[Sunflower33]

It has been this way for 12 years I’ve lived here. Waterman is a great place. Also Shands of course. Ocala hospital for heart is great as well as their emergency room on 466A. I also like Orlando health they have a hospital in clermont about 30 miles from here. The reason why I don’t have advantage insurance as a supplement. I need to be able to pick my own doctors

[dadoiron]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

For such a physically-beautiful facility, how can The Villages Regional Hospital have such abysmally low ratings?

The Medicare “search for healthcare” tool shows TVRH rated at one-star (out of five) both by Medicare as well as a survey of recent patients. It’s the only hospital within 40 miles rated this low. Leesburg Regional Hospital isn’t much better, rated at two stars by Medicare and only one-star by patients.

The closest hospital with decent ratings is Advent Waterman Hospital in Tavares, rated at four-stars by Medicare and three-stars by patients.

To get top-rated hospitals we have to go to Shands in Gainesville or several in central Florida, but none closer than 50 miles away. We should probably take this into consideration when selecting our specialist doctors. Where do they have admitting priveledges and where do they perform procedures or surgeries? More importantly, are the better-rated hospitals and the doctors who practice there covered by your health insurance plan?

How long will it take for UF Health to improve care at our local hospitals? Or will we have to wait a decade until the new hospital is built and opened in the southern end of The Villages? In that all three hospitals will be owned by UF Health, we can guess how much emphasis will be placed on improving what will then be two older hospitals.

My wife had to say at both at different times and it was pre-takeover pre-pandemic.

Her preference is clearly TVRH (2xs) over Leesburg (once was enough never again).

Leesburg was a horrible experience for her and me compared to TV.

1st intake, even though contacted by EMS, doctor and diagnostic center they screwed up the paperwork for a life death crisis designated response for over four hours. We were told Leesburg was closest to deal with the life threatening issue and she shouldn't go to TV hospital as it was too far (minutes difference 10 maybe?)

Never again.

The doctors seeing her were never the same and never spoke to us - only the nurses and only when I constantly asked. The information provided was consistently wrong. At least they didn't kill her.

Discharge was horrible and again the doctor listed never saw her and was in a different state not Florida. Could never reach them. She needed a prescription and was not provided it on discharge.
Not until I we spoke to her doctor in the Villages health system did she get the proper follow-up continuing care.

Don't know if anything has recently changed but we will avoid Leesburg like the plague and only go to the villages hospital.

[Rosebud1949]

For those who wish for a "5 star hospital ambience" go to the Villages. For the good treatment DO NOT

[rsalisbu]

As with all hospitals, the Villages Hospital Emergency room has to see All Patients that come. Many people of surrounding communities with no health insurance use the Villages emergency room as their personal physician, especially on week-ends and hollidays. You will see many sick children, drug abusers, heavy smokers, alchoholics, etc. They cannot be bypassed for villagers who really have an emergency. I and my spouse have had great care at the villages hospital, but even I would not go to the Villages Hospital ER on a weekend or holliday (by choice, of course):.

Just my humble opinion

[wine5465]

I was sent to TV hospital by Urgent care as my appendix was about to burst. My daughter and I waited in ER for 5 hours. Diabetics were waiting so long another customer had to ask the help for something for them. I was tired of waiting so told the staff I was leaving but she said, oh the results sent from urgent care are pretty serious, you'll just have to come back. I said if it's so serious, why did I have to wait 5 hours.
Second time I had bad asthma attack with congestion, was gasping for air and could not sit down. Volunteer gave me oxygen after an hour but waited still 3 more hours for help. Dr gave me two breathing treatments and wanted to go a 3rd but I told him no, need the shot. He did and I left mad still gasping for air.
Had appendix out there and care was great!!!!
Elderly mom there due to fall and they gave her morphine. We had a fit as she was hurt but not in pain

[MJCtalk]

Having had major surgeries at both of the above I found Leesburg to be far superior to the Nursing and overall general care that I received at TVH. The food was better as well and we had choices, not so at TVH. Luckily I had the same surgeon at both, (Dr. Han), and that was the most important factor of all.

[Tadpole]

Thank you, Jayhawk! People should go to one of the many urgent care places for anything less than an EMERGENCY, meaning: heart attack or any injury or illness that is life threatening. Period! Unfortunately, under our laws, ERs are not allowed to tell people they should go to an Urgent care. Therefore, they can get over-crowded with people who shouldn't be there in there first place.

[Frank Giardino]

I went to the TV hosp three weeks ago, with chest pains. At the ER, received instant care, EKG, blood etc. The bad part, after determining I was not having a serious heart attack, I was in the ER from 11PM until 10AM the following day, sleeping on a chair is not very comfortable, at 10AM I was brought to the cardiac ward. The Dr determined that I needed a stent, had a blockage. They did the procedure by 5PM. The ER was not a good experience, mainly due to no rooms available due to Covid. Once I got to the wards the care was excellent, the Dr was very capable, and the nursing and staff very professional, and provided great care. Have no complaints but with the ER wait.

