Efforts to make a dent in the amount of people on the Island’s primary care waitlist are underway with the launch of a new virtual appointment program and staffing initiatives by a local care center.
While the lack of primary care providers has been on the radar of the hospital and other medical centers for years, recent initiatives are expected to ease the pressure on Islanders, some of whom said they’re aware of the growing need for more physicians, and are looking forward to the introduction of more programs.
One initiative, Mass General Brigham Care Connect, is a new online primary care service through Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and went live on Dec. 2. And the hospital isn’t alone; Martha’s Vineyard Medical, located on State Road in Vineyard Haven, has made similar efforts to help bring the service to more locals. The center was purchased last summer by chief executive officer Jeff Levy, who said it is currently accepting new patients.
Claire Seguin, chief nurse and vice president of operations at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, said the administration is excited about this step, and those on the waitlist can expect a message over Patient Gateway with sign-up instructions.
“We are building, here at the hospital, on the progress we’ve made over the past five years to improve access to primary care on the Island,” Seguin said in an interview on Tuesday. “Our goal is to provide primary care to anyone who wants it.”
Robert Bernard, a year-round resident, spoke about the need for more providers as he waited outside the hospital after an appointment. He said he understands the feeling of going without the service — he was on the waitlist for about a year, and got the call just a few days ago that he now has an in-person primary care physician.
“It took a long time to get one,” Bernard said.
Bernard’s experience is far from unique. A 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, authored by the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Island Health Care, pointed to a severe lack of primary care providers on the Island. According to the report, which was finalized this week, there is currently an estimated one primary care provider per 1,740 people in Dukes County, versus the state average of 970 per provider.
The issue was also brought up in an analysis by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, published in October, that specifically looked at the health needs for Islanders over the age of 55, and found the lack of primary care providers to be of high concern for that population.
The commission’s report named telehealth appointments as a possible solution for older Islanders to access care, but also noted that the population who may need the service the most also need help navigating the technology.
Seguin said she hopes the new virtual service will help “bridge the gap” for Islanders who are without a primary care provider. Hospital representatives stated that there’s headway being made on accessibility through language offerings and technological assistance.
“All care, both virtual and in-person, is delivered by clinicians. We actually hired 20 physicians to staff this line, and they would work collaboratively with folks here at the hospital to do anything that needs to be done in person. It’s kind of modern and flexible and innovative,” Seguin added.
At Martha’s Vineyard Medical, which almost shut down before it was purchased by Levy last summer and would’ve subsequently added nearly 1,000 patients to the already strained waitlist, the concern is expanding in-person services as much as possible and increasing the hours of operation.
“There’s so many people on the Island without primary care,” Levy said in an interview with The Times. “[We had] just under 900 primary care patients, and we now have 1,400 … and we have the capability to probably double that.”
Local resident Cecily Greenaway said she has gone to primary care appointments at Martha’s Vineyard Medical for more than 15 years. She’s heard about the shortage of providers across the Island.
“I think they’re working hard to provide services to everybody,” Greenaway said of the medical center’s efforts.
The initiative at the hospital to expand through virtual appointments will be available to Islanders over the age of 18, 24 hours a day. MassHealth and other insurance will be accepted for the service, with the same parameters as a regular primary care appointment, with copays estimated to range between $15 and $50.
Care Connect uses AI technology from K Health, a company that has launched similar programs across the country, for scheduling and intake. The appointments are conducted by board-certified doctors after AI assists patients through the scheduling process. The virtual service can be used as a permanent substitute for in-person appointments, or as an interim option for those who are on the waitlist before they receive in-person care.
The new appointment option is available in English, with efforts to expand language services to Spanish and Portuguese translations.
Sign-up and information for Care Connect, which is now available, can be found at help.mgbcareconnect.org.
