About Outer Cape Health Services
Our mission is to provide a full range of primary health care and supportive social services that promote the health and well-being of all who live in or visit the ten outermost towns of Cape Cod.
OCHS now cares for more than 18,000 patients annually, and no one is denied access to services due to an inability to pay. Founded in 1987 through the merger of Health Associates of Provincetown (established in 1972) and the AIM Medical Center in Wellfleet (established in 1966), Outer Cape Health has a long history of successful growth and expansion in pursuit of this mission.
As a Patient-Centered Medical Home, OCHS holds itself to the highest standards. Ensuring patients have access to care when they need it and request it, and validating that staff are working at the top of their licensures, are foundations of this model.
Outer Cape Health Services, Inc. (OCHS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is governed by a Board of Directors representative of its community. All board members live on Cape Cod and the majority are OCHS patients.
Outer Cape Health Services
Locations
Health Center & Pharmacy:
710 Route 28
Harwich Port, MA 02646
Health Center Phone:
(508) 432-1400
Pharmacy Phone:
(774) 237-9000
Health Center:
3130 Route 6
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 349-3131
Pharmacy:
2700 Route 6
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 214-0187
AIM Wellness Building:
2700 Route 6
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 214-0187
Health Center & Pharmacy:
49 Harry Kemp Way
Provincetown, MA 02657
Health Center Phone:
(508) 487-9395
Pharmacy Phone:
(774) 538-3333
Services Offered at Outer Cape Health Services
At Outer Cape Health Services, we recognize that primary care is the foundation of good health and well-being. Our providers focus on developing relationships with their patients and preventing disease through a whole-person approach to care. Our Primary Care team includes physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who care for patients of all ages and stages in life. Their scope of practice includes:
Family Medicine
Adult Medicine
Pediatrics
Adolescent Health
Women’s Health
In addition to Primary Care, Outer Cape Health Services provides access to specialists to ensure comprehensive care for all patients. Specialists are available in:
HIV Care
Infectious Disease
Vision Care
Endocrinology
All Behavioral Health programs accept patients who are seen for Primary Care at Outer Cape Health Services. Referrals can be initiated by calling our access center at 508-905-2888 or by speaking with your primary care team. In the event of a mental health emergency, call 988.
We offer a wide range of psychiatric services. Our board-certified/board-eligible psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners provide psychiatric evaluations and/or consultations for a variety of mental health and behavioral concerns for children, adolescents, and adults. We can prescribe medication that can alter chemical imbalances affecting the patient’s state of mind and behavior while reducing any negative side effects.
We provide counseling and behavioral health therapy on an outpatient basis to treat individuals and families who are experiencing emotional or behavioral problems or a mental health disorder. Our licensed therapists are trained to treat a wide range of emotional, social and psychiatric needs using a variety of evidence-based therapies. Engaging in therapy can help patients learn new ways to think about difficult situations, and can teach coping skills to help patients deal with feelings of anger, fear, anxiety, depression, shyness, and panic. Services Available include Individual Psychotherapy, Family Psychotherapy, Couples Counseling and Group Psychotherapy.
OCHS offers Collaborative Care services through our Harwich Port office. Under this program, patients work with a Behavioral Health Consultant or BHC to identify current stressors that are negatively impacting their lives, and to find solutions to relieve these stressors. Patients can meet a BHC on the same day as their primary care visit through a “warm hand-off”. Our BHCs typically work with patients for 2-3 months; they emphasize a team-based approach to care and work regularly with a patient’s primary care providers and psychiatric consultant.
The Outer Cape Health Services Community Navigator program helps assist residents with unmet medical, behavioral health, or human service needs through collaboration with local agencies, providers, and community groups. The Navigator works closely with community agencies from referrals and service coordination to help clients in their community by building relationships and identifying support networks.
How We Can Help
Refer and connect to community resources such as social services, mental health services, substance abuse services, homelessness/ housing assistance, medical care, and case management.
Problem-solve barriers to access
Assist in navigating the variety of services available
Coordinate care
The Navigator meets clients at a safe location of their choosing, including their home, a public location, or Outer Cape Health Services at Provincetown, Wellfleet, and Harwich locations.
How to Enroll
The Community Resource Navigator program accepts residents of all Lower and Outer Cape towns regardless of insurance. Referrals for the CRN program can be made by residents themselves, family members, service providers, or community members.
Appointments can be scheduled by contacting CRNavigator@outercape.org or calling (774) 209-3222.
The Care Coordination Nurse Case Manager (CC RN) is part of the primary care team and directly supports OCHS’s highest risk patients in the community. In collaboration with other members of the healthcare team, the CC RN is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and providing care coordination and care management services to patients who are most at risk for health deterioration, avoidable hospital or ED visits, and/or poor outcomes. The CC RN performs primarily telephonic care management with face to face engagement in the clinic and/or home visit for some selected situations. In collaboration with the primary care team, the CC RN develops care plans to promote self-management goals, adherence to treatment plan, prevent disease exacerbation, decrease risk status, minimize hospital and ED utilization, and improve outcomes.
