Oak Bluffs, MA. (June 21, 2022) – Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) is pleased to announce the addition of two new primary care physicians to its staff. Zachary L. Gitlin, MD and Ruppert A. Hawes, MD recently joined the MVH primary care practice, opening the door to hundreds of new patients.
Dr. Gitlin most recently worked as an attending physician at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico. He also served as the Director of their Pediatric Rural Health Program, Adult Pulmonology Clinic, and Adult Nephrology Clinic, as well as the Chair of their Chronic Pain Management Committee. At the same time, he worked as a Forensic Medical Evaluator for Physicians for Human Rights, where he conducted medical and psychological evaluations for refugees seeking U.S. Asylum. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Washington University, he attended Harvard University for his postbaccalaureate and then earned his Doctorate from Columbia University. He completed a residency in combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University with a focus on underserved community health. Dr. Gitlin is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Before Dr. Hawes arrived at MVH, he worked as a primary care physician at Rutgers University, and as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He also served as the Director of Utilization Management and was the Site Medical Director at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, University Behavioral Healthcare, and University Correctional Health Care in Trenton, New Jersey. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Denison University, he attended Ohio State University where he received his Doctorate. Following this, Dr. Hawes completed his residency at Richland Memorial Hospital as part of the University of South Carolina Family Medicine Residency Program and then a Fellowship in Academics and Obstetrics in the Department of Family Medicine at Highland Hospital, the University of Rochester in New York. Dr. Hawes is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is an active member of the National Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Medicine.
“It has been a top priority for MVH to expand access to primary care services to accommodate the growing island population. With the addition of two new primary care physicians, we’ll be able to care for hundreds of additional patients at MVH, furthering our goal of expanding access to healthcare on the island,” said MVH President and CEO, Denise Schepici.
“Both Dr. Hawes and Dr. Gitlin come to us with years of experience as highly regarded primary care physicians. Dr. Hawes’s commitment to patient education and holistic care is what makes him such an exceptional physician, dedicated to the well-being of each of his patients. And Dr. Gitlin’s passion for equity and serving the underserved is evident in the compassion he has for his patients,” Denise Schepici added. “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Dr. Hawes and Dr. Gitlin to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.”
Those interested in becoming a patient of the MVH Primary Care Practices should complete a new patient form online at https://mvhospital.org/patients_and_visitor/new-patient-form/. If you have any questions, please contact our practices by calling 508-684-4500.
