Drs Klimas/Rey patients ---- recent scheduling problems?

[kms1990]

Just called the nova answering service today. They seemed to be okay. However, they were not able to provide me with any information about hotel rooms. Does anyone know the closest hotel to the Kendell drive office? I cannot remember the one I stayed at last. Thanks!

 

[stefie]

When I was there in August, I was told that Dr K is not seeing patients at this time but is only working on setting up the new offices in Fort Lauderdale at Nova. They said that they had lost Hanna and that they were "borrowing" staff from Nova for the office. I got the feeling that there is not much consistancy from day to day. Poor Dr Rey was very frustrated about the trouble the Miami office (near Babtist hospital) was having getting my most recent labs from the University of Miami. After Dr. R & K left UM, I requested all my records from the University of Miami while I was seeing Dr Rey there. After getting them, I compared the last two blood draws I had done there(while Dr Rey was still at UM) and the results were identical but with 2 different draw dates at the top. This is not possible, so some one messed up somewhere. I still need to talk to some one in records at UM and get this straightened out.

I just hope Dr R & K can survive this transition. I just wish Nova was more cooperative. I tried multiple times to get my last appointment. The last time I called, I lost it - and kind of went off on the girl about how incompetent the answering service was and she made me an appointment for me. She didn't seem surprised that I had made multiple attempts to get an appointment. Now I am concerned about being able to make another apointment. If we are having this much frustration, just think what Dr R & K are going thru.

 

[stefie]

I stayed at the hotel on the Baptist Hospital campus. Kendall Suite, 9100 N Kendall Dr, Miami 305 279 7700. I found out that I could have taken the hospital bus back to the hotel (after I walked back - very,very bad idea). And I was told that all you have to do is call the hospital for bus pickup before or after your appointment. Good luck

 

[MishMash]

I visited Dr. Klimas twice, the last time just before she stopped seeing patients on a daily basis. She told me her goal was to hire a group of like-minded physicians who would provide the same level of expertise and intimate care for each patient as her. The admirable goal being to greatly increase the number of ME/CFS patients who could be seen on a daily basis with the same level of detail. I think that process is still getting off the ground. She's still working to find the cadre of staff and put together the clinic the way she wanted to.

Klimas has the pressure of seeing truly desperate people, coming from all over the country, and even the world looking for answers to an incredibly complex illness. If you just read some of the case histories and symptoms on this web forum: everybody's so different, it must be totally vexing trying to sort through them. It must be pyschologically and emotionally draining for any CFS doctor trying to treat an incredibly complex illness.

Dr. Klimas was her usual kind, cordial self, but she seemed dazed and frazzled seeing so many patients per day. She just poured too much physical and psychological energy into all those patients. It sucked the energy out of her. Just dealing with all the admin stuff seemed aggravating. Hannah's brain is like a computer and her memory was amazing; but she was doing a dozen things at once. The office could have used a half a dozen more Hannahs. It made me tired just watching it. Klimas will be better off being a coordinator of a CFS practice, while continuing her personal research and collaboration, and networking with other CFS researchers.

 

[SOC]

I honestly think this situation is going to turn out to be a great improvement for ME/CFS patients...eventually. For the time being I'm trying to be patient.

Our practice now is to email Dr Rey a week or so before our appointments to tell her when NOVA scheduled us an appointment with her. That was the way I got my phone appt done after two "no-shows" because NOVA hadn't told her she had an appt. Dr Rey even showed up on her scheduled day off because NOVA scheduled my daughter then and we couldn't change her airline, school, etc arrangements without great difficulty. She is incredibly patient-oriented, but working under nearly impossible conditions.

I say it would be highly unlikely that one would show up at the Kendall Clinic from out of town and not see the doc. She'd make it happen if it was at all possible. To play it safe, though, I'd make multiple confirmation calls through the NOVA scheduling folks.

 

[maddietod]

Just called the nova answering service today. They seemed to be okay. However, they were not able to provide me with any information about hotel rooms. Does anyone know the closest hotel to the Kendell drive office? I cannot remember the one I stayed at last. Thanks!

I also stayed at Kendall hotel and suites, but it's not part of the Baptist campus. There is a shuttle (mine was a golf cart!) that goes to the hospital, and it will drop you off in the farthest corner of the Baptist parking lot if you tell them you're going across the street to another building. The shuttle sometimes comes quickly, and sometimes takes a half hour. The front desk has no control.

You will walk across a tiny bit of grass, sidewalk, across a wide, not-busy side street, and a half block to the building. The hotel is also spread out into 2 buildings that are far apart. If you take a laptop, ask for the ethernet cable when you check in. I was NOT in the mood to walk back to the front desk for that!

Madie

 

[SOC]

@madietodd and others,
Has anyone found a hotel near the new(ish) location in Kendall Village Center that has an airport shuttle? Even better, one that also has shuttle service to the clinic?

 

[Seven7]

@ SOC I always stay at the hotel I love it, you can walk to the office, You have all food to walking distance, movie theater. I take a taxi from airport and back was like $60 each way maybe??? Bus route is comfortable too to other places.
I also order from my favorite restaurant and you can get delivery from several places.

Best Western Plus Kendall Hotel & Suites
Reservations Desk: 1-888-253-1628 | 8560 SW 124th Avenue, Kendall, FL - 33183

 

[SOC]

@ SOC I always stay at the hotel I love it, you can walk to the office, You have all food to walking distance, movie theater. I take a taxi from airport and back was like $60 each way maybe??? Bus route is comfortable too to other places.
I also order from my favorite restaurant and you can get delivery from several places.

Best Western Plus Kendall Hotel & Suites
Reservations Desk: 1-888-253-1628 | 8560 SW 124th Avenue, Kendall, FL - 33183

Thanks, Inester7, that's a big help! That hotel is very close to the office, just 0.2 miles. Unfortunately, that is farther than I have been able to walk for a long time. However, recently I have been feeling much better, so maybe by Oct I will be able to walk that far. Wouldn't that be marvelous?

Which is your favorite restaurant that delivers to this hotel?

 

[maddietod]

Sorry I can't help! I've switched to the Davie office for the smaller airport and easier traffic situation.

 

[SOC]

Sorry I can't help! I've switched to the Davie office for the smaller airport and easier traffic situation.

I would too, it's a much easier situation. The Miami airport is hell for the disabled, imo, while Ft Lauderdale is quite pleasant. Unfortunately, we can't fly to Ft Lauderdale from here without it taking 8 hrs or more, so we're stuck with Miami. Also, this trip we're going to be participating in some research that requires us to be in Miami.

I think you're smart to switch to the Davie office. I'm going to investigate further to try to find a way to fly into Ft Lauderdale for future appts. Even having to drive a few hours on this end is probably better than fighting Miami Airport and traffic.

 

[Seven7]

Thanks, Inester7, that's a big help! That hotel is very close to the office, just 0.2 miles. Unfortunately, that is farther than I have been able to walk for a long time. However, recently I have been feeling much better, so maybe by Oct I will be able to walk that far. Wouldn't that be marvelous?

Which is your favorite restaurant that delivers to this hotel?

Is Latin food so not sure it helps you (is called La Carreta) I have them on speed dial on my cell LOL. Right across the street there is a dinner.
The place is handycap friendly so if you have a scooter you can make it there (is like university campus). Taxi would be soo cheap also. Another thing I have done is to go in taxi directly to rental car, then drop off and taxi back to airport. But renting car ended up being more walking than just taking taxis.