ENT doctor shortage
 

Wow. My daughter has a sudden serious issue. I called Lake ENT no opening. They said call Leesberg, no opening. They said call Tavares. No opening. Said to call Leesberg and ask for the doctor on call to help. She is booked with 30 patients today!
I think perhaps TV could use another ENT practice.

Try Premier Medical, they have 2 locations here and many doctors + an urgent care.

Which is the best Urgent Care : Paramount or Lake Regional. Apparently not even my primary care doctor has time. I finally understand why people are screaming about the TV medical care. Ridiculous. Everyone's answer, including the Ocala practice, is go to emergency. This is why the emergency rooms are so backed up.

As Karenann mentioned, you might try Premier Medical as a walk-in. I have gone there three times, and each time was taken right in and was very happy with the care received, plus, each time my problem was successfully treated.

I go to the one across from the 441 Walmart in the strip mall behind McDonald's. It is the one on the North end in the second set of buildings. There is another urgent care place near McDonalds, but I haven't been to that one.

The definition of an emergency is a sudden onset of a medical illness that if not attended to promptly will likely lead to significant consequences. If that is what your daughter is having then the ER is an appropriate place. If on the other hand she has a bad earache then any doc in a box or drug store walk in clinic can handle the issue. Most ENT's do not see walk ins but would be available if there were a referral from a primary care facility who asked for an urgent consultation. Of course the hospital ER (most $$$ place for medical care) would also have an ENT on call for legitimate emergencies.

She blew her nose last night and did "something" so that she was left with the feeling of a needle going into her ear. It was so painful we were going to go to Munroe in Ocala since TV Hospital sounds like a nightmare. (BTW: I met a nurse who quit after 3 weeks because she said it was so disorganized and poorly run. ) I gave her a painkiller to see if she could sleep and upon awakening, the pain has subsided but she has some hearing loss. She is supposed to fly first thing Saturday morning and I would hate to exacerbate whatever is going on so we need to know what's what. Think we are going to try Premier but I can tell you: After this being our first experience with a sudden medical issue, we are going to try like heck to get on the new TV plan which supposedly will be more patient friendly.

This is good advice!!! I have used Urgent Care here...my preference has been Paramount on 466 in the strip mall across from the Mission Hills villas.

Yes but not knowing IF it can lead to significant consequences is the problem. I just don't know enough about ear things to know.

It seems like it could be that she ruptured the ear drum. I THINK that the treatment would be antibiotics and antihistamines and painkillers.

But I am not a medical person, just a mom and grandmom.

Our daughter had a ruptured eardrum when she was very little and in the middle of a move from one city to another. It was nasty but everything was restored to normal within time including hearing. The pressurized cabin on the airplane may be not good at all. You are right to be concerned. We drove back from Disneyworld one time with a granddaughter who had a similar problem. Doctor didn't want her to fly.

My question would be ....DO you really think access to medical doctors during Christmas week would be any better up north (or any other place) than what you are experiencing here in TV.....I doubt it. I would go to Lake Regional Urgent care (on Old Camp Rd near Sweetbay) before any ER.

Sitting in premier urgent care. Just watched a woman w daughter having meltdown w being told wrong info as well as rudeness by staff and it got so heated the manager came to talk to her and was told to leave. Wow. Medical here is a real adventure!

Thanks Gracie. I appreciate your possible diagnosis. We shall see.

Do ask about flying for sure because the pressure could be quite painful and once you are up, there is do stopping.

Yes I know. I can remember years ago with a problem and the stew took two styrofoam cups filled with wet cotton balls she heated in the mi crow ace and I held them over both my ears . She kept changing them forme the entire trip. It felt so much better.o looked absurd but who cares.

call me lucky - but i walked into my doctor's office this morning - without an appt - and was asked to have a seat and i could be seen shortly! within ten mins i was in the examining room, updated my records since last annual visit, had the vitals taken and the doc walked in 5 mins later! got my scripts, had my lab work done [had to wait 15mins for the tech] and was outta there!

i agree with recommendation to use lake reg'l urgent care since they have a doctor on staff. however, i used premier on 466 because the wait was wwaaayyyy to long the day i went to lruc and i was most pleased with the service rendered by a phys asst there. will continue to use them if/when it is necessary.