As someone that's lived in Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta and The Shoals and a wife with serious medical problems, let me say:
1. We've never received any better hospital experience that we've received at ECM. I cannot say enough great things about the nursing staff. I assume Keller's staff is the same. You get a "giving nature" with local nurses that you'll just not get in "the big city."
2. There are very good specialist physicians in the area, and your primary physician should be able to get you into someone that can handle almost any problem.
3. Emergency room physicians are not hospital employees, but independent contractors. ECM has just brought in a new sub-contractor and is promising improved service. Keller is lining up a group of local doctors to man their emergency room--and it's doubtful they're specialists in the field.
4. If you've been shot, tell the helicopter to take you to The Med in Memphis. If you're having a child that's very premature, The Med in Memphis is the place to go. Everything else, Vanderbilt is the place. These are the premier emergency rooms in the world--simply put. Helicopters fly in to those hospitals from 250 miles out. It takes just 5-10 minutes longer to get there than Huntsville/Birmingham.
5. To all of you bums that don't carry health insurance: BCBS coverage starts at just over $100 per month. You spend that much in cigarettes and beer in a week. If you had insurance, you could have your own doctor and you wouldn't have to spend your nights sitting outside the local Emergency Rooms complaining about poor service. Then, Emergency Rooms could be reserved for people that really need them and turnaround times would be reasonable. Emergency Rooms shouldn't be unpaid clinics for uninsured, second class citizens.
6. We really need a Pain Clinic that injects back pain patients the proper way--with flouroscopes. Real Pain Management doctors dispense meds to maintain an adequate quality of life for the patients--not to just push pills. A great pain clinic can keep hundreds and hundreds of suffering people out in society. One local doctor claiming to be a pain clinic does no medicine management--and runs a very poor operation. Many Tennessee pain clinics advertising in our market are scams--not run by doctors with pain management fellowships and proper credentials. A Nurse Practitioner is not qualified in this field.
7. We really, really need more good psychiatrists in the Shoals. The quality of our mental health care is very poor, and many people go to Decatur. Last time we checked, no physician in Decatur were taking
new patients. That leaves having to drive 1 1/2 hrs. to Huntsville for a doctor--ridiculous.
8. In case you have not noticed, many local doctors are Baby Boomers in their late 50's and 60's. With O'Bamacare facing them, being a doctor will not provide the income to live and still have a return on their investment in facilities and education costs. At one point, service levels may be down as there may not be sufficient doctors to service this area. It will take strong hospital corporations to recruit doctors to replace the many doctors retiring in the near future.