where do you go for your medical care?

[alison]

You don't need to be specific, but I was wondering if you go to your SO's hospital. Or elsewhere. Where does your SO go for care?

Advantages/disadvantages?

Dh and I go to a different hospital for our care. And I'm fine with that. We're anonymous this way.

[medpedspouse]

Unfortunately, we have to seek medical care at our institution because of our insurance. Thus far, it has been ok but I have only been seen for routine check ups. If I had something more private - like a serious condition or maybe fertility treatments or let's say I was pregnant or needed counseling, etc. - really anything that you may not necessarily want your boss to know, I would hate to seek care because regardless of HIPPA...everyone knows everything around here. Something as simple as being caught in a certain waiting area will hit the rumor mill like wildfire.

On the other hand - at our past institution my doctor was the program director. I chose him while in med school and did not see a need to change during residency. I really liked him - wish I still could go see him. It really comes down to how much you can trust the people you work with to be professional.

We have to go to DH's facility because of our insurance. Since he didn't go to medical school here, it's not too big of a deal for me (except that the parking, appt wait times, and billing can be a nightmare).

Same deal in Colorado but it was more of an issue there. DH went to medical school there and a good number of students stayed there for residency. And he started out in Internal Medicine so whenever I had an appointment there I saw people he knew and/or that I knew. Sometimes I didn't like that so much.

[Flynn]

We go to DH's employer now that we're done with training. DH has access to our kids' files this way and it just streamlines communication. I'm perfectly fine with this.

I will see someone at his hospital for me as well -- just not as good at setting my needs up as getting the kids stuff in order.

When we were training we went to a different hospital when we had kids and we specified NO RESIDENTS allowed. Chances are it would be someone we knew casually. I have no problem seeing someone my husband knows for a sore throat....but if a male Ob/Gyn resident walked through the door during a yearly pap -- NO THANK YOU! It would be too weird for both of us.

When I ruptured my achilles and DH was an R3 -- I saw the Ortho attending in less than 48 hours -- he fit me in his schedule. That was awesome. The "average" person in my position would have had to wait at least three weeks to get in to see him.

[DCJenn]

We go to the Army Hospital. I've never seen the same practitioner twice (which is fine, I have no care that needs to be managed) but Nikolai sees the same pediatrician every time. (until she gets out this summer)

It's such a humongous facility that we rarely see people we know for adult care but often run into pediatricians who we know from residency.

Jenn

I should add -- we've been happy with the care we get and almost always see an attending. My generosity toward medical education came to an end with my "2 for 1" pap a few years ago (holy crap). I don't mind giving my history to a medical student but that is it.

When DD1 was born, I had my own insurance and we went to a private hospital. It was soooo much nicer than the university hospitals. Of my 3 pregnancies, I would choose my first to be in a cushier surrounding.

OMG Nellie...2 for 1 pap? :thud:

We go to DH's hospital system. DH knows who is the best at what they do so it's nice not having to try out doctors to find a good fit. The medical community here is like a family and it's nice having doctors we can trust. We don't have any medical problems that would be ripe for gossip, so I feel comfortable going to people we know personally.

Now, if there were residents here..... :!

Let's just say for the sake of the student and future patients, I hope that it was the first attempt. I have paid my dues!

[Sheherezade]

I've been searching for an Ob/Gyn here. DH thinks it's crazy; he knows so many people. Why am I searching? Well.....I'm not crazy about having an OB/Gyn as a doc and family friend. Too weird. I had that experience for both babies and my miscarriage in Boston. The care was always excellent and I was always first in line. Still, I'm not interested in keeping that level of "intimacy" with DH's department now that I have a choice. :> Holiday parties are hard enough.

[rainbabies]

i havent been. but if/when i do go, it has to be at WVU, for insurance reasons.

its all about having a pap by someone that works with your dh.

the kids, i take them to the clinic at the hospital. i dont mind it. i see some intersting people while im there.

[Meenah]

LOL, Nellie the first pap I did was on a paid model That poor girl had approx 12 PAPs in one morniing. I think she was well paid. The male model also had approx 12 prostate exams. They did tell us that it was much nicer having Nurse Practitioner students instead of Med students because we have all actually touched people before!!!!

[Vishenka69]

Luckily I have a decent insurance through work and can choose my own doctors and hospitals. Aside from annual gyn appt, I only see a doc when I really have to. For anything else (anti-nausea patch for the cruise, mild antibiotic for flu, etc.), DH asks someone at the hospital for a prescription. My insurance doesn't cover regular check-ups, so I never got a primary.

The few residents we know with kids, all refused to deliver in their own hospitals and went elsewhere.

[SuzySunshine]

We also go to DH's facility, however it is HUGE and I've yet (knock on wood) to run into someone I know personally as a provider. IF and Ob/Gyn are on the same floor but they've seperated the IF office/waiting room with a door which I like b/c then I don't have to wait for my IF appointments in a room with a bunch of pregnant women. I did run into the IF fellow that did my HSG at a fellow/resident function but I don't think she recognized me b/c she's not my usual doctor.

Now if I needed something done in DH's department (god forbid!) he and I would choose which staff we wanted and the resident we would just have to live with because they come in pairs.

I have known other resident wives to have their children at the other hospital in town but our insurance doesn't cover it as well and if something goes wrong they're going to send you to DH's facility anyway.

Luckily because of the weird deal DH is on, our medical care is through a totally different hospital/medical group. We go to a different hospital.

[houseelf]

I'm fairly adament about trying to avoid DH's hospital. I want him to be able to the patient or parent or spouse if at all possible. Besides sometimes people assume that he's more savvy on an issue than he is because he is a DAWKTOR. He's the first to say, hey I loved obstetrics, EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN I DID A ROTATION IN MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Also, I don't like when DH and the treating physician go into doctor speak and leave me in the dark. When DS had a severe asthma attack that resulted in an ER visit, the two physicians had some sort of meaningful conversation which meant absolutely nothing to me, the primary care taker.

In sum, I want us just to be consumers, not colleagues. I'm sure that if we had a serious medical need, I'd be the first to use the familiarity card to get that extra special care. I mean there has GOT to be some perk to this lifestyle somewhere, right?

Kelly