[NotGolfer]

Stepping in to give my slant on TVRH. I had surgery (emergency too) here 4 years ago and had a very positive experience (as far as one can have with a health-crisis). Fast forward to this Spring. My husband collapsed twice two and a half weeks apart. He was taken to Leesburg the first time...the care was good there, then the 2nd time he was taken to TVRH. ALL hospitals this time of year are busy I might add so the ER's will be slammed as will the floor once a person gets there. At any rate, we can't tell you how appreciative for the care he got from the EMT's, the ER people and the people who cared for him for a week on the floor. He had a stroke, I might add, that LH didn't pick up on but TVRH did and he got the exponential care needed for that. Patients are triaged in the ER with worse to less worse of care-needs. THEN they need a room to clear in the ER (I'm talking about if you're lying on a bed in the hallway), then if admitted they need the beds to clear (open up) up on the floor. I've heard the same stories we read and hear about here in T.V., in other parts of the country as well. I am thankful for how my husband was treated and that he's well on his way to recovery.

[Cedwards38]

My wife had orthopedic surgery there and they couldn't have been better. Don't let the complaints of a few taint your opinion. I'm sure the Villages Hospital has not been perfect. Not much is in this world. But my experience with them has been great, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that opinion.

[Bizdoc]

My mom had emergency surgery at TVRH with Charlie Han - he did a superb job in what was a really bad situation (and one which several doctors had refused to take on). Care by floor nurses was outstanding. (Including our own Russ who seems to have disappeared from TOTV, but who is a darned nice guy)

I had ambulatory surgery a year ago at TVRH and will likely have to have a second one in the not too distant future. Excellent care.

ER. Both my folks were at the ER at one time or another. I am very unimpressed.

Overall, TVRH (and, I am told) Leesburg are good *small* hospitals. They are not teaching hospitals. They do not have residents and specialists hanging around 24/7. If you feel that you need that, you should be down in Orlando at one of the large teaching hospitals or up in Gainesville. Despite the expansion, TVRH is not and likely never will be a large teaching hospital. We don't have enough patients to draw that kind of a staff.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

Stepping in to give my slant on TVRH. I had surgery (emergency too) here 4 years ago and had a very positive experience (as far as one can have with a health-crisis). Fast forward to this Spring. My husband collapsed twice two and a half weeks apart. He was taken to Leesburg the first time...the care was good there, then the 2nd time he was taken to TVRH. ALL hospitals this time of year are busy I might add so the ER's will be slammed as will the floor once a person gets there. At any rate, we can't tell you how appreciative for the care he got from the EMT's, the ER people and the people who cared for him for a week on the floor. He had a stroke, I might add, that LH didn't pick up on but TVRH did and he got the exponential care needed for that. Patients are triaged in the ER with worse to less worse of care-needs. THEN they need a room to clear in the ER (I'm talking about if you're lying on a bed in the hallway), then if admitted they need the beds to clear (open up) up on the floor. I've heard the same stories we read and hear about here in T.V., in other parts of the country as well. I am thankful for how my husband was treated and that he's well on his way to recovery.

I'm glad to hear he is on the road to recovery !!

[Shirleevee]

Originally Posted by Cedwards38

My wife had orthopedic surgery there and they couldn't have been better. Don't let the complaints of a few taint your opinion. I'm sure the Villages Hospital has not been perfect. Not much is in this world. But my experience with them has been great, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that opinion.

We have no complaints for TVRH. Husband had stents, AAA surgery
Dr. Finol), and was admitted 2x with heart problems. Excellent care all times

[Challenger]

Hospitals are some of the most complex and stressful management challenges imaginable. Sick and dying people arriving without notice, 24/7/365. Many wil not have good outcomes no matter how great the skills of the staff. Family and friends are frustrated and largely uninformed about the science and practicalities of care. Layered on all of this is the necessity of remaining solvent when the feds are a major funding sorce. I think our guys TVRH do a reasonably good job under their very special circumstances. No matter how they try, none of us will get out of this alive.

[karen whelan]

I was misdiagnosed at the Villages Hospital. After a month I was in a state of total paralysis, liver failure, kidney failure, de-hydration and malnutrition I was finally transferred to Shands. One of the hospital doctors took my husband aside and told him to get me out of the Villages hospital before I died. The condition I described is on my entry report into Shands. They also said I had an infected pic line which was probably the source of my infection, MRSA. Be very careful

[Bonny]

A misdiagnose can happen at the best hospital in the world. Unfortunately it happens.
People say go to Shands. I have friends that say they'll never go to Shands again. Everyone has different experiences.
Just glad you're okay now !!