OCHS offers compassionate, affordable, accessible care by specially-trained clinicians before and after birth. Women’s bodies need special care and are susceptible to unique feminine health problems. OCHS offers a number of services to cover women’s special and unique health needs, including:
Obstetrics:
· Prenatal care and Post-Partum care
· Breastfeeding and lactation support
· Translation services are available in your native language
Gynecology:
· Preventive health screenings
· Family Planning
· STI screening, treatment and counseling
· Menopausal and Post-Menopausal Symptom Treatment
Preventive Health Screening and Annual Visits
Women should obtain gynecological services annually. The goal of the yearly visit is to provide counseling about disease prevention and vaccinations, discuss healthy lifestyle habits, and screen for certain illnesses based on age and family history. Be proactive about your health by staying on top of necessary screenings and health care visits.
All Women’s Health Services are provided at each of our health center locations by Certified Nurse-Midwife Jodi Schwartz Belson.
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food, breastfeeding support and other services free of charge to Massachusetts families who qualify.
Finding the right healthcare coverage can be complicated. Our Healthcare Access Specialist Certified Applications Counselors (CACs) can walk you step-by-step through the eligibility, application, and plan selection process for a wide range of insurance programs. They can also refer you to agencies providing services and support for you and your family.
Our team assists thousands of individuals annually in obtaining health insurance coverage.
The Healthy Connections team provides assistance with the following applications:
MassHealth ConnectorCare
Connector Qualified Health Plans
Health Safety Net
Children’s Medical Security Plan
Transition to Medicare
Sliding fee scale discount
We also provide referrals for:
Short-term financial assistance
Food pantries
Housing & legal services
We have limited walk-in care appointments for unexpected medical needs at all Outer Cape Health Services health centers. Urgent Care is only provided at our Provincetown health center.
Please note, although our Provincetown location is an Urgent Care Center, we are NOT an Emergency Room Department, thus there are conditions we cannot treat. When necessary, we will provide linkage to care and transfer to higher levels of care.
You can safely access our urgent care in Provincetown for a wide variety of minor injuries and illnesses, including:
Earaches
Eye complaints
Fever and body aches
Lacerations and wound care
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Rashes and poison ivy
Sinus infections
Sprains and fractures
Tick, insect and animal bites
Urinary tract infections
(STI) Sexually transmitted infections
COVID-19 testing and vaccinations
Our Provincetown Urgent Care clinicians have years of experience as Medical Doctors, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners.
No appointment or referral is needed
Serious conditions such as CHEST PAIN, STROKE SYMPTOMS or other conditions are better treated in the Emergency Room hospital.
Provincetown Urgent Care services are available during all clinic hours of operations, including weekends and holidays.
For your convenience, X-ray, Quest Labs and our own Pharmacy is available on-site.
Most health insurances are accepted. Visitors seeking walk-in or urgent care should seek preauthorization from their insurance providers to avoid a potential out-of-pocket expense for visits.
At Outer Cape Health Services we believe that all those affected by substance use disorders deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Our Recovery Services provide integrated treatment that incorporates the best clinical and medical practices and evidence-based treatment strategies to ensure patients who have a substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis receive the medication, tools/skills, education, and knowledge needed to achieve positive health, wellness and recovery outcomes. OCHS’ Recovery Services staff use a harm reduction approach that supports multiple pathways of recovery.
OBAT is a form of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Our OBAT care involves the use of medications such as Suboxone and Vivitrol to eliminate the drug cravings and painful withdrawal symptoms that typically occur when an opioid-dependent or alcohol dependent individual stops using his or her substance of abuse. OBAT also includes a therapeutic behavioral health component, frequently in the form of group counseling, to help achieve and sustain long-term recovery.
SOAP is an intensive outpatient program that offers focused counseling on a wide range of recovery and relapse prevention topics. SOAP patients receive group counseling 3 days a week, as well as weekly individual sessions and ongoing case management. We also incorporate presentations from partner agencies in the community on services such as employment, benefits, housing, education, and legal advocacy. Patients generally engage in the SOAP program for 1-2 months. Graduates of the program report that they are better equipped to meet their recovery goals and are more aware of recovery resources.
SOAP Schedule – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am – 12:30pm
Recovery Coaching is a 1:1 peer-based service providing assistance to those seeking to support their own recovery from Substance Use Disorders. Recovery coaches are most often in recovery themselves and therefore offer the lived experience of active addiction and successful recovery. They focus on helping individuals to set and achieve goals important to recovery. By supporting multiple pathways of recovery, Recovery Coaches assist individuals to build recovery capital to help achieve overall wellness.
All Things Recovery Group: Meets Mondays, 10 am in OCHS Wellfleet Health Center conference room
Recovery Skills Group: Meets Wednesdays at 4 pm in OCHS Wellfleet Health Center conference room
All Things Recovery Group: Meets Fridays at 10 am in the OCHS Harwich Port Health Center conference room
For a comprehensive overview of services offered, please see our website at: https://www.outercape.org/