Medical Services in NWA (Fayetteville, Rogers: insurance, house, camper)

[Achi WaWa]

One of the biggest challenges moving here is picking medical service providers. We do use healthgrades.com for guidelines but still, local insight and anecdotes would also prove helpful.

Previously I used local Tucson doctors for regular maintenance and the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for the bigger stuff.

It seems that the two big healthcare systems are Mercy and Northwest Health.
Any comments as to which is better overall? I already have a taste of both but will hold off with my opinions for now... It seems the closest other options for major problems are in Tulsa.

My 2nd question is for recommendations for a local supplemental insurance consultant.
We currently use standard Medicare with the AARP supplement plan G by United. This pays for everything except the yearly deductible but costs about three franklins a month. Of course Eye,Dental and Hearing are not included. We are wondering if it is time to consider an advantage plan and just how good the coverage is around here...

[vcvs]

Originally Posted by Achi WaWa

One of the biggest challenges moving here is picking medical service providers. We do use healthgrades.com for guidelines but still, local insight and anecdotes would also prove helpful.

Previously I used local Tucson doctors for regular maintenance and the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for the bigger stuff.

It seems that the two big healthcare systems are Mercy and Northwest Health.
Any comments as to which is better overall? I already have a taste of both but will hold off with my opinions for now... It seems the closest other options for major problems are in Tulsa.

My 2nd question is for recommendations for a local supplemental insurance consultant.
We currently use standard Medicare with the AARP supplement plan G by United. This pays for everything except the yearly deductible but costs about three franklins a month. Of course Eye,Dental and Hearing are not included. We are wondering if it is time to consider an advantage plan and just how good the coverage is around here...

Great topic. Hopefully more folks here can give you some answers or guidance. I do not have a lot of experience with medical providers here (yet). My primary care is with Mercy (referred from my primary care when I was in GA), and also they are in "network" under my employer based insurance plan.
Mercy has been great for me (and wife) so far. We have only seen them for routine check ups, infections, etc.

[nmnita]

There are pros and cons to both, but either one is satisfactory with us. We happen to have used both Mercy and Northwest. I think overall Mercy is the preference for most. We lean slightly to NW. As for our supplement, we use Humana, and couldn't ask for any better additional coverage, not to mention it is except we carry the additional add on for eye and dental care. As for the actual hospitals, for us hey are similar, with NW being a little more patient friendly and we have had had extreme experience with both due to health issues my husband has had. As for the PC doctors Mercy has more choices.

[reubenray]

Having a hospital system close by is one concern I have about getting a house on the far West side of Bella Vista. I am on Medicare and my wife will be next year, so I don't think it matters which system to use to us. I know where Mercy is in Bella Vista, but I don't know where Northwest is.

[Achi WaWa]

Mercy has various types of 'facilities' all over the place... I think the one in BV is an ER type of clinic... Both seem to have their main hospitals down by the Promenade shopping center and Walnut/Walton roads in a 'medical center' area. So far Dr's I've visited associated with NWH have had their offices in various buildings scattered throughout the general "medical center" area. Being on the west side may be an advantage as the freeway is there whereas the east side has to traverse 71.

The thing I liked about Mayo Clinic was that I had 1 location to go to... I might have 8 doctors plus lab + various testing but there was only one location i had to remember where to be... If one guy wanted another guy to look at something, it was right down the hall or in the next building... they all worked as a team and all your records were in one place. You also got one statement.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by reubenray

Having a hospital system close by is one concern I have about getting a house on the far West side of Bella Vista. I am on Medicare and my wife will be next year, so I don't think it matters which system to use to us. I know where Mercy is in Bella Vista, but I don't know where Northwest is.

As much as I am loving living in the highlands, the east side is fine for medical care. There is a huge Mercy clinic right by Cooper Elementary that most people are happy with and of course it is closer to the east side than the west.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Achi WaWa

Mercy has various types of 'facilities' all over the place... I think the one in BV is an ER type of clinic... Both seem to have their main hospitals down by the Promenade shopping center and Walnut/Walton roads in a 'medical center' area. So far Dr's I've visited associated with NWH have had their offices in various buildings scattered throughout the general "medical center" area. Being on the west side may be an advantage as the freeway is there whereas the east side has to traverse 71.

