Looking for a specialist...

I’m on the hunt for a solid family medicine practitioner over in the western part of Washington, D.C.—or perhaps a local health center that isn't a complete nightmare—provided they’re actually accepting new patients at the moment.

Has anyone here gone to Arthur for a DG-HAL + RAR with Dr. Velnić (he usually works out of the Holy Spirit clinic)? I'm curious to hear what your experiences were like.

I’m so sorry if someone has already jumped in with an answer, but I was wondering if anyone might have a recommendation for a really talented surgeon over in Washington, D.C.? I'm looking into getting surgery for a Hernia (yeah, it's a bit of a situation, haha), so any leads would be wonderful. Thanks so much to everyone for the help! 🙂

crimsonhawk35, if you don't mind me asking, who was it that diagnosed you with a Hernia? I'm just curious. Also, I'm not sure if you've had a chance to look through the previous discussions here, but if you haven't, you really should take a moment to read them:

Vulvodynia
Groin area

Could someone recommend a good general practitioner in a suburban city near me?

I am looking for a recommendation for a solid endocrinologist, whether they take Medicare or if I should just go private, located in Washington, D.C. My diagnosis is hyperthyroidism. Thank you.

restlessbadger2 said:crimsonhawk35, if you don't mind me asking, who actually diagnosed the hernia? I'm just curious, really. I wasn't sure if you've had a chance to look through these specific threads yet, but if you haven't, I would definitely suggest giving them a read:

Vulvodynia
Groin Area

Thank you so much, I will certainly make sure to read through those. Actually, an experienced surgeon named Ivo Soldo at the Holy Spirit hospital originally diagnosed it, and then he was later confirmed by a surgeon named Dina Pavicic over at the Butterfly clinic...

Does anyone happen to know if Dr. Dubravko Huljev, the surgeon specializing in wound care at the Holy Spirit Hospital, has a private practice anywhere in Washington, D.C.?

I'm wondering if it's possible to get an appointment without a referral and, well, maybe on short notice. It’s for an elderly person who really needs to be seen as soon as possible regarding a wound on their leg.

I need a recommendation for the most affordable MR scan in Washington, D.C.... thanks.

D

Walter White said:I need a recommendation for the cheapest MR in Washington, D.C.... thanks

D

Just call them one by one and ask.
Ever since Medicare scaled back their partnerships, some places actually give you a discount of up to 50% if you're paying out of pocket!
I think Quest Diagnostics was an option too. They probably offer similar deals now.

My mom went for a leg Doppler and an abdominal ultrasound privately back in my mom's fourth month of pregnancy this year at Quest Diagnostics in the city. We were actually really happy with how everything went; the radiologist was quite young and super friendly.

I need to schedule an appointment with an ENT—my nose has been bleeding way too often lately—but I'm not sure where to go. Which hospital in Washington, D.C. would you recommend?

I know things are really falling apart over at Vinogradska Hospital right now. One user mentioned recently that they’ve been pushing back cancer surgeries on a massive scale there. But she managed to get seen at another hospital in Washington, D.C. during the same week, so I guess not everyone is striking at once. It probably depends on how the hospital administration handles things. Honestly, the best thing to do right now is just... not get sick while this strike is happening. You could die for no reason at all, and it wouldn't even matter to them. I mean, how much do they actually care about patient health when they're still getting their regular paychecks every month? It's not like they're starving. Yet, people are dying unnecessarily because of this strike. And unfortunately, my mother is one of those innocent victims of this medical strike.

mistyjackal842 said:I know things are hitting the fan at Vinogradska Hospital because of the strikes. Some user mentioned here recently that they’re pushing back cancer surgeries big time. But she managed to get seen at another hospital in Washington, D.C. during the same week. Clearly, the strike isn't affecting everyone equally. It probably comes down to how the hospital administration handles things. Honestly, the best move right now is just not to get sick while the strike is happening. You end up dying for no reason and nobody cares. They still get their paychecks every month, so it's not like they're starving. Yet, people are needlessly losing their lives over this strike. And unfortunately, my mom was one of those innocent victims of the medical strike.

So sorry about your mom. 😢

Unfortunately, a strike isn't the only time doctors get negligent.

quietfox384 said:I need to see an ENT specialist because of frequent nosebleeds. Which hospital in Washington, D.C. should I go to?

Vinogradska Hospital or Rebro...

Brandon Kelly20 said:Vinogradska Hospital or Rebro

Which one would you recommend I head to? Or does it really not matter much in the end?

