We're Losing Doctors Right and Left Here from this Area

officerripley

officerripley

Well-known Member
Location
Porlock, Calif
This is so frustrating: Huzz has been going to a pain management specialist for several months, jumping through all the hoops that insurance company requires so he can get an ablation therapy treatment on his neck (in a lot of pain), He's jumped through several hoops and was due to see the dr. next week about finally getting the treatment, but! The dr. has suddenly retired!

They did refer him to a different pain management doc here in town who's taking the previous doc's patients. But the neurologist who referred him to the first pain management doc told us that there were only 2 pain management docs here in town who are worth a darn, this guy who just retired and another one whose name I can't remember but I know it's not the one who's taking the retiree's patients.

So I get on the phone to call that neurologist and ask him the name of the other good doc. Welp, the neurologist has either retired or just left the area. (He did tell us that this state is awful to be a medical professional in due to all the regulations.) So I guess Huzz is stuck with this one.

Thanks for listening.
 

It is just the opposite in wealthy urban areas like here in the SF Bay Area. We have an abundance of doctors and dentists, with new one's continually popping up across our urban areas. Yeah so given a bit of experience and reputation, they flock from rural areas and frugal medical organizations to those wealthy.
 
Lots of good medical choices in my area, too, @David777 and @officerripley.

Officer, are you in a very rural area of CA? Have you considered looking for medical plan or group that has access to a larger number of doctors?

I've not heard of doctors leaving CA, but am sure hearing about them arriving from states that now threaten to criminally punish them for treating women who need certain kinds of reproductive care.
 
We are in a mostly rural area but I keep hearing that doctors are leaving a lot of places in Calif. We have friends that live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley) and they said it's the same there as here: especially if you need a specialist, you can't find one, and even when you can find one, they're not taking new patients, and even if they are taking new patients, there's a wait of several months for an appointment.
 
officerripley said:
We are in a mostly rural area but I keep hearing that doctors are leaving a lot of places in Calif. We have friends that live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley) and they said it's the same there as here: especially if you need a specialist, you can't find one, and even when you can find one, they're not taking new patients, and even if they are taking new patients, there's a wait of several months for an appointment.
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Have you considered joining Kaiser?
 
We (the U.S.) are in need of medical specialists and also police officers. It seems that we have a lot of P.A.'s and N.P.'s. We need doctors and specialists in Rheumatology, Neurology and Gastroenterologists. And COPS. I think almost every PD in my area is hiring. My Grandson graduated a few months ago from the PSP Academy. He's going to follow in my footsteps, (His words, not mine.)
 
officerripley said:
This is so frustrating: Huzz has been going to a pain management specialist for several months, jumping through all the hoops that insurance company requires so he can get an ablation therapy treatment on his neck (in a lot of pain), He's jumped through several hoops and was due to see the dr. next week about finally getting the treatment, but! The dr. has suddenly retired!

They did refer him to a different pain management doc here in town who's taking the previous doc's patients. But the neurologist who referred him to the first pain management doc told us that there were only 2 pain management docs here in town who are worth a darn, this guy who just retired and another one whose name I can't remember but I know it's not the one who's taking the retiree's patients.

So I get on the phone to call that neurologist and ask him the name of the other good doc. Welp, the neurologist has either retired or just left the area. (He did tell us that this state is awful to be a medical professional in due to all the regulations.) So I guess Huzz is stuck with this one.

Thanks for listening.
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I had my second RF Ablation treatment on my back about 6 weeks ago. I was told by a Neurosurgeon there isn't anymore that he can do for me. I could show you my MRI, but if you would look at it, I have narrowing at the bottom of the spine where a cluster of nerves are bunched together. I forget what he called it, but he said he could try to operate on it and put spacers in there to try to give the nerves some room to spread out, but no guarantees. When I told him I may be willing to risk it, he said, "On second thought, I don't want to perform the surgery."

So, he kind of left me hung out to dry. I guess I may try the Cleveland Clinic or Johns Hopkins. Hopkins is closer, about 50 miles away, but it's a 3 month wait after the consultation, which is another 2 months. I just remember, the surgeon called it a nerve impingement. But, it's actually a cluster of nerves.
 
StarSong said:
No disagreement from me, but at this moment there are at least 20 states with laws on the books curtailing what doctors can say and do when it comes to the life and health of an expectant mother.
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If there is injury, you sue for med mal no matter what the law. Keep pushing the envelope. Make the doctors take a forceful stand and choose to uphold their oath to do no harm. Force the doctors, force them. Make them leave the location if nothing else. Get everyone involved, turn this on its head. As it is, the doctors are in compliance hurting women. Make them choose a side. The only thing a doctor truly understands is being sued.
 
officerripley said:
This is so frustrating: Huzz has been going to a pain management specialist for several months, jumping through all the hoops that insurance company requires so he can get an ablation therapy treatment on his neck (in a lot of pain), He's jumped through several hoops and was due to see the dr. next week about finally getting the treatment, but! The dr. has suddenly retired!

They did refer him to a different pain management doc here in town who's taking the previous doc's patients. But the neurologist who referred him to the first pain management doc told us that there were only 2 pain management docs here in town who are worth a darn, this guy who just retired and another one whose name I can't remember but I know it's not the one who's taking the retiree's patients.

So I get on the phone to call that neurologist and ask him the name of the other good doc. Welp, the neurologist has either retired or just left the area. (He did tell us that this state is awful to be a medical professional in due to all the regulations.) So I guess Huzz is stuck with this one.

Thanks for listening.
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That's a shame Officer. I hope the one he goes to will help him manage his pain. A few years ago, I read about a shortage of physicians across the country. If I remember correctly it was mostly OB-GYNs. I feel so blessed to have been on Aetna for decades. I've never had to worry about paperwork or "hoops". Once I switched to Medicare HMO, the added benefit was that I no longer needed referrals. A couple of years ago, I switched to a PPO and can now also see out of network doctors, if necessary, for the same $10 co-pay.
 
