Dr. Elizabeth Pernal has informed some patients that she will no longer be allowed to deliver babies at PRMC. She practices alone and her OB coverage was recently released from PRMC. PRMC will not provide her with another OB for coverage so she can't deliver babies now thus FORCING her patients to go to the only other OB office in the Salisbury/ OC area- TLC Obstetrics. From my experience there, you couldn't pay me to return to that awful place. Lots of my friends have had similar experiences at TLC. Other than them the next closest OB's are in Easton and Seaford. Myself and some other moms are upset that we are being essentially forced by PRMC to use TLC instead of having our regular doctor who has seen us through other pregnancies. A few of us have already called and filed a complaint at the hospital telling them how upset we are that they will not allow Dr. Pernal to deliver there.
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43 comments:
I knew this day was coming and told my husband 4 years ago, this is the way TLC and PRMC were headed. Soon, you will have hospitalists delivering babies.
Sorry for Purnell patients, I really am. I love the care of a small doctors office and don't even mind the wait when the doc is delivering another baby.
why, as a patient of dr. pernal, have i not been informed of any of this? i was just in for an appointment last week and no one mentioned anything about it, nor have i received anything in the mail informing me that i no longer have an ob
Bayside Health in Lewes has great OB/GYN's but you would have to deliver at Beebe in Lewes. I did and it was worth the extra drive.
They're are no other private practices in the Berlin area? Maybe there is a good reason that they don't have another doctor to cover Dr. Pernal? Maybe the Dr covering for Pernal was not doing a great job or at least meeting PRMCs standards.. the problem doesn't seem to be with PRMC but with no enough private practices in the Wicomico area
There is another OB in Salisbury- Dr. Mary Beth Lindsay.
The thing everyone is overlooking-these decisions are being made because of GOVERNMENT interference, if you think it is bad now wait until 2014 when OBAMACARE fully kicks in--you ain't seen nothing yet complainers.
Dr Lindsay is the reason why Pernal can't deliver. She was let go from delivering at PRMC and now that results in Pernal having no on call doc for backup. TLC is the worst doctors office around and it is sad to say they are the ONLY other ob in salisbury.
5:58 PM
Don't read news much do ya?
I can hardly wait 558PM for Obamacare. I did not vote for this turkey so those of you who did, how do you like this change???? You are right...we have not seen nothing yet.
Dr. Lindsay was Dr.Pernals coverage.
Dr. Lindsay was Dr. Pernal's coverage.
Regardless of what Dr. Lindsey was or was not doing, it should not affect Dr. Pernal being able to deliver.
the TLC OB's are great... the TLC model is a mess and has serious issues.
The OB's won't cover her is a shame and wrong. The politics at PRMC are truly hideous and getting worse.
PRMC and the Board of Ed...neither seems particularly concerned about the community...just what they WANT
Don't get knocked up?
she can't be on-call 24/7. That's why she can't deliver without another doctor covering for her for when she can't be there..she is human after and im sure gets sick or wants to take a vacation sometimes. TLC's docs are great..never had any problems with any of them.
I am wondering just how much PRMC or TLC problems are actually caused by government mandates. Using government grants or money makes you tied to the government at the waist and you than have to follow the governments rules and regulations.
We expect a perfect world with all the freebies and forget that every cent the government doles out is costly in many different ways in the future.
On 8/5/2011 I received official notice that as of 10/15/2011 I would no longer have obstetric call coverage at Peninsula Regional Medical Center. According to the medical staff by-laws I must have obstetric call coverage to practice obstetrics at PRMC. On 8/15/2011 I provided written notice to the president of the medical staff at PRMC that I will have no obstetric call coverage after 10/15/2011, and thus will be unable to practice obstetrics at PRMC after 10/15/2011. PRMC has been working with me to find alternative call coverage until 12/31/2011. My office is beginning the process of notifying my patients that unless things change, I will be unable to practice obstetrics at PRMC after 10/15/2011. I will continue to practice gynecology at PRMC with appropriate gynecologic only call coverage. Elizabeth Pernal MD.
To the ignornant person that said don't get pregnant...You must not like children or you wouldn't say such a thing! Some of us that love children would like to be a mother someday. With crappy doctors around it makes the stress when pregnant a big deal. Pernal is an amazing doctors and I wish there was another private practice that could cover for her when she is out. TLC OB's are not ALL good but some of them are. Who wants to even go there when they won't call you back with test results, won't call you back when you are sick or bleeding. I mean really?!
aren't there any nurse Midwives around here
it is not hard to have a baby unless your obese
thanks PRMC for screwing more people over... just the type of hospital that the community needs!!!!!
