Nearby Hospital for Pediatrics?

[robyng]

7 more days til we check in! Our 10 year old son has multiple medical needs that we have been able to accommodate at Disney in the past. Last week he ended up in the ER and we found out he is having complications and requires surgery soon. The docs are allowing us to go to Disney first (with restrictions) and then we will meet with the surgeon as soon as we return. He was devastated thinking that we may have to cancel this trip and was very excited when the doctor gave him the "go ahead". Any suggestions on the best place for medical care for pediatrics in the area (specifically neurosurgery) would be greatly appreciated. We have instructions to head straight to the ER if symptoms worsen or change. I want to be prepared...just in case.

 

[Michigan]

Right now the only choice is Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando. In October a new children's hospital is opening closer to Disney. I don't know where you are from but if you are used to a level 1 trauma hospital you will be frustrated. I have 2 kids with spina bifida their medical care is done at University of Michigan in the summer months where every specialty known to man is at the children's hospital. We live in Florida in the fall and winter so our emergency care is at Arnold Palmer. Arnold Palmer is part of a medical complex and shares it's specialty doctors. So the neurosurgeon isn't in the hospital but comes from the cancer center in the complex. I took my youngest to the hospital in Feb for a headache and chest pain thinking she may be having shunt failure since she has a VA shunt. The neurosurgeon had them xray her shunt so he could see if the setting was still the same. It was so he ruled out shunt failure. I wasn't very happy that he didn't come over to the hospital to see her but she was admitted for something else and he did come over 2 days later to see her. I just have to keep telling myself U of M is ranked 4 and Arnold Palmer is ranked 24 in best children's hospitals.

All rooms are private but very small and they do provide a roll away bed for a parent to stay. Here are the directions from Disney to the hospital.
Take I-4 East to Exit 81BC at Kaley Street. Turn right on Kaley Street. Then turn left (north) on Orange Avenue. Turn left on Miller Street. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is approximately ½ mile ahead on the left.

 

[robyng]

Thank you very much for the information. Our son receives all of his care at the Cleveland Clinic and we are used to having the VERY BEST medical care. It's been about 5 years since we have been to Disney and his medical needs are far more complicated now. This most recent setback has made us a little uneasy about going but his doctors feel it will be okay (and I'm sure they would not let him go anywhere if they felt he couldn't). I'm just nervous being away from his doctors but know the whole family NEEDS this trip, especially our brave little guy! We want to go and have a great time, knowing that when we return we'll be at the hospital for the summer...

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Right now the only choice is Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando. In October a new children's hospital is opening closer to Disney. I don't know where you are from but if you are used to a level 1 trauma hospital you will be frustrated. I have 2 kids with spina bifida their medical care is done at University of Michigan in the summer months where every specialty known to man is at the children's hospital. We live in Florida in the fall and winter so our emergency care is at Arnold Palmer. Arnold Palmer is part of a medical complex and shares it's specialty doctors. So the neurosurgeon isn't in the hospital but comes from the cancer center in the complex. I took my youngest to the hospital in Feb for a headache and chest pain thinking she may be having shunt failure since she has a VA shunt. The neurosurgeon had them xray her shunt so he could see if the setting was still the same. It was so he ruled out shunt failure. I wasn't very happy that he didn't come over to the hospital to see her but she was admitted for something else and he did come over 2 days later to see her. I just have to keep telling myself U of M is ranked 4 and Arnold Palmer is ranked 24 in best children's hospitals.

All rooms are private but very small and they do provide a roll away bed for a parent to stay. Here are the directions from Disney to the hospital.
Take I-4 East to Exit 81BC at Kaley Street. Turn right on Kaley Street. Then turn left (north) on Orange Avenue. Turn left on Miller Street. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is approximately ½ mile ahead on the left.

How far is Arnold Palmer from Disney

 

[Michigan]

My youngest daughter is going to have to have surgery and won't be able to sit up for 6 weeks after but fortunately for me she will only be in the hospital for a week and then home on a special bed for 5 weeks. She wanted to wait until after wheelchair sports camp so hopefully things heal quick because we head back down to Florida for the fall and winter.

I hope things go great for you son's surgery. I know neurosurgery is a scary thing having sat through 5 of them.

