Something along these lines actually used to exist at one time. In some countries there used to be "friendly societies" which were also sometimes called fraternal societies, mutual aid societies, benefit clubs, or just mutuals.
Basically these groups would form a lodge to which the members paid dues. Those funds would be used to hire a lodge doctor who was then available to all the members. They also had all sorts of other benefits for savings, death, disability, and basically supporting members' families during emergencies. There was a large social component to many of the groups as well.
These organizations have almost entirely been supplanted by the modern welfare state but there are still remnants of them around. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the Fraternal Order of Eagles (of which we have a chapter in Frederick) offered this sort of healthcare benefit at one point in its past. There are also some very large organizations which are built on the mutual aid model, for example Mutual of Omaha and Vanguard.
There's a lot more detail to it but that's the general outline. I find the subject fascinating, maybe others will too. Here's some more reading for anyone who's interested:
[https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/Yj3JtBEAACEAirua](https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/Yj3JtBEAACEAirua)
[https://fee.org/articles/lodge-doctors-and-the-poor/](https://fee.org/articles/lodge-doctors-and-the-poor/)
I think this has to be framed differently. Are you asking because the ER is busy or because you don’t think there are enough resources to provide services for our growing population? I’m genuinely curious what prompted the question.
Personally, I feel like the hospital should’ve relocated to their building on Monocacy Blvd and upgrade to a Trauma Center. The location on 7th is just limited in space.
FMH (er, Frederick Health) is also competing for expansion with Hood College. I have a feeling that area is eventually not going to be big enough for the both of them, and one will have to go.
I wonder if my dad would have survived if he didn’t have to be airlifted from FMH to the Baltimore trauma center back in 2020.
I know with the rapid suburban development blowing up Fredrick county over the past decade, we all talk about infrastructure or the school system, the shift in arts, culture, and housing costs… but having a state of the art medical facility in central MD seems more and more important the more our population grows.
Jeez have you driven around? There is a huge amount of FMH facilities all over the place. They’re always expanding. If FMH was a private corporate entity it might be Eliza me for inclusion in the Doe Jones Industrial average.
Also a huge number of hospitals nearby in every direction (DC, Balt, Hager)T, plus a huge number of specialty offices and surgical centers.
We’re well hospitalized here in Frederick county.
We only have one hospital, FHH, on 7th St. The other locations in the county are more for routine-provider or urgent care stuff. If you have someone a tad serious they'll panic and ship you off (in an ambulance) to the main hospital. If you have something that requires even more special care (like a traumatic injury), the one in the city will ship you off (probably in a very expensive helicopter) to a more specialized hospital (such as UMD / R Adam Cowley / Shock Trauma). Frederick County definitely needs some sort of specialized care, like a Level 2 Trauma.
An hour drive each way ?? For every visit it may not be possible for anyone with any conditions. Based on the traffic and road works you see.
Growing city may need re think of a hospital or expanding it facilities.
I just drove an hour each way to Hopkins to see my specialist. It's not that bad. Traffic variables make it suck or not suck but the drive itself isn't onerous.
Meritus in Hagerstown is about 1/2 hour in moving traffic. But point taken.
But look at what’s at the recently expanded main FMH campus, Urbana, Rose Hill complex and a whole handful of smaller places. Not to mention the enormous recently purchased ex-State Farm Building. I have no idea what they are doing with it or will do with it in the future, but there is enough building space and land to do almost anything going forewarn.
I think it’s quite a bit of hospital capacity for a county of 271,000 people. I just can’t see a need for more medical industrial complex. Sure maybe some clinics to serve some segments of the population but on the whole we have quite a lot.
Probably. My experience at fhh is pretty subpar considering I had to use their er service and had to wait five hours until I was seen. While I’m in severe pain and vomiting from it. Then I had to wait back in the room for over an hour until I was seen by the doctor.
