My husband and I are relocating to the Tampa area (hopefully the FishHawk Ranch Community) from Connecticut. I am 22 weeks along now with our first baby and we hope to be down there by end of May/early June. I was curious if anyone has any good reccomendations for an OBGYN/hospital.
Thanks
Re: Fishhawk Area OBGYN/Hospital
Hi - Welcome to the area. I don't live too far from FishHawk in Riverview. I've been seeing Dr Ira Reimer and I LOVE him and his bedside humor. He delivers at St Joseph's Womens and Brandon. His office is actually very close to Brandon hospital and a justa few minutes from FishHawk. I have to disagree with the PP: I would not go to Brandon hospital unless it were the last place on earth and I was dying. Sounds extreme but I have only heard and experienced bad things at that hospital. St Josephs Womens is great. They were very caring and easy to deal with through both of my miscarriages.
Good Luck with your search.
Hi MrsJWeaver-
I'm not sure if any of the experiences that you had or heard of had to do with the L&D unit at the hospital, or a different unit there but the Women's center at Brandon is excellent and gives great care. They are very highly rated and there are not very many problems in that unit. I will agree that when it comes to some departments, they may have their problems, but you shouldn't give the whole hospital a bad rap because of it. I know that my mom works there, so I seem a little partial, but even she talks about how they get a bad name because of other units. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions, so please don't take offense.
Brandon Regional is the only hospital in the area without going into Tampa. I have heard some good and some bad about Brandon, so you kind of have to make that decision for yourself. I delivered at TGH, which has a new women's center. I did not get to use the new section, but I thought the hospital was great.
I was very displeased with the group I was with when it came time to deliver, I will never go back there (USF OB/GYN Group). I have heard some great things about Women's Health midwives, at least I think that is their name.
I just moved to the area, and had an appointment at Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates - Big Bend which is in Riverview (not too far from Fishhawk. They have a lot of doctors and are affiliated with different hospitals in the area. Brandon Regional is the closest to fishhawk and I have heard some good things. I have also heard great things about St. Josephs.
This is the website for the OBGYN that I saw:
https://www.womenscarefl.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/site.locations/action/dtl/loc/5900.cfm
I moved to Brandon (Valrico actually) from Santa Barbara, CA 2 years ago. I had my first daughter in CA and gave birth to my 2nd daughter last July 08 at Brandon Hospital. I too, had heard bad things about the Brandon Hospital and was considering getting on OB in Tampa to avoid it. Well... thank god I did not!
I had a wonderful experience at Brandon. I had complications with my post-delivery (my umbilical cord separated from my placenta) and my dr. was fabulous. The delivery room was large, comfortable and the nurses and staff were very friendly, comforting and knowledgeable. I was induced unexpectedly due to low amniotic fluid and everything turned out fine. I was also very impressed with the security system they had in place to ensure no baby could leave the hosptial w/out mother or father.
After delivery we had a large room and great room service and around the clock care. Before leaving the hospital they have a class both mothers and father can attend to go over basic baby care. All of which I knew from my older DD, but it was really nice to have that as you got to see all the other babies/parents who had just delivered.
After my experience, I questioned friends who said they didn't like Brandon Hosp and it turned out that everyone who had been there liked it and everyone who had a bad review was all from hearsake.
We are done having children, but I wouldn't hesitate to deliver there again myself.
Cheers,
Erin
I've delivered at both Brandon and St Joes after delivering my first in NY. I wouldn't go back to Brandon if you paid me. That place is a filthy hospital and the staff that I experienced there were rude and lazy. I'm not saying that that's always the case (maybe I got an unfortunate batch of nurses) but that was my experience. Seriously....I wouldn't send my dog there to give birth.
I had #3 at St Joes and let me tell you that that place is a dream! I also go to Dr Reimers practice and he is awesome! In fact, I like all the drs in that office...I most regularly see Kapitz (who delivered #3) and Saavedra though. We were worried about the distance to the hospital since I have quick labors, so they scheduled me for induction with my third and will do the same with #4.
The nurses were "phenomenal!" My labor nurse sat with us for hours and was kind and attentive. Very personable. When it came time to deliver, it was just DH, the dr and the nurse....very intimate. At Brandon it was like a zoo. 18 people in the room for an uncomplicated birth...chaos. There was a lot more that happened to me at Brandon...its just such a long story.
One of the nurses at St Joes even sat up with me and my DD when she wasn't sleeping well her first night. At BR, I literally couldnt' even get them to bring me Motrin in less than 3 hours. In short, they wouldn't give me my IV in triage, so I couldn't get my epi on time. The nurses yelled at me and became agitated bc I was in pain...I nearly went natural until I insisted on pain meds, which they didn't want to give me. (It wasn't me either...I've spoken to other drs and they were appauled at my treatment.) The baby nurse wheeled my son into my room at 7am and didn't even bother to tell me when he had eaten last. Then the nursery didn't bother to pick up the phone when I called to ask. Thank God I was an experienced mom and picked up on his hunger cues...I fed him anyway when I though he was hungry. The nurses didn't answer their call button for hours and refused me an ice pad for my panties after my level 3 episiotomy. I could go n all day...that place is a hole.
Theres a reason my current dr won't even deliver there.....please...go to St Joes!
I've heard nothing good about Brandon Regional Hospital. I've had several family members be treated for different things there and none of them had anything positive to say about their experiences. The two most popular hospitals to give birth seem to be St. Joseph's Womens (that's where I will be delivering) and Tampa General Hospital (TGH is getting more popular because I hear they have a new birthing unit that is really nice). Both are a little far from the FishHawk area but I would drive a few extra minutes to get there. I would not deliver at BRH if at all possible.
PS- Have never heard good things about University Community Hospital either-- DH had a surgery there too and we saw some bad stuff there-- like a nurse throwing a used syringe into a trash can and not using the sharps container "because it's really expensive to dispose of the syringes that way"... just BAD.