Hospitals & Healthcare ?
 

We were at TV about two years ago, really liked the area though felt healthcare/local hospitals were not up to speed. Have there been any changes/additions made in the last two years or so to address this ?

TV Hospital is currently still holding a one star CMS rating.

Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare

Well first off, it isn't The Villages Hospital anymore. In fact, it's had TWO name changes since it was TVH. So it's very possible that your data is outdated.

As of this past year, it received a C rating on Healthgrades, with patient experience being over 20% lower than the National Average. But it also rates as expected for 11 other criteria, and better than expected for 2 criteria. It's also won awards for prostate care.

Their emergency room is horrible. But so are most emergency rooms.

In addition, the hospital isn't the entirety of "health care" in or around The Villages. First, it's not the only hospital. There's Leesburg, down 441/27. And then there's Shands and Gainesville to the north.

There are literally DOZENS of medical practices with golf cart access to Villagers. It might even be hundreds, but I got bored counting the red pins on my google map search result after I hit 25. Multiple specialties, from dermatologists to proctologists, cancer centers and oncologists, cardiologists, a couple of places that specialize exclusively in colonoscopies, foot doctors, orthopedists, senior stuff, memory care, and everything inbetween. Multiples of each. Within those multiple dozens (or possibly hundreds) you're likely to find at least one of each that's awesome.

There has been improvement since UF took over the Villages (and Leesburg) hospitals. Beware that 1-star rating, it is based on very limited criteria and tends to lag years behind reality.

Most of us are just happy there is hospital in villages. You got your choice villages hospital, Leesburg Hospital, Ocala Hospitals, Gainesville Hospitals , Orlando hospitals or stay where at? If got emergency where near death I be happy there is hospital close. Depending on where live may long ways to others.

I admittedly don't know much about medicine, but I suspect the ratings are also skewed by fact the local hospital deals with a fairly vulnerable demographic?

I would think that if a hospital is serving an area where the vast majority of the population is over 55, your numbers would not be as good as if you were serving an area with normal demographics.

Partially. They generally look at only a few diagnoses---acute myocardial infarction, community acquired pneumonia, congestive heart failure and nosocomial/post op infections. A more elderly population tends not to do as well with these particular conditions. Also, some of the metrics are not really quality related----if a nurse gives you your 5 PM Tylenol at 5:30, everything is fine. If it is given at 5:31 that is considered a "medication error". If the patient dies 2 weeks later of their stage 4 pancreatic cancer but is still in the hospital on the same admission, that is a "death due to medication error", at least in part. I don't know about Florida, but in NY the health department's main goal is not quality of care, but how bad they can make doctors, nurses and hospitals look. Most states have a health department that is a few rooms in the capitol, NY has a 50-story office building in Albany. They employ over 5,000, and NY City employs another 7,000+, Ohio about 1,100 and Arizona has 800.

... to say nothing of the fact, that most real medical professionals would be working in their field, not picking up a check at the public trough?

CMS measure and my thoughts:
Mortality - age of people in area
Safety of Care - patient safety like getting hurt trying to get out of bed unassisted
Readmission - patients tend to not get over illnesses as easy as young and must return
Patient Experience - patient survey
Timely & Effective Care - check in, time seen, issue/illness resolved

I think the hospital here has a very good rating when you look at overall care from non-medicare patients.

We lived in SE Michigan for 70 years and then did the next 8 in Myrtle Beach and the Villages. The biggest problem with moving is your medical care. In Michigan we had suprior doctors and facilities. If you are looking for the same type of care in the south you won’t find it. I guess it is just a trade off you are going to have to decide on.

They seem to be adding stand alone emergency rooms instead of hospitals. They have added one on 44 and one on 466a. The planned hospital south of 44 was cancelled due to staffing concerns.

My concern is they will double the population without any new hospitals. Only see it getting worse in the next 20 years as the population grows.

I fell and broke my kneecap 6 months ago. I called 911, they took me to Leesburg hospital because “that’s where the orthopedic surgeon is” I was told. Got X-rays, yes you need surgery but unfortunately we don’t have an on call doctor, The Villages does though. Let’s get you transferred over there. It took 6 hours of them trying to get me into ANY UF hospital for surgery but not one of them would take me because I was in a “grey area” so they discharged me to find my own orthopedic surgeon. It took me one week to finally get the surgery done. Now I’ve lost all range of motion in my knee. So….. NO, they have not gotten better. I ended up needing another surgery and went to Jewett in Orlando. Lousy healthcare is the only thing I dislike about being here.

