Updated, 5 pm, Monday, Jan. 13
As we turn the page on another decade and welcome the year 2030, we’ve made tremendous progress in the health and wellness of MVY — thanks to community partnerships, community members, and the dedication of hospital staff.
Everyone on MVY is part of the patient-centered medical home, and has a dedicated primary care doctor where care is seamlessly coordinated, whether for a mental health issue, a broken bone, a cold, or a heart attack. Helicopter and ambulance transports have been replaced by modern, spaceship-like flying cars capable of flying off-Island in any weather, which is seldom needed due to new medical advances in care right at MVH. No families go homeless or hungry, due to robust programs and social commitments by each town, and broader community case managers anchored at the hospital.
All children on the Island have been vaccinated, and there hasn’t been a case of measles in over a decade.
Newly diagnosed tick-borne illnesses have declined by almost 90 percent due to a new discovery in preventive treatment, and the reintroduction of guinea hens, who have voraciously devoured ticks over the decade.
The new Ambulatory Health and Wellness Center is used daily by hundred of patients and families. Its communal “hearth” welcomes all.
And today, with now over one in three Islanders over the age of 65, a group that drives the economy of the Island, whether all year-round or seasonally, are appreciated for their wisdom and are embraced as mentors and sages across the Island. The community has reckoned with healthy aging creatively and compassionately. Easements to develop in-law or handicapped-accessible apartments are granted effortlessly by every town. Retirees are able to live in affordable, downsized senior living communities. Graduates from M.V. Regional High School have returned, and have advanced in new careers designed to care for seniors at home. New discoveries have reduced the incidence of Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Could this be utopia? Imagine 2040!
Denise Schepici is the CEO of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
