Hospital begins alliance with Mass. General
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
The long-discussed affiliation between Nantucket Cottage Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital became official last Thursday following approval of necessary licensure by the state Department of Public Health.

The formal relationship was announced the same day that MGH and Martha's Vineyard Hospital also became affiliates, connecting the two island hospitals with the major, 902-bed Boston healthcare organization. The arrangement, which included a $5 million capital projects payment to the local hospital, is expected to save Nantucket Cottage Hospital money and enhance clinical care for both Nantucket residents and MGH patients who vacation on the island.

"To us, it benefits the health care system overall with a more integrated delivery system," said Sally Mason Boemer, Senior Vice-president for Finance at MGH, who will sit on the island hospital's board of trustees as part of the arrangement. "Some of Massachusetts General Hospital's patients have homes or summer on Nantucket, and it is not uncommon for those patients who need a higher level of care to be transferred to our hospital.