She will be there thru Dec 31st.
What are pregnant women who are in the 9 month suppose to do. Just have the baby at home, I guess.
Wow, this town is such a gossip mill. Dr. Pernal and Dr. Lindsay were the only remaining solo ob-gyns in Salisbury & everyone has to have call coverage so they covered each other. TLC has multiple docs, so they cover each other. Dr. Lindsay was Dr. Pernal's call coverage, but she will no longer have that coverage. PRMC has nothing to do with it, just an unfortunate set of circumstances. PRMC can not force TLC to cover anyone. Obama care is an awful concept, but has nothing to do with this conversation. 5:22 get a grip, I am sure Dr. Pernal will notify her patients in a timely fashion. 7:14, you must live in a trailer?!?!?!
8:59 Why dont you get a life. The point is once you choose a doctor for ANY procedure, you don't want to be forced to find a new one after care has begun, especially for no good reason.When you are having surgery (c-section) there has to be a trust relationship developed between the patient and their doctor and that is less likely to be formed when you are forced into a situation that you are not comfortable with. If i wanted to be hustled from dr to dr I'd have gone to the other practice in the first place.
859 what does living in a trailer have to do with ANYTHING? I live in a trailer but you would be a fool to equate me with 714. As a matter of fact, you probably are a fool anyway for that stupid comment about living in a trailer. We aren't all trash. Thanks.
What happened with Dr Lindsay? Why is she no longer covering Dr Pernal?
I understand not wanting to lose your doc but 8:44 am, sh** happens, that is life. You are not ENTITLED to see the same doctor for any duration for any reason. This situation arose because PRMC took steps to remove a practitioner that they believed was a liability, and as a result Dr. Pernal is losing privileges to deliver because she will not have call coverage. Health care is a privilege, not a right. We are all lucky to have doctors that still agree to work in Maryland where reimbursements are the lowest in the country.
This letter was posted so that those of you that want Pernal to continue to deliver can post your comments. There is also a number you can call to tell them how you feel about Pernal being unable to deliver at PRMC. The number is 546-6400 ask for the patient experience dept. Telling people they live in a trailer, and don't get knocked up, these have NOTHING to do with Dr. Pernal. Please use this post as a way to express your feelings and stop judging one another. For those of you arguing about living in a trailer, I pray you don't have children because you are acting like children yourselves.
1209 i don't see why calling the number is any help. dr. lindsay will not be providing coverage for dr. pernal. end of story. The hospital does not employ OB's and can not provided the coverage for her, so what does complaining to them do?
You would think that PRMC would try to recruit some new OB's to the area since they are needed so badly. TLC will have a monopoly on the OB business. If they could just get a few new ones to come here, they could take call for each other.
To 1200. I beg to differ with you. I am paying for my insurance, and I AM ENTITLED to see the same doctor for any reason, as long as they continue to practice and participate with my insurance. I have had the same 2 doctors (separate offices) for many years, and I am seen by the same doctor when the need arises. I am not shuffled around. I am assuming, Dr. Pernal and Dr. Lindsay, are "solo" practioners obviously because the didn't want partners or to become a "super group". They have lives and families also. If PRMC took steps to remove a practitioner they believed was a liability why should Dr. Pernal and the community as a whole have to suffer. Women no longer have a choice. It seems as though, PRMC is just a business looking for dollars, and not compassionate at all when thinking about community health. I think these women are so upset because they have lost their right to choose an OB and are being forced to go to a group. Not taking anything away from the doctors there, they are great,but it is a state funded facility, and a clinic type setting. I think not knowing who you are going to see or who is going to deliver your baby is the problem a lot of women have with this. It is an awful shame that this has happend, but it has been happening for a while. The OB's in Salisbury have been disappearing one by one and the community continues to grow. Will TLC be able to handle all of the patient's from the other two practices plus all of their own with only 5 doctors in the group delivering??
4:25 this situation may be cut and dry for you but for so many people in this community that is just not the case! Dr. Pernal is an exceptional doctor who has a very special connection with her patiients. It is important to have that personal touch when you are essentially putting your life and your unborn Childs life in someones hands. Dr. Penal, again, is an exceptional doctor and it is an absolute shame that this is happening. As far as calling a number to complain... It may or may not help the situation but it is helping the individuals that this is effecting.
