Holland america medical care

[CI66774]

OP - I wouldn't mind if the physician is from Mars - as long as he/she is competent.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We have seen doctors on both HAL and Princess ships and neither one was Canadian or American. Both were extremely competent and we were quite impressed with the quality of care received.

[jtl513]

here in Ocala , Fl most of the doctors are from other than US or Canada.

But if a Dr with a practice in Ocala were to go on a HAL ship s/he would be considered to be "from" the US regardless of where they were born or trained.

[sail7seas]

If they are licensed to practice in U.S. or Canada, they Are U.S. or Canadian doctors.

 

Doesn't matter if they went to Medical School in Russia, trained in U.K. but moved to U.S. and became licensed here... that makes them U.S. doctors, doesn't it?

Edited January 12, 2016 by sail7seas

[pv girl]

Never had to see a doc on HAL yet (fingers crossed) but I did have to see one on my one and only Princess cruise. Female from So. Africa - very nice, and I was very impressed by the knowledge of the nurse assisting her. I think all cruise lines must vet their docs pretty good, as they could not afford negative reports or lawsuits. Have only had to interact with HAL medical office for storage of refrigerated meds on one cruise, and they could not have been more cooperative about access.

 

Maybe the change to longer term contracts, that one poster alluded to, caused the OP to lose the opportunity to serve as a HAL doc and that was considered a "dismissal".

[boone2]

Princess have taken over management of HAL medical facilities on the fleet. Their preference is for full time doctors and nurses. I.e. Four months on and 2 months off. This makes sense financially. Those working for HAL offered the choice of being full time or not. This appears to be a transition year with some shorter contracts being offered. It is a time of great change for HAL medical

Terry

[oaktreerb]

Do you think requiring a doctor to sign a 4-6 month contract would affect the level of experience of the doctors who would apply? We had lunch a few years ago with the ship doctor. He was an emergency room doctor from a large HMO in our state. I felt very comfortable with his level of experience. This was more like a working vacation for him. I don't think he would sign on for 6 months. We do have a shortage of physicians in the U.S.

 

I also know someone who will not sail Princess because of incompetent medical care that she received a few years ago. Because the ship was unable to provide care they evacuated her to a foreign country (Mexico)....and by her description the care onboard ship was incompetent. She was in the hospital in a foreign country for several weeks before finally they sent her home. Her travel insurance eventually covered air transport back to the U.S. with coordination from the HMO mentioned above. Her husband refuses to cruise again.

 

Also, remember Medicare will not cover your healthcare in a foreign country. Be sure you have good travel insurance.

Edited January 12, 2016 by oaktreerb

[POA1]

If they are licensed to practice in U.S. or Canada, they Are U.S. or Canadian doctors.

 

Doesn't matter if they went to Medical School in Russia, trained in U.K. but moved to U.S. and became licensed here... that makes them U.S. doctors, doesn't it?

 

Yes, more or less. In the US, doctors are licensed at the state level. I'm not sure how it works in Canada. (Little help, my Canadian friends. Is medical licensing done at the federal or provincial level?)

[WeLoveCruising]

There are fine physicians everywhere in the world. The attitude of the OP bothers me far more than seeing a non-US based physician ever would. It's both presumptuous and incorrect to assume the US and Canada hold the market on qualified physicians.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Do you think requiring a doctor to sign a 4-6 month contract would affect the level of experience of the doctors who would apply? We had lunch a few years ago with the ship doctor. He was an emergency room doctor from a large HMO in our state. I felt very comfortable with his level of experience. This was more like a working vacation for him. I don't think he would sign on for 6 months. We do have a shortage of physicians in the U.S.

 

I also know someone who will not sail Princess because of incompetent medical care that she received a few years ago. Because the ship was unable to provide care they evacuated her to a foreign country (Mexico)....and by her description the care onboard ship was incompetent. She was in the hospital in a foreign country for several weeks before finally they sent her home. Her travel insurance eventually covered air transport back to the U.S. with coordination from the HMO mentioned above. Her husband refuses to cruise again.

 

Also, remember Medicare will not cover your healthcare in a foreign country. Be sure you have good travel insurance.

 

I think the ship's first preference is to move a sick or injured passenger off the ship and into the nearest hospital.

 

Good point about Medicare. People get used to having that coverage and forget it stops at the border.

