Doctor Availability in Sarasota/Venice (transplants, 2015, new house)

[macrodome2]

I've been here full time since 2015. I've had my doctors for six years. I've noticed wait times for doctors has gotten extremely long. There was always a wait for your annual physical. But recently I had a cardiac test. First available appointment for the results was 2 months out.

As it turned out, I had a cold the day of the appointment so I called a day ahead and asked to reschedule. The next available in-person appointment to reschedule was 4 months out. I ended up with a telehealth appointment and it was a good thing I did because there was a problem that required a referral to a specialist. Had I scheduled the in-person appointment, it would have been 6 months before I found out the test results.

I asked the specialist when I saw him about scheduling (it only took 3 weeks to see him) and he said when he came here in 2012, he had time to schedule surgeries for the next week or week after. Now it's 6 weeks out before he can get to anyone.

Not liking the months wait from the first doctor, I called another to see if I could get an appointment as a new patient as I wanted to change doctors. You go directly to voice mail and no one calls you back. I called the main number and asked they they were taking new patients. Woman on the phone said yes and transferred me to the voice mail again. Called 3 times in one week. The last time I left a message asking if they were not taking new patients could they just call me to tell me so, so I could move on. Crickets.....

If you are looking to come to Sarasota, you better not need a lot of medical attention. Appointment times and even getting a new doctor is impossible. All these new houses with none of the infrastructure.

[wondermint2]

I always call my doctor's office about 1 week after I have tests done and ask them to mail me the results. They're glad to do it. My practice also has an online portal where they can upload test results and that's even faster than snail mail.

I go to LabCorp for many tests and the results are usually available within 3 to 4 days after the blood is drawn. I do notice that doctors in the area are usually booked for months out. But I like to go over my test results before my doctor appointment - so I'm prepared to ask my doctor questions about the results when I go in for my appointment.

[macrodome2]

^ Those are all excellent suggestions. I do get my bloodwork results off the portal and look at them before I go, as well as the mammogram and bone density scan reports. This was an electrocardiogram report and the doctor didn't put it up on the website. He wants to discuss it with you since most of the data needs interpretation. I wish I had had some heads up since I ended up with a telehealth call where the doctor told me I needed surgery. Since they hadn't called me in the two months between test and appointment, I assumed everything was OK. Talk about shock.

[graceC]

Originally Posted by macrodome2

Since they hadn't called me in the two months between test and appointment, I assumed everything was OK. Talk about shock.

Never wait passively for your test results. Bug your doctors for it, or better yet, make sure to set up a follow up visit with your doctor 1 week after you have a test done so you can discuss the results with them.

I had similar crappy customer service with Gulf Coast Physician Group. Nobody picked up the phone, nobody ever bothered to call back. Went to Millenium Physician Group and got appointments within reasonable timeline. They also have walk-in clinic for when you need attention urgently.

[beach43ofus]

I agre with the Op..the infux of new residents, and visitors to this area has resulted in Doctor shortages....epecially primary care physicians.

Dentists, oral surgeons, you might find the same.

I try to do annual physical and dental exams done early off-season...like May/June so if you have follow-ups, you can still get them all in Jul/Aug/Sept.

I only address urgent need stuff in-season, & so far have nothad the need.

My Dentist did say patients who are experienced pain get pushed way up to the front of the line.

[macrodome2]

Originally Posted by graceC

Never wait passively for your test results. Bug your doctors for it, or better yet, make sure to set up a follow up visit with your doctor 1 week after you have a test done so you can discuss the results with them.

I had similar crappy customer service with Gulf Coast Physician Group. Nobody picked up the phone, nobody ever bothered to call back. Went to Millenium Physician Group and got appointments within reasonable timeline. They also have walk-in clinic for when you need attention urgently.

There was no "sitting back passively". What I am trying to tell everyone is that I made the follow up appointment as I was leaving from the test. The first available that the "gatekeepers" would give me was 2 months away. When I came down here 6 years ago you could get a follow up appointment in 1 week. You can call all you want, but the "gatekeepers" aren't going to get you in sooner for test results AND they don't know if there is a problem or not. Only the doctor does. The doctor isn't going to let the "gatekeepers" give you test results over the phone. I'm not talking about simple annual blood tests. I'm talking about something that needs a medical professional to interpret the tests. This is how bad it is getting down here.

