Best Hospitals in America
 

As we age we are increasingly concerned about health and health care. My medicine cabinet is now a double wide. It is also a concern that not all hospitals or their staff are up to specs. No doubt it is a function of my age but I seem to be reading a greater number of news reports of poor peformence at hospitals that result in injury or death.. Just a few days ago I came across a web site listing the best hospitals in the US. It seem to me a good idea to locate the best hospitals in your area before it is needed. Furthermore, Doctors who are not residents of a hospital will be associated with a local hospital. We should also know what hospital an MD is associated with. If the hospital is suspect so to is the MD. https://www.beckershospitalreview.co...rica-2019.html

To be informed is to be fore-warned. https://www.beckershospitalreview.co...-cms-says.html

Berner, wise thing to do. I'd go one step further and suggest seeking other rating sources. CMS does this as well with some small hospital surprises.

Best hospitals in America? Yes, they are.

Caveat emptor.

There was an article a few months ago in which a author, who is not an M.D., described somehow getting on the wrong mailing list. For a low fee (maybe $500), the author was offered an exclusive listing in some Best Doctors in the Country list and a plaque to hang on the wall noting he or she was included in this list.

But do check with knowledgeable people in the area. A close friend has a couple of patients who have told the ambulance driver to head straight to (the hospital she's employed by) and bypass the closer hospital(s). She's also had to deal with paperwork from patients who stopped at the nearby hospital, and either didn't survive the experience or were then transferred, too late or almost too late.

The MD Anderson issue goes back to the blood supply. Sad that blood made it through the supply chain, horrible for the family of a lady who passed away.

MD Anderson, I still consider one of the top facilities. They are a research hospital with the patient at the center of their treatment. For me, my cancer is a rare one. NSCLC-Adenocarcinoma has about five subtypes. Of those subtypes, there are another 20 types of cancer. So Non-Small Cell (typically slow growing); Adenocarcinoma (appear in mucous membranes); In my case non-responsive to Chemo. No known immunotherapy; Surgery is the best option (wasn't successful) so radiation when tumors get large enough to be zapped (2 cm or larger, about the size of a quarter).

The local team pretty much had that news, hence Hello Houston. The same thing, the local team, is excellent.
We had planned to retire to someplace like Ajijiic, Mexico but best if we remain close to Austin, TX due to medical. For me, life with Parkinson's and Cancer. My wife has a bunch of health issues. I'm keeping active, still working to keep my health insurance.
Oh EVERYONE:
Make a printed list:
Your name, date of birth.
TODAY's DATE (so the Emergency room knows you just filled this out a month ago, no changes).
Your medications:
Medication Name: Dose, how often, who prescribed - why you take it.
List of your Doctor's:
Name & specialty, contact number, address
I also list date last seen and a quick one-sentence summary.

Do you know where the nearest Hospital is? Class One or Class Two or Class Three trauma unit? (Hint bleeding, go to nearest; head trauma confusion level one or two is your best chance of survival).
Medical Evac Plane: Friend as a Trauma RN and Traveled with a Doc on lear jet. They picked up a patient in Mexico who was awake and responsive. Six hours earlier had major sighs of stroke or Aneurysm, hence medivac team scrambled to pick up and transport back to Texas. Local ER doc treated with Asprin (fine for stroke, fatal for aneurysm). Doc's response was "he was going to die either way but with a stroke he lives."

Where I live you are better off going to the veterinarian. Years ago the vet treated his own children when they got sick with stuff from his vet practice and they became well faster.

Not Really Useful
 

It is not the hospital that works on you
It is the medical professional.

Unless you are going to camp down the street, reality is that you will have to accept the available Provider and Hospital when you have trauma or sudden illness

Even then if the ER is busy you will be redirected to an available facility. Might be miles away.

Much better to select a compatible provider team for periodic maintenance. Then keep good records to give whoever helps in crises.

If is medical care where there is time to search. Then spend the effort and never believe any "Best of" list.

Best Hospitals in America
 

I guess I have been fortunate as the few times I was hauled to a hospital after a crash I ended up in California hospitals with Trauma Centers and qualified Docs. When I have had surgeries I have always used highly rated hospital; you need to be cautious choosing your surgeon though as I did have a bad experience with what I considered a marginal surgeon 7 years ago at a highly rated hospital.

Best Hospitals in America
 

I guess I have been fortunate as the few times I was hauled to a hospital after a crash I ended up in California hospitals with Trauma Centers and qualified Docs. When I have had surgeries I have always used highly rated hospital; you need to be cautious choosing your surgeon though as I did have a bad experience with what I considered a marginal surgeon 7 years ago at a highly rated hospital.