If you didn't live here...WHERE would you live?

[Kurt]

I believe it is due to the fact that when many people moved here years ago it was the small, beautiful, sleepy place they wanted to spend forever.

Development came and so did forever. Most of them won't leave though - they'll just complain for forever and a day.

 

[phdphay]

I believe it is due to the fact that when many people moved here years ago it was the small, beautiful, sleepy place they wanted to spend forever.

Development came and so did forever. Most of them won't leave though - they'll just complain for forever and a day.

LOL.

But seriously, how would you rate the quality of medical care here? Or is it politically incorrect for you to answer that question in a public forum?

 

[beachmouse]

Within a half hour's drive, pretty average for a rural area. (ie not that great overall, though I think Sacred Heart is going to be better than most rural hospitals in the next five years as it really develops itself)

However, if time is not of the essence, Pensacola has some very good hospitals for a city its size, including a couple of level two trauma centers they can airlift you to if need be. They also do some very high volume procedures, and studies show that the best place to get an operation done is at a place that does a lot of them.

Panama City and Ft. Walton Beach have adequate to good hospitals, though the one in Ft. Walton is owned by the evil Columbia HCA. (which tends to get into massive fights with your insurance company of choice)

 

[Kurt]

LOL.

But seriously, how would you rate the quality of medical care here? Or is it politically incorrect for you to answer that question in a public forum?

What Mouse said.

 

[phdphay]

That's not very reassuring. Maybe things will get better in 10 years with the population increasing. But then we probably won't want to be here if it gets as crowded as Destin. "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

 

[beachmouse]

The best medical care comes from high volume situations and in places where the area's population is big enough and rich enough to support high tech/higher risk fields. It takes an insane amount of money to run a level one trauma center, and you've got to have a certain number of patients coming in who need those services in order to justify that expense. Which only really happens in big cities.

Unless you're lucky enough to live in a place like Rochester, Minnesota (Mayo Clinic) the best care is going to happen in the bigger cities.

I do wonder if the doctors at Sacred Heart- Pensacola have priviledges at Sacred Heart- Emerald Coast. Get a high level specialist that's doing four days a week in Pensacola and a day a week in Santa Rosa Beach, and you can really change the equation.

 

[Mike B.]

I think its time for me to leave East Nashville. We had a 15 year old kid get a whole clip unloaded into him at 6:30 last night during a little league game about 200 yards from my house. The gunman is still on the loose and I had cops and helicopters all over my neighborhood last night. I had to sit in my house with the doors locked. Kinda put a damper on the evening. I tried to flag down a cop and even a news van to ask what happened but no one would stop. I was on my back porch smoking a butt right after it happened and heard the cops on their loud speakers in the park telling all the parents to get their kids, get in their cars and leave the park immediatley. I was sleeping when the shots were fired. People are crazy!

 

[Smiling JOe]

I think its time for me to leave East Nashville. We had a 15 year old kid get a whole clip unloaded into him at 6:30 last night during a little league game about 200 yards from my house. The gunman is still on the loose and I had cops and helicopters all over my neighborhood last night. I had to sit in my house with the doors locked. Kinda put a damper on the evening. I tried to flag down a cop and even a news van to ask what happened but no one would stop. I was on my back porch smoking a butt right after it happened and heard the cops on their loud speakers in the park telling all the parents to get their kids, get in their cars and leave the park immediatley. I was sleeping when the shots were fired. People are crazy!

Just another reason to justify higher prices in SoWal.

 

[phdphay]

The best medical care comes from high volume situations and in places where the area's population is big enough and rich enough to support high tech/higher risk fields. It takes an insane amount of money to run a level one trauma center, and you've got to have a certain number of patients coming in who need those services in order to justify that expense. Which only really happens in big cities.

Unless you're lucky enough to live in a place like Rochester, Minnesota (Mayo Clinic) the best care is going to happen in the bigger cities.

I do wonder if the doctors at Sacred Heart- Pensacola have priviledges at Sacred Heart- Emerald Coast. Get a high level specialist that's doing four days a week in Pensacola and a day a week in Santa Rosa Beach, and you can really change the equation.

You're right about the population/income thing. But you'd think there'd be some really good doctors who want to escape the traffic in, say, Atlanta, and practice medicine as well as live the beach lifestyle. Guess there's not the volume for them to make the big bucks. And the high-tech hospitals to support their skills don't exist here because of the reasons you mentioned.

If you're a beach lover and want to live in the Southeast, the good thing about the Jacksonville area (Amelia, Ponte Vedra, etc.) is that there's a Mayo Clinic there. But the beaches are like a parking lot compared to 30-A.

Dunno. I'll think about that tomorrow.

 

[Smiling JOe]

You're right about the population/income thing. But you'd think there'd be some really good doctors who want to escape the traffic in, say, Atlanta, and practice medicine as well as live the beach lifestyle. Guess there's not the volume for them to make the big bucks. And the high-tech hospitals to support their skills don't exist here because of the reasons you mentioned.

This area is poised for the baby boomer's retirement homes. Doctors will go to their patients. You will see the yellow pages section for Doctors increasing greatly in the coming years. Sacred Heart Hospital in Sandestin is undergoing expansion. The designers knew the need for expansion and designed the roof on a jack system. They can jack up the roof and add floors on top without interrupting the remainder of the hospital. :shock: