Dr. Michael Michotek, a primary care physician at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, is no longer employed at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Katrina Delgadillo, the hospital’s director of communications, confirmed.
Dr. Michotek submitted his six months’ notice of resignation in August, but Delgadillo said “he was not able to work through his notice period.” She also said the hospital would not “engage in details.”
His departure comes at a time when primary care physicians are in high demand at the Island’s only hospital. Delgadillo told The Times that each of Dr. Michotek’s patients are being assigned to a new doctor, would be contacted by letter and or a phone call with the name of their new doctor, and would not be put on a waiting list. She could not say how many patients are affected.
George Gamble, a patient of Dr. Michotek, told The Times he went into the hospital to get a flu shot. When he stopped by a friend’s office to say hello, Gamble learned that Dr. Michotek no longer worked at the hospital. He said he was shocked.
“This guy is a beloved doctor, by his patients and his employees,” Gamble said, adding that, from a patient standpoint, the hospital is being “irresponsible” by no longer having Dr. Michotek employed.
Gambel said he spoke with Delgadillo, and was told he would be “taken care of.”
Gamble also posted about Dr. Michotek on the Islanders Talk Facebook page. The post has several comments from people upset over Dr. Michotek no longer being at the hospital.
Dr. Michotek does not have a listed phone number, and could not be reached for comment. Calls to his office Wednesday were referred to Delgadillo.
Dr. Michotek is an outstanding doctor and an intelligent thinker – the kind that MVH gets rid of for reasons never disclosed. I hope he sets up an independent practice on the island.
C”mon Hanley. You don’t know the reason and then you pile on with phantom others. The CEO last year was fired because he wouldn’t come under authority of the Board. No matter how intelligent and outstanding there is a good reason. Besides he gave notice and wouldn’t honor the time frame.
C’mon Andrew; mine is the first comment; so how am I “piling on”? And no, I don’t know the reason and I doubt it will ever be disclosed. Now you prove “there is a good reason”. Over the last few decades I’ve watched plenty of doctors get disgusted and leave us. The common denominator is hospital administration. Maybe that can get you started on saying the “reason”.
Hanley’s right, in my opinion. And if the court case wasn’t settled and sealed, I’m convinced there was only 1 board member the former CEO didn’t bow to, and the public would’ve finally seen documentation on what happens in that hospital. Fortunately that board member and his wife are gone, now. It’s a shame the board had all of it’s other members retroactively rubberstamp what happened. The hospital still lacks transparency.
Hanley your second sentence implies the Hospital does this all the time for undisclosed reasons.
Dr. Michoteck is the best. he is thorough, caring and has a great sense of humor. He has been working with us on health issue that are serious and would not leave us out in the cold. I smell a rat here!!
Is this the same hospital administration that promised the community open communication, after secretly firing the last CEO? (“She also said the hospital would not “engage in details.”) just checking.
I always suspected there was something incestuous about having doctors be employees of the hospital.
Vote no on question 1. Anymore nurses would have to come from off isand. Im on my 3rd NP and shes coming from off island. We have a shortage here.
I thought he was a wonderful doctor and he will be missed. I’m not privy to what happened and I don’t think any of you are either so let’s not start making up things that could ruin someone’s reputation. Be kind to each other.
Wow, wow, wow….so nice to hear that my doctor is gone (via the MV Times rather than a letter from the hospital) MVH WHEN WILL YOU NOTIFY ME I NO LONGER HAVE A DOCTOR???
I liked him, I thought he was thorough and nice and had a sense of humor.
WHY CAN’T WE KEEP DOCTORS?
The letter of notice to patients was sent out several months ago and the Dr. has left the Hospital early.
One could assume the dismissal was for cause, but not a major event.
In that case the dismissal would have been immediate.
Due to employee privacy rules, the Hospital would be forbidden to speak about this.
It would be correct to get the Doctor to speak on this dismissal.
Code of conduct dismissals, if true, do not always involve patient care or medical malpractice.
Dr Michoteck is an extraordinary doctor and a person with enormous wisdom and compassion. I’m going to miss him tremendously and wish him the best wherever he is going from here.
These comments are incredible. I would bet not a single one of you work at MVH or has any idea what it takes to run a hospital on an island like MV.
First of all, Denise is incredible, and a complete breath of fresh air. And if you believe she has not been including the community or has not been transparent…You obviously are not paying attention. She has had multiple community meetings in various places and is always open to full community involvement. She has fully embraced her staff and has made many changes at MVH that are huge improvement to the community. Things don’t happen overnight. The community is her highest priority and keeping good doctors is in parallel with that thinking. But there are MANY reasons why it is hard to keep good doctors on this island, and before you blame Denise or MVH, maybe you should take a step back and learn the facts before being so judgmental and consider Martha’s Vineyard is not for everyone especially a doctor that can work anywhere. She is doing everything she can to get and keep good doctors.
MVH Employee
It is hard and very inconvenient when doctors do leave. But you are mistaken if you think for one minute Denise didn’t do everything she could to prevent that from happening. And This particular departure caught everyone off guard, so before you blame Denise or MVH for this unfortunate situation, you should understand alot of the times things like this are not in their control.
And just so you know…He was my doctor too and I am bummed also.
Healthcare is a choice, and an important one. Not like buying gas for your car. My health plan lets me make choices. Given how important it is, and how chaotic and inconsistent our Island hospital is, I’ve taken my “business” off island. A hassle? Yes. Better healthcare and consistency with my medical team? Definitely. Folks who are upset and can do it should leave this monopoly. Maybe if enough of us walk things will change. Don’t feel a captive.
It would have been nice, after a year as my dr., to have actually met Dr. Michotek. Every appointment I had with his office, was with a nurse practitioner. But I’m sure it was billed to the insurance company as a “pysician visit”.
Tennisstar36, you are right, most of the time you meet with an NP and I have a $50 co-pay, it would have been nice to see the doctor each time BUT when I did get to see him, I stand by my comments, I thought he was a good doctor. My statement shows a “physician visit” not an NP visit but I digress….and a specific comment to YOUR HELP, I never received my notice that he was leaving. I will say I did get a notice when my two previous doctors left (that occupied his office), the first one retired and the other one just wanted to go back to work in the hospital. I have now had 3 different doctors and I wasn’t able to choose any of them. Our healthcare system is broken on so many levels….
Our MV hospital is a “non-profit” and they DON’T PAY TAXES TO THE TOWN OF OAK BLUFFS, this part is a disgrace to our community. They should be paying taxes.