Navigating healthcare chicago edition
July 26, 2024 7:34 PM Subscribe
My mom in Louisana has been told to go to a big city for medical care for an unknown condition. I live in Chicago and she can stay here for a bit. Is there a way aside from cold calling to get her established for a comphrensive work up?
Any ideas on next steps or programs I can reach out to help facilitate this process?
I don't want to spend alot of time on the medical side of what mom sky might or might not have so quick run down: something cardiopulmonary. Maybe auto immune. Maybe pulmonary hypertension. Suggested specialists by current medical team include include cardiac, endocrinology, ent, pulmonary, rheumatology. She has original Medicare so I'm not necessarily worried about networks.
Mom has had workup for the major heart lung stuff. It's not copd, heart failure, asthma, emphysema or lung cancer.
I can just present her to an ED and beg for 7 day follow up but if I can get something scheduled in advance that would be preferable. Ideally it would be appointments closer together. I'm likely to start with pulmonary and cardiac and go from there.
Again, I'm asking for help to identifing ways to establish care and try to get her through a workup to a treatment plan in a city she doesn't live in somewhat efficiently.
I don't want to spend alot of time on the medical side of what mom sky might or might not have so quick run down: something cardiopulmonary. Maybe auto immune. Maybe pulmonary hypertension. Suggested specialists by current medical team include include cardiac, endocrinology, ent, pulmonary, rheumatology. She has original Medicare so I'm not necessarily worried about networks.
Mom has had workup for the major heart lung stuff. It's not copd, heart failure, asthma, emphysema or lung cancer.
I can just present her to an ED and beg for 7 day follow up but if I can get something scheduled in advance that would be preferable. Ideally it would be appointments closer together. I'm likely to start with pulmonary and cardiac and go from there.
Again, I'm asking for help to identifing ways to establish care and try to get her through a workup to a treatment plan in a city she doesn't live in somewhat efficiently.
A lot of large hospital systems like the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic advertise to people who are looking for second opinions, including people who live in other cities. Googling "second opinion Chicago" gives a bunch of options.
Also, If you or she can afford it, "concierge medicine" should do what you want.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:54 PM on July 26
Also, If you or she can afford it, "concierge medicine" should do what you want.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:54 PM on July 26
Response by poster: Her medical team is willing but assume they are overworked underpaid professionals who are trying their best in a difficult enviroment and are terrible about communication, returning phone calls ect. Her rheumatologist still charts on paper.
Second opinion chicago brings up UofC which is an option, however it is which is self pay and not covered my insurance . The rest are cancer related which is not a diagnosis my mother has. My mother is also not being recommended for any major surgery at this time.
Mayo clinic would be out of our price range due to lodging expenses.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:19 PM on July 26
Second opinion chicago brings up UofC which is an option, however it is which is self pay and not covered my insurance . The rest are cancer related which is not a diagnosis my mother has. My mother is also not being recommended for any major surgery at this time.
Mayo clinic would be out of our price range due to lodging expenses.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:19 PM on July 26
Fourth link is Northwestern, and their "Second Opinion Areas of Care" include Cardiovascular and Endocrinology.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:36 PM on July 26
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:36 PM on July 26
I would go with a geriatric specialist, internist for your mom and talk to the Ombudsman at the University of Chicago Hospital for assistance with navigating health care coverage and evaluation. The Ombudsman position or Patient Advocate position is specifically designed to help you with getting through to the right doctor and helping with lodging and filing for coverage. It's called the Ombudsman at UCLA, UChicago may have a different term for it. UCLA has affordable on campus housing for patients being treated or evaluated by doctors, and I would imagine U Chicago has the same type of set up. Here's a link to gerontology specialists: U Chic Docs I hope there is some helpful leads here.
posted by effluvia at 8:39 PM on July 26 [1 favorite]
posted by effluvia at 8:39 PM on July 26 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Update: Northwestern program doesn't do pulmonary second opinion and also doesn't do second opinions on cardiac things that aren't cardiac surgery related. So that is not an option for us.
UofCs program might be useful, but I found out they have a line set up for national inquiries and assistance so we are going to start there. If they recommend we do the second opinion first out of pocket we will do so but hopefully they will be able to coordinate some care in a timely manner.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:17 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
UofCs program might be useful, but I found out they have a line set up for national inquiries and assistance so we are going to start there. If they recommend we do the second opinion first out of pocket we will do so but hopefully they will be able to coordinate some care in a timely manner.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:17 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by moosetracks at 7:48 PM on July 26