New to OH (Kaiser Baldwin Park So Cal)

My name is Monique and I am new to OB.  I am 26 years old and a teacher in southern California.  I am looking at having RNY Gastric Bypass.  I am currently enrolled in the OPTIONS program through kaiser Baldwin park.  I am hoping to meet others from California, specifically southern California who can tell me what the process is like for kaiser so cal.  I had my orientation on 7/26 and was able to start options classes 7/28.  We "graduate" from the classes on September 29th.  They have been kinda vague on what happens after this.  Can any one who has been through the program or is going through the program help me out?  I am hoping to have my surgery through pacific bariatrics because we were told the wait is only 4-6weeks.  Also for the psych eval, do I have to complete one with kaiser and one with pacific bariatrics?  or do I just have one?  I appreciate any help any one can give me :)

I finish Kaiser options on June 4th in Fontana.

My paper work was completed in sent up to Pacific within 2 weeks of finishing my class.

I got a call from Pacific on June 24th.  My appointments was set for July 14 for the consult, Psyche eval and internist.   All the on the same day.  All appointments were a piece of cake.  Even the psyche with real well, no issue.

The paper work says that they will call with in 21 days to make the surgery date.   My 21 days is up tomorrow, still no call. I will call them tomorrow to see what is going on.  Hope to have a date any day now.   Hope there setting date for sooner than later.

I did not have to do a psych eval with Kaiser.

Let me know if you have any other questions.   I will try to help.

Ann

Hi Monique,

I just had my surgery on July 16th. After you complete your options class you must sign-up for the next available seminar with Pacific. When the time comes, just go to their website and sign-up for a seminar closest to you. After I attended my office visits for Pacific they called me within 2 weeks to ask for my availability for surgery, told them when and they called back in two weeks to give me my date. The hospital staff was very nice and extra attentive. Dr. Rumsey did my surgery and he was also very pleasant to deal with. You have any questions please ask away.

One thing I wish they would have told me is that for the pysch evaluation, it was located in a townhome complex because we drove around thinking we must have the wrong address.

LaRonda

 Thanks for all of your help!!!  Good to know the process seems to move pretty quickly.  Do you think it would be getting ahead of myself if I attend one of the seminars now?  There is a seminar on August 12th in Orange County.  I really want to try to get as much out of the way as possible since I am a teacher and off right now till August 24th.  

I attend my seminar before I finish the option class.  They also required me to attend one support group, I did that before I completed the options class.

Added:
The process is not as fast as before with Pacific.   This is because Kaiser hospital are back up and they no longer use Crown.   No longer using Crown  is something that recently happened in May during my classes.   Everyone in my class had no choice but to go to Pacific for surgery.  Hopefully the Kaiser hospitals are starting to take new patients now.

Hi,
I went through Kaiser Fontana but. did my Options classes in Corona.  I finished March 26th.  I was told originally that I would be going through Kaiser Harbor City.  I got a call late May that I would have to go through Pacific Bariatric.  Couldn't get to a seminar until mid June.  I had my 3 appointments in San Diego on July 12th.  I was told 10-14 days for an appointment.  I called on Monday and was screamed at by Orlando because he said they are over whelmed and people keep calling.  He said it is 21 business days before I will get an appointment and if I got it sometime in Septemer I should consider myself lucky because other places have a 6 month waiting list.
I was so upset by that and I called Kaiser back and they said they are now using a Dr. Fedorka in San Bernardino.  I can't find anything about him.  They told me he is very strict so they will have him review my file.  Otherwise, I can just wait on PB.
I am so frustrated.  I started this process back in October of last year. I know people who have started later than me who have already had their surgery. 
It feels like it will never happen!

 Wow How rude of the gentleman to scream at you.   We were told that they would allow people to pick which surgical center they wanted in Baldwin Park and you had your choice between Pacific Bariatric, West LA, or Harbor City.  They told us at our first class they are hiring one person to do all the referrals to the surgeon for all of southern California.  By doing this it seems like it will push people out even further.  I did register for the seminar in OC for Pacific Bariatrics next week.  They are my first choice so I am going to try to get as much as I can out of the way.  So far Option Baldwin Park has been so helpful.  They even scheduled our last two classes back to back so we will be done in 10 weeks instead of 12 because the Dietitian that outs the referrals through to the surgeon is going on vacation and they didn't want us to have to wait.   I am a very pro-active and I can tell that most people who have Kaiser have had to be very pro-active because of the process.  Thank you all for being so helpful.  I will follow you both and hope you have your surgeries soon. 

I just wanted to WELCOME you to the OH Calif forum.  I can't be of much help as I went through the program 3 years ago and didn't choose PB cause they weren't offering the VSG!!

I did want to tell you that we in So Cal meet the LAST Saturday of every month at a Starbucks in Long Beach off the 405 and Bellflower between 10-12ish.  Please join us sometime!!  The 411 is posted around the last week of the month unless the date gets changed!!

Best of success to you!

Ms Shell

Hello!!!!

I am from Baldwin Park and did my options classes via BP Kaiser as well. Feel free to send me a message!