[sail7seas]

deleted

Edited January 12, 2016 by sail7seas

[lizziebargain]

POA-I believe that Canadian doctors are licensed provincially.

[USN59-79]

We recently completed a 71 day cruise on Ocean Princess. DW came aboard with her arm in a cast and had it removed by the ship's doctor. She was a very competent female doctor from South Africa. She got off in Cape Town and was replaced by another South African doctor. Incidentally, the charge for cast removal, examination, and three x-rays was just under $300. Probably about what it would have cost here at home.

[Stratheden]

We recently completed a 71 day cruise on Ocean Princess. DW came aboard with her arm in a cast and had it removed by the ship's doctor. She was a very competent female doctor from South Africa. She got off in Cape Town and was replaced by another South African doctor. Incidentally, the charge for cast removal, examination, and three x-rays was just under $300. Probably about what it would have cost here at home.

 

That's interesting because a lady has recently posted that HAL told her that they would not remove her cast whilst she was cruising. Maybe with these new arrangements it will be possible.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Stratheden

[JVilleGal]

Is this a case of CS says one thing while staff on board do something completely different?

[SetAnOpenCourse]

It seems a few replies here assume that the attitude of the OP is obvious from the two-sentence post. I think it is not, and even if it was, the information is still worth knowing. If you put the assumption of bias aside, you have worthwhile news. As worthwhile as news that Princess would be replacing HAL’s captains, or officers, or cruise directors, or office staff, or stewards, etc.

[TiogaCruiser]

We recently completed a 71 day cruise on Ocean Princess. DW came aboard with her arm in a cast and had it removed by the ship's doctor. She was a very competent female doctor from South Africa. She got off in Cape Town and was replaced by another South African doctor. Incidentally, the charge for cast removal, examination, and three x-rays was just under $300. Probably about what it would have cost here at home.

 

That's interesting because a lady has recently posted that HAL told her that they would not remove her cast whilst she was cruising. Maybe with these new arrangements it will be possible.

 

USN59-79 is reporting that his wife's cast was removed on Princess. The recent poster who posted about hard casts not being allowed referred to HAL. Different lines. Perhaps if this is true the HAL policy may change.

[colonialinnkeeper]

In this new consolidation, would all doctors and nurses (from wherever they came from) still have to be certified in the U.S. or Canada in order to be part of the medical staffing?

[iancal]

In Canada it is done Provincially by self governing bodies.

 

But State or Provincial licensing is meaningless to me. Incompetent physicians can be, and are licensed. It is a guideline only, not a stamp of true competency even though the licensing boards would like you to think otherwise.

It is a guideline at best IMHO.

Edited January 13, 2016 by iancal

[Hlitner]

That's interesting because a lady has recently posted that HAL told her that they would not remove her cast whilst she was cruising. Maybe with these new arrangements it will be possible.

 

This is a bit off topic, but the ability (or willingness) to remove a cast is often dependent on having the proper equipment. There is a specific type electric saw used to remove most casts and this little gadget can easily cost over $1000 (and that is the cheap model). If the vessel does not have a cast saw it is likely the physician would not attempt the removal.

 

Hank

[WeLoveCruising]

It seems a few replies here assume that the attitude of the OP is obvious from the two-sentence post. I think it is not, and even if it was, the information is still worth knowing. If you put the assumption of bias aside, you have worthwhile news. As worthwhile as news that Princess would be replacing HAL’s captains, or officers, or cruise directors, or office staff, or stewards, etc.

 

Agreed that intent isn't always obvious. It appears this is the OP's first and only post, which also increases speculation. I would think the OP is someone who is affected by this news in some way.

 

In general, I wouldn't assume that a cruise line requiring multiple month contracts with a physician would eliminate US based doctors. I work in healthcare, and even your local hospital may have what we call "locum tenen" physicians...or physicans that work out contracts. FWIW, other departments like nursing and radiology can also be staffed that way.

[POA1]

In Canada it is done Provincially by self governing bodies.

 

Thanks. I wasn't sure if the licensing was done at the federal (national) level or at the state / provincial level.

[janmcn]

After deciding to retire from his medical practice, my husband did "Locum Tenens" work for almost 10 years. It was a gratifying way of seeing the country as well as helping out in understaffed areas. He worked with companies that placed all kinds of physicians all over for anywhere from 1 day to 1 year. (He usually worked 2-3 month stints and we traveled in a motorhome.)