 

[Michigan]

How far is Arnold Palmer from Disney

It's in Orlando so about 20 miles.

 

[momto2greatgirls]

We were there in 2008, and needed a hospital for my daughter. We ended up having emergency abdominal surgery for my daughter, and were inpatient for 8 days (the entire trip!). Arnold Palmer was GREAT. From the triage in the ER to the wonderful surgeon and the care she got there (she has multiple medical issues and had been in the ER and observation for a night prior to our trip--they said to go ahead and go, she was fine, yeah, not so much!). It was about a 15-20 min trip from our hotel (Vistana) to there each morning, DH and I ended up switching each morning, one staying at the hospital the other trying to enjoy the trip we paid a fortune (for us) to have. We're just now planning a return trip so my daughter can GO to Disney this time, and we're purchasing trip insurance!

 

[Michigan]

Youngest daughter was in for 11 days in Feb 9 of which was isolation and those rooms are so small to be trapped in for 9 days. I think she received good care but if you are used to top medical care like Robyn is at Cleveland Clinic she would be frustrated with the care. I know that my daughter's shunt setting in the past has bounced back and forth from one setting to the next half setting and after riding Test Track she got a headache and said she felt like she had just had an MRI which changes the setting and she had chest pains. At our main care hospital where we spend the summers there would have been one of several neurosurgery residents and doctors that would have come and placed the device on her head that can read the setting and see if its fluctuating instead the doctor who is at another hospital in the Medical Center looks at the xrays and determines that everything is fine.

We also had the issue with the wound care nurse saying my daughter needed to have surgery so one of the 2 plastic surgeons looked at her and said no put her on a wound vac and send her home. Nurse wasn't happy with that so she got the other surgeon to come over and look and she had surgery the next morning.

In October the new Nemours Children's Hospital closer to Disney will open with all the specialty doctors right there in the hospital and in the event we need a hospital during the 6 months we are there I am going to try them.

Again, I wasn't unhappy with Arnold Palmer it just is not what you expect when you are used to a level 1 trauma hospital so it can be frustrating trying to get the specialists you know your child needs to see.

 

[Msblowfish]

Just an FYI, Arnold Palmer IS partnered with ORMC which is a level 1 trauma center. Winner Palmer, Arnold Palmer and ORMC are all on the same block in downtown Orlando proper.

Also a lot of the pediatric specialists that will be practicing at the new Nemours Childrens Hospital were or are still practicing at Arnold Palmer.

 

[momto2greatgirls]

Also a lot of the pediatric specialists that will be practicing at the new Nemours Childrens Hospital were or are still practicing at Arnold Palmer.

It says the new hospital is opening "in 2012", any idea of when? I guess I shouldn't worry, we'll be there the last week of 2012, but if they were planning on opening in December, I might still want to be sure to have Arnold Palmer set up in my gps.

 

[michelle9343]

Florida Hospital also has a childrens hospital in downtown Orlando. They partnered with Disney and it is AMAZING. The ER is the most child friendly place . I live in central Florida and would drive the extra few min to get to Florida hospital. My DD is special needs and I have only had negative experiences at Arnold Palmer. Florida Hospital also has a very good Neuro-surgeon on staff. His name is Eric Trumble.

 

[Michigan]

Florida Hospital also has a childrens hospital in downtown Orlando. They partnered with Disney and it is AMAZING. The ER is the most child friendly place . I live in central Florida and would drive the extra few min to get to Florida hospital. My DD is special needs and I have only had negative experiences at Arnold Palmer. Florida Hospital also has a very good Neuro-surgeon on staff. His name is Eric Trumble.

Thanks this is good to know since my primary concern is always her shunt since she has had issues in the past unlike her sister who has a shunt that is 22 years old. Do you know anything about a pediatric plastic surgeon or wound care doctor? My youngest is having flap surgery on a pressure ulcer August 13 and we leave for Florida the second week in October for the winter.

We live in Clermont in the winter off 27 by the new Publix.

 

[michelle9343]

I also live in Clermont. I am behind lake Louisa State park!
Sorry plastic surgeon and wound care a not specialist we have seen. Florida Hosptal is bringing in specialist from all over . My DD sees a ped surgeon at there he might be able to help. His name is Dr Thompson. I get get you his phone number if you would like.