Emergency Medical Care in Yuma?

[Art_Davis]

My wife is reovering from a stroke/heart atack. We usually hang out in the Fortuna Foothills during the winter, but have not acquired a good opinion of the local mediical care---basically formed by a couple of visits to the urgent care center on south Frontage Road near Fortuna.

Does anyone have an opinion? We are trying to balance our particular health issues with the general covid19 situation in determining whether to winter in the Foothills this year. Any comments would be most appreciated. Thanks.

[bobsallyh]

Art Davis this is on local TV this AM. Of course it will be awhile coming. https://kyma.com/news/2020/11/09/yrmc-announces-new-health-campus-for-foothills-residents/

[larry_barnhart]

navigator2346 wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
we have had great service in casa Grande both in the ER and Banner hospital.

chevman

Casa Grande is a little far from Yuma

yes it is 175 miles. My thought is they like to hang around the foot hills so would know about what hospital care is available. I might have misread their meaning but also sorry for the wife. We have experience health issues for my wife last 2 winters.

chevman

[BarbaraOK]

I think the suggestion was that Arizona towns in the desert are use to winter visitors and provide, for the most part, excellent service when care is needed.

[navigator2346]

larry barnhart wrote:
we have had great service in casa Grande both in the ER and Banner hospital.

chevman

Casa Grande is a little far from Yuma

[larry_barnhart]

we have had great service in casa Grande both in the ER and Banner hospital.

chevman

[bobsallyh]

Art, this was in the Yuma Sun yesterday:
"A sign off of Interstate 8 has caught the attention of some readers. It’s on Araby Road heading toward 24th Street, next to the Circle K.
The sign announces that Exceptional Healthcare Community Hospital is “coming soon.” I’ve reached out to the developers and have yet to hear from them except for an invitation to the groundbreaking of its Maricopa facility.
But there’s plenty about the company on the Web. The Exceptional Healthcare website describes the facilities as a “premier service provider in emergency and hospital outpatient industries.”
CEO Jeff Love, after completing hundreds of commercial and residential real estate investment transactions including restaurants, gas stations and stand-alone emergency rooms, founded Exceptional Healthcare in 2014.
“When given the opportunity to start Exceptional Health Care, Mr. Love embraced the chance to change the way free-standing emergency rooms can serve the public,” the website says.
According to the company, these small-scale inpatient facilities, known in the industry as “community hospitals” or micro-hospitals, are popping up across the country to offer medical care in underserved communities and provide a local alternative to the potentially long waits for emergency and acute care at major hospitals.
Exceptional Healthcare is breaking the ground of its Maricopa facility on Nov. 13, with the goal of opening in the fall of 2021. Chief Financial Officer Saeed Mahboubi told InMaricopa.com that Maricopa will be the first location for the Texas-based company, followed by Yuma".
We have never been transported by Rural Metro or needed treatment at YRMC. I can only give info that I am familiar with, having taken a couple of friends into the ER, I saw nothing different than anywhere else. Of course "snowbird season" can tax facilities. The hospital does bring in contract help. Bring your records with you. My wife had emergency surgery in Twin Falls, ID. St. Luke's Hospital in July of 2019. When she was discharged we brought her records along with her. If the medical industry in Yuma, turns off winter visitors, I'm sure someone is taking their place as thousands are here each winter and as I type this, they are steadily coming in. Some late because they got caught in the crossfire of snow in Montana and Idaho.

[BarbaraOK]

I don’t know about Yuma, but in Mesa, AZ area all of the hospitals and a lot of physicians are very familiar with snowbirds and very accommodating. As far as records, again talk with her physicians and get a set to take with you. Most hospitals and lab ciompanies now have patient portals so we can pull up everything about our recent labs, etc. without a problem.

[Art_Davis]

Thanks to all who responded. I got some good ideas from you.

But let me ask some more specific questions. We do subscribe to Rural Metro, but how fast do they react? And, when they get you to the ER, how competent have you found the medical staff?

Then there is the isssue with medical records being ``back home.

We haven't had much experience with the health care system, but I wonder if it is like a lot of other local businesses/institutions: ``Come bring your snowbird cash, but don't expect me to provide decent service---or even politeness---for that cash!'' Granted, that is a bit jaundiced, but we have been wintering in the Foothills for ten years or so, and that is what I have experienced. Does that attitude slop over to the medical establishment?

[bobsallyh]

Art, we have followed medical care here for 17 winters. It is the usual 50-50 deal. Half will tell you to go to San Diego/Phoenix. The other 50% has no issues with the local deals. The "urgent care" at S. Frontage RD. and Scottsdale is now a primary care facility operated by Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC). Some of our friends over the years have been admitted for stroke, heart attacks, broken bones, and I really don't remember any of them having a negative problem. To me, most people that complain say "it isn't like at home". No, anywhere you go no matter what health care, power company, water, sewer, general shopping, etc. is always going to be different. There is also an Urgent Care that has opened on the south side of Frontage RD. east of the library. Just remember when another 90,000-100,00 folks hit town, everything gets taxed more so than normal. If you decide to come make sure you check your insurance as you may want to subscribe to Rural Metro. Ambulance and fire protection are not provided by the county. Do your homework. If I can be of any help, just PM me.

[BarbaraOK]

Start with her physicians and see whether they feel she can go. Yuma is big enough to have decent medical facilities (Yuma Regional Medical Center). Depending upon whether she needs ongoing care, maybe her physicians can refer her to a neurologist or cardiologist to care while you are there, or just have some lab results forwarded on to them to tract her progress.

[Lwiddis]

Ten best urgent care facilities in or near Yuma...

https://www.solvhealth.com/az/z/85367-urgent-care

[Lwiddis]

Experiences at an urgent care facility are not necessarily reflective of general medical care in a certain area. If you are highly concerned, go home or near another city/county/area or a hospital ER.