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One thing to check - I looked for GP's in Southport and found 5 in a practice. One is a Nurse practitioner (nope) and two had medical degrees from offshore med schools (nope). Makes me wonder if the better-schooled and trained docs prefer a more "serious" healthcare environment to practice.
One thing to check - I looked for GP's in Southport and found 5 in a practice. One is a Nurse practitioner (nope) and two had medical degrees from offshore med schools (nope). Makes me wonder if the better-schooled and trained docs prefer a more "serious" healthcare environment to practice.
I believe the better hospitals will recruit the better-trained doctors. I generally am more comfortable with doctors trained in major US universities. I am Ok with Osteopathic Medicine degrees as well as MD's. Like you, I prefer to use an Internal Medicine doctor as opposed to a GP or Family Practice doctor. I have a 90 minute round trip drive to see my doctor, but I am very pleased with him.
Last edited by goldenage1; 08-16-2023 at 09:29 AM..
One thing to check - I looked for GP's in Southport and found 5 in a practice. One is a Nurse practitioner (nope) and two had medical degrees from offshore med schools (nope). Makes me wonder if the better-schooled and trained docs prefer a more "serious" healthcare environment to practice.
How is Southport a less "serious" healthcare environment? And what exactly defines a "serious" healthcare environment?
Not sure about pay scales here (doctors or otherwise).....but I know most anyone from anywhere else that tries to find part time work as a retiree after moving here experiences pay shock....exception perhaps for building trades. Live Nation pays its ushers, ticket takers and security people $10 to $12 an hour and experienced a severe shortage of workers last year when the "smart money" took dishwashing jobs at $15 per hour after the COVID crisis got people back out to the restaurants and any help was hard to find. Movie extras get $10 an hour plus food...plus some money for taking COVID tests.....if you are moving here and cannot telecommute, then for the most part, your career as you have known is over and you have retired.
There are several large medical practices and a large retirement community that needs them....so, I guess the doctors do OK. If you have real medical needs on a regular basis, make sure you are close to doctors on your med plan and accept Medicare (most do) AND accept new patients. I was informed by one specialty provider that the office receives almost 200 referrals a day and is scheduling over two months out.....good news is that by the time you see that doc you are cured, or bad news is that you are dead.
To the OP - you really need to visit both communities, maybe several times, to see what fits you best. There is more in common than differences. Both primarily retirees or near retirees, but since covid/WFH the average resident age has dropped noticeably. IMO the major difference is CP is a "gated" golf cart community where BF is not. And some of the elements discussed - medical, distance from Leland/Wilmington etc. are a wash and/or not major decision factors for most. SJ is a bit more remote and farter from a Costco/Target/Trauma center. Still overwhelmingly residents moving from NY/NJ/PA/VA, but more and more West Coasters are arriving for reasons OP stated. Finally WRT weather, we are also West Coast transplants, been in the SE US for 15 years now, and our opinion is 8 months out of the year the weather is nice - July/Aug isn't so much fun, nor is Jan/Feb. Hurricanes announce themselves, earthquakes do not.
To the OP - you really need to visit both communities, maybe several times, to see what fits you best. There is more in common than differences. Both primarily retirees or near retirees, but since covid/WFH the average resident age has dropped noticeably. IMO the major difference is CP is a "gated" golf cart community where BF is not. And some of the elements discussed - medical, distance from Leland/Wilmington etc. are a wash and/or not major decision factors for most. SJ is a bit more remote and farter from a Costco/Target/Trauma center. Still overwhelmingly residents moving from NY/NJ/PA/VA, but more and more West Coasters are arriving for reasons OP stated. Finally WRT weather, we are also West Coast transplants, been in the SE US for 15 years now, and our opinion is 8 months out of the year the weather is nice - July/Aug isn't so much fun, nor is Jan/Feb. Hurricanes announce themselves, earthquakes do not.
Good comments here.
Was in Riverlights over the weekend and talked to a number of retirees living there. Just about every one of them indicated they selected Riverlights because of its location over the Brunswick communities. Specifically the location near the medical professionals in Wilmington. Going to see their specialist is the same as going to the grocery store. They don't spend all day driving around.
As well, most of them have been out exploring all of the different districts, the arts communities, and the events in Wilmington...telling me about some places I didn't know about as I told them of a few they didn't. They loved the access to the Fort Fisher area (noting the free parking at the beach at Fort Fisher) and spending an afternoon at the aquarium.
Riverlights/Del Webb is about 5 miles/12 minutes from New Hanover Regional. BF and CP are about 15 miles/22 minutes from NHR. 10-15 minutes more travel time, roughly. Might be important to some, but I wouldn't say that's driving around all day. And from BF/CP to, lets say, Cloud 9 rooftop bar, its about 20 minutes, same as it is from RL/DW. RL/DW definitely closer to Fort Fisher/Carolina Beach etc. and Wrightsville, however. Illustrates the point why the OP or anybody for that matter really needs to visit, multiple times, drive around etc.. to see whats important to them vs listening to random people on forums (myself included
Was in Riverlights over the weekend and talked to a number of retirees living there. Just about every one of them indicated they selected Riverlights because of its location over the Brunswick communities. Specifically the location near the medical professionals in Wilmington. Going to see their specialist is the same as going to the grocery store. They don't spend all day driving around.
I'm not questioning anyone's perspective, but Riverlights is 11 minutes from Novant NHMC and Brunswick Forest is 17 minutes from Novant. I'm just not sure that adds up to "all day".
I'm not questioning anyone's perspective, but Riverlights is 11 minutes from Novant NHMC and Brunswick Forest is 17 minutes from Novant. I'm just not sure that adds up to "all day".
Does Riverlights have any teaching or research hospitals? For that matter, does New Hanover or Brunswick County have any?
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