rheumatologist shortage here | Arthritis Information

Our local 4 counties are approaching an RD crisis; we only have 2 RDs for 1/2 million people, with one retiring soon, leaving only mine! Poor thing's afraid she'll never get a day off, vacation, or be able to retire. So, she signed up with Sutter on the condition they find her a partner. It may take 2-3years. Sutter Foundation is one of those big groups of hospitals and services (just in Calif?). It's not an HMO or Kaiser-type; it has no insurance plan of it's own... it's just a big group. I don't know how it gets paid; my bill didn't increase, so maybe the dr pays a fee. It had better do it's job and find us at least one more RD.

It seems few new doctors graduating nowadays go on to specialize in rheumatology. I bet it's because they earn less since they don't do any procedures like other "ologists" like cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and others. Of the new doctors, a high number return to their own country. Of those staying in US, most choose surgery etc. And yet the biggest generation group is aging with more arthritis diseases. My primary doctor is quite wonderful, but she doesn't know as much about RA and it's meds as my RD.... she just can't know everything!

Do any of you have to travel really far for appts with your RD? That's a hardship, sometimes not even possible, for people who have diseases requiring constant monitoring.

Do you live north of Sacramento? We don't have one here, have to drive to Sacramento. about 48 miles.

rusty2010-04-25 19:52:37

It is sad. It took my RD over a year to replace one that left in the practice. They were lucky in that they got the guy as part of a package deal-his wife is also a dr. and they were both hired to work for the same hospital system.

If you think it is bad for us...try finding a peds. RD.

Rusty-----I live in Sonoma County and the other nearby counties covered by these 2 RDs are Napa, Mendocino, and I can't remember if my RD said the 4th county is Marin or Lake. Sonoma County alone has at least 350,000 people, although with all the redwood trees, hills, ranches, farms, it doesn't appear that way unless in the cities right along the fwy.

Rebecca--I don't know if we have an RD specifically for pediatrics here. Poor parents!

We live in the Yuba City area, We have one in Chico about 45 miles north, or the one in Sacramento. It is sad, we seen to get less care, more and more Doctors are leaveing this area and groups and hmos are moving in. The price of insurance has double and Medicare has made so many cut back.