Following the recent abrupt departure of a primary care doctor, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital president and chief executive officer Denise Schepici said this week that the hospital is working diligently to allay concerns and provide coverage for patients.

Dr. Michael Michotek left the hospital suddenly last week, sparking an outcry among some former patients and a stir on Island social media that grew amplified this week. His departure comes amid a shortage of primary care physicians Islandwide. The hospital has recently hired three new doctors, but another will retire soon.

“We know [patients] are upset. We understand that,” Ms. Schepici said, speaking to the Gazette by telephone. “Our goal is to maintain the continuity of care.”

Ms. Schepici said Dr. Michotek began working on a full-time contract in November of 2017. She said he gave a six-month notice on August 21 and was expected to stop working at the hospital in February. Because it is a personnel matter, Ms. Schepici declined to comment on the reasons for the early departure.

But she did say that it has made notifying and transitioning patients more challenging.

“We had letters ready to go. It’s just unfortunate it didn’t happen that way,” Ms. Schepici said.

A short letter from primary care medical director Dr. Steve Feder went out to patients last week notifying them of the change.

“It is with deep regret that I wish to inform you that Dr. Michael Michotek will be leaving his practice at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital effective today,” the letter read in part.

Longtime Islander Ann Floyd was outspoken about her disappointment. Her husband Tom was a patient of Dr. Michotek, whom she credited with saving her husband’s life when a cough and some chest pain turned out to be something much more serious.

“He thought outside the box. He really cared, and he was very creative,” Ms. Floyd said of the doctor. “If it wasn’t for Dr. Michotek, I don’t think we’d be where we are now.”

She said she and her husband were notified by phone the day before their appointment that they would be seeing a different doctor. She said the feeling of having no choice in the matter was what upset her most.

“I have a right to choose my own primary care provider,” she said. “I do not give the right to the hospital to choose one for me.”

Despite the concerns and ill-timed departure of Dr. Michotek, Ms. Schepici said she remains confident that the hospital’s program to expand primary care coverage is now well positioned to serve the year-round community. Three new primary care doctors with the possibility of a fourth have joined the hospital, bringing the total staff to eight doctors and five nurse practitioners, she said.

The new doctors come into the hospital during a time of transition in primary care on the Island.

Dr. Henry Nieder, who served as cochairman of the hospital’s primary care department, will begin retirement at the end of October. At the Vineyard Haven clinic Vineyard Medical Care, Dr. Gerald Yukevich officially retired last week.

Vineyard Medical care president Michael Loberg said he is working to address Dr. Yukevich’s vacancy, but could not comment on the details.

Ms. Schepici said Dr. Michotek had about 1,100 patients on his panel, but she said that does not mean he was caring for 1,100 people regularly.

“Of those 1,100 patients, there might be people who haven’t been seen in two years,” she said. “That doesn’t mean we’re backed up 1,100 patients.”

She said the primary care clinical manager Suzanne Robbins has been contacting patients during the transition process and the department would do its best to honor patient requests when it comes to gender and specialty of the doctor.

“The manager is trying to work with patients as their appointments come up to see what their preferences are,” Ms. Schepici said.

She said each doctor at the hospital has the capacity to treat about 1,200 patients, and each nurse practitioner can take on 300 patients.

She said one of the new physicians, Dr. Amar Luzic, did a residency with Dr. Nieder and was selected specifically as his replacement. Dr. Luzic arrived in July and began practicing on Sept. 1. Dr. Nieder has agreed to support the department when needed on a per diem basis, Ms. Schepici said. Another new physician, Dr. Scott Simmons, has room to take over many of Dr. Michotek’s patients.

“That’s a lot of providers,” Ms. Schepici said. “I think we’re at a point now where we can breathe and focus on our space plan.”

The hospital plans to convert vacated space in the Windemere nursing and rehabilitation center into offices for primary care appointments. Ms. Schepici said additional space will allow for more patients to be seen at once and allow for more flexibility on the lengths of appointments.

Meanwhile, Ms. Schepici said patients of Dr. Michotek will be cared for, and should call the usual office number to set up an appointment.

“If they’re sick and they need to be seen, call the office and we will see them,” she said.