I’m not on Medicare and the hospitals here are horrible. Terrible. The worst.

I am finding a few issues with this thread. First off, is the golf cart thing, if you strap yourself to golf cart reachable logic you're pretty much screwed with a couple exceptions. I think it's funny that people here fly back home to get care, when they could have saved that money and gone somewhere down here for the same or better care. The problem is golf cart or bust in most of those cases, the other half is like yours reading this and that and not knowing the reality.

Well over the last 3 years I have lived that reality in a multiple circumstance view. First and foremost I have medical practitioners in my family. So their input was a factor in my results. I have come to find the following, also knowng that YMMV.

I have noticed there are a lot of "money grabbers" in a 50 mile radius, mostly is due to TV residents much like the companies that perform work at the residences. The hear TV and it's bonus time.

Next is personal experience with UF - Leesburg, TV and Gainsville. All of these do not communicate properly. Actually in our cases that was an F. Gainsville is Shands for only 1 part not the whole thing (another misnomer). Also this is a teaching facility, which means they have a habit of keeping you longer so that their overflow of students get clinical hours easier. This is not a good practice, I lost my mother from these 2 items. So there for the UF to me stands for "U f*cked. "

So that posed a major problem this year when I was faced with my own choice for something I never in my life expected, having to choose for my life. Trust me this wasn't easy but with some very reliable input and a prayer I went to Advent Health. Yes that meant going into the Orlando area, Ocala is for horses LOL. I have been to AH Winter Garden, Winter Park and Celebration. While I will easily admit (and so will they) that the cafeteria food is worse than dog vomit, the rest was a complete blessing. Everything that UF didn't do properly, AH did the right way, I should know I had my medical hawks watching them.

I also asked - What if something happens to me at home? Their actual answer was "You call me (care coordinator) and I will have you picked up and brought here immediately". I find that comforting that they 'wrap' you in total care, survey that is surveyed regularly, and are extremely caring people.

Am I a bit biased? Yes, they saved my life otherwise I wouldn't be writing this right now. Did they work with some deathly fear issues in a manner that was amazingly not like any one I have ever met? Yes. I trusted them blindly with my life and they proved worthy of that trust.

So that's my 2 cents, hope it helps.

We went to a presentation where the hospital ratings were reviewed and explained.

Apparently the ratings are several years behind and improvements have been made that will show progress.

We have no major trepidations about healthcare here in TV. The hardest problem we had was finding a non-Medicare doctor we liked.

How much do you want to bet I know of much, much worse?????

Sadly healthcare in Fl is awful. Shands and Mayo are the best. I do all my healthcare up north because of that.

Wow is all that can be said about your experience!

LOL...you want top hospitals/top care, move to Boston and be stuck indoors for 6 months. See what that does to your health.

And even there I could share some horror stories from Beth Israel, Mass General and some Mount St. Elsewheres. Same in NYC----and I'll match this one against any in Florida----a woman went to her ophthalmologist with a small "scratch" ion her cornea and 2 weeks later was dead with both legs amputated

The closest hospital with an A rating is AdventHealth/Waterman, in Tavares, which is 45 minutes from my home near Buena Vista and 466A. It might be closer for you. After all, if you live South of the Border in the brand new homes, you may be a half hour or more from our local hospital. I had a hip replaced at AdventHealth/Waterman and was very pleased. It’s beautiful, and they work harder to avoid infections than does our local hospital. If your primary care doctor is on staff there, he or she can easily refer you to the specialists not only there but else where in the huge AdventHealth system, including AdventHealth/Orlando, the top-rated hospital in the state. I have to have a major surgery don’t next month using the DaVinci Robot, and it will be done at the AdventHealth/Winter Park hospital because the specialist there does about five of those specific surgeries a week and is extremely good at it. I wish it were closer, but so it goes.

In 2018 I had a little heartburn on my morning walk. Went to my PC at TV Colony Health Center. My PC put through a battery of testing and 17 days later I got a triple bypass (Widow Maker was 95% blocked!) I’ll put that up against any timeline back up in the Boston/Eastern Massachusetts area where I’m from!

Well NYBob there are trade-offs. You can have great care in NY but living up North adds tremendous stress, IMO, to your health. Here, I find the care is more than adequate, but the beautiful easy-going life is a heck of a lot easier on my body!

