Concerns Rise After MA's Largest Hospital System Limits New Primary Care Patients

MASSACHUSETTS — If you've been hoping to use some Mass General Brigham hospitals as your primary care provider, it's officially time to look elsewhere.

Mass General Brigham, the state's largest healthcare system, announced that Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the system's academic medical centers won't be accepting new primary care patients.

Given the stature of Mass General Brigham, this announcement has some experts in the industry worried.

"The Massachusetts Medical Society is deeply concerned by the announcement that the state’s largest hospital system currently cannot accept new primary care patients at its Boston practices because of a mounting workforce shortage," Massachusetts Medical Society President Barbara S. Spivak wrote in a letter published this week.

"The dearth of primary care physicians in Massachusetts is no longer a looming public health threat. It is here and represents a major public health crisis that requires urgent and sustainable financial investment and actions aimed at recruiting and retaining primary care physicians."

Spivak said that a lack of primary care providers signals big problems for the public seeking medical attention, particularly those from "historically underserved populations and those with chronic illnesses and disabilities."

Additionally, a lack of primary care access puts greater strain on emergency departments, and could ultimately increase the cost of delivering healthcare.

Mass General said the decision was made because its waitlist had grown too long, and officials needed to ensure that those already on the waitlist could get appointments in a reasonable timeframe.

As for those who do need primary care, the system said its suburban practices and community hospitals do still have openings.