[DonnaNi4os]

I’ve had surgery there and I’m still breathing. No complaints. However, I spent time there with a friend, pre-pandemic. I was appalled to see a nurse adjusting her IV that was leaking blood while not wearing gloves. When I questioned this she responded with, “she doesn’t have any tattoos, so she’s safe”! What about the nurse?!! Practices such as this are partially responsible for high infection rates.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Leadbone1

You need to do your research and find out why they get a low rating. It’s not because of the care people get once they’re admitted. It’s because of the emergency room waits and so forth which is a direct result of the age of the population surrounding the hospital. They probably get 2 to 3 times the amount of ambulances coming in there that most other hospitals do.

Yep. Exactly.

" the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care"

Triage | Definition of Triage by Merriam-Webster

[kathylievense@gmail.com]

Care isTERRIBLE! My dad was in the ER multiple times and passed away there. He was having a myasthenia gravis crisis” and waited over 4 hrs to be seen. I was unable to convince anyone to at least provide a bed for my dad to lay down. (In a MG crisis , he was unable to sit up). My sister and finally moved the lobby furniture around to create a spot for dad - it was ridiculous ! Health care is the major issue we have with deciding whether we should move to the Villages full time! What is the problem???

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

And you know this how?????
Please enlighten us with the number of diagnoses made and the number that were incorrect, and how you are privy to this info
Until then, I call BS

Check the Medicare ratings and you will see the statistics. In particular note incorrect treatment for sepsis in TVRH vs neighboring hospitals.

Originally Posted by JimJohnson

The Villages hospital ratings you refer to are from the patients. The patients are predominantly from The Villages; hence, the most entitled people in this country. The Villages Hospital is just fine.

The ratings are from statistics hospitals are required to collect not patients opinions.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

For such a physically-beautiful facility, how can The Villages Regional Hospital have such abysmally low ratings?

The Medicare “search for healthcare” tool shows TVRH rated at one-star (out of five) both by Medicare as well as a survey of recent patients. It’s the only hospital within 40 miles rated this low. Leesburg Regional Hospital isn’t much better, rated at two stars by Medicare and only one-star by patients.

The closest hospital with decent ratings is Advent Waterman Hospital in Tavares, rated at four-stars by Medicare and three-stars by patients.

To get top-rated hospitals we have to go to Shands in Gainesville or several in central Florida, but none closer than 50 miles away. We should probably take this into consideration when selecting our specialist doctors. Where do they have admitting priveledges and where do they perform procedures or surgeries? More importantly, are the better-rated hospitals and the doctors who practice there covered by your health insurance plan?

How long will it take for UF Health to improve care at our local hospitals? Or will we have to wait a decade until the new hospital is built and opened in the southern end of The Villages? In that all three hospitals will be owned by UF Health, we can guess how much emphasis will be placed on improving what will then be two older hospitals.

I agree....spoke to a nurse in EMR she told me don’t go there because they are so under staff they just keep up

[Hifred]

I can tell you why they have had a low rating. The medical mistakes and errors with surgeries has been high. My husband went with a painful lump that had a mesh hernia repair years ago in Chicago. They did a ultra sound and told him he did not have a hernia. He went to Shands and was told yes, the mesh had gave way and he did have a hernia that was in need of repair. So how can two medical facilities come up with different conclusions? It is the skill of the doctors. The Villages Hospital doesn't have a good record. Two neighbors that I know went in for simple procedures and came out with problems. A person down the street went in for a colonoscopy and at TV they perforated the bowel. He developed sepsis after the colonoscopy. My other neighbor had a foot surgery and they made a medical error. The woman could not walk and need two more corrective surgeries to correct the original surgery at TV. Dr. Lora Thaxton from TV Hospital came to work drunk and her medical license had to be restricted. At this point as long as we are able to drive we will go to Orlando or Gainesville or Mayo if we need surgery. I like the doctor we have at TV health. However, we never get to see him. Everytime we call for an appointment they send us to a physician assistant and the physician assistant has made mistakes with us in diagnosing problems. I was told I had arthritis in my knee after an x-ray and was sent to physical therapy. The pain was horrible so bad I couldn't sleep and it got worse with physical therapy. I ended up going to Shands and I actually had swelling in the bone marrow which was due to an osteochondral defect. The physical therapy made it worse. I was told to not move or put any pressure on it until the bone could heal. I was off it for 8 weeks. My knee was saved and the Dr. at Shands said if I would have continued to push it I would have had to have a knee replacement. So that was missed and possibly made worse by seeing a physician's assistant here at TV because I could not get an appointment with my doctor. I was assured by the specialist who reviewed the x-ray there was no arthritis and they ordered an MRI which should have been done at TV. At this point I have a primary care in Gainesville and a primary care doctor in TV. If I have a cold or a simple issue I go to the Villages. If it is something that is serious I go to Gainesville or Orlando. No one wants to drive an hour to the doctors when they are sick. But when there is a real problem here I, given our experience I don't trust the care.