4:25 It may be that cut and dry for you,however, it is not for so many others in this community. Dr. Pernal is an excellent doctor. She takes the time to form a personal bond with her patients that is so very important for these women. They are putting their lives and the lives of their unborn child in her hands and now it is being ripped away from them! As far as calling a phone number to complain.... it may or may not help this terrible situation, but it is helping the individuals being affected to let someone know just how upset they are.
Dr. Pernal.... you are by far the best OB around and I and many others hope this turns around!!!
Dr. Pernal would not be forced to stop doing OB if she had ever hired a parter. She never has because she probably didn't want to have to lose some of her income. TLC may be a "super group" but at least they are making an effort to bring in more OB's to this town, which the "solo" practices never have!
831. Dr Pernal is being forced to stop practicing OB because there are not enough doctors in the area to share call. Obviously you didn't read any of the previous blogs. You don't have to have a parnter to practice you just have to have other doctors to share call, which at one time there were plenty of. One by one they have left or been forced to leave. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with income...maybe she just wanted time to enjoy her family and have a life!!
Just another example of the idiotic state of affairs at PRMC. They sure don't behave like a community hospital
Don't blame PRMC for this. Apparently Dr. Lindsay was let go by the hospital due to being a liability. I understand she was suspended last year for a period of time and the hospital had to find coverage for Dr. Pernal at that time. Maybe Dr. Pernal should have thought ahead and planned for this. TLC has great doctors and I'm sure they are saddened by Dr. Lindsay leaving and are not really excited about the extra work load. that they will have to take on.
TLC will not be able to handle the hundreds of new patients they are going to get. I dont know how they didnt see that coming
To all of you who are grasping at straws and have a minimal and even some of you with more extensive knowledge of what has happened. Allow me to enlighten you to why Dr. Lyndsay is no longer allowed to practice. Before Dr. Lyndsay lost another patient during a very routine c-section, she did her absolute best to kill my wife and son. Her lack of a bedside manor was probably her most obvious fault but her true lack of patient care and disregard for pain and life threatening situations is deplorable. My son suffered severe issues following and everything was covered up and my wife had to be re-admitted several days later and had a second round blood transfusions along with iv antibiotics. This was only two days after being released following a blood pressure of 80/40. If you don't know what your b.p. is supposed to be, regular pressures average between 110-120/65-80. Our O.B. was Dr. Pernal and she was phenomenal. However, extenuating circumstances took her out of the state at the time my wife went into labor. After our experience with Dr. Lyndsay, we petitioned the State Board of Medical Examiners to look into her history and thank God they finally got rid of her before she could hurt or kill someone else. That woman shouldn't be allowed to deliver puppies let alone an infant.
I ♥ you Dr. Pernal! I am sad to see that PRMC is doing this. Although she's delivered both of my babies and tied my tubes, I feel sorry for the other mothers who will not get to experience her kind caring demeanor and skilled expertise. TLC's monopoly is growing! From what I have observed you are nothing more than just a number to them. They don't get to know you. I will be complaining to anyone who will listen!
Yes. There are issues all around. Dr Lindsey – who knows? Dr Pernal – she chose to stay in solo practice and not get a partner and now is left without call coverage. So did she do it because she is greedy or maybe because she likes a practice where she knows all her patients names, there medical history, there faces, there kids names and to know who they are when she is talking to them on the phone. Does she cover herself M-F all day and night and every other weekend because she is greedy or maybe because she feels that it is her job as an ob to deliver as many of her patients as possible, or maybe she does it because she cares about her patients. TLC – they can’t or they WON’T cover Dr Pernal? TLC is a ‘federally qualified health center’ and the The Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Acts (FSHCAA) of 1992 and 1995 apply to TLC. A search for “particularized determination” brings you to a government website covering this. The website is very clear “Coverage-Related Activities - As part of a health center's arrangement with local community providers for after-hours coverage of its patients, the covered entity’s providers are required, by their employment contract, to provide periodic or occasional cross-coverage for patients of these providers.” The hospital – It is not there job to provide call coverage for Dr Pernal. It is there job to make sure we have enough Obs in town. Do we have enough obs?
Doctor pernal was not to me very informative. I was 35 years I didn't no what to expect. they rushed to give 6 out of 7 that time frame I was there to have a c section. she never told me what would happen the next day. I thought tye next day I walked around I thought I was dying.
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