The thing I liked about Mayo Clinic was that I had 1 location to go to... I might have 8 doctors plus lab + various testing but there was only one location i had to remember where to be... If one guy wanted another guy to look at something, it was right down the hall or in the next building... they all worked as a team and all your records were in one place. You also got one statement.

The clinic that Mercy has in BV is both emergency and regular doctors. Our granddaughter works there as a nurse practitioner. Nw has a urgent care clinic right there near Lowe's. Either one is a good facility NW Hospital is off exit 85 so not far from BV, Mercy is a bit further. This is one reason we lean toward NW>

[sky view trail]

Originally Posted by nmnita

The clinic that Mercy has in BV is both emergency and regular doctors. Our granddaughter works there as a nurse practitioner. Nw has a urgent care clinic right there near Lowe's. Either one is a good facility NW Hospital is off exit 85 so not far from BV, Mercy is a bit further. This is one reason we lean toward NW>

I am very happy with the care I received at Mercy Bella Vista clinic (part of the hospital on Mercy Way), their urgent care clinic, their ER & their family practice clinic. I'm also a huge fan of their Rogers hospital campus, ended up there for about 24 hours recently, top quality everything, beautiful facility, rooms, care givers, & even the food was incredibly good!!! Their neurology team is out of this world, video consultations were part of the in-depth care, very caring doctors & nurses, beautiful rooms with expansive views, I almost hated to leave except they kept sticking me with needles every 4 hours & of course waking me up a lot. The extra bonus was when I was transported from the Bella Vista ER to the Rogers hospital (Bella Vista hospital does not admit patients, they only have the ER) I was wishing & hoping that I could just be wheeled right up into a room without any further red tape & much to my surprise, they did just that! Right thru the ER up to the 7th floor, into a lovely room, what a nice surprise,! Not sure how they do that but it was a real relief.

I then found an excellent APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) the Monday after I was discharged from the hospital & have chosen to continue care with her as my GP, again, excellent attentive care, very sharp gal, great lab techs, & very good follow-up after the hospital stay, + it's extremely convenient. So I'm a happy camper with Mercy.

Once the "dust settled" I did some additional research & found that Mercy is one of the top hospitals in the country for ranking in care & every other aspect....top rating from A to Z, so am very happy with Mercy.

On a final note, they paid for the taxi to get me back to my car in the parking lot at Bella Vista, as it wasn't my fault that I had to be transported to Rogers. That was one concern I had when I left Bella Vista in an ambulance.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by sky view trail

I am very happy with the care I received at Mercy Bella Vista clinic (part of the hospital on Mercy Way), their urgent care clinic, their ER & their family practice clinic. I'm also a huge fan of their Rogers hospital campus, ended up there for about 24 hours recently, top quality everything, beautiful facility, rooms, care givers, & even the food was incredibly good!!! Their neurology team is out of this world, video consultations were part of the in-depth care, very caring doctors & nurses, beautiful rooms with expansive views, I almost hated to leave except they kept sticking me with needles every 4 hours & of course waking me up a lot. The extra bonus was when I was transported from the Bella Vista ER to the Rogers hospital (Bella Vista hospital does not admit patients, they only have the ER) I was wishing & hoping that I could just be wheeled right up into a room without any further red tape & much to my surprise, they did just that! Right thru the ER up to the 7th floor, into a lovely room, what a nice surprise,! Not sure how they do that but it was a real relief.

I then found an excellent APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) the Monday after I was discharged from the hospital & have chosen to continue care with her as my GP, again, excellent attentive care, very sharp gal, great lab techs, & very good follow-up after the hospital stay, + it's extremely convenient. So I'm a happy camper with Mercy.

Once the "dust settled" I did some additional research & found that Mercy is one of the top hospitals in the country for ranking in care & every other aspect....top rating from A to Z, so am very happy with Mercy.

On a final note, they paid for the taxi to get me back to my car in the parking lot at Bella Vista, as it wasn't my fault that I had to be transported to Rogers. That was one concern I had when I left Bella Vista in an ambulance.

Glad you had such a good experience: WE have had good with both NW and Mercy: We did have a couple problems with Mercy that I will not go into. The care was perfect and the facility is outstanding, both the BV campus and the hospital Our problem had more to do with the doctors treating my husband and not always being completely honest to put it mildly. This can happen anywhere. That is for certain. I do not hold his against Mercy.

[CraigCreek]

There is also a large VA hospital in Fayetteville. My aunt used to volunteer there, many years ago, after she retired from teaching.