Healthcare

There is no way that I can do this post without sounding negative. However, that's not the purpose. The purpose is to remind me always of the differences right here in the U.S.  It might serve as an opportunity for you to see a different perspective.

Healthcare is easily the thing I took for granted the most before we moved. In 16 years, I had 4 primary care doctors. The first, I left because he was terrible and our insurance changed giving me more options. The second two were in the same office. They both left for other positions. However, I was with them for over 10 years total. The last few years in KC, I switched to a young lady at St. Luke's and she was great.

Over the years, we both saw a handful of specialists. Dermatologist. Gynecologist/fertility. Surgeon. Orthodontist. ENT. And others. We never had to drive far. In fact, we only had a 30 minute drive to one. If we needed an ER, we had a 5 minute drive to one of the best in the city.

We had first class, top-notch care. The offices and hospitals were clean and sanitary. It was exactly what you would expect. The only complaint was an occasional longer than average wait. Even that was not super common.

I don't want anyone to think it was perfect. There were a few bumps in the road. There were some annoyances. We always knew that if one doctor didn't suit our needs, we had a long list within five miles to chose from.

We joke sometimes that we moved to a third world country. My KC friends would agree, I'm positive of it.

Last summer, we learned very quick that healthcare was not equal to what we left. After a full day of calls, I found nobody locally who took our insurance and had any openings within three months. My husband finally found a sympathetic receptionist who listened to his story about moving and need for med refills. He got an appointment within a month.

During that time, I also began searching for a gynocologists because I knew I had a problem. Nobody had any openings within six months for me. In August, I had my first ER visit.

I know I've written about this before, but as a reminder....  We were treated like scum of the earth in the ER. There was no care, compassion or privacy. They failed to do a pregnancy test. They sent me home knowing my hemoglobin was low and nothing for pain, let alone all the other problems. They were more concerned about my BP than anything. They did get me in with a gyno three days later.

That gyno didn't speak English well and was fresh off her residency. She too failed to do a pregnancy test and gave me the most painful biopsy of my life. She ordered no bloodwork and was also most concerned about my BP. Of course my BP was high, I felt like death.

The next month, I finally got a referral from my chiropractor of all people to a better gyno. He got me right in and did surgery. He also saved my life! He is an excellent doctor. However, after dealing with his office staff now for a year, I can tell you his quality of service isn't seen in the staff. They have been awful! They are incompetent and only care about filling his schedule. The entire office has a huge communication problem. I am once again in search of another gyno.

In the meantime, we had other medical issues.

My husband had to go to one specialist after another. None around here have taken new clients any sooner than two months. When we drove 90 minutes for the big problems, we got right in. His arm doctor was absolutely the only comparable office, care and doctor to our KC choices. Beacon Orthopededics was awesome! His back doctor works out of an old, smelly, dirty office in Cincinnati. He's a good doctor, but his staff obviously hate their jobs.

I had two more visits to ERs. One more at the local hospital, where I got two warfarin shots in the belly and sent home with a probable blood clot in my leg. The other time was about 30 minutes away when I was puking and doubled over in pain. Those idiots hooked me up to an IV with pain meds and then wanted me to walk all over the hospital for tests and scans. Right!!!

Since I was having issues, I did call and set up an appointment with a local doctor. New patient, two month wait. Two days before my appointment, I got a call that the doctor had left the practice. Ok. Schedule with a different doctor. Two months wait. Day before appointment, I get a call that the doctor left the practice. No more doctors in that practice who take our insurance. One of the only offices locally who take our insurance and new patients is my husbands doctor.

Ok! My issues have resolved, so it wasn't urgent. However, it's time for an annual physical. As of August 1st, my husbands doctor no longer takes our insurance.

We will have at least 45 minutes to find a new doctor now.

I spent a year on the wait list for the only psychologist who takes our insurance. Kent has been on the wait list 15 months, but mine was a bit more urgent. The day I went in for paperwork, they announced that only provider was no longer going to be in their office and there were no providers for our insurance.

We are on our second dentist since moving and are in search of our second optometrist.

Besides our chiropractor, there has been NO office or hospital who has billed my insurance correctly. We've paid multiple copays us on Kent because of incompetence in billing staff.

I've noticed that if I complain, the locals get a bit offensive. I understand. I probably would to if I'd lived here forever. I get it.

But let me be clear, the people here do not get the care they deserve. The people here deserve the kind of care and options we had in KC. They deserve to have compassionate staff and doctors who care.

I hate that the healthcare system is so broken here. It seems great to some people here because it's the best they've ever had. But they could and should have better.

I LOVE my community. If I could bring one thing here to give to this community, it would be a better healthcare system.

Again, I know this sounds so negative. I know there are exceptions to everything I've shared. I know a couple nurses who are amazing and I'm sure there are others. They do their best with what they've got to work with.

But, and it's a big BUT, there's no equality been here and KC. There's really no comparisons between here and where we grew up either. Even where we grew up has higher quality care and facilities.

It's not likely to change with the current administration.