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Evaluating Care Models at Top Hospitals to Fit an Individual Patient
Visiting Mayo Clinic | Last Active: Nov 25, 2021 | Replies (33)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for the thorough reply JK. I hope you continue to get the best care and stay healthy.
2 Harvard / MGH professors each independentely recommended the Mayo Clinic, due to their Collaborative “MICT” approach. However, I still don’t really understand why MICT is unique to Mayo given it would seem to make sense that every hospital would follow such an approach. In any event, the earliest I could get in to see my local (Florida) doctor so as to call and make the referral is on November 11.
** What is really giving me major stress is the waiting - as I need to get healthy to work and make money to pay my bills. If you or anyone knows how to speed the process up, please let me know. **
In the interim, for example, I understand Clevelend Clinic has a MICT program modelled after Mayo. Their program, called “National Consultation Service” (NCS) can be googled and looks ideal. However, just this past Friday, they told me it would take 5-7 months to get the appointments (with various specialists) scheduled. 5-7 months !? That sounds crazy to me, as I don’t know who can wait that long for serious illness - and in my case, financially. Meanwhile, I haven’t learned of any MICT program at Johns Hopkins - a hospital that I find to be administratively a mess, though I understand that they have some of the best doctors. So right now, I am hoping on Mayo #1, Cleveland Clinic #2 and Johns Hopkins #3. Interestingly, I don’t know yet whether to really believe the rankings as to the quality of care but in my experience with the administrative staff, of those 3, Mayo Clinic is definitely #1.
Again though any tips on how to speed up the appointment process is appreciated. I just hope I can stay healthy and financially afloat while waiting.
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@mpflood7 That's interesting to me that "2 Harvard / MGH professors each independently recommended the Mayo Clinic, due to their Collaborative “MICT” approach". I agree with you, all major medical centers should have that type of evaluation available. It would certainly make things easier than having to consult with different specialties to see what each had to say. I am in a similar position with a less serious condition but something that I do want to be diagnosed. I am hoping that I can somehow get that done at MGH since it seems impossible to do it locally, although I do still have one potential option here. Of the three hospitals you mention, I tend to agree with you, but I would always put MGH in the #2 spot. I have been incredibly impressed and happy with the care I have received there, and I have been in other hospitals that I can compare it to. As far as I'm concerned, my transplant surgeon was the absolute best. I googled him recently for something and in doing so I discovered that he has been on TV numerous times as the expert authority called on, and on top of his expertise he's just a very nice person and gentleman.
All I can say about the long wait is to make sure you get on a waitlist. I have had a lot of success in getting earlier appointments doing that. When I first wanted to go to MGH for my cirrhosis my initial appointment with a hepatologist was a number of months out but I was called much sooner because a cancellation had occurred so they went to the waitlist. The same happened when I made an appointment with an endocrinologist for my osteoporosis Initially I couldn't get in to see one of the doctors I most wanted for many months so I made an appointment with a different doctor in that department. Then an appointment opened up with the director of the bone density clinic so I happily grabbed it.
I truly hope you can get some movement on this more quickly than things seem to be happening now. For me, it's torture to have to wait to find out what is wrong, and that would be particularly so if it's affecting your life, as your problem apparently is since you are unable to work. Please let us know when you are able to see someone about it.
JK