Some patients had an inkling that Vineyard Medical Care might not be shuttering after all when they could still make doctor’s appointments for May, the month the primary care provider’s lease was set to expire. Now, a thousand Islanders can breathe a sigh of relief — the continuation of the health service is official.
Under the new name of Martha’s Vineyard Medical, serial entrepreneur and Chilmark resident Jeff Levy was announced on Thursday as the new owner of the Tisbury-based medical center.
“A healthy practice means a healthy Island,” Levy said in a statement late last week. “With literally thousands of Islanders on primary care wait lists, the lack of healthcare is an existential threat. We are dedicated to extending our hours, hiring more healthcare professionals, and offering more services, while continuing our practice’s long tradition of true patient-centered care.”
Fears that the condition of the Island’s already burdened healthcare system would be exacerbated arose in February after news broke that Vineyard Medical Center was looking for someone to take over the practice or face shutting down. Tisbury residents Melinda and Michael Loberg, who had run the center from 2014 to this year, had determined that they wouldn’t be able to continue to run Vineyard Medical Care, and physicians at the center were already cutting back work hours, leading to the search for a new operator.
A shutdown of Vineyard Medical Care would have added around 1,000 patients without primary care on the Island, where all healthcare providers have a waitlist. Denise Schepici, president and chief operating officer at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, said in an interview last month that her organization has a “backlog of 1,500 patients waiting to get into primary care practices.”
With Thursday’s announcement, Levy plans to strengthen and grow the practice. The medical practice’s entire staff is being retained, with plans to hire two additional nurse practitioners, a physician’s assistant, and a medical assistant. Additionally, the practice will begin offering extended evening hours on Wednesday, and will open on Saturday mornings.
“As a cornerstone of our Island’s health and well-being, we are proud to continue providing compassionate care to our primary care and walk-in patients — and we’re excited to expand access for a host of new patients,” said medical director Jim Butterick in the release. “Primary care practices across the country are at a crossroads. We are choosing to expand and innovate in order to meet the growing needs of our community.”
This is great news!
This is fabulous news. This is a vital source of primary care on the island. I am on the island five months a year and this is my only access to primary care when I am there. Thank you Mr Levy.
Thank you. 🌷
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