Thanks for Advent Health info
 

[QUOTE=midiwiz;2392578]I am finding a few issues with this thread. First off, is the golf cart thing, if you strap yourself to golf cart reachable logic you're pretty much screwed with a couple exceptions. I think it's funny that people here fly back home to get care, when they could have saved that money and gone somewhere down here for the same or better care. The problem is golf cart or bust in most of those cases, the other half is like yours reading this and that and not knowing the reality.

Well over the last 3 years I have lived that reality in a multiple circumstance view. First and foremost I have medical practitioners in my family. So their input was a factor in my results. I have come to find the following, also knowng that YMMV.

I have noticed there are a lot of "money grabbers" in a 50 mile radius, mostly is due to TV residents much like the companies that perform work at the residences. The hear TV and it's bonus time.

Next is personal experience with UF - Leesburg, TV and Gainsville. All of these do not communicate properly. Actually in our cases that was an F. Gainsville is Shands for only 1 part not the whole thing (another misnomer). Also this is a teaching facility, which means they have a habit of keeping you longer so that their overflow of students get clinical hours easier. This is not a good practice, I lost my mother from these 2 items. So there for the UF to me stands for "U f*cked. "

So that posed a major problem this year when I was faced with my own choice for something I never in my life expected, having to choose for my life. Trust me this wasn't easy but with some very reliable input and a prayer I went to Advent Health. Yes that meant going into the Orlando area, Ocala is for horses LOL. I have been to AH Winter Garden, Winter Park and Celebration. While I will easily admit (and so will they) that the cafeteria food is worse than dog vomit, the rest was a complete blessing. Everything that UF didn't do properly, AH did the right way, I should know I had my medical hawks watching them.

I also asked - What if something happens to me at home? Their actual answer was "You call me (care coordinator) and I will have you picked up and brought here immediately". I find that comforting that they 'wrap' you in total care, survey that is surveyed regularly, and are extremely caring people.

Am I a bit biased? Yes, they saved my life otherwise I wouldn't be writing this right now. Did they work with some deathly fear issues in a manner that was amazingly not like any one I have ever met? Yes. I trusted them blindly with my life and they proved worthy of that trust.

So that's my 2 cents, hope it helps.[/QUOTE

The Villages and nearby areas have foreign doctors that do not meet American qualification requirements. BEWARE FOREIGN “DRs” HERE AND FLY HOME TO YOUR STATE OF ORIGIN TO LEGITIMATE PHYSICIANS.
I went to Mayo in Jacksonville for 2 joint replacements & would fly back to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland for any more surgery, or eye care like Wilmer Eye Institute.
I sought doctor care soon after I moved to The Villages and AFTER SEEING THE “DOCTOR” I DISCOVERED HE WAS A FLORIDA REGISTERED NURSE who practices as an actual doctor and set up facilities in Mulberry, Colony and now at Urgent Care in Summerfield.
His staff calls him doctor, but he’s an RN and he does not have a full-fledged MD on site as law requires, to diagnose and authorize prescriptions.

I recently spent 4 days in The Villages Hospital (not called that now). The care was was top notch. I had zero complaints.

My husband needed a specialist for his health. None of the cardiologist here in TV had the specialty. However 50 minute drive to Orlando did have the specialist, which is an easy drive down the Turnpike. If you are wanting to buy in the new area below 44, Orlando is closer than Ocala and has extensive medical facilities. Orlando Health has satellite offices in The Villages.

I don't think Urgent Care facilities in FL are required to have a Physician on-site at all times.

& as of 2020, APRN's in Florida can open their own practices, without a Doctor. They can also write prescriptions on their own.

Write to your congressman or local elected officials if you don't like the law ... & in the mean time, you maintain your right to not see a "nurse", if you want a doctor.

I’ve been in the UF hospital here in The Villages five times in the past 3.5 years and each time the care had been better. Since the UF has taken over Shands, (The Villages Hospital (now called Spanish Plains) and Leesburg, more staff has been added. Everything from a blood clot to, cancer and a heart attack has all been handled here with great results. Yes, there are cases that have fallen through the cracks, but that happens anywhere.

Something to consider about hospital ratings. Remember that The Villages hospital has an abundance of senior care. This demographic would have higher than normal medical issues and worse outcomes due to aging regardless of the quality of care given.

