Pulmonary Care Doctor
 

I have COPD and need to be seen regularly by a pulmonary care doctor. Unfortunately, the office staff at my current pulmonologist have seemingly dropped the word "care" from their vocabularies, and I need to make a change.

Can anyone recommend a pulmonologist who takes new patients? Hopefully, located in The Villages or close by.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

Dr Villa. Read her recommendations.
Http://www.Tcpmgroup.com

Check out Dr. Jose Diaz at the Pulmonary Group of Central Florida. I have 2 family members that are patients and they both speak very highly of him. His website is www.pg-cf.com. He is located near the Villages Hospital and in Leesburg.

MinnieM

Thank you for the recommendation. I was very impressed by the website and the comments posted by patients.

Bill

My wife and I both see Dr. Upadya. The Pulmonologist, not the Cardiologist; that's her husband.

dancerbill:

I'll also recommend Dr. Villa. She's not only my Pulmonologist but also my Primary Care, which is convenient.

She has three offices. One on Buenos Aires, one in Southern Trace and one on the other side of 27/441.

And, may I put in a word for The Villages Airheads, a support group for those with COPD and other breathing-associated challenges? I serve as VP.

"Educational" sessions, with occasional visits by physicians, therapists, etc. are held on the second and fourth Tuesday, 10:00 - 12:00, Old Glory Room, Mulberry Regional Recreation Center. Tuesday 8/23 will be the group's 10th anniversary celebration.

Breathing and Exercise sessions (no, we don't usually break a sweat, but learn how to cope with our COPD) on the First and Third Thursday, same times, same place.

Hope to see you there.

SWR
:beer3:

I have heard of the Airheads, but did not know much about them. Thanks so much for your post giving some information about the group. It would probably be wise if I were to start attending your meetings. Believe it would be time very well spent. Thanks again,

Bill

Could you possibly be refering to a great pulmonary specialist like Dr. Albino who is not getting a lot of bang for his buck with his staff? Does he know it?

I have no idea which doctor is referenced by the poster, but I will tell you that my husband did leave Dr. Albino's practice 100% because of his office staff. He currently sees Dr. Balingit, and we'd have to say we're neutral on his practice. Really nothing great to say about them, but also nothing terribly negative either.

COPD doc's
 

Post deleted

Don't know about new patients
 

The best guy in town is Dr. Betancort_Ramiez hands down

COPD remains under-recognized and under-treated. Much of early COPD care is given by primary care physicians but only when COPD is recognized. This survey explores the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge related to COPD recognition, diagnosis, and treatment from family physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) working in primary care.


A completed a survey of family physicians, and NPs/PAs attending one of three CME programs on five common chronic conditions including COPD.

Results
Return rate was 62% (n = 284) including 178 physicians and 100 NPs/PAs. Fewer than half of the respondents reported knowledge of or use of COPD guidelines. The barriers to recognition and diagnosis of COPD they reported included the multiple morbidities of most COPD patients, failure of patients to report COPD symptoms, as well as lack of knowledge and inadequate training in COPD diagnosis and management. Three quarters (74%) of respondents reported use of spirometry to diagnose COPD but only 32% said they included reversibility assessment. COPD was incorrectly assessed as a disease primarily of men (78% of respondents) that appeared after age 60 (61%). Few respondents reported that they believed COPD treatment was useful or very useful for improving symptoms (15%) or decreasing exacerbations (3%) or that pulmonary rehabilitation was helpful (3%), but 13% reported they thought COPD treatment could extend longevity.

Conclusions
Primary care physicians and NPs/PAs working in primary care continue to report lack of awareness and use of COPD guidelines, as well as correct information related to COPD epidemiology or potential benefits of available treatments including pulmonary rehabilitation. It is unlikely that diagnosis and management of COPD will improve in primary care until these knowledge gaps and discrepancies with published efficacy of therapy issues are addressed.

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I am not really surprised by the result of this study, although I am very disappointed. The one consolation is that at least these primary care practitioners were getting some Continuing Medical Education (CME) that included COPD - hopefully these people now know better!

Another Hit for Dr. Diaz. Hard to understand, but really good!!!!!!!!!!! Office in The Villages