On 2017-02-12 11:20 AM, Janet wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> On Sun, 12 Feb 2017 13:38:52 -0000, Janet > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 11 Feb 2017 14:19:01 -0600, Sky >
>>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> My parents' recent, quarterly visit (several doctors' appointments) to
>>>>> Mayo Clinic and its environs required me to be their round-trip driver
>>>>> (~460+ miles one-way); neither was able to drive.
>>>
>>> Was that your round trip from home to their place, or their round
>>> trip from their home to the Mayo??
>>>
>>> If the latter, was there no-where closer for an old pair to have
>>> their regular tests done?
>>>
>>> (None of my business so feel free to ignore, just curious about US
>>> health care)
>>>
>>> Janet UK
>>>
>> Mayo clinic is where you go when you want the experts in the field.
>> Where you go if you want to know if there is some new treatment out
>> there. It isn't a just a regular hospital.
>> Janet US
>
> I know its reputation. But I'd be shocked if there's only one such
> hospital in USA (or only one within reach of Sky's parents.)
You could have Googled and saved yourself the shock. There are lots of
hospitals in the US. The actual number of hospitals in each country
doesn't really tell much about the availability of hospital services
because a hospital could be little more than a clinic or a huge complex
with thousands of staff. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester has more than
34,000 people on staff.
Even the number of beds per capita can be misleading. Modern hospitals
have the facilities, equipment and expertise for less invasive
procedures so that hospitalization is not always required. When my
father had his gall bladder removed in the early 1960s he was in the
hospital for 2 weeks and had a scar more than a foot long. When my wife
had hers removed a few years ago she had the surgery in the morning and
was released just after noon. They may not have problems with medical
insurance in the US, but there certainly isn't any shortage of hospitals.