PROVINCETOWN — At its Dec. 11 meeting, the select board considered a subject that’s rarely on its agenda: psychedelic drugs. Board member Erik Borg had submitted for discussion a resolution […]
Health & Healthcare
HEALTH CARE
Dr. Jorgensen Is Gone From OCHS
Health Services CEO won’t comment on medical chief’s abrupt departure
PROVINCETOWN — Dr. Andrew Jorgensen was removed from his job as chief medical officer of Outer Cape Health Services (OCHS) last month and, as of last week, was no longer […]
HEALTH CARE
Mobile Anti-Abortion Unit Is Under DPH Scrutiny
A ‘40 Days for Life’ campaign didn’t dissuade patients, says clinic director
HYANNIS — The anti-abortion van affiliated with Your Options Medical, which operates “crisis pregnancy centers” from a parent site in Revere, has been under review by the Mass. Dept. of […]
HEALTH CARE
For the Young, Gender-Affirming Care Is Scarce on Cape Cod
Doctors and families say the chance to ‘pause puberty’ can save lives
Jaiden van Bork was a student at Nauset Regional High School when she began traveling to Boston Children’s Hospital to get gender-affirming hormone therapy. Van Bork is from Brewster, so […]
AGING AND HEALTH
Gay Community Faces Increased Risk of Dementia
Researchers suggest reasons include stress of stigma and prejudice
ORLEANS — Susan Milton knew she would marry Cindy Eagar the moment their hands touched. The two, who now live in Orleans, met at a dinner party hosted by a […]
MOSQUITOES
Awaiting First Frost, and Meanwhile, Precautions
EEE is detected, but the risk of infection in humans is still low
PROVINCETOWN — Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was detected in a sample of mosquitoes taken here on Sept. 21. Like the August discovery of West Nile virus in Eastham mosquitoes, the […]
MENTAL HEALTH
In a Crisis, Clinicians Arrive — or Call — From Hyannis
Shared services are spreading, but co-response is still mostly remote
PROVINCETOWN — Last February, a 30-member SWAT team responded in full protective gear when a Provincetown man expressed suicidal intentions and barricaded himself and his roommate inside their home with […]
HEALTH CARE
40 Days of Anti-Abortion Protests Planned at Health Clinic
Cape chapter of a Texas group says it will hold prayer vigils
HYANNIS — For 15 years, people seeking abortions had to leave Cape Cod for care; the nearest clinic was over 100 miles away. But in July, Health Imperatives opened in […]
HEALTH CARE
Outer Cape Health to Have a Doctor as Its New CEO
Damian Archer has been OCHS’s chief equity officer since April
WELLFLEET — Outer Cape Health Services announced on Aug. 26 that Dr. Damian Archer will replace Patricia Nadle as CEO on Dec. 1. Since April, Archer has been the chief […]
MOSQUITOES
West Nile Virus Makes Its Annual Appearance Here
Experts recommend removing standing water to control the disease
EASTHAM — West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness that appears on Cape Cod annually, has been detected in a sample of the insects in the Fort Hill area of Eastham. […]
PUBLIC HEALTH
As ‘the Crud’ Hits the Cape, New Covid Shots Are Approved
A summer affliction that isn’t Covid rears its head
PROVINCETOWN — For many people on the Outer Cape, summer ended this year as it often has in the past — with a wicked case of “the Crud.” Towns full […]
HEALTH CARE
Mobile Anti-Abortion Van Arrives in Wellfleet
Its Christians-only staffing policy is permitted in workplaces that are primarily religious, says EEOC
WELLFLEET — The mobile anti-abortion van that made its way to Cape Cod earlier this summer spent last weekend parked at Our Lady of Lourdes, a Catholic church on Route […]
AMBULANCE RUN
Lower Cape Ambulance Will Dissolve at End of Summer
Truro and Provincetown will speed up transition to in-house EMS teams
PROVINCETOWN — Lower Cape Ambulance Association (LCAA) Chief Operating Officer Steven Roderick announced this week that the nonprofit service will shut down on Sept. 1. The reason, he said, was […]
ELDER CARE
Home Care Shortage Is ‘a Never-Ending Crisis’
The wait for a home health aide can be up to a year long
Barnstable County is facing twin demographic emergencies. First, as rents and the cost of living rise ever higher, the year-round workforce is evaporating. Second, the population — already far older […]
OPIOIDS
Fentanyl in Drug Supply Spurs Community Response
Contaminated drugs may present dangers for unaware partygoers
PROVINCETOWN — Gwen Kavlouskas-Noyes, who owns Big Daddy’s Burritos in Provincetown, says that though she has long been aware of the problem of opioids, they always felt distant from her […]
