Looking for NJH Physician Recommendations

Posted by bayarea58 @bayarea58, 5 days ago

Everyone, as I have mentioned I was recently accepted by the ID department at National Jewish Health. I am awaiting further instructions for scheduling, etc. I am curious from those who have gone to NJH whether there are particular stand-out physicians you recommend and more specifically how the workup works. I am going for to NJH for MAC infection but obviously the state of lung disease is a significant factor in treatment decisions and my current ID doctor defers entirely to pulmonologist on anything other than drug choice. But my pulmonologist defers to my ID doctor on anything MAC related so I am in this dysfunctional loop where no one is answering my central questions with regard to my MAC lung disease. Hence the trip to NJH.

If I am accepted to ID for MAC, will I also speak with a pulmonologist, do they handle as a team or are the ID doctors more sophisticated and address the whole lung picture?

Again, any recommendations for specific physicians at NJH would be greatly appreciated. Also, if there is a respiratory therapist you love, let me know. I am really looking forward to seeing a respiratory therapist who understands BE/MAC.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate you all enormously.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

NJH and Mayo both use the team approach - you will have a workup and be assigned doctors as needed. They create a plan for you, which in many cases can be managed locally with periodic checkins at NJH.

You are lucky the just "defer to one another"- my original pulmonologist "fired" me because I dared an an ID doc (in his clinic) after 12 months of unsuccessful treatment. Thankfully, the ID doc hooked me up with another pulmo who worked with him as a team. My current team - even though or clinic doesn't officially call them that - consists of 2 pulmonologists, an ID doc on consult, 2 ENTs, 2 respiratory therapists, 2 speech therapists, and referrals to gastroenterology, allergy, rheumatology and a counselor as needed. It is so encouraging, and I get a response within hours on exacerbations, about 3 days on everything else.

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@sueinmn

NJH and Mayo both use the team approach - you will have a workup and be assigned doctors as needed. They create a plan for you, which in many cases can be managed locally with periodic checkins at NJH.

You are lucky the just "defer to one another"- my original pulmonologist "fired" me because I dared an an ID doc (in his clinic) after 12 months of unsuccessful treatment. Thankfully, the ID doc hooked me up with another pulmo who worked with him as a team. My current team - even though or clinic doesn't officially call them that - consists of 2 pulmonologists, an ID doc on consult, 2 ENTs, 2 respiratory therapists, 2 speech therapists, and referrals to gastroenterology, allergy, rheumatology and a counselor as needed. It is so encouraging, and I get a response within hours on exacerbations, about 3 days on everything else.

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Sue I am curious. Is the clinic you go to associated with a University Medical Facility, like a teaching hospital of a University? With all you explained I can see why it is so encouraging So many facilities and hospitals not related to a University are being bought out and going to private equity companies.
Barbara

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When I was there I had a "head doctor" who coordinated all from the different departments and doctors etc. that I saw. I had an initial visit with my 'head doctor' first and a second visit on the last day.
I think a great deal of who you might be scheduled with depends upon their schedule and what is available. Sometimes it is probably the luck of the draw with who you are assigned to.
Some people were/are lucky enough to get a consultation with a/the doctor at the end of each day, I did not have that opportunity. It would make it a great deal easier to digest and understand all if given the opportunity to review all results at the end of the day or at least every other day rather than on the last day of visit having to go over EVERYTHING and try to digest and understand the results.
Thank goodness for me nearly all the tests were fine.
Barbara

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@blm1007blm1007

Sue I am curious. Is the clinic you go to associated with a University Medical Facility, like a teaching hospital of a University? With all you explained I can see why it is so encouraging So many facilities and hospitals not related to a University are being bought out and going to private equity companies.
Barbara

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No, mine is a large non-profit that started 50 years ago as a physician-owned and operated HMO doing primary care OB/Gyn and dentistry. It has since expanded to cover nearly all specialties, is affiliated with a hospital group, and even offers health insurance plans (I do not have theirs anymore.) They are also a teaching clinic - many of their practitioners are preceptors to new practitioners and students.

As of January first, we have been their patients for 50 years, though we see outside specialists when indicated.

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@blm1007blm1007

When I was there I had a "head doctor" who coordinated all from the different departments and doctors etc. that I saw. I had an initial visit with my 'head doctor' first and a second visit on the last day.
I think a great deal of who you might be scheduled with depends upon their schedule and what is available. Sometimes it is probably the luck of the draw with who you are assigned to.
Some people were/are lucky enough to get a consultation with a/the doctor at the end of each day, I did not have that opportunity. It would make it a great deal easier to digest and understand all if given the opportunity to review all results at the end of the day or at least every other day rather than on the last day of visit having to go over EVERYTHING and try to digest and understand the results.
Thank goodness for me nearly all the tests were fine.
Barbara

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Barbara, if it is like other multi-disciplinary facilities, those patients whose cases are most complex, or who are sickest, get more "face time" with the practitioners and their staffs.

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@sueinmn

Barbara, if it is like other multi-disciplinary facilities, those patients whose cases are most complex, or who are sickest, get more "face time" with the practitioners and their staffs.

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Had not thought of that. Thanks for that fact. Certainly understandable.
Barbara

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@sueinmn

NJH and Mayo both use the team approach - you will have a workup and be assigned doctors as needed. They create a plan for you, which in many cases can be managed locally with periodic checkins at NJH.

You are lucky the just "defer to one another"- my original pulmonologist "fired" me because I dared an an ID doc (in his clinic) after 12 months of unsuccessful treatment. Thankfully, the ID doc hooked me up with another pulmo who worked with him as a team. My current team - even though or clinic doesn't officially call them that - consists of 2 pulmonologists, an ID doc on consult, 2 ENTs, 2 respiratory therapists, 2 speech therapists, and referrals to gastroenterology, allergy, rheumatology and a counselor as needed. It is so encouraging, and I get a response within hours on exacerbations, about 3 days on everything else.

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@sueinmn lol … I am surprised I haven’t been “fired” myself at this point. While doctors always publicly say they are not offended by second opinions and in fact encourage them, my personal experience has been otherwise. I am so glad you have a good team behind you, it’s so important for peace of mind and no doubt a significant part of your continued good health.

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Did you have an ID doctor prior to contacting National Jewish? I am from Denver but now live in Scottsdale. I have an appointment with a local ID doctor but have a higher comfort feel with NJH. Not sure if NJH would accept me if they know I already had an appointment scheduled with another ID. That appointment is in 2 days, and it took 2 months to get in, so don't want to cancel. I really want a 2nd opinion at NJH-which my insurance will cover. The NJH ID clinic is contacting me within 2 days. I have bronchiectasis and M. Abscessus.

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@kathyjjb yes I have a local pulmonologist and ID doctor, neither is a NTM specialist.

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@kathyjjb

Did you have an ID doctor prior to contacting National Jewish? I am from Denver but now live in Scottsdale. I have an appointment with a local ID doctor but have a higher comfort feel with NJH. Not sure if NJH would accept me if they know I already had an appointment scheduled with another ID. That appointment is in 2 days, and it took 2 months to get in, so don't want to cancel. I really want a 2nd opinion at NJH-which my insurance will cover. The NJH ID clinic is contacting me within 2 days. I have bronchiectasis and M. Abscessus.

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I would still go through with NJH. You may not like your local ID doctor. When I was diagnosed, the local ID doctor didn’t like that I wanted to wait to start treatment because I had no symptoms at that time.

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