Hospitals and Medical Care in The Villages: Present and Future
 

We are faced with an immediate Corona-virus crisis, but we also should think about the future of medical care in The Villages.

Right now, The Villages has a one-star ranked hospital, which seems strained to capacity, and a shortage of highly qualified doctors. How will we cope with the immediate crisis and, when it finally passes, what about our future?

As our Sumter County Commissioners have given the Developer every approval necessary for him to double the size of The Villages (and had the current residents pay for his infrastructure via the 25% tax hike), what have the Commissioners done to try to ensure that hospital and medical services will keep pace?

It certainly appears that houses are selling faster than the number of hospital beds and medical personnel are increasing.

Perhaps you recall a few months ago when UF Shands purchased the Villages Hospital and Leesburg Hospital. Improvements are in process. Also, it was announced that a new hospital would be constructed in the new southern areas. I am hopeful but cautious.

I am familiar with the Shands purchase, although I don't understand how that will address the need for massive expansion of hospital beds and medical personnel that we are going to need. I also doubt that it will make any difference regarding the immediate crisis.

What's the word on the "new hospital" you mention? I recall vague talk about "a bedless hospital of sorts that largely will focus on out-patient procedures" being built. (Details are available at the on-line newspaper website, which I understand we can't link to.) Somehow, that facility would not seem to really meet our future needs.

In fact, I haven't seen anything specific indicating that there is any kind of a comprehensive plan to double the number of hospital beds and medical personnel as The Villages doubles in size. My question is a genuine one: Exactly what are the County's plans in this regard? They may exist, and I simply don't know about them.

So you think that the Developer's Commissioners have done a good job addressing this issue or you don't believe we have a potential problem? If you think my posts are "babble", feel free to ignore them.

A) They are not "The Developer's Commissioners", that's your personal political view that you have already expressed hundreds of times ad nauseum, they are the commissioners that the people of Sumter County have elected

B) We have more than a potential problem, it is an existing problem that has been here for years. It is a complex problem that will not be solved by replacing 3 specific commissioners with your personal choice of replacements.

The present Sumter County Commissioners, although technically elected by the voters, were put in place by the Developer and regularly do his bidding.

Can we please drop the politicking etc. until after the present crisis is over.
Boring listening to the same tune, over, and over!
Many have bigger fish to fry, than the Sumter Commissioners?
Plenty of time for recriminations and "I told you so's" later!!

Regarding the new hospital, here is an article.
The Villages, UF Health enter into exclusive talks to transform regional health care

This article is about the purchase of The Villages Hospital, but it does mention the new hospital.
Villages Hospital to Join UF Health

As far as the "bedless hospital of sorts ..." -- That phrase was used by the Daily Sun when describing the soon-to-open Center for Advanced Healthcare at Brownwood. This will operate as a multi-specialty medical center. It will not be a hospital. In other words, it will not provide in-patient care.

I’m sorry I do not remember the specifics nor can I site the information to back my staments. Perhaps I will jog someone’s memory. Several years ago there was talk of building another hospital but it seems that idea was shotdown by the state. It seems that an area must reach a certain population before a new hospital can be approved. I believe it was called a certificate of need. The powers that be deemed there was no “need”. A new law was passed last year which changes this. That is likely why we suddenly have all of the new free standing ERs
New Florida law to aid hospitals build facilities without ‘certificate of need’

I'm not going to quote the whole post above... but I will say...

I really like it here. I love the lifestyle. When I don't like the way this place managed I will move to a place that better fits my lifestyle.

I love your reply. :boom:

Who cares? To get back to the point BEFORE you made it political, the hospital is privately owned and you really have no say in it's operation or how many beds it has.

Medical facilities and personnel are lacking here, and will be into the foreseeable future. Local GP's are OK for minor things. We have all our major health issues addressed back in the Midwest and will continue to do so even though we are full time residents here.

Thank you

Have moved from the villages some time ago after living in the villages nearly 20 years the main reason was health care. Where I now live we have three large hospitals open and 2 more in the building stage one working on the 4th floor the other the first. already new doctors advertising joining the current offices. All the time all that happens is talk in central fl.

The Medical Community
 

Oddly enough, before I moved here (in 2017), I was under the impression that as pricey, nice, clean and organized as TV appeared to be, I assumed that the medical system/hospital would be right up there with the Mayo or Cleveland Clinics. After all, this not a cheap place to live and I figured along with that would be an amazing first rate hospital. Instead, I was shocked to find out otherwise and disappointed to find out how everyone that becomes ill here will do whatever they can to avoid going to TV’s very own hospital! With all the money floating around here and the Morse monopoly of everything, I think it’s a travesty to not feel comfortable and safe and hoping that in the event of a real emergency, there’s time to go elsewhere. Perhaps greed is the issue.... growing this community to such an extent without caring about what actually happens to the people that live here. Better salaries and benefits for doctors and nurses/healthcare workers would attract higher quality care....that’s a win win for those of us that already live here. But of course, if you have the right last name, you can afford to go anywhere...kinda like Obamacare where only the politicians and their families were totally exempt from having to use it because apparently, they deserved better.

Do you mind sharing where you now live?

The new huge hospital is open soon and it’s villages healthcare which has no connection to the Villages hospital so we will have greatly expanded healthcare here running soon! April!!!
And you do not need a hospital if you have the coronavirus as they will only secs you home so not to infect staff abd other patients! They sent the lady lake Suspected infected lady home right away! Her signs were minor. They won’t let the infected people be admitted! Problem solved!

We are further south by about 123 miles

I thought we weren't allowed to have political discussions here anymore. On that note...with nothing to do because things are closed many will have way too much time on their hands...just saying.

A new hospital...I think it was mentioned that one is in the plans but it takes more than just piling some bricks on one another to get one going. There's hoops with the state to jump through and lots more that most of us have not clue about, to get built. I love all the speculation that "some" folks make about should of, could have, would have---Communities might seem to pop up quickly but the infrastructure to make it possible takes time.

Are you being facetious? Because there may be newbies who might actually believe that statement and you do them a disservice by that post

The Center for Advanced Healthcare will house The Villages Healthcare Specialists (eg. Dermatology, Orthopedics, etc) that are now at Brownwood. The building will also house Imaging (maybe Lake Medical Imaging), I think FL Cancer Specialists, etc.

It's not a hospital. I'm pretty sure there won't even be an Emergency Room in that building.