Lane T.
Yelp
I have two experiences with this clinic and both have been pretty dismal...
1). I moved to Provincetown from out-of-state in December 2022 - in preparation for my move, I filled out the paperwork to transfer my primary care to a doctor at Outer Cape Health Services two months before my move in October 2022 - it's now September 2023 and I haven't received one phone call or letter from this clinic advising me if I will ever get a doctor in Provincetown. I've called multiple times and was always told that the person who processes new patients is really backed-up and no one ever gives me this person's email or phone number to check on my status. Needless-to-say, I've given up on Outer Cape being my primary care and have chosen to base my medical care with Mass General Brigham in Boston. This situation is not ideal, as I'd rather have a primary care physician in, or close to my town, but Outer Cape has left me no choice in that matter. And if there is no doctor available, then just tell me that instead of leaving me in limbo.
2). I caught Covid this week and scheduled a virtual appointment to try and get an antiviral drug - I have had long-Covid since my first infection back in March 2020 and was also hospitalized with that original Alpha Covid variant. So, I'm sure you can imagine my fear of having another hospitalization due to Covid, hence my appointment to get an anti-viral. I'm not able to take Paxlovid, so I was requesting a Molnupiravir prescription, to which I was denied by the Nurse Practitioner (NP) because, as she stated, the drug was not FDA approved for treatment of Covid and it was only for people with other health conditions like diabetes, etc. What she told me is not true, you can google it, Molnupiravir is authorized by the FDA as a treatment for Covid. So she clearly doesn't know what she's talking about, or lied to me! What makes this an even bigger slap in my face is that she was implying that my long-Covid status wasn't reason enough to prescribe me an antiviral drug. She told me to go to the hospital if my symptoms got worse - I've already been hospitalized with Covid - that's why I need an antiviral, to keep me out of the hospital! I've spent the past 3.5 years unable to live my life like a normal person because of an early Covid infection snd this NP was denying me a drug that's FDA approved to keep people like me out of the hospital. This practitioner just embodied everything that's wrong with healthcare in the US... Thankfully, I was able to get a Molnupiravir prescription from a doctor at a different health institution, but it would have been so much better to have gotten adequate healthcare in the town that I live in and not have to scramble to find another clinic and healthcare system to help keep me from a more severe outcome with higher complications considering my history with this disease.
Needless-to-say, based on my experiences, I do not have a very high opinion of Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown! I'm gobsmacked by how unprofessional and un-caring this clinic has been to me, and it's even worse considering the fact that Massachusetts has the best healthcare in the US! Unfortunately, Outer Cape is the only game in town and this town deserves so much better than this!