Pepper said:
If there is injury, you sue for med mal no matter what the law. Keep pushing the envelope. Make the doctors take a forceful stand and choose to uphold their oath to do no harm. Force the doctors, force them. Make them leave the location if nothing else. Get everyone involved, turn this on its head. As it is, the doctors are in compliance hurting women. Make them choose a side. The only thing a doctor truly understands is being sued.
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Expecting doctors to break laws, thereby risking their practices, medical licenses, financial stability (to defend themselves in court), and freedom (jail term) is unreasonable.

They and their families would also likely be targeted by community members or outsiders who disagree with them flouting the law.

I don't blame doctors who flee these states or change specialties.
 
Pepper said:
If there is injury, you sue for med mal no matter what the law. Keep pushing the envelope. Make the doctors take a forceful stand and choose to uphold their oath to do no harm. Force the doctors, force them. Make them leave the location if nothing else. Get everyone involved, turn this on its head. As it is, the doctors are in compliance hurting women. Make them choose a side. The only thing a doctor truly understands is being sued.
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I don’t disagree but obstetricians are leaving red states. Women that need a d and c after a miscarriage are having to wait until they are septic before a doctor will act and women are dying. The family can sue but that’s little comfort. Women with high risk pregnancies are having to drive hours for care. I’m sickened that women are once again chattel and not in charge of their health care decisions. Ugh!!!
 
StarSong said:
Expecting doctors to break laws, thereby risking their practices, medical licenses, financial stability (to defend themselves in court), and freedom (jail term) is unreasonable.

They and their families would also likely be targeted by community members or outsiders who disagree with them flouting the law.

I don't blame doctors who flee these states or change specialties.
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The doctor that performed abortions in Wichita was murdered while attending church. So many crazy people exist.
 
Teacher Terry said:
The doctor that performed abortions in Wichita was murdered while attending church. So many crazy people exist.
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So?

Anti-abortion activist killed near Mich. school

A man carrying grudges against several people set off on a shooting spree Friday morning, authorities said, killing an abortion protester outside a high school because he didn't like the activist holding a sign with graphic images of a fetus in front of students.​
​
The gunman drove next to a gravel pit business and shot and killed the owner, who apparently also upset him, police said. Authorities believe they stopped a third slaying by catching up with the gunman before he could kill again.​
 
officerripley said:
No, unfortunately the nearest Kaiser hospital is 2 hours away.
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I was going to ask if you could handle a drive to go out of town for care. But I understand this may not be possible.

This is very bad when someone has to rely on a hospital or doctor for the care they need.

Yet the local monopoly hospital acts like you can't wait to go to their services if you believe their advertisements. They are infuriating.
 
StarSong said:
Expecting doctors to break laws, thereby risking their practices, medical licenses, financial stability (to defend themselves in court), and freedom (jail term) is unreasonable.

They and their families would also likely be targeted by community members or outsiders who disagree with them flouting the law.

I don't blame doctors who flee these states or change specialties.
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Better than the patient risking their lives; better than them breaking their oath to do no harm. Yes, I'm being extreme because that's the situation we are in where everyone must choose a side. As for fleeing the state: RUN, don't walk, wouldn't blame any doc who does this. Let them go to where they can live up to their oaths. It's making a decision, and a decision is what is needed.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I read about a shortage of physicians across the country. If I remember correctly it was mostly OB-GYNs.
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Yep, my OB-GYN--whom I really liked, she was great--just left the area. And I got a letter from her practice--she was in with some other OB-GYNs--saying that since the need in our community for OB-GYN services has grown so much that they're going to have to limit the services they provide. They will no longer do preventative check-ups or breast exams; they'll do pap smears only. We have to see our primary care providers for what they'll no longer do.

Welp, being a breast cancer survivor, I'm gonna have to call and see how I'm going to get my continuing care and check-ups.
 
Pepper said:
Better than the patient risking their lives; better than them breaking their oath to do no harm. Yes, I'm being extreme because that's the situation we are in where everyone must choose a side. As for fleeing the state: RUN, don't walk, wouldn't blame any doc who does this. Let them go to where they can live up to their oaths. It's making a decision, and a decision is what is needed.
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People in these states need to wrest control from their lawmakers if they disagree with the laws.

Expecting medical providers to assume all the personal, legal and financial risks on behalf of their patients is unfair to the docs and their families, and will not move the ball down the field.
 
Pepper, doctors are leaving some areas because they can’t in good conscience practice there any longer which is leaving people in a bind. Never did I think that Roe v Wade would be overturned but I guess I underestimated the rights desire to control women at all costs.

The thing that boggles my mind is that all life is precious until the baby is born and then they don’t want to pay a penny towards helping that baby. It can starve or freeze to death for all they care. They love to insult poor people that need help and make them the villains.

If you look at the city data forum they are all bashing women for getting pregnant like men had no part in it yet they are all happy about Roe. It makes my head hurt.
 
Study after study shows that 90% of the women sleep around with 10% of the men, and typically they're the abusive ones and ones who get "bored" quickly and dump them.

Don't try to make promiscuity a men's issue. It isn't.
 
dilettante said:
Study after study shows that 90% of the women sleep around with 10% of the men, and typically they're the abusive ones and ones who get "bored" quickly and dump them.

Don't try to make promiscuity a men's issue. It isn't.
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This is the most ignorant and ridiculous thing I’ve read in a long time. Promiscuity is definitely more prevalent in men.

As my mother used to say if men got pregnant abortion would be a god given right and there would be an abortion clinic on every corner along with the bars and churches.
 

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