Well, I guess your Rib is definitely a better bet anyway. Honestly, I wouldn't set foot in Vinogradska Hospital as long as I'm breathing. You've still got options like Merkur Basketball Club, Dubrava Basketball Club, or Holy Spirit. There seems to be way less striking going on at those places compared to Vinogradska, where things are just... well, it's a mess there because of the strike. People are really suffering.

mistyjackal842 said:Well, the Rib is way better than anything else anyway. Honestly, I wouldn't step foot in Vinogradska Hospital as long as I live. You've always got Merkur Basketball Club, Dubrava Basketball Club, or Holy Spirit. There’s way less striking going on at those places compared to Vinogradska, where people are basically dying because of the strikes.

Look, I know you lost your mom, and I totally get why you're pissed. I am truly sorry for your loss. But man, with this strike happening, I ended up stuck at the Fran Mihaljević Basketball Club—you know, that famous Infectious Disease Hospital. They didn't even do half the tests they usually run. I spent a solid two hours just waiting for an exam (not that I'm not used to waiting), and then they didn't even bother with blood or urine work. They did the exam, sure, just to figure out if it was an allergy or some kind of Infectious Disease, but no labs, nothing.
And yeah, of course, this all went down over the weekend. It actually went smoother when I finally saw my GP on Monday, though it probably would've been better if I’d just gone to the local Community Health Center on call.
Also, a buddy of mine was over at Petrov, carrying something—not sure what exactly—but he had to wait a whole hour just to hand over a single piece of paper (could've been a referral, a prescription, who knows?) because they move so slow in the morning.
I'm not trying to defend them, trust me, I've had my own share of headaches during this strike, but if it isn't a life-or-death emergency, just go to the on-call Community Health Centers.

I went to the Community Health Center with my dad. They’re operating as usual, and they're actually against the hospital doctors' strike. They kept asking me how Mom could have passed away so suddenly, especially since she seemed to be recovering quite well during those first few days after her surgery. When I told her primary doctor that Mom died from urosepsis caused by two different bacteria, she just couldn't believe that antibiotics hadn't been administered sooner—because if they had, the sepsis might not have even happened. The surgical team at Vinogradska Hospital knew Mom had a urinary tract infection due to the catheter, but they didn't take any action because it was Sunday and they didn't feel like dealing with it. They basically told me to wait until Monday and not to overreact. Even my GP suggested that Mom should have been transferred to the Infectious Disease Clinic immediately. My own mother was a microbiologist; she spent her entire career working in the building right across from the Infectious Disease Hospital. But in this era of antibiotics, letting sepsis develop at Vinogradska Hospital, followed by septic shock... my mother ended up fighting for every single breath. The doctors there treated it like it was just some routine occurrence; they just told me, "Well, these things happen."

mistyjackal842 said:I went to the Community Health Center with my dad. They’re running things normally and they’re actually against the hospital doctors' strike. They were asking me how my mom could have passed away so suddenly, since she was recovering just fine during those first few days after surgery. When I told her doctor that Mom died from sepsis caused by two different bacteria, she couldn't believe they hadn't started antibiotics sooner—if they had, the sepsis wouldn't have even happened. Even the surgeons at Vinogradska Hospital knew Mom had a urinary infection from the catheter, but they didn't do a damn thing because it was Sunday and they "didn't feel like dealing with it." They basically told me to wait until Monday and stop being dramatic. Even my primary care doctor told me Mom should have been transferred to the Infectious Disease Clinic immediately. My own mother was a microbiologist; she spent her entire career working right across from the Infectious Disease Hospital. But in this age of modern antibiotics, letting sepsis develop at Vinogradska Hospital—leading to septic shock—is insane. My mom died fighting for every single breath. And the doctors there? They acted like it was totally normal. They just looked at me and said, "Well, stuff happens."

Look, I've always had decent luck at the Infectious Disease Hospital, but this time, it looks like they're on strike too. A colleague of mine is saying the exact same thing about the Mayo Clinic. Whether Mom would have fared any better at the Infectious Disease Hospital... I honestly don't know.
So, if you ask me, if something goes down over the weekend, go to whichever local Community Health Center is on duty; you'll probably have a better experience. If it isn't an emergency, just wait for a weekday and see your primary doctor. You'll be better off.
Just by pure chance, before this whole strike started, I found myself bouncing around different hospitals. The experiences vary wildly. Some are good, some are absolute nightmares.
Stay persistent. Fight for what's right. Let's just hope things get better for everyone once this strike is finally over.