[Floridagal]

Do the doctors with The Villages HEalth Care have access to The Villages hospital? I heard that someone was admitted to the hospital and they had to be assigned a doctor because there doctor was not connected to the hospital.

[jimmy D]

I heard, we heard, they heard, someone heard, who heard??????? pick up a phone and call them and they can tell give you the correct info. Do you want the info??? or just hearing

[VT2TV]

I can't address this secific situation, because I don't have any experience with TV's hospital. But VERY few doctors where I lived before actually took care of their patients when they were in the hospital. The care in the hospital was provided by a "Hospitalist" in the area of care that the patients needed, ie: pulmonologist, or intensive care, or surgical, etc..... The primary doctors would certainly speak with the doctors and fill them in on your history, and would periodically make some hospital visits, but the doctors in the hospital were in charge of your care while in the hospital. When you were discharged, your primary doctor would resume your care.

[kaydee]

Originally Posted by jimmy D

I heard, we heard, they heard, someone heard, who heard??????? pick up a phone and call them and they can tell give you the correct info. Do you want the info??? or just hearing

Thought this to be a bit harsh to the OP
I'll have to remember not to use the phrase " I heard" in any future postings. No wonder some people are hesitant to post or respond.

[Nursebarb1]

Yes, VT2TV. We had an initial visit with Dr. Gonzalez at Pinellas when we were in TV in March. I specifically asked her if she would be our physician if we were admitted to the hospital. She said she did not make rounds in the hospital but that a hospitalist would provide care and report back to her. I'm not sure if I am OK with this model of care, but I'm sure this is the way of the future.

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by Nursebarb1

Yes, VT2TV. We had an initial visit with Dr. Gonzalez at Pinellas when we were in TV in March. I specifically asked her if she would be our physician if we were admitted to the hospital. She said she did not make rounds in the hospital but that a hospitalist would provide care and report back to her. I'm not sure if I am OK with this model of care, but I'm sure this is the way of the future.

I remember reading basically the same thing when I first joined. My primary doctor, back in upstate NY also wasn't the one to visit me when I was hospitalized. Personally, I fee the hospitalist is the better way to go, as it's more efficient to spend their time seeing patients at the office instead of wasting countless miles and time on the road that would occur if each individual doctor personally traveled to visited their own patients.

[Steph]

Having worked in healthcare, I can comment that yes, most facilities that I am aware of have changed their care model or are changing to a hospitalist model. There are many reasons including the lifestyle expectations of new physicians who want more work/life balance. The days of physicians being willing to be on call 24/7 has already changed here in California and I believe it is a nationwide trend. I personally am comfortable with the hospitalist model of care and agree with Skyguy79's comments.

[Carla B]

When I was in The Villages Hospital, an hospitalist was assigned to my case. I really didn't mind that, except that the hospitalist had his own practice outside and made rounds when finished with his office patients.

[NotGolfer]

I have not yet had to be hospitalized since joining the UCF/Villages Health System. That said, I was hospitalized 3 years ago when I had a different primary under different insurance. I had a hospitalist in the hospital and will say the care was exemplary. The care on the floor where I was admitted was very good! I would say though, "IF" folks really want to know either call your insurance person (the one who signed you up) or your clinic as they'll be able to fill you in. Asking on a social media site, you may not get accurate information some of the time.

[ilovetv]

It's common now to see a hospitalist do the in-hospital care and there are good things about it. They are actually there when things happen and are seeing with their own eyes what would otherwise have to be explained by phone to primary dr. in the night, who worked 10-12 hours the day/evening before, and then the dr. would have to get up out of sound sleep, drive, and come in to work on the patient, and then drive home and try to get sleep needed for the next day coming all too early. The hospitalist works a set schedule instead of an open-ended one and they'd be more rested and able to focus on patient care instead of trying to keep a practice-business afloat financially--no easy task these days.

A hospital-employed hospitalist would be better in another way, it seems to me, in terms of evaluating the performance of the hospitalist and having avenues of getting them out if they are sub-par. I would think there is constant feedback from nursing supervisors and from patients and families, about whether the person is meeting the needs of the patient. Many eyes are watching and I think that's good. Hospital employees can't do much about a private practitioner treating his patients neglectfully in the hospital.