My GP doc has announced his retirement on Nov. 6 and I am having problems accepting

[CTyankee]

it. He's been my GP for over 20 years.

I got his letter in the mail yesterday and knew immediately what it was he was going to say. He has been whittling down his office hours for a while now and I figured the handwriting was on the wall. His letter was incredibly gracious and he thanked us all for our letting him fulfill his lifelong dedication to being a family doctor.

He is in good health, relatively young (68) and his kids and grandkids are all in CA, a long way from CT. I wish him the very best and am OK with the docs he sold his practice to. But I feel a little deserted and sad to lose him.

He's doing the best thing for himself and his family. He has built up a loyal patient base and I feel for them also. Especially for the ones who are older than me. He has always been kind and gentle and has guided me with my hypertension. I am eternally grateful to have his care.

Guess I'll be sad for a while and then start getting my yearly checkups with the other group (whose office is right across the hall from him -- so no problem finding where the new practice is!). But it is hard to lose one of the mainstays of one's life -- a good, kind practitioner who happens to also be a strong Democrat!

[librechik]

1. that's happened to me at least twice over the years

and my current primary doc is pas old as I am, so he's probably going to retire, too. It's a sad fact of healthcare today. My sympathies,CT.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. Yeah, me too, once... sucks!

[monmouth4]

2. A caregiver who pleases you in every way is like family. I feel sad for all of you. He sounds great

[Lifelong Protester]

3. I know how you feel.

Been through it now three times!
The first: she was 'eased' out-trouble with Mayo
The second: he decided he should be a 'hospitalist'
The third: the clinic decided NOT to be Mayo any more, so our regular Physician's Assistant is at a clinic 25 miles away, part time.

I don't know what we will be doing. I'm not so good with change.

[MFM008]

4. I've had mine for 34 years

He began his practice when I saw him.
He also will retire to soon.

[samnsara]

6. i hate change like this....

....good luck finding a new GP. Now you have to establish trust all over again.

[CTyankee]

10. Hope the new practice is as nice as he was. I will have a woman GP from now on.

So I am happy with that. I like that I'll be going to his building. It comforts me a bit.

[BarbaRosa]

7. I'm going through that now,

and not sure how get a new GP. I'm not much of a go to the doc unless something is up, so I'm not familiar with who's who in the local medical scene.

I'm now getting to an age where I suspect I'll be seeing docs more now.

[Frustratedlady]

8. I expect the same from my GP of 40 or so years.

She is sharp as a tack and, although in her 80s, she shovels snow, helps the needy with groceries and clothing and helps the elderly get to church and social activities. She is the Hospice physician and is a walking encyclopedia.

The nurses love her and that's enough recommendation for me.

I'd hate to lose her.

[GulfCoast66]

9. My wife and I lost ours to retirement

She had been my wife's physician for 33 years and mine for 27.

The wife was 22 when she started seeing her. She came home in tears after her last appointment and they were both bawling as my wife left the office.

My wife is the only patient who was given her personal phone number to keep in touch.

[CTyankee]

11. My GP's beautiful wife subbed for his receptionist often. He used to brag about what

a great cook she was. Sounds like a very happy marriage.

[GulfCoast66]

12. Our ex-doctor's husband was her business manager!

[shanti]

13. I have Kaiser

Don't know what it is about Kaiser, but every 5 years or so, I am told that my GP is leaving and I'm getting a new one. My current doc is a middle-aged Filipino woman, same as the doc before her. Guess I'm just used to it by now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. I had Kaiser at one point,

about 15 years ago in Cal.
Got one of the best eye exams I have ever had, super nice doc. He told me, in confidence that Kaiser had the eye docs on a timed schedule. Each exam was to be 20 minutes. Since he had a cancellation, I was next and got extra time, but he wrote 20 minutes, did I min?
Hell no I did not mind.
Really did not enjoy that type of managed care, never even talked to the same doc twice over the course of some minor problems. One would examine and prescribe, but if I needed to later call about prescription problems/side effects, I got an on-call doc who knew nothing of my case.
Now I have a family GP, member of the community, not going anywhere. Stability is nice.

[Madam Mossfern]

14. So far I'm lucky

My 'primary care' physician, my ob/gyn and my cardiologist are all about my age.
I've been with the first two doctors since I'm 30 years old - cardiologist since 46 yo.
None of them has given any indication that they're going to retire any time soon.

I'm 69 and I don't think I'll get the same care with a new physician. These guys have
been with me through many of life's ups and downs and know my history and my family.
I believe that means a lot in the instance of managing one's health care.

[CTyankee]

15. Yes, you are right. My retiring doc helped me through the considerable job stress I

was going through with my last job before retirement. He encouraged me to consider retirement. He pointed out the obvious to anyone looking at the situation, but I was just afraid that I couldn't afford it. However, I talked with my investment guy and he said I was well situated to retire. It was a considerable relief when I did!

