[golf2140]

But you waited two days. Why not have things done in S.C

[Velvet]

Yikes!!

[NotGolfer]

Assuming everything you said is correct...we can only go by that. I've broken both of my ankles...not at the same time, but years apart. BOTH times we went to the ER, got x-rayed etc. BOTH times the ankles got splinted and I was told to go home and elevate and see the ortho some days later. The 1st ankle-break, thankfully wasn't bad enough to require surgery so it was put in a cast (as I said, a few days later) and 6 wks later I was "good to go". I was younger than. Fast forward about 15 yrs another fall and this time it was bad. We were out of town, went to the local ER which did much the same as the 1st time. We went home and called our clinic and got in. Was evaluated and told I'd need surgery and would need an ortho. So I did and had surgery that required a plate and some screws. NOT a great experience!! Not knowing the circumstances of your wife and the break etc. I'm not sure that the care centers did what they could with the info they had. We all expect excellent attention when something happens to us. I'm so sorry you all had to go through that. BUT now it's behind you. IF you need more information, then speak to someone who has power (meaning an office manager and/or an administrator) NOT to discuss on a social media site.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Also pretty important, in general (not knowing your exact health care setup):
If YOU call a doctor that you don't know, to make an appointment, you will be seen when the doctor has the right amount of time to meet you and do a consultation. That might take a month. Or two.

If your doctor calls a doctor for a referral, that doctor will make the appointment and usually slip you in as a more urgent visit within a few days.

Same thing with dentistry: if I went to my endodontist and said "Hey Doc I'm going to need a root canal, my doctor down the road told me to set one up." The endo will give me next available. And that might not be for a few weeks. If my dentist calls and says "Hey Doc, Jazzie has a blah blah in her blah blah and needs to get in, when's the soonest?" The endo will have me drive right over and it'll get done within the hour.

Whether you need a referral for medical insurance or not: if they ALLOW referrals, get one. You will always be seen faster.

[rjn5656]

I broke my wrist on a friday, went to villages er, was splinted and given pain meds, got to see the ortho on monday and was operated on by end of week. I was fortunate.

[jimmemac]

Unless you are already a patient of the ortho Dr, what you went through is pretty normal. You are going to get to see a PA and nothing more 90 % of the time. Just do it!! That is why they have a PA.

[geofitz13]

Originally Posted by golf2140

But you waited two days. Why not have things done in S.C

Simple. Waiting a couple (or a few) days would not have been an issue. But two months? TV has this massive health care system, and they state they cannot do what was done in Ocala in a single day. Again, my question was, am I being unreasonable. Judging from the comments, maybe I am. Maybe we must adjust to what appears to be an inferior system. So be it.

[raynan]

Broke my wrist on a Sat night, wrapped it up and went to Paramount Urgent Care on Sunday 8AM. They X-rayed and wrapped and said to take Aleve. They forwarded x-rays and report to Dr. Cook at Advanced Ortho Inst. (who neighbors had used). Cook's office called me Monday and booked me for Tues AM. Excessive swelling prevented surgery til the next Tues. Had surgery at The Villages hospital. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield and regular Medicare and don't need referrals. I was happy with my treatment and scheduling. Previously I had tried the VHS/Medicare Advantage system and got too many bills that I never got before with Blue Cross etc. as I have an autoimmune disease and see several specialists so went back to Blue Cross. I am so sorry you and your wife went through this and I cringed reading what happened to her. I do not think you are being unreasonable at all and hope the ortho that said 2 months wasn't Advanced Ortho but I would report to a medical board whoever the ortho practice was.

[geofitz13]

Thank you all for your replies. It's been an eye opener. My original question was, am I being unreasonable. Had they said "we can see you Thursday" or "we can see you Friday", that would have been entirely acceptable to me. A few days would have been inconvenient, but not unreasonable (to me). But for ortho to state that it was okay for a period of a couple months before even looking at it, I found unreasonable. Perhaps I am wrong. Judging by the comments here, I guess we need to adjust our expectations for emergency health care. BTW, I have had absolutely no issues with routine care, in fact, I find they are exceptional is this regard. Again, I sincerely thank everyone for your input. This site is a great resource for learning about TV.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by geofitz13

Thank you all for your replies. It's been an eye opener. My original question was, am I being unreasonable. Had they said "we can see you Thursday" or "we can see you Friday", that would have been entirely acceptable to me. A few days would have been inconvenient, but not unreasonable (to me). But for ortho to state that it was okay for a period of a couple months before even looking at it, I found unreasonable. Perhaps I am wrong. Judging by the comments here, I guess we need to adjust our expectations for emergency health care. BTW, I have had absolutely no issues with routine care, in fact, I find they are exceptional is this regard. Again, I sincerely thank everyone for your input. This site is a great resource for learning about TV.

