The newly renovated Wellfleet health center at 3130 State Highway 6 re-opened to the public on June 19, 2019 after a six-month reconstruction project was completed on time and slightly under budget! OCHS has mounted a Capital Campaign: Enhancing Spaces, Impacting Lives, to help fund the new Wellfleet health center and its new Harwich Port site opened in December 2018. Nearly half of a $7M capital campaign goal has been raised as the campaign enters its public phase this summer with naming opportunities available at OCHS’ Wellfleet, Harwich Port and Provincetown locations. 

The health center was first opened in June 1966 as the Association for Improving the Medical Resources of Outer Cape Cod commonly referred to as “AIM”. Constructed from a Sears, Roebuck and Company “kit”, the structure had been the oldest-standing community health center in Massachusetts before its 2019 reconstruction.

The long-anticipated project is a complete rebuilding of the former 5,000 square-foot Wellfleet health center, with modern technology, furnishings and reconfigured space. A 2,500 square-foot addition increases the standard size of the patient exam rooms and behavioral health consult rooms. The floorplan features an enhanced configuration to allow for a more coordinated and efficient team-based medical experience. The enlarged footprint also provides for a modern diagnostic lab and a Healthy Connections office to assist the community with health insurance eligibility and enrollment services. A new community wellness conference room is located just off the reception area.

Improved and increased parking and emergency vehicle access around the perimeter of the health center are additional new features of the site. The existing Wellfleet pharmacy, conveniently located one block from the health center, will continue to provide over-the-counter items and prescription fill and refill services to OCHS patients and the public.

The Wellfleet health center is accepting new primary care and behavioral health patients from the Lower and Outer Cape. Most insurances are accepted, including MassHealth.  

The new Wellfleet Health Center features:

• 9 Modern and enlarged patient exam rooms for primary care and behavioral health visits. The rooms will be configured to foster greater collaboration among caregivers and an enhanced patient-centered delivery of services.
• 2 Enlarged behavioral health consult rooms interspersed with primary care services.
• Enhanced lab drawing space that will continue to be serviced by Quest Diagnostics.
• New Community Wellness space to enable community members to come together to share and grow the gift of wellness.
• Healthy Connections insurance counseling space to assist members of the community with health insurance eligibility and enrollment services.
• Improved parking and emergency vehicle access around the perimeter of the building.
• The existing Wellfleet Pharmacy, conveniently located one block from the health center, will continue to provide over-the-counter items and prescription fill and refill services to all.

For more information on the Enhancing Spaces, Impacting Lives Campaign or to request a tour of any of our health centers, please contact Kathleen Weiner at 508-905-2851 or kweiner@outercape.org 

OCHS opened a new health center in Harwich Port in December 2018 that integrates primary care, behavioral health and supportive services in a team-based model. The floor plan doubles our capacity to serve the primary care needs of the Lower Cape with a full staff of physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, and dispensing pharmacy personnel.

The Harwich Port center also houses additional support staff members, a central WIC (Women, Infants & Children) program office, and a lab drawing service space. OCHS entered a 30-year lease on an existing two-story property at 710 Route 28 in Harwich Port to house this expanded Harwich health center and administrative offices. In March 2017, administrative staff moved into the second floor where a new patient call center was also opened.

Relocating and expanding the smaller South Harwich facility to Harwich Port enables OCHS to meet growing healthcare needs by providing new and essential services to more people. The new health center site has been built out to include 16 patient exam rooms and two behavioral health consult rooms to accommodate double the volume with a greater and smoother flow of scheduled visits.

The New Harwich Port Health Center features:

• 16 patient exam rooms for primary care. The rooms are divided into closely situated patient team care “pods” to increase collaboration among caregivers and an improved patient experience.
• 2 behavioral health consult rooms interspersed with primary care services.
• A pharmacy where OCHS will provide one-stop prescription fill and refill services to all.
• WIC services to ensure optimal healthcare and nutrition for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, fathers, and infants and children under the age of five.
• New Community Wellness space to enable community members to come together to share and grow the gift of wellness.
• Healthy Connections insurance counseling space to assist members of the community with health insurance eligibility and enrollment services.
• Lab drawing service space, previously not available at the former Harwich site.
• Accessibility to public transportation ensures that the new OCHS Harwich Port Center is within the reach of the entire community.