Navigating the Medical System

I found that trying to get an appointment at the University of Washington Medical Center, as a patient of the Swedish system, was like trying to visit a foreign country. It was slow and bureaucratic, when I needed to move fast to get my tumor out.
I'm not saying it's the UW's fault - I suspect people who are in the UW system have a similarly hard time trying to see a doctor at Swedish.
What happened was I was trying to get an appointment with a highly regarded neurosurgeon for brain tumors at the UW. I talked to the doctor's scheduler directly 4 times before he told me the doctor was out of town all week. The scheduler also said they needed my medical records before they'd even make an appointment with me; when I arranged for my oncologist's office to fax the records ASAP, he complained that they were sending too many pages!
I also tried to get a second opinion with an ovarian oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (which is a partnership of the UW and Fred Hutchinson Research Center) who was highly recommended by a friend of a friend. It is considered part of the UW system - that is, not part of Swedish. Again, they wanted my medical records, and it took them a while to call back. Again, I wanted to see one of their "top docs." She had a full calendar, so I was offered an appointment with a colleague, which I declined. Many days later I was offered an appointment with the top doc, by which time I didn't need it anymore.

If you ever need medical care, I hope this is helpful background for you. I feel as though I should give some tips but am not sure what to suggest. To get the fastest care, you'll probably need to stay within your "system."
What you really need is prayers - plus persistence.

I am very fortunate to have good (but expensive) health insurance with Regence. I know specifically that made a difference when I needed a PET scan, which needed insurance approval because it costs a lot of money. Someday healthcare in the US will be more like in Europe and the rest of the developed world, where it's not an issue what kind of health insurance you have, because everyone is covered.
At the Brazil Festival, English and German friends just shook their heads when I said something about the American health system - to them it seems so backward.

In Seattle we are very fortunate to have all these excellent doctors. You could say an "embarrassment of riches"; maybe I should be embarrassed at complaining : )

As it turned out, everything was good at Swedish. You could say I have karma with the doctors there. I'd also say everyone's prayers removed obstacles I had getting to see the doctors I was meant to see, in a timely way. Prayers to the rescue again!