Huge update, Hospital rant and diagnosis.. And question????

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@AlasSouth Oh dear, that’s terrible! - especially the bishops’ directive. Very uncouth in this day and age. Religion doesn’t belong in medicine nor in politics. Part of why I chose not to move to Alaska is because of its very low marks in the medical care arena. If I wasn’t born with certain conditions, and hadn’t acquired so many more already by age 35, I would have moved there. I was also discouraged by the high rate of domestic violence up there. It just gets too dark; makes folks violent, understandably. I wish I could live for the six sunny months of the year up there! So bright in June!

Well I wish you the best with your medical care up there; sounds tough.

 

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I completely agree, both @AlasSouth and @snow. There is no easy solution. Religion and medicine and even politics are a rather vile mix. One thing that immediately stood out is your hospital system merging with a Catholic hospital. That would immediately nix all therapeutic abortions right off the bat. Whether we are pro or against abortion isn't germane, but sometimes an abortion is the only option to save the life of a mother. On Prince Edward Island, Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the only large hospital. It merged with a smaller one which is Catholic. But by doing that the QE Hospital also had to adopt the Catholic policies. Bottom line, no abortions on Prince Edward Island. Go to New Brunswick or Nova Scotia.
That's just one aspect of what AlasSouth is saying. But what do you do in an isolated state like Alaska? And frankly the thought of small hospitals closing in Alaska frightens me and I don't even live there! Given the vast distances between cities and towns there a trip to the ER would always have to involve a ride in a helicopter or a ski-equipped Twin Otter. And that's if the patient even survives the trip. And don't forget the possibility of snow and icing! Alaska isn't the only state with that problem. Many rural areas in places like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, etc., are also losing hospitals left and right and patients with anything serious have to spend anywhere from a half hour to an hour just to get to the ER. Certainly no doctor wants to set up practice in a town where the hospital is in danger of closing.
And AlasSouth, I didn't realize that geriatrics is no longer being taught at some of the medical schools. That in itself is frightening as well. We baby boomers are edging right up to that age. At the other end of the spectrum, a lot of doctors are avoiding obstetrics because there is an increased risk of "things going wrong" and skyrocketing malpractice insurance costs to pay for those things that go wrong.
Non-political suggestions? It sounds simplistic but communities that are in danger of losing their hospital and/or not attracting enough doctors may form committees and just put out a call for volunteers to help recruit the appropriate doctors. I've heard about this being done in various places. Such a committee would go along the lines of a chamber of commerce and actively sell a potential doctor on a certain community or hospital. In other words take things into their hands on a local basis.

 

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Snow: It isn't just the "darkness": that's half myth, half excuse. The state's only got 3/4 million, which is a small percent of any big "lower 48" city. The rest are strewn all over "hell's half acre", as they say.
Besides the cultural genocide results, we seem to have more than our fair share of those fleeing "government" (and common sense). Denial. The statistics for abuse, etc, are awful, truly awful.
It shouldn't be a "poor" state, but we have more than our share of those who want services but won't pay for it. And they "vote 'em in" every time, it seems. How do you enforce the law over so many thousands of square miles without enough law enforcement or medical availability? How do you get supplies (like diapers) when the only freight moving to the Bush is on airlines that just went defunct because of Covid? We are on "the road system", "only" 180 miles from Anchorage - and we seldom get there, but we can.
The one big city - Anchorage - has 2 hospitals, and one very large native clinic. Cost are higher, here, but Medicare, etc., don't take that into account. There is one (1!) family clinic accepting Medicare patients. A lot of doctors can't run a business on what Medicare and the Insurance companies dictate. Some specialties are missing, others have little or no choice of providers.
Not sure why, but we both love it up here. It is endless ly beautiful. You can find like-minded people - just don't talk politics & religion. Isn't that true anywhere?
S.A.D. can be combated - but Covid19 sure makes it harder. You have to Zoom your next-door neighbor. But we've been taking turns getting each other's mail, Rx, sometimes groceries.
At least rural, we help each other out - more like the old days.
Several people on here were surprised at the support groups we have. My prostate cancer support group just got going, again, and Covid19 shut us down, but we're on the email list again.
So many are Snowbirds, here, but who knows when we'll see them again. Those who dared to travel, showed up because they're cabins are isolated. You learn which companies down south have cheaper shipping, or free shipping if you go over $50, or whatever, and stock up. If you can afford it.

 

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Hi again AlasSouth, I can understand why you love it up there what with the scenery, having awesome animals as neighbors, and having two-legged neighbors to help you out, etc., there is a lot to like. I'd like to see the place sometime. But to be truthful I don't really envy you living there. And for somebody who only visits the doctor (GP) say once every five years or so, Alaska may be okay in that regard but if most of us who need to see at least one specialist each year or need a hospital with a good variety of services, it sounds like a long hard row to hoe! And from what you're telling us, you can't just hop over to the Wal-Mart a couple of blocks away every time you need a packet of Depends. If it were me I'd have to buy by the case and would be looking for the company with free or at least cheaper shipping. And your suggestion to "stock up if you can afford it," is a point well-taken. And with air services on the ropes because of Covid, there's always shipping by sea or the Marine Highway ferry system. I'd like to ride on that sometime but I don't think I'd want to wait to have diapers etc. shipped by the Marine Highway. Now that would take a long time which would be a loooooong time for me to hold it!

 

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Wal-Mart is 35 minutes away - smaller though, and not in our regular shopping town. Marine Highway is being destroyed by the State, and it never brought "dry goods"up, hardly. It is faster but more expensive than the barges - 36 hours vs. a week, on the Inside Passage, where we used to live - so that's how perishables come up - dairy, fresh veggies, unfrozen meats etc. I worked the Seattle to Skagway boat - a weekly round trip. I never got tired of the Inside Passage, winter or summer, day or night.
Here in South Central Alaska, a barge gets here in 2-3 weeks only if the weather permits. Transiting the Gulf of Alaska can be a roller coaster. "Fast freight" comes up on 2 special container ships, with a week turnaround time. Those babies move. The Longshore gets them unloaded-reloaded in 12 hours in AK, 8 hrs in Washington - those people hustle. 800 trucks.
There's a Costco Reseller here, but so much smaller and costs about 5% more. Some of us stop in one of the 2 Costco's in Anchorage, if we go, and bring home a pickup load. Sam's Clubs closed down, there.
If I waited 5 years for a Annual exam, I'd been in trouble and never get the same Doc twice. That doesn't count the specialists. My neurologist has been here forever. Great woman.
No, it isn't for every one. Moose had twin calves in our yard, about 5 years ago. Well, but a brown bear (read: Grandfather Grizzly) left his calling card on our lawn, a couple of times. No skunks. No poison ivy. But there's no snakes because the mosquitoes took them all home to feed their young. (HeHeHeHe)
But come up as a tourist, some time. Try for a "shoulder season"- cheaper, not as crowded.