I know alot of it depends on where you live and the drive involved.

Do you feel better if you're treated at a large well-known center or that you might be left out of the mainstream being treated at a small center.

Are you happy where you are?

 

I go to a small rural clinic which is connected thru a larger clinic in a City 2 hrs away and sometimes wonder if they are on top of the latest studies and reports.

 

How about you?

 

 

 

I am not happy at my regional cancer center.  You cannot ask the oncologist anything.  My only comfort is that they are delivering the exact chemotherapy regimen that the wonderful oncologist at Roswell Park recommended. 

 

 

I live rural and go to a small clinic and my daughter is always wanting

me to come to where she lives in another state to get my treatments, she

doesn't feel comfortable with the way things are going down here but I know that is pretty hard to do.

 

Many patients don't like having residents and fellows involved in their care.  I've not had a problem with it because my own doctor(s) is always present and in charge.  Often I learn more details listening to the discussion between the doctors.   

 

With the multiple complications I had, it's been of great benefit to have access to excellent doctors from the different specialties as I needed them --- and to know they were working as a team to help me.  It's good to know that, even now, any tests, scan results, office visit notes are made available immediately to my primary doctor, my oncologist, my cardialogist, my onc surgeon, my cardio surgeon --- all my buddies.   

 

Jessie

 

     

What are you considering mid size and small?

 

Hmm, well my clinic is what I would call small. Maybe about the size of a McDonalds without the toys!  It has one Onc, I call him the traveling doc, one Rad Doc and a reasonable size staff.  It is small in size, about 3 rooms for check-ups, a place to get rads, a couple of offices and the treatment room has about maybe 7 chairs all set around a room.  Pretty cozy.  My Onc is there only 2 days a week.  He comes from a larger outfit in a City North of there.

He is probably treating patients up there too so feel more like a number down in lostville.

 

My daughter's clinic I would call mid-size but then she is in a bigger mid-size town or atleast much bigger than mine but not the huge hospitals and treatment centers that I hear about. Although I haven't been in it, they are set in a hospital with everything at hand, a larger staff, an Onc there everyday.  You don't have to drive all over the country side to get a test or scan done, you can do it right there.  Also they have more programs to help c survivors.

 

Living rural has it's good and bad.  I think that is one thing they have left out of their studies is that access for information and care are poor quality in rural life and there is alot of rural life out there.  Once you pass St. Louis going West you will see rural forever except for the occasional big city until you get closer to the West Coast.