Total+Joint+Replacement+options+for+non-CCHP+Medi-Medi+patients


 * For non-CCHP Medicare-Medi-cal**patients who possibly need joint replacements, there are other, and I think easier, options. I routinely these patients to a private orthopedist, Dr. Wellborne in San Pablo, who accepts Medicare-MediCal, who works out of DMC, (510) 724-4600, fax (510) 964-0607 . He seems to be quite good, and very accessible. I don't bother to refer to our orthopedist first. He also arranges the appropriate PT, etc, orders any imaging he thinks is necessary, etc, discusses options with pts, etc.

If he recommends joint replacement, and the patient is high risk with cardiac disease, I refer them to East Bay Cardiology ((510-233-9300) who will do their pre-op evaluation and follow them during the hospitalization. If they are high risk with pulmonary disease, I refer them to the DMC Pulmonary clinic(( 510) 233--3788) who likewise will do their pre-op and follow the patient during the hospitalization. If they need vascular evaluation, I refer them to Dr. Drager, who is an excellent vascular surgeon (and will actually take TO Medi-Cal as well for vascular procedures, and will do the ABI's) at (510) 237-7228. If we let Dr. Wellborn's office staff know that we want a high risk pre-op evaluation done by one of these specialists, they will also set it up for our patients.

I have found it much much easier than trying to work within our own convoluted system for these eligible Medicare patients.

(the above was taken from an email from Jan Diamond, September 2009)