Medical/Dental Care St. Croix

Any Crucians have opinions on health & dental care on St. Croix?

--Islander

I'll take a crack at this. Dentists, I haven't been yet, but friends who have been here longer all have dentists that they like. I think you'll have no trouble finding a dentist.

I am a fairly healthy 50-something. I go to Dr. Braslow and like him fine. I don't need him for much, refilling a couple of prescriptions,check-ups, etc.

I've had two experiences with the hospital emergency room, one very minor when we first got here and one worse (back muscle spasms -- very painful) and was satisfied with the outcomes both times. The ER looks a little dated, not sure if I had major trauma I'd want to be treated there. A friend recently had a D/C in the hospital and was completely satisfied. Many people here have air ambulance insurance which will take you to San Juan or Miami for treatment not available here,

There are some specialities not available on STX -- there is only one orthopedic surgeon, for example and no rheumatologist. I probably have a knee replacement in my future and I'll go back to my doc in KY for that.

If I had serious health issues, I would think long and hard about living here, but for everyday, run-of-the-mill stuff, no problem.

I will relate my wife's experience from last spring when she fell and broke her ankle on STX.

911 called because she was alone at the time. Ambulance arrived in 20 minutes and transported her to the hospital. They did not splint or otherwise stabilize the injury. We were charged $700 for the ride.

Hospital did X-Rays and determined it was a bad fracture. Surgery would be needed to set the bones. Surgery would have to be done within 24 hours or the bones would have to be refractured. Wife felt very comfortable with anthesioligist and orthpedic surgeon so we decided not to have her medically evacuated. Couldn't see the point in flying her San Juan since she would be dropped off at the hospital there and no guarantee that the surgeon would be any more qualified than the one on STX.

The doctors and nurses were great to my wife, but the hospital has serious money and operational problems. Because the hospital lacks funding part of the hospital is closed down so my wife had to spend her first 24 hours in the hospital on a gurney in the hallway of the emergency room.

The hospital's kitchen and food service operations are very limited. My wife arrived at dinner time, but by the time she had been admitted and x-rayed they couldn't feed her, not even from a vending machines. She was hungry since she hadn't had any foood since breakfast. She didn't get anything to eat until some neighbors arrived at mid night and went out and bought her a sandwich.

Also the hospital did not have any pillow cases for her pillows. This bothered my wife.

After the surgery and when my wife could travel in a wheel chair she flew back to Chicago and saw our local ortho. HIs opinion was the bones alingnment was good, but not perfect, however he wasn't sure that he would have had any more success if he had done the surgery.

In summary, doctors great, hopital just adequate for routine or emergency care.

Jim

How much is air ambulance insurance?

Gotta agree with Linda on specialists. I am having the worst luck with that. There is a specialist for a chronic problem that I have, but he's only in STX one day a week, and then I have to wait sometimes up to 6 hours to see him. There are no appointments. My only alternative is to fly to STT where there are maybe 3 specialists - he being one of them.

IMHO, if you have a chronic illness or ailment requiring a specialist, do your homework and really give it a lot of consideration.

Hello Ann,

Skymed is one of the Air Ambulance services here, check out their web site for an idea of whats offered and prices:

http://www.skymed.com/

--Islander