[villages07]

Well said Uncle Muncle.... thank you for sharing some very personal information and experiences. I would hate to see newbies and wannabees scared off by some of these rumors and some (no doubt true) tales of woe that others have experienced.

When one relocates here you have to start over with all your medical providers. Back in your home town, you built, refined, and pruned that list of providers over many years. Here, you have to do it all at once and yes, they won't all be winners.

I started out with a very good internist then he left town because his new wife didn't want to live up here. Based on recommendations here and elsewhere I found another one that I am equally pleased with. I have had knee replacement and rotator cuff surgery in the past 6 months and had excellent results from Drs Kerina and Mitchell at Tri County Orthopedic (same practice as Dr Tankson) as well as Rehab GV, their affiliated physical therapy outfit.

My one bad experience was with Village Dental and their recommendation of so much extra work. Well, after a few months I dumped them and went with another dentist who only does necessary work for a reasonable fee.

As to the negative reports/rumors Patches heard about the hospital shrinking....could this perhaps be a 'normal' seasonal adjustment they go through? Perhaps worse this year because of the economy. But, think, TV population goes from something like 75K in Jan-Mar to maybe 40K during the summer. I'm sure the hospital's "business" load decreases significantly in the summer. Just like the restaurants. I imagine it makes it hard for those needing full time employment to plan.

I agree with opinions expressed by some that demand exceeds supply when it comes to medical providers here. We're so used to things being put in place ahead of time (rec centers, golf courses, shopping, restaurants) that when something lags we question why. The situation does seem to be getting better as evidenced by all the new medical offices being built and the hospital expansion project, VA Clinic, etc.