 

Once he queried about working on board cruise ships and was told they only hired Emergency Medicine doctors...and right they should. That is the kind of medical problems one sees on a ship...very similar to what one would encounter in the ER of your local hospital. We were actually pleased to hear that, since, no matter what country is staffing a ship, if they are "Emergency Medicine" qualified, it's better than having a gastroenterologist (my husband's specialty) treat you!

 

Needing doctors for 6 months isn't going to bother any Locum Tenens ER physicians out there who are interested in travel. In fact, it's probably better for them to get to know the ship, staff, procedures, etc. over a longer period of time.

Many physicians now in the US and Canada are from assorted countries and are excellent doctors we are lucky to have. I have no problems seeing any doctor on board (and have almost every long cruise!) However, we DO carry a better medical evacuation (to any hospital we choose) plan than most insurances offer (which will only take you to the "nearest hospital where you can get adequate treatment"...adequate treatment being the operative word.

[serendipity1499]

please be aware that due to the recent merger of Holland America's and Princess's medical departments, passenger physicians on board are NO LONGER from the US or Canada!!

The US and Canadian physicians used on board have all been dismissed by the new medical director who comes from Princess.

 

And your point is?

 

Princess have taken over management of HAL medical facilities on the fleet. Their preference is for full time doctors and nurses. I.e. Four months on and 2 months off. This makes sense financially. Those working for HAL offered the choice of being full time or not. This appears to be a transition year with some shorter contracts being offered. It is a time of great change for HAL medical

Terry

 

I don't see any problem with this at all..

 

BTW according to the HAL WEB site their Dr's are certified in the U.S. or Canada, but tI've never seen a provision that they must be from the U.S. or Canada..

 

There are many Dr's working in our local Hospital's who are from a Foreign Country, but IMO are highly competent..

[IRL_Joanie]

After deciding to retire from his medical practice, my husband did "Locum Tenens" work for almost 10 years. It was a gratifying way of seeing the country as well as helping out in understaffed areas. He worked with companies that placed all kinds of physicians all over for anywhere from 1 day to 1 year. (He usually worked 2-3 month stints and we traveled in a motorhome.)

 

Once he queried about working on board cruise ships and was told they only hired Emergency Medicine doctors...and right they should. That is the kind of medical problems one sees on a ship...very similar to what one would encounter in the ER of your local hospital. We were actually pleased to hear that, since, no matter what country is staffing a ship, if they are "Emergency Medicine" qualified, it's better than having a gastroenterologist (my husband's specialty) treat you!

 

Needing doctors for 6 months isn't going to bother any Locum Tenens ER physicians out there who are interested in travel. In fact, it's probably better for them to get to know the ship, staff, procedures, etc. over a longer period of time.

Many physicians now in the US and Canada are from assorted countries and are excellent doctors we are lucky to have. I have no problems seeing any doctor on board (and have almost every long cruise!) However, we DO carry a better medical evacuation (to any hospital we choose) plan than most insurances offer (which will only take you to the "nearest hospital where you can get adequate treatment"...adequate treatment being the operative word.

Not sure where on HAL's web site I read it, but they state that ALL Physicians on HAL, both Passenger and Crew, must have at least 7 years as a working Trauma Specialist. I cannot remember the exact wording, but the gist is 7 years.

 

If you do a Google search for

 

Cruise Ship Chief / Senior Doctor Jobs

Chief Doctor / Physician Job Requirements:

Medical Staff on Cruise ships

 

 

You can visit the sites listed at the top (I cannot post the links due to CC Guidelines) you can also see what the various cruise lines have as their requirements by visiting the 1st search I listed.

I can tell you this, I have had to use both the Passenger and Crew Dr on Westerdam for a medical emergency that SHOULD have had me evacuated to a land based hospital/surgeon, BUT, because of the expertise of the Westerdam Passenger and Crew Docs, they were able to treat me and no evacuation needed:)

If not for the absolute professionalism, training and care shown by the Room Stewards and Medical Staff of the Westerdam, I am a proud ambassador and Cheerleader for these awesome crews!!

Joanie

Edited January 13, 2016 by IRL_Joanie