Disaster of Community Health purchase of Wuesthoff (Melbourne, Rockledge: insurance, community college)

[TestEngr]

Most people in the area know that Community Health Systems recently bought the Wuesthoff hospitals plus doctor groups connected, and is starting to implement big changes. But not improvements...

Recently I found out many doctors, nurses, techs, others are being asked to leave including doctors I used that were in a group they owned. This includes surgeons who are being asked to leave, and one I had has left the area. Same goes for many of the staff. I had one of my last blood draws at Wuesthoff before I go elsewhere, all the staff handling the blood draws are gone. They used to check you in, put an arm band, double check you and insurance, then you would see multiple phlebotomists handing people. They had one girl, right out of community college doing everything. She was like I hope I am entering the right thing on computer, never verified who I was. She says I hope this goes through ok because I haven't done that lab yet. I am like wow, I hope so too. Then she tries to figure out how many vials and says well I will just do extra in case. It looked vacant except the line for getting blood draws which was long. I saw little staff.

I don't know what people here are going to do if you are depending on them for your health care and the doctors connected to them. Community Health Systems, as one office assistant I spoke to in a medical office outside the hospital said, is almost closing the place down. Maybe Brevard should not have welcomed them in?

[clnewman]

Well this doesn't bode well. Wuesthoff Rockledge is the only hospital in Brevard County in my new insurance network. Thank YOU, Obamacare!

[TestEngr]

I haven't tried Wuesthoff Rockledge for some of my care for about a year just the one in Melbourne, but my one doc might send me to Rockledge for some scans. I am hoping the people left there know how to turn the machines on. We will see.

I don't think Community Health Systems has anything to do with politics per se. The paperwork on medicine, and administration of medicine has been on ongoing thing in growth for 25 years under all flavors of presidential administrations. The middle non caregiving people, insurance and corporation, are taking the most money out of health care and from people who do real health care like doctors, nurses, techs. The money is flowing out of those people (doctors, nurses, techs) to paper workers and gigantic corporations. Unfortunately both sides on politics are letting that happen, and even both strengthening the paperwork and corporations depending on the type of politics perhaps. What is needed on both sides of politics is to recognize that what matters to people's health is strengthening the actual caregivers, not the paperwork or corporations surrounding health care. Then health care can back on its footing. I don't think either side has it right at the moment letting the wrong people take over.

[smallbloc]

The most expensive health care system in the world has been slipping in relation to other countries for quality care for the last 20 years. That's a fact.

[TestEngr]

You got that right smallbloc, the dollars are going up and the doctors, nurses and techs are getting less and being pushed around till them move and quit so many times, just like happening here at Wuesthoff. The money all going to people who do work on paper only. To get health care right it has to be caregivers that come first, not the middle paper pushers. Costs going up and quality goes down when the insurance and large corporations all get everything they want, and the actual health care workers only get the shaft.

[Rabflmom]

Personal experience with Wuestoff makes me think, maybe they are getting rid of some of the problems. 1 time was enough for us to never go back.

[TestEngr]

My concern is for the future. I never had anything but outstanding care in past up to the moment, top notch really. Now some of the only specialists and surgeons they had in areas are now gone is one concern I have. I can't speak about staffing in all areas at Wuesthoff but they all seemed nice and many I chatted with seem to be gone. My personal concern is if I have new issues I will probably have to go out of area. I have huge bad experiences at gigantic hospitals so this had been working well for me, my family, and many others, but now future TBD.

[harrelld]

So many long time employees in Wuesthoff are incompetent and have not upgraded their skills. They just want a pay check and do the least to get by. They kiss ass to stay employed but if this keeps up Wueshoff Will CLOSE because Steward Health will get fed up with these types of employees which cause them to lose money and Wuesthoff is a for profit system and not like many years ago a non-profit. It will never be a non-profit again but these Old Long Time employees still think it is. Closing Wuesthoff is the Only Smart thing to do.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by harrelld

So many long time employees in Wuesthoff are incompetent and have not upgraded their skills. They just want a pay check and do the least to get by. They kiss ass to stay employed but if this keeps up Wueshoff Will CLOSE because Steward Health will get fed up with these types of employees which cause them to lose money and Wuesthoff is a for profit system and not like many years ago a non-profit. It will never be a non-profit again but these Old Long Time employees still think it is. Closing Wuesthoff is the Only Smart thing to do.

And give Wealth First a monopoly? Competition is important in any healthcare system, it gives insurers space to negotiate prices.

[whatever]

Wuesthoff is a shipwreck. I went to Rockledge for kidney stones and once I finally got help they hosed my billing and I went directly into their collections because a drone in the back office only filled one of two required forms (this from the internal collections people).
The second time, the wife was with me and she was horrified at the pain I had to endure for an extended time frame in a waiting room with maybe 3 other people. I left and was sent a bill for checking in. No service, just me standing in front of the desk, barely able to stand, never mind speaking and then stumbling over to the seating area.
The third time I ended up going out on Merritt and was treated to a bill that was twice as much for about the same services.
I'm otherwise healthy, strong, well paid and well insured. I fear for people that are less able to manage a serious medical event. When I get old I'll be tempted to just off myself rather than be fed a steady diet of that crap.