I am writing about my concerns regarding Partners HeathCare’s urgent care on Lynnfield Street. I discovered that that urgent care is only available to patients whose physicians belong to the North Shore Physicians Group.
I am unable to utilize urgent care even though I am employed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital because my physician is not part of that group. Many people do not realize that the supposed urgent care that was part of the emergency room was not really an urgent care because they charge you a copay that is equal to the copay of someone going to the emergency department.
You have to travel to Danvers in order to get urgent care with the regular copay. My mother tried to utilize the urgent care clinic on Jan. 3 and she was told no one was there although her physician is part of North Shore Physicians Group. Apparently, they were on vacation.
She was told she better hurry up to Danvers because it’s going to be packed because there is nobody available for us citizens in Lynn to see a physician for urgent care.
I actually had to travel with my 83-year-old mother because there was no urgent care available on the North Shore on another holiday weekend and I was told to go to the Partners urgent Waltham. I don’t know who is trying to fool who, but apparently our politicians and Partners have been lying about what really has been going on and leaving the city of Lynn without someone providing at least decent urgent care.
I don’t know who was really behind all this but it is a very sad situation.
Suzanne Winter
Lynn
Editor’s note: Partners HealthCare spokeswoman Laura Fleming said the urgent care center is open to all patients, not just those of North Shore Physicians Group. She said most patients find that the copay is significantly lower at urgent care than at the emergency room.
