Hello,I may have a chance to move to LA (we are currently in Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Could anyone pass any info they may have on CF care in LA? We would like to tailor our move according to where the CF children's clinic/hospital is. ANY info would be so appreciated!!!Thanking you in advance,Salima (Qayz 9 months w/cf, Zayd 3.5 years w/o CF)
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CF clinic in Los Angeles
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
Hi My son 8w/CF goes to Millers children hospital inLong Beach, where they have a CF clinic. When my son was first DX @ 6yrs old we went sraight to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles. We weren't comfortable there. I found it a very depressing place and the Drs. didn't allow us any input(we felt like a statistic). I do know from recommendations it is one of the best places for the Drs are highly rated. We needed more than that. We needed a place that made us feel there was hope. And Millers did. One of the first things I did was to find out from the CF foundation where the big "supporters"were taking their Children W/CF. Then I contacted them and asked them questions on why they went there. Most people felt that they were very aggressive and looked out for their children's best interest. Granted, we can't afford to donate a wing to the hospital like a few other cf patients there, but they treat everyone very well.
Thank you so much for the info. What a great idea to phone "big" donors! Is Millar's a private hospital? In Canada, mostly everything is covered by national / provincial health care programs, so the American system is totally scarey for me!! Where is this hospital? Where would you recommend we would look for housing/rental to be close to the hospitla? Which area would be suitable to raise a family (we have an almost four year old, that will be starting kindergarten soon - so school choice is also important to us!)We will be teaching, so I'm hoping our benefits plans will be quite comprehensive. Should I ask any particular questions in terms of what are the diffferent kinds of coverages there are? We are also new to the whole CF world as it's been less than six months since our diagnosis!Sorry for all the mumble jumble of questions. As you can tell, my head is swimming with thoughts and questions and I'm not sure how I'm going to find everything out!Thanks so much in advance for your help - I hope to hear from you again!!Salima
Hi I remember the first 6 months after diagnosis, not fun(about a year ago).My first suggestion would be to go on-line with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They have a link to California CF Hospital and Clinics. Millers Long Beach is a private hospital in Long Beach (near Los Angeles). I guess thats why the big donors go there. As far as cost and available programs to the ave. patent, they are pretty much the same as public hospitals.We really don't live near our Hospital. We drive an hour to get there about 4 times a year. The rest of the time we have a really great local Dr. that keeps in communication with our CF staff. As far as comparing coverage insurance in USA, Not too good compared to Canada. At least it's not too good for us. You either have to below a certain income level to qualify for gov. programs or Wealthy enough not to worry about $. We don't qualify for either category. We are still in the process of trying to get secondary insurance. The CF Foundation and the Social Service Counselor at the hospital you choose can hook you up to the right resources.As far as where to live. There so many great places, and it comes down to personal preference. You can e-mail me @:kelly_wiere@bausch.com if you need any of my more Personal preferences.Take Care,Kelly
Just a quick question about your move. Are you moving to LA or the LA area. Because of traffic, there is a huge difference. Long Beach is south of Los Angeles and should be only about a 30-60 minute drive from LA without traffic, but depending on the time of day it could easily be twice that long (and sometimes more). If you are moving to LA, you might check into Cedars-Sinai (in Los Angeles) - I have heard good things about them. Also, my sister-in-law took her son to Children's in LA (for a sweat test and consultation - he eventually tested negative); she thought very highly of the doctor there (I think her name was Dr. McLoughlin) - she said that she was very kind and informative. I do know however that it took her over a month to get that appointment - so they are busy there.If you are just moving to the LA area, Long Beach is one very good choice. Another CF clinic that is just a little further south is C.H.O.C. (Children's Hospital of Orange County). They have a wonderful reputation. As far as places to live, Long Beach (in general) is more affordable. Los Angeles is pretty expensive and Orange County is as well.Good Luck with your move! I would be happy to help you out more if you have any other questions. I grew up in Orange County and lived in LA for four years. We now live in the Bay area. I have three children - my oldest son is (almost) five and has CF.-Katrina
Wow!once again, thank you to all of you for helping me out with details regarding our possible move. I won't be able to write much today, but would like to respond in some way to acknowledge your help. However, in the next few days, I hope to get on the computer and ask some more specific questions to help us decide whether moving to LA is a reality or not.....I'll be sure to write soon! Meanwhile, stay healthy and happy!!Cheers,Salima