More Than a Swim: Bringing Cancer Care Home

To the editor: On behalf of Nantucket Cottage Hospital, I extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who makes Swim Across America Nantucket possible. To the swimmers, donors, volunteers, sponsors, organizers, families, and friends who come together each year: thank you.

Your generosity directly strengthens the cancer care available at the Swim Across America Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. It supports a program built around an extraordinarily talented team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, and support staff who bring exceptional clinical expertise and remarkable compassion to every patient they serve.

The strength of our program is not found only in the treatments we provide, but in the people providing them. Our team understands that cancer care is deeply personal. They take the time to know their patients, anticipate their needs, ease their fears, and ensure that every person who enters the infusion center feels safe, supported, and genuinely cared for.

Through our partnership with the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, patients receive chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other important treatments and appointments here on Nantucket while remaining connected to their broader oncology care team.

For year-round residents, receiving treatment on-island means avoiding the physical and emotional strain of traveling while managing a serious illness. It allows patients to return home after treatment to familiar surroundings, family, and friends.

The program is equally meaningful for seasonal residents and visitors. Sometimes a patient may receive only one treatment with us. But that single treatment can allow someone to remain on Nantucket, continue a family tradition, or spend precious time in a place they love. During that visit, they receive the same skilled, thoughtful, and compassionate care that defines our team.

Swim Across America does far more than raise funds. It strengthens an outstanding clinical program, supports an exceptional team, and helps make it possible for patients to receive high-quality cancer care close to home.

We are profoundly grateful.

Thank you,

Amy E Lee, MBA, MBHA, MJ, FACMPE

President & COO, Nantucket Cottage Hospital