The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank announced the donation of $4,500 from its foundation to Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS), on the occasion of the bank’s June 1 grand-opening celebration of its new full-service branch at 412 State Road in Vineyard Haven. According to a press release, the donation will fund a telemedicine grant for the agency’s Island Counseling Center.
“One of Cape Cod Five’s priorities is promoting the health and well-being of Island residents, and we are pleased to support MVCS in providing critical services that will assist in meeting those needs,” said Dorothy A. Savarese, president and CEO of Cape Cod Five.
Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology. There is a growing and unmet need for psychiatric and medication-management services on Martha’s Vineyard. Those with insurance can receive psychiatric services only at MVCS’ Island Counseling Center. Other residents in need of ongoing care are placed on the waitlist, which can mean a wait time of up to three months for an appointment. The telemedicine service will help to alleviate the waitlist, better meeting the psychiatric and medication-management needs of Island residents.
“The goal of telemedicine for MVCS’s Island Counseling Center is to expand our psychiatric service capacity to reduce wait times for medication management,” said Julie Fay, executive director at MVCS.
The donation from Cape Cod Five’s foundation will cover the expense of preparing an office in the Island Counseling Center and outfitting it with the technology required to enable meetings with an offsite psychiatrist.
“With telemedicine in place, the Island Counseling Center will alleviate the demand on our current providers, and better meet the psychiatric and medication-management needs of the Island population,” said Ms. Fay. “Telemedicine will also free up our medical director and nurse-practitioner to work with clinicians on providing sound treatment and integration of care: the gold standard and expectation in health care.”