My husband also goes to the same specialist. He was rescheduled for 4 months away because he wanted to see the doctor. He called to get in earlier because he had a dizzy spell and the "gatekeeper" told him to go to his GP.

I am in the process of looking for a new doctor, but many of the practices are over whelmed as Beach pointed out. I try to do all of my appointments between April and October, but it just happened at my July appointment last year, this doctor ordered a test in 6 months which ended up being early January.

[wondermint2]

As I'm leaving my doctor's office from my current appt. he will give me a script for my blood work. Then I usually wait until about 1 week before my next appt. and take the script into the lab for my tests. This is how it works for blood work. When I had an echocardiagram done that was scheduled several months out - so I sheduled my next cardiologist appt. for 1 week after I took the echo.

[beach43ofus]

Too many old people, not enough Doctors in our area. I think we need to be transarent to potential newcommers about this.

Something else I learned....conceirge practices will not take on Venice patients because they are all aligned with SRQ Memorial and not Venice, and in an emergency, we'll be taken to Venice.

Bottom line...we need the average at best Venice hospital to close, & be replaced with something much better. That will attract more Docs to our area.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by macrodome2

I've been here full time since 2015. I've had my doctors for six years. I've noticed wait times for doctors has gotten extremely long. There was always a wait for your annual physical. But recently I had a cardiac test. First available appointment for the results was 2 months out.

As it turned out, I had a cold the day of the appointment so I called a day ahead and asked to reschedule. The next available in-person appointment to reschedule was 4 months out. I ended up with a telehealth appointment and it was a good thing I did because there was a problem that required a referral to a specialist. Had I scheduled the in-person appointment, it would have been 6 months before I found out the test results.

I asked the specialist when I saw him about scheduling (it only took 3 weeks to see him) and he said when he came here in 2012, he had time to schedule surgeries for the next week or week after. Now it's 6 weeks out before he can get to anyone.

Not liking the months wait from the first doctor, I called another to see if I could get an appointment as a new patient as I wanted to change doctors. You go directly to voice mail and no one calls you back. I called the main number and asked they they were taking new patients. Woman on the phone said yes and transferred me to the voice mail again. Called 3 times in one week. The last time I left a message asking if they were not taking new patients could they just call me to tell me so, so I could move on. Crickets.....

If you are looking to come to Sarasota, you better not need a lot of medical attention. Appointment times and even getting a new doctor is impossible. All these new houses with none of the infrastructure.

I think you can thank the onslaught of people moving to the area for the waits to see your providers. These transplants are looking for new providers, and medical services, and their sheer numbers have pretty much overwhelmed the providers. This includes ERs and urgent care centers as some of the transplants have not been able to find a PCP or even specialists, who may not be taking new patients at the time or for whom the waits are months out, so they use the ERs/ urgent care centers for their medical needs. Many of the medical providers are also short staffed, and looking to hire new doctors and other staff, but its a slower process than the continued floods of humanity to the area.

I'm in Charlotte County, and we see the same issues. Fortunately I've been able to get good, timely medical care from the providers I've been established with for years. If I were to see a new specialist, I'm sure my experience would be similar to yours.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by graceC

Never wait passively for your test results. Bug your doctors for it, or better yet, make sure to set up a follow up visit with your doctor 1 week after you have a test done so you can discuss the results with them.

I had similar crappy customer service with Gulf Coast Physician Group. Nobody picked up the phone, nobody ever bothered to call back. Went to Millenium Physician Group and got appointments within reasonable timeline. They also have walk-in clinic for when you need attention urgently.

Welp, if you're talking about the Gulf Coast Physician group in Venice, most of the providers there are now part of Millennium. Millennium took over the practice effective Jan 1 of this year. Hopefully that will improve their call center customer service, and you can use the Millennium website/ patient portal for appointments, requests for other services.