Opinion on hospitals (Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown: insurance, houses, university)

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Ok, I know this is only going to be your opinion but if you had to rate the hospitals in the area, (and include Cedar Park, Round Rock and Georgetown), what would be the top five? If you want to, add why you think they're a good hospital. Thank you.

Also, any tips on a good cardiologist?

[mark311]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Also, any tips on a good cardiologist?

The Heart Hospital next to Central Market on Lamar is the place to go. It's definitely worth the drive from wherever you are in the Austin area. My parents drive down there from Georgetown and pass about 7 other hospitals on their way there.

Heart Hospital of Austin

[scm53]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Ok, I know this is only going to be your opinion but if you had to rate the hospitals in the area, (and include Cedar Park, Round Rock and Georgetown), what would be the top five? If you want to, add why you think they're a good hospital. Thank you.

Also, any tips on a good cardiologist?

My wife has been in healthcare administration most of her adult life, after starting as a clinician. She would say it depends upon two things. It starts with your practitioner. Find one you click with - and it might not be the first one your primary care physician refers you to. You don't know what is driving that referral. Check out their rating on healthgrades.com. Look at their outcomes, but do it with an understanding that it might be because they take the hard cases no one else wants. You have to interview them just like you were looking to hire someone - because you are.

Then, that may very well drive the hospital decision. Not all hospitals are the same, because one can be great in one specialty, and be awful at another. Volume is a large part of that - more of a specific procedure allows them to get good at it. Again, healthgrades.com can help you sort that out. Your practitioner may have privileges at one hospital and not another. Look and see for the speciality you are considering what the hospital's grades are and build a "no way" list. If the specialist only wants to use one that is a "no way" one, you need another specialist.

One other thing that will certainly factor in is what is considered in-network for your insurance. You have to weigh that in the selection of both the specialist AND the facility.

Finally, you are looking for a cardiologist. Diagnostic or interventional (cath/stent)?

Good luck! Do your homework and choose carefully.

[love roses]

Ive heard good things about the heart hospital. I think all of the Seton hospitals are pretty good. I thought Seton RR off 620 was my favorite, but after having to go to Cedar Park for part 2 of my gallbladder surgery I have to put it in the 1st place spot. I had a good experience there.

[robino2001]

Originally Posted by love roses

I thought Seton RR off 620 was my favorite, but after having to go to Cedar Park for part 2 of my gallbladder surgery I have to put it in the 1st place spot. I had a good experience there.

St David's Round Rock is off of 620... Seton Williamson is 1460 and University... (then S&W Round Rock is University by the Outlets)

[love roses]

Darn! I always get them mixed up! St. David's is the one I meant.

[MtnLion512]

It's going to depend on what you're looking for...a certain procedure? Emergency dept? Or are you just talking in general? Even within cardiology, depending on what you need the quality can vary- for example, for electrophysiology, St. David's Medical Center houses on of the best EP labs in the country. For the best cath lab, may be different. Overall, yes the Heart Hospital is top-notch. St. David's Round Rock has some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the region (I work on the ortho floor there). My wife works at St. David's Medical Center. Just depends on what you're looking for.

As far as rankings, St. David's Medical Center, SD-North Austin and SD-Round Rock all made the Thomson-Reuters Top 100 Hospitals for this year (RR as a Top Medium Community Hospital, other 2 as Top Large Community Hospital). http://www.100tophospitals.com/top-national-hospitals/

Try the link below- it allows you to compare up to 3 hospitals on a variety of general metrics based on actual patient callback reviews. Just plug in the city/state and go from there. May be helpful:
Medicare Hospital Compare Quality of Care

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by love roses

Darn! I always get them mixed up! St. David's is the one I meant.

We had a good experience there during my husband's kidney cancer surgery some years ago, as well. Left feeling very positive about the experience.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by MtnLion512

As far as rankings, St. David's Medical Center, SD-North Austin and SD-Round Rock all made the Thomson-Reuters Top 100 Hospitals for this year (RR as a Top Medium Community Hospital, other 2 as Top Large Community Hospital). Top National Hospitals

I'd personally avoid St David's North after my one experience there. Back in '06, I went to ER late one night because of a kidney stone. At the time, I had no idea what it was other than it felt like I was being repeatedly stabbed in the back with a screwdriver. Get to ER. It's surprisingly not busy. No one else is there. We bang on the window. A nurse is sitting a computer, looks up at once, doesn't acknowledge us, and keeps going about her business. Bang on the window again. Still no response. She's 10 feet away. Finally my wife starts yelling at her and she gets up and admits me. I go put on a gown and lay down on the gurney. After a few minutes, I can't take it and need to stand up. I stand up and my entire back is covered in blood. Someone else's blood. Pressed on the gurney and blood oozed up through the cracks in the vinyl. It'd soaked into the foam rubber from whoever used it before me and they did a superficial cleaning. At that point, my level of service drastically improved. They shot me up so I'd be too lit to remember to sue later. A few hours later after I'm diagnosed and getting checked out, the nurse cannot get the catheter needles out of each hand. She twists and pulls, complaining that the are a higher gauge needle and are difficult to remove. Luckily, I'm high on Demerol so I just watch as the needle is moving up, down, side to side under my skin. Finally they pop out and in a few minutes, I developed a golf ball size hematoma on top of each hand.

Great experience.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by mark311

The Heart Hospital next to Central Market on Lamar is the place to go. It's definitely worth the drive from wherever you are in the Austin area. My parents drive down there from Georgetown and pass about 7 other hospitals on their way there.

Heart Hospital of Austin

^^^ Ditto what Mark said. ^^^