Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi everybody! How well does NH rate in the quality of the Healthcare/ Medical? Are they ranked up there with larger cities like NY, Cali, PA and so on?
How are the quality of Hospitals , doctors and specialists?
We are looking more towards the Manchester, Nashua and or Concord areas!
Well it depends. Living near Nashua, Manchester or Concord, the hospitals would serve most people ok most of the time. However, sometimes people need to go to Boston for things that can not be handled in NH. I had medical issues in 2006-2007. I needed to have my gallbladder out but before they could do it-they had to take out a huge stone in my bile duct. The stone was stuck and Concord hospital tried but could not get it out. No one in NH had the right "tools" to get it out-doctor's words not mine. I had to go to Beth Israel in Boston two times before they could get out this stone with their special "tools". So it really depends. I think most people's needs will be met but keep in mind there is always a possibily of going to Boston just like people in suburbs around the country have to go to the big city hospitals in their areas. There is also Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover/Lebanon area that NH residents go to for needs that cannot be met by other NH hospitals.
Nicolem
Last edited by nicolem; 04-16-2008 at 07:55 AM..
Reason: spelling
Dartmouth Hitchcock is a very good hospital. I had my open heart surgery 29 years ago when i was 4 years old and i'm still kicking today. I can say since i'm from northern N.H. that most "major" medical issues will be sent to Dartmouth Hitchcock. Many specialist have monthly clinics in northern NH at the hosptial so that people do not have to travel 2 hours away to see their specialist on a regular basis.
and yes, Boston is another major medical center for whatever can't be done at Dartmouth but being Dartmouth is also a training school, i would imagine they have all the equipment as well.
we had epidurals with all the kids at Elliot Hospital in Manchester. My son just had his gall bladder removed at Parkland Medical Center in Derry last week. It was laparascopic (sp?) so it was done as an outpatient service.
I have not had good experiences with the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. A good friend of mine was being treated for aniphilactic (again spelling?) shock and she died at 38 because she was hooked up to oxygen and the blanket started burning before they realized she was on FIRE! Not good at all......
Last edited by Suzet2262; 09-10-2008 at 11:52 AM..
Of major importance! New Hampshire's doctors and hospitals can certainly handle the day-to-day and even the emergency stuff. Everybody's mileage is going to vary on this one, I'm sure.
There are some above-average hospitals in the NH area(s) you're considering. CMC in Manchester is considered one of the best cardiac hospitals in the area (and Buck Naked for good reason probably wouldn't chose them). For serious or complicated cases, it's very good to have world-class Boston doctors and hospitals less than an hours drive. We are regulars at Children's Hospital Boston, and everyone I know with major medical issues has at least a portion of their care in Massachusetts.
When my son was going downhill fast after a ruptured appendix surgery at Elliot in Manchester, he was sent to Children's via ambulence. I have no doubt in my mind that if he had stayed in Manchester, we would have lost him. However, their Neonatal ICU is comparable to those found in Boston.
We as a family have not had good experiences with Parkland in Derry. My husband went in for what should have been a simple surgery, and ended up in ICU for 2 weeks, major infections, weeks of antibiotics.
You hear of mistakes being made in even the hospitals with the best of reputations. I tend to look at the numbers of successful surgeries that a doctor has performed, rather than the hospital as a whole.
Parkland has it's own issues to be sure. One year, my son fell off the ladder when we were working on the roof. He landed chest first. He got up and appeared to be fine, however, within a couple of days complained of pain in his chest.
As a precaution, I sent him to Parkland for x-rays thinking it was possible he broke a rib. The hospital INSISTED he might be having a heart attack. (he was 23)...... we KNEW he fell off of a ladder. So 4 hours of testing and $2,500 later, it appeared he had bruised his ribs. DUH!!!!
I don't like any hospitals. My daughter broke her finger last summer and went to the emergency room - they did x-rays, etc. and a nurse came in to splint her finger. She splinted the wrong finger! When she left the room, my daughter held up her hand to me and we both started laughing. She unwound the splint and put it on the correct finger herself. The bill was $1,700 for the 45 minutes that we were there. $895 was just to come in the door of the hospital. It was called the waiting room charge. When I called and asked the hospital about it, they said, "that's normal, waiting room fees start at $500 and go up for every 15 minutes that you are in the room".
Parkland has it's own issues to be sure. One year, my son fell off the ladder when we were working on the roof. He landed chest first. He got up and appeared to be fine, however, within a couple of days complained of pain in his chest.
As a precaution, I sent him to Parkland for x-rays thinking it was possible he broke a rib. The hospital INSISTED he might be having a heart attack. (he was 23)...... we KNEW he fell off of a ladder. So 4 hours of testing and $2,500 later, it appeared he had bruised his ribs. DUH!!!!
I don't like any hospitals. My daughter broke her finger last summer and went to the emergency room - they did x-rays, etc. and a nurse came in to splint her finger. She splinted the wrong finger! When she left the room, my daughter held up her hand to me and we both started laughing. She unwound the splint and put it on the correct finger herself. The bill was $1,700 for the 45 minutes that we were there. $895 was just to come in the door of the hospital. It was called the waiting room charge. When I called and asked the hospital about it, they said, "that's normal, waiting room fees start at $500 and go up for every 15 minutes that you are in the room".
Did they at least x-ray the right finger? That's funny. i can picture you both sitting there while she's wrapping her finger looking at each other in confusion. Don't feel bad, the hospitals here in FL can be just as bad. I went to the ER at 4:00 a.m. one day and i'm one of those people who have to be dying to even go to a doctor but i was in pretty severe cramping pain in my abdomen. The doctor didn't exam me or anything and with my husband standing next to me, the doctor looked at me and said i had an STD - Gonorrhea!!! I said that's impossible. He said "nope, one of you are messing around on the other" and he walked out the room. Oh i was so disgusted. Had i not been in so much pain, i would have snapped on him. Turns out my regular doctor took an ultrasound the next day and i had some ovarian cysts that exploded inside. I think he got his M.D. license from a cracker jack box myself.
Wow.. I wonder if you and the doctor are speaking the same language... we had epidurals here in Virginia in a small town hospital back in 1978,1980 and 1982... New Hampshire can't be that far behind... I actually think medecine is probably better up there... just my opinion though..
My wife and I just had our first "medical" experience since moving here- Physicals at Dartmouth-Hitchcock clinic in Nashua. It was a good experience; very well organized with good communication and no waiting. We liked our doctor as well.
We are very happy with the medical treatment and services we receive at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, Mid State Health Center in Plymouth, Concord Orthopedics, and Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon.
Both of my children have had very rare and exasperatingly difficult to diagnose medical conditions. Not life threatening, but still required we spend a considerable amount of time & money - not to mention pain and discomfort - before we had correct diagnoses. Both had surgeries - one at Concord Orthopedics and one at Dartmouth. We can only offer positively glowing recommendations for both facilities, doctors, nurses and support staff.
I agree with Val, you'll find mistakes happen at all hospitals. We're all only human. I find that one must be very proactive when it comes to their own health, and you MUST be a vocal advocate for your children/elderly/ill loved ones.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