I went to UF Leesburg last summer for a cardiac issue, and they were fine. Wait wasn't unexpectedly long. The tests ordered were reasonable. Results communicated clearly, and the plan of care was reasonable. Ultimately, I had my surgery up north because that's where my primary cardiologist was, and Upstate NY is pretty in the summer :) . I've seen several doctors while living here, and they've all be fine and responsive. Check backgrounds, get input from friends, get established as a patient before you "need" them for something, and see how they do; you can always change if they're not a good fit for you! I suspect you'll find that, just like up north, there are the hospitals you want to go to for cardiac but not cancer, ortho but not GI, etc. After nearly 40 years in healthcare, I've seen doctors, nurses, services within the same hospital that range from excellent to "hell no!" Be your own ACTIVE advocate, get informed about your care and care plan, communicate your concerns, bounce things off your PCP to get their opinion, speak with the hospital's Patient Advocate about concerns, and don't just lay there like a sponge hoping.

You would think TV who focuses on over 55 would have a better health system. The hospital rates a C You wait forever for a doctor appointment. Even the people in leesburg complain TV is sapping their health care system. Very sad

I’m stuck indoors for 6 months here! Except it’s for heat not cold, lol. Thank goodness for AC in my house, lanai, garage, car, and golf cart! 😂

I'm originally from Minnesota, where MAYO is based. Years ago they were stellar but more recently, from what I hear, not so much. Health-care in the U.S. is more profit driven than patient-care (IMO). To compare "here" from "there"---where people came from is unfair (also M.O.). It seems folks want their "there" to be "here" so my question might be, why did you move to a place you think is so terrible. People even complain about the governance, the food and more....though I digress!!

We've been here 15 yrs and have used the healthcare over the years. The last time(s) for us was the hospitals this past year and we experienced noticable improvements. We had life-threatening experiences but I would say, we're still here!! You'll find something negative no matter where you live!! Years ago, we moved to a little bedroom community to Madison, WI. They had a small community hospital. Many of the locals would tell us never to use that hospital but we did. We found it to be a better than good hospital. The large ones in the bigger city also had folks who'd had "bad" experiences.

During my adult life, I've been close enough to my doctors to ride my bicycle for yearly exams, pap smears, dental cleanings, vision tests, blood draws, and for a limited time, mammographies and xrays.

I can't imagine being an hour or more away from my PCP, dentist, radiology center, gynecologist, etc.

When I was a kid, our doctors were mostly the next town over, which was 15 minutes away by car.

In addition, Florida is a toll-road state. Your health insurance doesn't cover the cost of tolls, and driving the back roads to get to Orlando would probably take a couple of hours each way.

No thanks. There are 150,000 Villagers here in this three-county area. There are ALSO other people living in this 3-county area who rely on local health services. There should be at least "adequate" health services in each of these counties.

Because the majority of people use it as their PCP for everything from a toothache to an ingrown toenail.

Marginally better. Good enough for minor things, but major issues should be taken other places in my opinion. I keep a local doc for prescriptions and such, but go up north or down to Tampa General (hour and a half drive to TG) for anything complicated. Just my opinion...

We have been here for 2+years and our perception is that Healthcare here is much worse than up north. Most Primary Care Physicians are actually RN's. Try to see a Doctor! Oh and once you are down here you will wait months to see any new Physician or Dentist etc. After finally being referred to a Specialist then another long wait....I once asked my RN (Doc) what to do when I want to see a doctor, she replied go to a urgent care or emergency room. Now to be fair, we have decided to stay. We feel the benefits of living in the Villages surpass the difficult health care situation down here. Besides, we can always find an "in system" Doctor up north , if we have to.

Shockingly poor medical care in TV. We ended up driving to Gainesville, (U of F) for our care. Not convenient, and not possible for everyone, but it gave us peace of mind and excellent care.

Many interesting comments, and since I don't live in TV (yet) I can't evaluate the healthcare in TV, but I have a theory:

I believe that there is no first class healthcare anywhere in the USA (maybe the whole world) If you are in a rural area.

Population growth is fine.......up to SOME ? POINT where it isn't fine . The problem is at what point is more people driving the "quality of life" down? it is all arbitrary. There is no state central committee deciding when the IDEAL density is reached.

1Star Rating
 

They got the one star because they manage to open the doors on time, most mornings.