Looking for a New Family Physician
 

Can anyone recommend a good female family physician?

Go to search on this site and enter Dr Gegaj--he is good

We really like Dr Clarissa Abrantes. 352 259-7900. Offices at Mulberry and Laurel Manor. She hugs me when she is finished!

I really like Dr. Catherine Horner, Family Doctors of Belleview located at The Oaks at 138 which is behind Beall's and Lowes on 441....352-391-1056.....The Family Doctors of Belleview

Any more suggestions?
 

I am also looking for a primary care physician. Doesn't matter to me if the doctor is male or female....just need some good recommendations. Then I need to see if they are in my "network". Thanks!

I agree with you re: Dr. Gegaj

We've been pleased with Dr. Eburuche 352 750 6358. She is near Home Depot behind Bank America.

One suggestion: Make sure your Primary physician does visits at the hospital (TVRH). I say this because, as a nurse, I get lots of complaints by patients who say something like "who's this guy (or gal)?). They end up with a hospitalist. And while I think many of the hospitalists are great doctors they are not YOUR doctor.

When I chose my PCP I made sure that he did rounds in the hospital (of course I already knew that since that is where I met him:))

That is very good advice. Back in the day in my home town of Winchester, VA all the Doctors had Hospital privileges. Couldn't tell you today if my Doctor does (who needs a hospital LOL) Never heard the word hospitalist until recently. When I move down there I'll make sure to get a Hospital Doc. Thanks.

In fall there is a new health care center opening up that will offer lots of time with patients and the doctors you see will be the ones to care for you at the hospital. It is modelled after the Family Doctors of Belleview and they are involved. I read their website and they seem very patient focused. A few people on this thread have referred already to them but now in Colony Plaza in fall this new community health center will be opening. I think more health centers are to follow in The Villages. I read Gary Morse said he is bringing in great doctors and paying them well and that their focus will be on patient care and not numbers. Google Villages Florida Health Care Center at Colony Plaza. You will find a few articles.

Russ, from my experience I don't see a need for my PCP to have privileges at certain hospitals. In the past my PCP sent me to a specialist (cardiologist) who sent me to a surgeon who did surgery, Cardiod artery, then years later triple by past. My PCP would visit me daily when in the hospital, check my heartbeat and leave. I was under the care of the surgeon and the PCP didn't have a say in what instructions or drugs to give me while under the surgeons care. After getting out of the hospital, both times, I got a large bill for daily visits from the PCP. He did nothing as far as I was concerned except to say hello.
I've heard that the PCP I recommended doesn't visit hospitals since you are under the specialist care. This is just what I've read about her on TOTV and can't be sure. There is no need that I can see for a PCP to visit you while you are in the hospital under the care of a specialist other than to line their own pockets.

However they make it very clear on the phone that they will not be filing anyone's secondary insurance. You will have to pay up front and file it yourself, including medicare supplementals. I don't think that sounds patient friendly. just sayin...:)

Even if you don't have a PCP visit you in the hospital you WILL have one assigned to you. The surgeon, or neuroligist, or cardiologist or whoever can not discharge you. You will be seen each day by the PCP assigned and only he/she can discharge you. This isn't conjecture this is fact. I deal with it every day I work. As I said the hospitalists are very good but I hope you like them because on of them will be assigned to you. (Note: surgical floor may be different but I know exactly how it works on the medical floor. My job depends on it).

Also this point is not correct (at least not on the medical floor where i work at TVRH). The specialist may (and usually does) rx some meds but the PCP is always the one who approves/disapproves of your home meds continuing while in the hospital. And some people have a laundry list of meds from home! They quite often also rx new meds. And the PCP will often direct the instructions for care as well as the specialist.

OK Russ, I can see the use of the PCP in some cases where there are meds that are not related to the surgery. I just didn't see the point in paying the PCP all that money to visit me and say hello each day. In my cases the PCP didn't add too or delete meds. He did nothing but visit me, say hello and send me a bill. All my meds were related to my condition which I would think my surgeon would be able to handle as well or better than a PCP. I guess it's just a case professional courtesy among doctors. I do respect your opinion as a medical professional.

Believe me I see your point and even agree with it.

I'm just trying to let everyone know that no matter what they want or say they will be assigned an attending physician while they stay at the hospital. That attending will see them every day and dismiss them when it is time. This is our system like it or not. So having a PCP that you know can make sense in TV.

I can't believe Gary Morse would be more interested in the welfare of Villagers than he would numbers, i.e., money.

Gary Morse hasn't anything to do with this as far as I can see.

Hospitalists are the new thing, EVERYWHERE. Primary care providers aren't doing rounds of their patients like they used to. If it is a teaching hospital,which ours is not, you might be checked by a resident/intern/fellow. The up side to having a hospitalist is that there is one on site 24 hours a day. If you are sick enough to be IN a hospital these days, you need to have some sort of expert care nearby.

And that hospitalist read all of your vitals from your charts before he came in to "see" you and to say "hello". He is looking at your color, your general sharpness and assessing you in his expert doctorly way, even if he isn't asking you who the president now is and other questions to see if you are functioning correctly.

Gary Morse built the hospital, probably gets rent for it, but he doesn't run it.

And YES, when I drive my cart around this beautiful place and see how it is run for one hundred and thirty five dollars a month, I do entertain the thought that Gary Morse gets more than money out of it.

I don't know Gary Morse from Aunt Effie's Hog, but I still think he is a nice guy, even if he is a Republican, which I might be too. And I do think that may be what's eatin' ya.

Dang. I get so tired of defending that guy. I sure hope he is as nice as I think he is.