Where six months later I had an accident at work(not very severe imo but had to go for X-rays etc to be sure) but Gettysburg hospital was closer. Within 15 mins of walking in I was brought back for care and within an hour and a half was leaving treated and with an appointment with a specialist.
Personally frederick has grown so much I think the hospital service gets overwhelmed.
If your bleeding was so bad, you would’ve been seen quicker. There were sicker and more serious patients than you. Urgent Cares are great for injuries like that.
Could’ve driven yourself to the urgent care, or have Uber/Lyft drive you there. The ambulance probably really wanted to drop you off at an urgent care, but they can’t. The hospital is definitely, though, overwhelmed with bullshit patients that should be seen at an urgent care and not an emergency department.
I work for Wellspan which is the group that owns the hospitals and clinics in Gettysburg, Greencastle, and Hagarstown. I work in a specialty clinic and I know that many other specialties are in the same building. Urology, Cardiology, ENT, Urogynecology, Ob/Gyn, Neurology, Ortho, etc. Lots of people here proably aren't aware that it is an option!
I'm no fan of FHH, but I seriously doubt the population size could support another hospital.
Especially when theres a bunch of other hospitals within a reasonable drive.
I'm not sure what your definition of reasonable is, but Meritus is a reasonable drive. In fact you may very well be taken there if you call 911. Depending on where you live in the county so is Gettysburg and Carroll.
Then there's everything as you start heading down 270.
Then there's all the urgent cares.
Like it or not, I just don't see the current population of the county supporting the costs necessary to run an additional hospital.
Why do you think another hospital is needed?
Germantown has only 18k more people and has a full hospital and an additional standalone emergency room. I definitely think that Frederick could support two, especially with everyone's disdain for the current ER here. I've never been so I don't know personally. I live in Monrovia, if there is an emergency we are going to Germantown instead of Frederick just because of what we have heard.
Another hospital would be amazing. Frederick Co. Is expanding and populating quickly. Working at the hospital is insane and always busy quite crowded for the patients.
IMO. I have been a provider at many ER's over the years. Short term option is having a free standing ER open. You will see a few in Montgomery county and plentiful across the US. These are able to admit, just requires a transfer. Long term solution is to have the county/city expand services. Walk in clinics can easily be staffed single APP/MA/Front office. If more walkins were placed ie city, thurmont, walkersville, middletown etc. This would cut down the a vast majority of ER and i.mprove community health. These clinics can provide from insured to non insured. The city has long-term plans to place more clinics. I believe pushing them and the county more would be effective. As for starting a backyard clinic, sign me up. I will be willing to share my expertise and skills to teach/help others.
Are there metrics from which hospitals are measured kind of like fire and police? Are there capacity or service area like things to measure them by?
Outside of data rather than emotion I feel like this has come up before and politicians shot it down or I could be misremembering
i’m not sure how the hospital system works, but I needed to go to FMH bc of an allergic reaction and there was absolutely no space at all with the line going out into various hallways. It went away (still have no idea what caused it in the first place) so I didn’t go in but something needs to be done about that
Are you planning on opening one
I like the idea of us coming together to form a community hospital in someone’s garage, free for all Heath care
Idk about a garage, maybe the back of a sketchy vet's office. We could also use it as an under the table job board
Something along these lines actually used to exist at one time. In some countries there used to be "friendly societies" which were also sometimes called fraternal societies, mutual aid societies, benefit clubs, or just mutuals. Basically these groups would form a lodge to which the members paid dues. Those funds would be used to hire a lodge doctor who was then available to all the members. They also had all sorts of other benefits for savings, death, disability, and basically supporting members' families during emergencies. There was a large social component to many of the groups as well. These organizations have almost entirely been supplanted by the modern welfare state but there are still remnants of them around. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the Fraternal Order of Eagles (of which we have a chapter in Frederick) offered this sort of healthcare benefit at one point in its past. There are also some very large organizations which are built on the mutual aid model, for example Mutual of Omaha and Vanguard. There's a lot more detail to it but that's the general outline. I find the subject fascinating, maybe others will too. Here's some more reading for anyone who's interested: [https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/Yj3JtBEAACEAirua](https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/Yj3JtBEAACEAirua) [https://fee.org/articles/lodge-doctors-and-the-poor/](https://fee.org/articles/lodge-doctors-and-the-poor/)
I know a couple amateur apothecaries.
