Seeking out the best medical care possible

If you have a rare disorder or condition, the most experienced doctor or an unusual treatment can be difficult to find and thousands of miles away.

Know your way around the Internet, arm yourself with statistics and don’t be afraid to speak up.

Persistence paid off for one woman when California Children’s Services agreed to allow a pioneering surgical procedure done by Dr. John Reinisch.

CYNTHIA Burstein Waldman of Los Angeles got tired of feeling she knew more than her doctors did about her hereditary heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; tired of worrying that a provider might accidentally give her a contraindicated drug, like nitroglycerin, in an emergency; tired of hearing conflicting information from doctors who rarely saw a woman her age with the condition.

For the masses in the middle -- people who may have to borrow and scrape to pay for care -- finding the best of the best can be just as important.

‘Forrest Gump’ producer Steve Tisch says he took the ‘no stone left unturned’ approach to find the best healthcare for his dad.