It goes without saying that healthcare is a huge hot-button topic these days, but this post is far from a political rant… because I am not much of a political dude. Rather, this is my personal take on Louisville’s position in the healthcare world, and what kind of service to expect from our local hospitals. I don’t know many people that actually enjoy going to the doctor or being checked in at the hospital because it usually means that something is wrong. So how does the office staff handle the sensitivity of your case? How do the doctors and nurses respond to the way you are feeling? Does anyone in the hospital seem to care about you? Do they know what they are doing? I feel like these are important questions to ask when choosing a healthcare facility, and until recently I hadn’t really thought much about it.
My wife has undergone a multitude of tests over the past 5 months. She has been battling extreme bouts of nausea that we couldn’t pin down a reason for. In this case, we have been able to see different doctors run through their natural diagnosing methods, and there have been a lot of differences from facility to facility. Obviously when you tell a doctor that you are nauseated, you’re not giving them much to go on. Nausea is a symptom of everything, so it has been interesting to see how each specialist responds. I personally have dealt with Baptist Hospital East, Jewish Hospital East, Jewish Hospital Downtown, Norton Suburban, and Norton Brownsboro. Remember, I’m not a doctor, I’m just a Realtor. Here’s my simple analysis:
Jewish Hospital / Jewish East
My experiences at Jewish downtown and Jewish East have been basically the same. To me, these two medical facilities are the most organized, most courteous, most efficient, and most responsive medical centers in the city. When you are trying to reach someone on the phone, they answer. When you go to check in for your appointment, they are ready for you (and the staff is very kind, too). Plus, once you check in, you go straight back for your appointment without waiting. Results came back timely, and our doctors at Jewish made us feel like they cared.
Baptist Hospital East
My experience at Baptist East was an ER visit during which I waited 2 hours to be seen by a doctor. The ER trip was around 11 am on a Thursday, and there were about 8 other people in the waiting room with me. Not sure what took so long, but once I was called, the ER doctor was pushing me through like an assembly line, which I guess can be expected given the fact that it is the Emergency Room. My friend who had a baby there definitely had quality insurance. She had a nice large room to herself, and plenty of nurses and staff to come check on her. They seemed nice, and attentive. Depending on who you talk to, though, you may hear some bad things about Baptist East. They recently renovated to include more private rooms.
Norton Suburban / Norton Hospital (downtown) / Norton Brownsboro
My sister-in-law has given birth to all three of her boys at Norton Suburban, so I have to believe that the Women’s Pavilion at Norton Suburban Hospital is top notch. Being a nurse practitioner, she would most likely have something to say about poor service in healthcare. Norton Hospital in downtown Louisville treated my father when he was diagnosed with cancer back in the early ’90s. This seems to be a commonly recommended hospital for such treatments, and if you do a little reading on the web, you will find that the Norton Cancer Institute is kind of a big deal, as is the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at U of L. With all of these positives, though, I also have to mention my recent experience with Norton Brownsboro. This is Louisville’s newest Norton location in Northeast Jefferson County. My wife had an appointment that began more than 2 hours after she was told to arrive. Her doctor didn’t have time for her questions, really. He gave her nothing to go on. This is a neurologist, a very specialized field with very specialized prices. A $308 office visit resulted in absolutely nothing. The MRI results sat on the doctors desk for the entire week after my wife had the procedure done. She called each day that week to try and get some sort of answer, or just to even hear the doctor’s voice, but no luck. In fact, we just got the bill for that office visit, and we still haven’t heard back from the doctor about the MRI results. Even if this is the only doctor at Norton Brownsboro that sucks, I still won’t go back there.
University of Louisville Medical Centers
I have never had an experience at University, but all you have to do is read about the amazing research and technology surrounding the University of Louisville hospital, and you will know that we have some extremely talented physicians there. I only include this hospital because it is Louisville’s only Level I Trauma Center, and one of only three Level I Trauma Centers in the state of Kentucky.
I will also say that we have some excellent private care facilities and private specialty offices in Louisville as well. But that is another post for another day.
I can’t help you when you’re sick, but I can help you if you’re moving. If you’re thinking about moving to Louisville, or relocating within Louisville, I would love to speak with you about your goals – 502.509.9278
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