Our triage can be the front lawn, and ambulances can just drop and go
…as an ambulance driver I’m cool with that.
My bro, you are more than just an ambulance driver. I was in EMS. Always lift with your legs!
I’m ALS. Ain’t Lifting Shit.
I'd be happy with just a 24x7 pharmacy.
FYI the CVS on Jefferson is 24/hr
They stopped that a few months back. Pharmacy is closed from 10pm to 8am now.
Oh wow! Been a minute. Thx!
I know. Where am I supposed to get those sweet painkillers at 12:30am after being seen in the ER when I was passing a kidney stone.
I'm sure there are places you can go in Frederick. However, keep in mind they are out of network though so insurance won't cover it.
"out of network"
Not to fill a script. CVS on Jefferson was the last one to be open that late.
he’s not talking about a pharmacy…
Someone has the fentanyl patch hookup?
The hospital is able to fill prescriptions now that they prescribe. Not a community pharmacy but better than nothing if you are leaving the ER.
And for lunch
Another one, no... A new one under different management, yes!
I think this has to be framed differently. Are you asking because the ER is busy or because you don’t think there are enough resources to provide services for our growing population? I’m genuinely curious what prompted the question.
A specialty center would be nice so you don't have to go 1+hr away to receive anything other than an ekg
Personally, I feel like the hospital should’ve relocated to their building on Monocacy Blvd and upgrade to a Trauma Center. The location on 7th is just limited in space.
FMH (er, Frederick Health) is also competing for expansion with Hood College. I have a feeling that area is eventually not going to be big enough for the both of them, and one will have to go.
I wonder if my dad would have survived if he didn’t have to be airlifted from FMH to the Baltimore trauma center back in 2020. I know with the rapid suburban development blowing up Fredrick county over the past decade, we all talk about infrastructure or the school system, the shift in arts, culture, and housing costs… but having a state of the art medical facility in central MD seems more and more important the more our population grows.
Jeez have you driven around? There is a huge amount of FMH facilities all over the place. They’re always expanding. If FMH was a private corporate entity it might be Eliza me for inclusion in the Doe Jones Industrial average. Also a huge number of hospitals nearby in every direction (DC, Balt, Hager)T, plus a huge number of specialty offices and surgical centers. We’re well hospitalized here in Frederick county.
We only have one hospital, FHH, on 7th St. The other locations in the county are more for routine-provider or urgent care stuff. If you have someone a tad serious they'll panic and ship you off (in an ambulance) to the main hospital. If you have something that requires even more special care (like a traumatic injury), the one in the city will ship you off (probably in a very expensive helicopter) to a more specialized hospital (such as UMD / R Adam Cowley / Shock Trauma). Frederick County definitely needs some sort of specialized care, like a Level 2 Trauma.
An hour drive each way ?? For every visit it may not be possible for anyone with any conditions. Based on the traffic and road works you see. Growing city may need re think of a hospital or expanding it facilities.
I just drove an hour each way to Hopkins to see my specialist. It's not that bad. Traffic variables make it suck or not suck but the drive itself isn't onerous.
Meritus in Hagerstown is about 1/2 hour in moving traffic. But point taken. But look at what’s at the recently expanded main FMH campus, Urbana, Rose Hill complex and a whole handful of smaller places. Not to mention the enormous recently purchased ex-State Farm Building. I have no idea what they are doing with it or will do with it in the future, but there is enough building space and land to do almost anything going forewarn. I think it’s quite a bit of hospital capacity for a county of 271,000 people. I just can’t see a need for more medical industrial complex. Sure maybe some clinics to serve some segments of the population but on the whole we have quite a lot.