This does seem reasonably. They should find room for something that looks like an emergency or for treatment that needs to be done ASAP such as your wife's.

[PennBF]

This is a great example as to why we should have a Plan in case of a medical emergency and it should not include any thing to do with Village Medicine. There are so many options available that practice good medicine. There is Gainesville, Ocala, Moffitt in Tampa, Mayo in Jacksonville (which we use)in the case of Urgent Care there is the facility at the approximate junction of 441 and 42 where you will always see a Dr and will be sent to Hospital if needed. They are like an ER at a hospital. We used local Dr's at one time and if we believed them my wife would not be with us. We ended up at Mayo who found a Stage 3 cancer which was missed by local DR's and they saved her. I know some have had real good results in The Villages but I liken that to playing roulette with your life Why do it???
with your life.

[Carla B]

You are not unreasonable. It seems that VHS should be able to find an ortho somewhere in their network to see your wife ASAP. Although we have Original Medicare and are not in the Villages Health System, we have visited two VHS orthopedics here (Ethier and Silberberg).

I am a veteran of orthopedic surgeries, one a knee replacement, the rest the result of falls. Last summer on a trip abroad I fell and broke my femur in England. Contrary to the skeptics/critics about the British health care system, surgery was performed the next day and hospital care for the total nine days was wonderful, although the food was awful and there was no air conditioning. The total cost of $11,000 from start to finish was a fraction of what it would have been here. Thankfully, we had good trip insurance.

From England I called Dr. Ethier at VHS to schedule followup care but was told, in effect, that he doesn't follow work that others have done. Same with another practice I called which suggested seeing a trauma orthopedic doctor in Ocala. I ended up going to a PA in our internist's office to have the stitches removed. She also prescribed home nursing and physical therapy. Eventually I saw a PA in another orthopedic practice for X-rays and follow up. I never did see a doctor here.

My first broken femur occurred almost 20 years ago under a waterfall in Venezuela. My husband's orthopedic doctor in Houston had no qualms about seeing me and correcting the surgery that was done in Venezuela. A sign of changing times perhaps.

[ColdNoMore]

NO, you are NOT being "unreasonable."

Waiting more than a day or so for an Ortho to look at what might even be only 'potentially' (much less actual) 2 broken ankles at the same time...is completely outrageous.

Then again, there will always be those that will defend anything that has 'Villages' in its name...so no surprise there.

I have to give you kudos though, that your self-control at such incompetence allowed you to start this thread...without being behind bars.

[Inexes@aol.com]

Originally Posted by PennBF

This is a great example as to why we should have a Plan in case of a medical emergency and it should not include any thing to do with Village Medicine. There are so many options available that practice good medicine. There is Gainesville, Ocala, Moffitt in Tampa, Mayo in Jacksonville (which we use)in the case of Urgent Care there is the facility at the approximate junction of 441 and 42 where you will always see a Dr and will be sent to Hospital if needed. They are like an ER at a hospital. We used local Dr's at one time and if we believed them my wife would not be with us. We ended up at Mayo who found a Stage 3 cancer which was missed by local DR's and they saved her. I know some have had real good results in The Villages but I liken that to playing roulette with your life Why do it???
with your life.

The facility on 441, north of 42, is NOT an urgent care facility. It is a free-standing emergency room, affiliated with Ocala Regional Medical Center. It is a fully equipped emergency department, just as one in a hospital. They will turn away anything that could be taken care of at an Urgent Care. Meaning, they do not treat colds, flu-like symptoms, anything... that is not truly emergent !!!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

That is upsetting to say the least. That sounds like an emergency that she have gotten her an appointment right away.

Yes it does but it is our experience that the people at the Creekside facility are very good and very thorough and very caring as well. Here in Florida a Physicians Assistant is held to be more important than in other places I have lived, and you know what? They are very smart indeed. I believe he or she could have facilitated your wife's journey to get the treatment of the orthopedic specialist and have made it far easier for all things to be put in place. Also keep in mind The Villages Hospital is NOT part of The Village Health System.

You asked. I do think that sometimes following procedure is the way to go, especially in scientific endeavors.