Nantucket Cottage Hospital Names Jess Douglas As 2025 Seinfeld Hartmann Prize Recipient

The Nantucket Cottage Hospital announced Friday afternoon that Jess Douglas, RN is their annual recipient of the Seinfeld Hartmann Prize for Compassionate Medical Care. Douglas’ nomination was submitted by current and former students in the School-to-Career program.

The Compassionate Care Prize was co-founded by Judy Seinfeld and Margot Hartmann in 2016 to honor a staff member who has demonstrated exceptional compassion and care throughout their career.

"This Prize reminds us, as an organization, that remaining true to our mission has never been more important," NCH President Amy Lee said. "We are navigating a healthcare landscape that is both incredibly dynamic and increasingly demanding. Across the country, we are seeing a shortage of skilled healthcare workers, rising complexity of care, and mounting financial pressures. And yet alongside those challenges, we’re also witnessing remarkable ways that healthcare staff continue to connect with patients to provide quality and compassionate care, every day. We are grateful that Judy and Margot had a vision to ensure that compassion remains a treasured value at our hospital."

Douglas not only serves as a Labor and Delivery nurse at NCH, but she also spearheads the School-to-Career Nursing Pathway program with Nantucket High School. Under her leadership, student enrollment has doubled, and there is already a waiting list for the upcoming academic year.

Nominees for this year’s prize include: Ugne Aleknaite, Juliana Babirye, Allyson Bold, Diane Cabral, Jo Costakes, Jess Douglas, Molly Harding, Dr. Tim Lepore, Katie Pickman, and Meghan Tormay.