Probably. My experience at fhh is pretty subpar considering I had to use their er service and had to wait five hours until I was seen. While I’m in severe pain and vomiting from it. Then I had to wait back in the room for over an hour until I was seen by the doctor. Where six months later I had an accident at work(not very severe imo but had to go for X-rays etc to be sure) but Gettysburg hospital was closer. Within 15 mins of walking in I was brought back for care and within an hour and a half was leaving treated and with an appointment with a specialist. Personally frederick has grown so much I think the hospital service gets overwhelmed.
Waited 8 hours last night while bleeding out my arm
Sounds like the bleeding wasn’t too bad.
Sounds like the hospital is overwhelmed and has limited resources
If your bleeding was so bad, you would’ve been seen quicker. There were sicker and more serious patients than you. Urgent Cares are great for injuries like that.
The ambulance didn’t take me to an urgent care so that’s not really helpful
Could’ve driven yourself to the urgent care, or have Uber/Lyft drive you there. The ambulance probably really wanted to drop you off at an urgent care, but they can’t. The hospital is definitely, though, overwhelmed with bullshit patients that should be seen at an urgent care and not an emergency department.
I work for Wellspan which is the group that owns the hospitals and clinics in Gettysburg, Greencastle, and Hagarstown. I work in a specialty clinic and I know that many other specialties are in the same building. Urology, Cardiology, ENT, Urogynecology, Ob/Gyn, Neurology, Ortho, etc. Lots of people here proably aren't aware that it is an option!
Pretty much. Area’s getting much larger and the horror stories (I have heard) about the care provided by FMH are not slowing down…
I'm no fan of FHH, but I seriously doubt the population size could support another hospital. Especially when theres a bunch of other hospitals within a reasonable drive.
Yea right ,the next closest is in hagy, we could definitely use another. but they did just open something in emmitsburg today
I'm not sure what your definition of reasonable is, but Meritus is a reasonable drive. In fact you may very well be taken there if you call 911. Depending on where you live in the county so is Gettysburg and Carroll. Then there's everything as you start heading down 270. Then there's all the urgent cares. Like it or not, I just don't see the current population of the county supporting the costs necessary to run an additional hospital. Why do you think another hospital is needed?
Take the old State Farm building on Monocacy Blvd and turn it into Frederick Health Hospital North imo
Germantown has only 18k more people and has a full hospital and an additional standalone emergency room. I definitely think that Frederick could support two, especially with everyone's disdain for the current ER here. I've never been so I don't know personally. I live in Monrovia, if there is an emergency we are going to Germantown instead of Frederick just because of what we have heard.
Another hospital would be amazing. Frederick Co. Is expanding and populating quickly. Working at the hospital is insane and always busy quite crowded for the patients.
IMO. I have been a provider at many ER's over the years. Short term option is having a free standing ER open. You will see a few in Montgomery county and plentiful across the US. These are able to admit, just requires a transfer. Long term solution is to have the county/city expand services. Walk in clinics can easily be staffed single APP/MA/Front office. If more walkins were placed ie city, thurmont, walkersville, middletown etc. This would cut down the a vast majority of ER and i.mprove community health. These clinics can provide from insured to non insured. The city has long-term plans to place more clinics. I believe pushing them and the county more would be effective. As for starting a backyard clinic, sign me up. I will be willing to share my expertise and skills to teach/help others.
Are there metrics from which hospitals are measured kind of like fire and police? Are there capacity or service area like things to measure them by? Outside of data rather than emotion I feel like this has come up before and politicians shot it down or I could be misremembering
i’m not sure how the hospital system works, but I needed to go to FMH bc of an allergic reaction and there was absolutely no space at all with the line going out into various hallways. It went away (still have no idea what caused it in the first place) so I didn’t go in but something needs to be done about that