[graciegirl]

I think we should each find the physician here that we can trust the most and put our care pretty much in his/her hands. For instance, if he/she thinks we should have a colonoscopy, then we probably shouldn't research ourselves out of that suggestion.

Most of us do not have medical degrees. It is wise to find the person that comes closest to our idea of what an expert is and trust that person. In my view a group is better than one. I am a complex old soul.

If this "Marcus Welby" group, when it opens. in our neck of the woods, doesn't have what I am looking for than my next step may be to hike up to Gainesville and see what their medical community has to offer. I wish THEY would hike on down here. I wish there was an MD on the same level as my dentist Dr. Kathleen Williams who is now not taking any new patients.

She is a graduate of University of Florida and the best dentist I have had in my whole life.

[jrandall]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Good for you! I'm glad you're happy with your doctor. What is it in particular that you like about your doctor?




Of what help will it be to wait for others to say how they feel about their experiences? Everyone is different; you like your doctor but the next person may not. And 6 months to a year from now, you may change your mind if something goes wrong. Each individual has a unique set of circumstances. You might be 65 and in good health while the next person might be 85 and in poor health. Which one is more likely to put the doctors skills to the test? And if the 85 year old has a heart attack or stroke and dies, he or she is unlikely to show up here to tell us about the poor treatment. Keep in mind that we will never know about the vast majority of these individual circumstances or conditions because it's none of our business.

Tell me how you think we can objectively judge the overall performance or effectiveness of the clinics. I think one way to at least get an indication of future performance is to look at who they are hiring and what types of doctors they are hiring. There are no geriatricians so far as I know. They have been featuring them in the newspaper.

The main point is that anyone who moves to any new area must go through a process of research to select new doctors. Many are also limited in their selections due to their insurance coverage. So one must jump in and try and if you don't care for the one selected you go to another. All of the bios on the doctors at Colony Care were experienced and have good credentials. It was hard for me to choose. I looked each one up on the Internet looking for prior reviews of their services. Finally I chose Dr. Susan Hawley. If I didn't care for her after seeing her I would have chosen another one until I found the right fit. I didn't have too. She is a good fit.

[jrandall]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Good for you! I'm glad you're happy with your doctor. What is it in particular that you like about your doctor?




Of what help will it be to wait for others to say how they feel about their experiences? Everyone is different; you like your doctor but the next person may not. And 6 months to a year from now, you may change your mind if something goes wrong. Each individual has a unique set of circumstances. You might be 65 and in good health while the next person might be 85 and in poor health. Which one is more likely to put the doctors skills to the test? And if the 85 year old has a heart attack or stroke and dies, he or she is unlikely to show up here to tell us about the poor treatment. Keep in mind that we will never know about the vast majority of these individual circumstances or conditions because it's none of our business.

Tell me how you think we can objectively judge the overall performance or effectiveness of the clinics. I think one way to at least get an indication of future performance is to look at who they are hiring and what types of doctors they are hiring. There are no geriatricians so far as I know. They have been featuring them in the newspaper.

The reason I like Dr. Susan Hawley is that she listens, is attentive, and has addressed a number of my medical concerns satisfactorily. She never makes me feel rushed either.

[gomoho]

Geriatrician coming to Promise Hospital with a training program. Not sure how it will work but mentioned in today's paper.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Geriatrician coming to Promise Hospital with a training program. Not sure how it will work but mentioned in today's paper.

It is TOO late to train for me. I am already GERIATRIC. I hope I am doing it well. I have never been this old before.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Geriatrician coming to Promise Hospital with a training program. Not sure how it will work but mentioned in today's paper.

Yes, I read about it in the Sunday paper. They made a pledge of a few million dollars to provide geriatric training for doctors. It will be at the Promise Hospital. This type of article, as usual, doesn't fully explain how the program will work. So, it's left up to the individual reader to imagine how it might work. I imagine it will be for those doctors who work at the Promise Hospital and will have nothing to do with The Villages Clinics. They recognized a desperate need for more geriatrics but The villages Clinics have not yet addressed this issue.

Some have said there are GPs at The Villages Clinics who have studied geriatrics but I kind of doubt that it amounts to much. I saved all the articles that have come out announcing the new doctors and when it mentions their qualifications or specialty it doesn't say anything about any of them having a sub-specialty in geriatrics. And even if some of them do have it, it's not the same as being a geriatrician.