[Bizdoc]

Originally Posted by karen whelan

I was misdiagnosed at the Villages Hospital. After a month I was in a state of total paralysis, liver failure, kidney failure, de-hydration and malnutrition I was finally transferred to Shands. One of the hospital doctors took my husband aside and told him to get me out of the Villages hospital before I died. The condition I described is on my entry report into Shands. They also said I had an infected pic line which was probably the source of my infection, MRSA. Be very careful

The *hospital* did not misdiagnose you. Your doctor did. Hopefully, you (1) fired him or her and (2) sued him or her for malpractice. The doctor that told you to get out of TVRH should have said "get rid of your idiot doctor". However, doctors are afraid to point fingers at other doctors.

There are no doctors who are hospital employees. There are no residents at TVRH. All of the doctors are either essentially self-employed or part of a group practice. Even the ER docs work for a separate practice which bills you separately from the hospital.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by Bizdoc

The *hospital* did not misdiagnose you. Your doctor did. Hopefully, you (1) fired him or her and (2) sued him or her for malpractice. The doctor that told you to get out of TVRH should have said "get rid of your idiot doctor". However, doctors are afraid to point fingers at other doctors.

There are no doctors who are hospital employees. There are no residents at TVRH. All of the doctors are either essentially self-employed or part of a group practice. Even the ER docs work for a separate practice which bills you separately from the hospital.

You're right, except for the "no doctors who are hospital employees". I'm pretty sure they have hospitalists, as is common across the country and even bigger teaching hospitals do, who do the in-patient care for the patient's primary doctor. As a side note, primary doctors have told me that's not a bad concept, because the hospitalist is actually there and seeing the patients' progress/decline and nursing notes and tests, while the primary might be at home sleeping when the call from the hospital comes in the dead of night.

Even so, the above patient's disaster is due to their primary doctor who sounds like a charlatan that mastered the art of milking medicare/insurance for all its worth.

As for Shands, that's great for rare or super complicated conditions or trauma, but NOT for everyday care, nor for cancer once all possible remedies have been exhausted. Remember it's a teaching/research hospital that needs subjects….they sometimes keep trying things when hospice is what the person really needs.

[hulahips]

Originally Posted by karen whelan

I was misdiagnosed at the Villages Hospital. After a month I was in a state of total paralysis, liver failure, kidney failure, de-hydration and malnutrition I was finally transferred to Shands. One of the hospital doctors took my husband aside and told him to get me out of the Villages hospital before I died. The condition I described is on my entry report into Shands. They also said I had an infected pic line which was probably the source of my infection, MRSA. Be very careful

Sorry about your bad experience Karen. I have had the same experience over the last yr and my girlfriend whose husband is very ill is now going through her own nightmare at the hospital. My heart breaks for her as everyday its something else from nurses giving wrong meds to no meds and on and on. she won't leave his bedside out of fear. Its frightening. I am glad your better now

[Challenger]

For those who want to charge TVRH hospital with misdiagnosis, it would only be fair to name the Doc who made the determinations. Was it a hospitalist? Were you not under the care of your on Doc? If you are inclined to blame the hospital , it is only fair to name the Doc.

Partial disclosures cast doubt on the credibility of the charge.

[gomoho]

I can only say a neighbor was admitted to TVRH through the ER and was there for several days under the care of a hospitalist. He went to his primary at The Villages Health System at Colony for the follow up and his doctor had no idea he had been in the hospital - so much for the electronic records.

[annaconner]

In Scotland we have health guidelines which require 95% of patients visiting ER be seen within 4 hours. This is proving difficult to adhere to and at present the best is about 85%.

[Bizdoc]

The hospitalists are still independent/self employed. If you look at the Explanation of Benefits you receive from Medicare and/or your insurance company, you'll see a bill for their services for them in addition to TVRH.

Some hospitalists are good. Some are terrible - you can see why they don't have their own practice, no one would come back after the first time. Not telling your doctor what they did is a pretty good example of a bad hospitalist. And you should chew on your primary's butt if he or she does not get excited about shoddy care by the hospitalist.

If you don't believe that they are not TVRH employees, call up TVRH and say you want to complain about Dr X, a hospitalist. You'll get a rapid explanation that they don't work for the hospital. (and the same will happen if you complain about the ER docs).