President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare Michael Lauf
HYANNIS – The number of urgent care centers across the state has exploded in recent years—an industry shift Cape Cod Healthcare President and CEO Michael Lauf says is likely to continue.
In a sector designed to serve patients, Lauf said the sector has to come to where the need is.
“Americans’ healthcare choices have changed. It’s more related to access. I think urgent cares have really cropped up to fill that void of access, and also delivery model,” said Lauf.
A new seasonal urgent care location in Orleans wrapped up its first season last year, which Lauf said was in need given the popularity of the Harwich site.
“I think we’re the dominant urgent care player on the Cape and we’ll continue to expand those services, and keep them open longer. Orleans and Osterville are seasonal in nature—May through October—but if they continue to grow and do well we can conceivably see them open most of the year in the very near future,” said Lauf.
Pre-pandemic, urgent care sites were already on the rise.
Massachusetts saw the number of retail clinics and urgent care locations increase by more than 800 percent over the past ten years, according to data from state officials.
The full Sunday Journal interview with Michael Lauf can be found here.
Cape Cod Healthcare was also recently recognized for its cardiovascular care by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals.
About Grady Culhane