[Madam Mossfern]

16. Good for you!

Somehow I don't think that docs now have the time for that kind of involvement with their patients. Since the insurance companies took over, it's a whole new ball game.

[RobinA]

17. Been There

First my GYN, who I really liked and trusted, left to practice in FL. That was 10 years ago, and I still haven't found one I like. Then my GP went concierge, but I liked his replacement, so that was OK. Now his replacement has left and the replacement is a nurse practitioner, which I am not cool with, so I picked another Dr. in the practice whom people seem to like. I meet her next month. However, there's some indication that she might be going concierge, so then I'm screwed.

[3catwoman3]

26. Why are you not cool...

...with a nurse practitioner?

[Horse with no Name]

18. My PCP retired a few years ago

I found an excellent one first round.
In fact, he is even better than the first.
But now, he is going into concierge medicine.
I think I am going to bite the bullet and go with him.
I can't stand the thought of doing this all over again.

[Vinca]

19. Good luck finding a new doctor.

We live in what I always thought was an attractive area for professionals, but suddenly there are no doctors. Our GP left in July and the specialist my husband sees is also on her way out. A few people are taking new patients, but the waiting list is months long and you're most likely to be able to get in to see a Physician's Assistant or Nurse Practitioner. I got on the list for a Physician's Assistant in July and my initial appointment is in December! Fortunately, we have a private, urgent care place a few miles away and there's always the ER. It's nuts (and Republicans should never, ever disparage Canadian healthcare again).

[Horse with no Name]

23. the practice model is moving away from having just one doc to having a practice with one doc

and PA's and NP's. The days of your doc knowing you is going to be a thing of the past.
My new Doc has found a way to diagnose and manage my health issues that allowed me to go back to work and live a really productive life. I would never get that in a group practice.
This is what is driving me to make the decision to go with my Doc to his concierge practice.
I wouldn't be able to do that but my employer insurance is free so I can afford the $167 a month
to get the doctor that I want.
I expect that our healthcare system will not remain status quo.
I expect it will get really bad and then the only way to fix it when Dems take over is going to be universal healthcare.
My current insurance plan is good until September of next year.
I'm lucky for now.

[Vinca]

27. It's all very strange to me, but I guess I'm going to consider the Physician's Assistant as sort of

a traffic cop who'll take care of minor problems and direct me to specialists if I need them. My worst fear is that after waiting 6 months for an appointment I'll walk into his office and see a Trump poster. LOL. It's going to be horrible if I don't like the guy because there's no Plan B.

[NCjack]

20. Don't be scared to change GPs

Train your new GP to provide the service that you need. At every meeting with your new GP, go over your current list of medical issues. Discuss all. You will learn enough about yourself to develop the self confidence to handle the next GP change.

Over the past six years, I have gotten my med services from the University of NC hospital medical center. During that period, I have had a succession of three GPs. I have learned and benefited from each one. It's good to have inspections by new eyes (and brains).

When my first GP at UNCHMC had her last meeting with me, she recalled that in our first meeting I had given her my list of medical issues. She used it to measure my progress. GPs listen, but you have to tell them what's wrong with you.

[LisaM]

21. This happened with my dentist, and the practice changed.

The quality of the new dentist was fine. What I didn't like was that the office manager I'd become friends with was eventually gently shooed out the door, and then they changed their billing practices. I went in for a crown and instead of just submitting it to my insurance and sending me a bill for the difference, they (with no warning) wanted me to pay hundreds of dollars up front. Worse, they were off by about $100 on their estimates, so I kept getting a bill for that, with no explanation, and it devolved quickly into an argument with the new, aggressive office manager (I was willing to pay it, I just wanted to know what it was for). They also wouldn't admit that this was a change from the old system, and it certainly wasn't addressed in the letter announcing the change.

So, I'm terribly sorry you're losing your trusted GP, but watch out for these types of changes in the practice.

[Hamlette]

22. happened to me at age 67 BUT there was light at the end of the tunnel

I live in the Western bible belt and did not want a religious/righteous doc. I went to see another newish doc in the practice and was delighted to find out he was gay! I didn't care about gay per se but that meant he was not religious (I know, stereotype, but I've been testing him since, and he passed). I actually like him more than the woman doctor I had for 30 plus years!

Don't worry, it could get better. . .

[Liberal In Texas]

24. I'm also 68 and my doc of about 30 years retired a couple of years ago.

A big hospital chain bought his practice and shut the office even removing he X-ray machine.

For several years before he retired I had been pretty much just seeing the nurse practitioners in his office anyway and when they opened their own practice in his old office I stayed with them.

I had to get my records transferred from the big chain back to them, but that isn't a big deal.

Good luck to you finding someone you like.

[The Genealogist]

28. I'm sorry to hear about your PCP woes

I feel very lucky that I have a young PCP, only about 3 years into her practice. She is an EXCELLENT doctor. Since most of my visits revolve around my anxiety disorder, I really need a doctor who will listen to me, and she is fits the bill perfectly. I've had too many doctors who seem not to listen or care at all.