket Cottage Hospital on Saturday, March 21, and the test result was reported positive early Tuesday morning, March 24.

The patient will remain quarantined at home while we monitor their symptoms, and NCH together with the Town of Nantucket Health Department has initiated the process of tracing the patient’s contact with other individuals as well as NCH staff. No further patient details will be shared by NCH.

“We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this virus in the community, so we continue to urge Nantucket residents to follow all aspects of the town’s stay at home order, practice social distancing, limit trips to the grocery store, as well as vigilant hand-washing and hygiene measures,” said Gary Shaw, President and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “The actions all of us take now and in the days and weeks ahead will determine whether we are able to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our island and avoid a surge of cases that could overwhelm our hospital. Our team at NCH is doing everything we can to care for our island during this challenging time, but we will need the help and support of every member of our community to limit the potential spread of this virus.”

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is calling on active or retired physicians to sign up to be part of a reserve staff if the need arises during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

If you are a retired or active physician and are currently on-island, please let us know if you are willing to help NCH if called upon. We are able to do emergency credentialing and licensing as the state of Massachusetts has relaxed the rules around this process.

Please contact us at 508-825-8118 or e-mail sarhodes@partners.org if you are willing be part of our reserve staff during this challenging time. Thank you.

We are welcoming donations of homemade fabric masks from our community as we continue our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most hospitals are facing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) right now, and other medical facilities have put out similar calls for help in recent days.

According to the CDC, fabric masks are a crisis response option when other supplies have been exhausted. We have implemented stringent conservation measures to sustain our existing supply of PPE and currently have adequate supplies, but want to mobilize the support of our community now to prevent any possibility of running low or running out. Donations can be made daily at the NCH loading dock, behind the hospital off Vesper Lane, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

(March 22, 2020) Nantucket Cottage Hospital has received confirmation of the first positive case of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the island. The patient is isolated at home and monitoring their symptoms with our clinicians.

The patient was screened at Nantucket Cottage Hospital on Friday, March 20, and the test result was reported positive on Sunday, March 22, less than 48 hours later.

The patient will remain quarantined at home while we monitor their symptoms, and NCH together with the Town of Nantucket Health Department has initiated the process of tracing the patient’s contact with other individuals as well as NCH staff. Due to HIPAA regulations no further patient details will be shared by NCH.

“Nantucket Cottage Hospital is taking every necessary precaution to keep our patients and the island community safe,” said Gary Shaw, President and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “We ask that community members continue to educate themselves about this unfolding situation, take it extremely seriously, and abide by all necessary safety measures including staying home, social distancing, hand-washing, and hygiene. We continue to urge all Nantucket residents to act with an abundance of caution, and stay home whenever possible to limit the spread of this virus. Our team at NCH is doing everything we can to care for our island during this challenging time, but we will need the help and support of every member of our community to limit the potential spread of this virus.”

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, sore throat, coughing, muscle aches, and shortness of breath, please call ahead to NCH to receive instructions about how to arrive.  The drive-through evaluation site at the main entrance of Nantucket Cottage Hospital is open daily, and this service is intended for patients experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. It is not a voluntary testing site, and if you are well, please do not come and ask to be tested. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.

Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Nantucket Cottage Hospital are urging residents and visitors of the islands to consider the limitations of our critical access hospitals during this unprecedented time of pandemic. For your safety and to save lives, we strongly advise you to STAY AT HOME. The perception that the Islands are a safe haven is not realistic given the limited number of personnel, critical supplies and beds. Our system will not be able to handle the large number of infected patients from rapid community spread which is expected. For your safety and to ensure the safety of our medical personnel on the front line we need you to do the following:

• We are asking you to stay at home
• For those Island residents, only travel for the absolute necessities, such as food or prescriptions
• If you come to the Island – you will only strain our limited resources, putting your life and others at risk
• If you have a summer home here – we are asking you to stay at your home residence –we have limited bed capacity (25 at MVH and 14 at NCH) and that is already strained
• We have limited medical resources here on the Islands and they are dwindling rapidly
• We will not have enough staff to care for you or your loved ones
• Our hospitals are virtually locked down to prevent the flow of people through the facility
• We must act now – to prevent any further spread

Denise Schepici, MPH, President & CEO, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Gary Shaw, FACHE, President & CEO, Nantucket Cottage Hospital