Chris Perry Column: She's The Heart And Soul Of The Hospital

While many in the Nantucket community were celebrating the 29th annual Boston Pops concert on Saturday night, another celebration has been taking place within the walls of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital since May, honoring a milestone that’s deserving of its own fireworks display.

Interestingly enough, there was no heroic deed that triggered this honor. There was no medical miracle that thrust one of the hospital’s own into the limelight, or a lab discovery that elevated this person to islandwide notoriety. Instead, there has been a daily dose of random acts of kindness and warmth that has been her calling card for the past 40 years, sincerely dispensed to anyone who walks through the front door.

While the hospital’s ID badge might identify her as “Geraldine Amparo: Reception,” everyone simply knows her as “Gerri.”

“Gerri is the heart and soul of the hospital. She’s the first person you meet when you walk in the door. She’s always happy, upbeat, and willing to help,” said Tibby Allen, a long-time volunteer and friend of Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

“She runs this place,” said NCH nurse Saadia Lewis. “She makes everyone feel comfortable whether you are a visitor, a patient, a doctor, or visiting staff. I have worked here for 10 years and generally work the night shift, so I see Gerri in the morning when I am leaving. As I walk out the door, I can’t help but smile because she always says, ‘Go get some sleep, honey’.”

“When I first walked through the front doors of NCH 15 years ago looking for a job, she was the very first person I met,” said Amanda Bidlack, the hospital’s patient access manager. “I still remember how warm and welcoming she was. Gerri immediately made me feel at home and that first impression has stayed with me ever since. She truly embodies the spirit of NCH, and her 40 years of service have left a lasting impact on this community”.

Gerri is proud of her work and even more proud of the hospital.

“I was born in what I call Nantucket’s ‘first hospital’ on West Chester Street in 1951. Then, I started working in the ‘second hospital’ in 1986 and moved into the ‘third hospital’ when it opened in 2019 as the front desk receptionist,” recalled Gerri, reminiscing about her 40 years at all three Nantucket Cottage Hospitals.

“It seems like a lifetime ago when I first started as a certified home health aide and nursing clerk and it wasn’t until ’89 that I moved into the receptionist position. I just love to help people and the job was a perfect fit for me,” Gerri said.

Throughout the time we spent together at her command post inside the hospital’s front door, it was hard to have a running conversation as a parade of patients, staff, “family” and fans couldn’t resist an instinctive pause to check in with Gerri at her desk.

Despite these interruptions, it was equally difficult to get Gerri off her game. Knowing that she must see it all and hear it all, I asked Gerri about any highs or lows, but she stayed in her lane. To her credit, she was more focused on the job at hand, the people she has met, and the relationships that she has forged spanning decades.

“Certainly, the hospital is bigger with far more departments now. You’d be surprised how many different services we offer. At the end of the day, we try and help each other. There are so many nice individuals who work at NCH, and it truly is about the people and the Nantucket community,” offered Nantucket’s most popular gate-keeper.

“I love my job, but to be honest with you, family and friends are most dear to me. I have lived a quiet life on Nantucket and have settled in nicely in a house on Boynton Lane thanks to Curtis Barnes. But, Nantucket has been very good to me,” said a member of Nantucket High School’s graduating class of 1969.

“Besides family gatherings, I still make a point of getting together with my friends and I know many classmates from Nantucket High are still on the island, such as Nancy Lamb, Shelley Lamb, Yvette St. Jean, Bob King, Lloyd Arnold, Patsy Cody, Genevieve Harman, and Father Kevin Cody from St. Mary’s Church,” she said.

As I was about to ask Gerri about the Boston Pops, Keri Trattel from the physical therapy department stopped by and offered, “Gerri is a beautiful, warm individual and helpful to all.”

Then it was Jim Cleary, NCH’s environmental services and housing director who is known islandwide for his steadfast dedication to walking the 2.2 miles to work every day, who couldn’t resist and chimed in, “I affectionately call her ‘Jerry Garcia.’ I see her every day - a fixture at the front desk - and always smiling.”

Randi Wight, who has volunteered for over 20 years at NCH, strolled by and said, “I have learned more from Gerri than anyone else… there’s only one Gerri.”

Before trying to get back to the subject of the Boston Pops, Erica Nahmad, who had a golden retriever service dog (Monty) in tow, offered, “We are here a couple of times a week with our service dogs to sit with patients. Gerri is the heart and soul of this hospital…”

Finally, there was a break in the action, and I returned to the topic of the Pops, and I asked her about the annual event.

“Two things come to mind,” she said. “The first is my time volunteering with Anne Balas, Ginny Carey and Tibby Allen back in the day when we would pass out all the stuff the morning of the Pops. It was always great fun. The second was an invitation by former hospital president, Dr. Margot Hartman, who asked me to sit with her. It was a great honor.”

“Any other honors?” I asked, thinking I would get a juicy hospital tidbit or community prize.

“Actually, there was one. I was the last person on the cover of Debbie Anderson’s last local phone book, and that was kinda neat,” she said.

Just then, compliance manager Jenn Monto, who had been listening to our conversation, leaned in with a wry smile and said, “I can’t believe they haven’t fired her yet,” Monto said. “Seriously, I have known Gerri for about 20 years, including a time when I was traveling back and forth from Martha’s Vineyard. She goes out of her way to to be helpful. Gerri knows everyone and treats them with admiration and respect. She is a Nantucket native and has institutional knowledge. In this small community, people rally around her, and she is loved by all.”

Rallying around her is what the Nantucket community did when Gerri had a serious medical scare a few months ago.

“I was feeling pressure in my chest, and ultimately I had a stent put in up at Lahey Hospital in Burlington,” she said. “I missed about 30 days, but I am back and feeling much better.”

As they say, behind every successful hospital, there’s a successful woman, and Gerri certainly fits the bill. Success comes in many forms, and in a hospital setting, Gerri’s success at putting people at ease and sending them in the right direction with a supportive smile is a unique quality unto itself.

However, for Gerri, I don’t think she fully understood her role and how impactful it can be until recently, when she had a chance encounter with author Elin Hilderbrand at Stop & Shop that helped put things into perspective.

“One day, I was shopping for groceries at Stop & Shop and I saw Elin Hilderbrand right in front of me. I am a huge fan and wanted to say hello but I was a little embarrassed and did not know what to say. So, I snuck up behind her - tap her on the shoulder - and said, ‘Hi, I’m…’”

“Before I could finish my sentence, Elin said, ‘Hi, Gerri! I know who you are. Everyone knows who you are’.”

Gerri: On behalf of everyone who has had the opportunity to meet you, be it at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital or Stop & Shop, thank you and congrats on 40 years!