MUSKEGON, Mich. — This week patients began to receive messages that Michigan Pain Consultants will be closing its doors over the next 90 days.
On Wednesday, an MPC representative confirmed over the phone that the provider is closing its Muskegon, Wyoming and Big Rapids locations on Friday.
A letter shared by a patient to 13 ON YOUR SIDE said the Grand Rapids, Holland and Greenville offices will remain open until Sept. 2. After that, the practice will no longer be operational. It also stated that staff will be reaching out to patients who have appointments to reschedule or to help transfer care.
Patients can call 616-317-3877 or email clinicaloperations@michiganpain.com to request records and have them transferred to other providers from MPC. The provider also said in a letter to patients that they should contact their primary care doctor or referring provider to help get a new referral. They encouraged patients to not hesitate in finding a new provider as soon as possible.
Marcia Thompson, a patient of MPC from Muskegon, said she learned of the closure on Monday during an appointment with her doctor.
"To find out all of a sudden you don't have a pain doctor any longer...it's shocking," said Thompson.
Thompson said she immediately began searching for a new doctor but she ran into a problem: Not all of them are currently accepting new patients.
"You have all the patients that found out about them closing, they're going to be looking for new physicians as well," said Thompson.
"It can be terrifying all of a sudden," said Thompson.
She said MPC has been her only source of receiving prescriptions for pain medication.
"It doesn't help me 100%, but it helps a little bit enough that I can sleep at night...and be able to get around to some degree during the day," said Thompson.
While her prescription did get successfully filled, she is still waiting to find out when she can be seen by a new doctor. She said she was still receiving tests to determine the cause of her chronic pain following several back and neck surgeries and recovering from a recent injury.
The Institute for Chronic Pain is a national organization. They said that the closure of MPC is part of a national trend that began 30 years ago.
"Chronic pain providers that are often labeled as comprehensive, or another term for that is multidisciplinary, have been leaving the marketplace due to a number of factors," said advisor Brad Lawson. "The biggest one, which really started about 30 years ago, was the changing attitudes around opioid prescriptions and their safety for long-term use."
While clear about the dangers and negative impacts seen by long-term and inappropriate use of opioids, Lawson said the crisis has hurt clinics that have to utilize opioids as a part of comprehensive treatment for those with chronic pain, especially clinics who seek to provide relief for other conditions that can be brought on by chronic pain, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance.
"When a clinic like this closes, it puts a tremendous strain on not just those patients, but often the care circles and the people in the families that love them, that are helping them, because there's just often not good alternatives or great alternatives in the direct vicinity," said Lawson.
On Thursday, June 13, MPC posted the following on their Facebook page:
We are saddened to tell you that after 40 years caring for our patients, MPC will be officially closing its doors over the next 90 days. We are simply unable to sustain the rising costs or keep up with the changes rapidly happening in the healthcare market. Our team at MPC is committed to ensuring a smooth and safe transition for all our patients during this difficult time. We will work closely with you and your healthcare providers to provide the best possible care and support as we close our doors. The transition process will involve a thorough evaluation of your current healthcare needs and making the necessary arrangements for you to receive continued care with your primary care physician or another pain program. If you are actively being prescribed medications from our team and you are not already scheduled for an appointment before August 30th, call (800) 281-3237 to ensure that we see you to help develop an appropriate plan of care to suit your individual needs. If you simply need a referral to another pain practice, we recommend starting with your primary care physician or calling the number on your insurance card for an appropriate referral.
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