[daytoday]

Baker county is 35 miles outside Jacksonville, baker still has lots of land left

[lsseds]

Hello to all, I am a nervous first time poster. Just wanted to let Maureen1 know that the hospital in Okeechobee is NOT able to handle trauma patients. My daughter was seriously injured in an accident in an area called the Praire and was transported to Okeechobee to be stablized and wait to be flown by a chopper to Melbourne. In all fariness though that was nearly six years ago but I live in Palm Beach county and have friends in Okeechobee and have not heard of any patient care upgrade services.

[pslOldTimer]

There is, of course, a difference between accident trauma and a heart attack. Like most hospitals, Okeechobee does not have a trauma unit. Patients from Okeechobee -- and also St. Lucie and Martin Counties -- are flown to specialized trauma units in West Palm Beach or Orlando and sometimes Melbourne. The Okeechobee hospital is fully prepared to stabilize a heart attack victim although, again like most other hospitals, if a patient needs cares from a heart unit they are transported to a hospital like Lawnwood in Fort Pierce which is equipped for open heart surgery.

I'm certain about Okeechobee hospital because my son-in-law was a fireman/paramedic for Okeechobee County and transported many patients to the hospital. Also, one of our close friends is an ER nurse at Okeechobee Hospital, and her husband is also a fireman/paramedic in the county.

There's a reason why not all hospitals have trauma units or heart units, and it has to do with a state "certificate of need". In order to avoid wasteful duplication of services and unnecessary costs, hospitals have to apply for, and receive, a certificate of need to probide certain services. If the state determines that another hospital is already providing such services within a reasonable distance, the certifcate is denied, and the applying hospital cannot implement the service. St. Mary's in West Palm Beach is the designated accident trauma center for the entire region. St. Lucie County maintains trauma helicpoters which service St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Martin Counties to transport patients to St. Mary's. In massive car accidents, with multiple victims, sometimes helicopters from Orlando fly in and transport patients to the trauma center there.

If the lack of a trauma center is a criterion for moving to an area, then only large cities should be considered. I remind everyone again that this is a thread about rural cities.

[SouthFloridaNative]

Just read this thread and wanted to add the community of Muse in Southwest Glades County. Very rural and beautiful. Most homes are required to be on no less than 5 acres. Almost everyone has chickens, goats, cows, etc. Fruit trees thrive and Lake O is close by. FPL is building a new power plant north of Moore Haven (county seat for Glades County) and so it will surely be growing and adding more ammenities in that area. You will pay a bit more for land but it's worth it to live how you want to and there are plenty of recreational opportunities for outdoor/nature lovers.

[SouthFloridaNative]

...I don't know why, but most maps spell Muse with a C instead of an S.. Glades County spells it with an S.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by maureen1

How many acres? Are you a realtor?

Depends on what you are looking for. I'm not a realtor....

[ClarkProp2007]

I would check out Weirsdale or Ocklawaha because they are very rural, but not too far from The Villages which have very nice new hospitals (they're an incredible retirement living area...so they have great health service). Also, Micanopy or Macintosh would be great because they are very rural but close enough to be airlifted or driven to the advanced hosiptals in Gainesville...such as Shands(it's connected to the University of Florida and one of the best trauma hosps. around from what I hear). Also, Spar, Anthony & Dunnelon would be good places that are definitely out in the country, but close enough to Ocala to use their three hospitals.

[ElkHunter]

I'm currently dealing on some land just 8 miles East of Old Town (just north of Dunnellan) still pretty reasonable there but has double in price since I first looked at it 4 years ago.

Heavily wooded. Buy land you better buy a chain saw so you start a driveway.

But it's also pretty thick with Pigmy Rattlers.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by jgussler

I'm currently dealing on some land just 8 miles East of Old Town (just north of Dunnellan) still pretty reasonable there but has double in price since I first looked at it 4 years ago.

Heavily wooded. Buy land you better buy a chain saw so you start a driveway.

But it's also pretty thick with Pigmy Rattlers.

I don't like snakes that much and the rattler family is dangerous. How easy is to get rid of the snakes?

[darell cornatzer]

Hello, I live in St. Augustine and my son was bitten by a snake, we went to the hospital they could not know what to do had no snake identification pictures. Told us not to give him aspirin and monitor him for fever or breathing problems and return if noted. We left very worried, but did not go home we went directly to the Alligator and reptile farm they helped us identify the snake told us death or loss of tissue is very very rare, they have short fangs and can not bite though most clothing or shoes.
to get ride of snakes is to bread rats, detour them be us a walking to poke around as you walk, step on top of a log and look down, not over. Chickens, Gennie foul, etc don't like snakes ether, if your just not comfortable there is a low curve cure fence made to keep snakes out of your yard.