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.