[Jenny1326]

OK, so for sometime I have seen posting regarding TV hospital and the "horrors " and I can sympathize with some issue's as with anything or any place that deals with a large community . BUT I want to share my experience . Having "back pain " to me was not unusual however this one time I went for testing to finally get to the bottom of my pain. WELL, this is where my life changed for ever. CT SCAN was done and sent to TV E/R, I was taken in a matter of seconds , yes there were people waiting before me. The stink eye I got was not pleasant , but in I went! Long story short I had an aortic disection😱 was in ICC for a few days. Thru out the entire time I was treated by ALL with professional and caring manner. And lived to talk about it . Moral of story: yes,there are waiting times as with everything in life, patience , understanding the full story not what what we "think" it is, or isn't .

[graciegirl]

https://external-mia1-2.xx.fbcdn.net...CR5KVm08I4dMYN

[Bonny]

These ER waiting times, etc., happen everywhere. There are horror stories about every hospital. I worked in a large hospital in Michigan back in the 70's. It was a great hospital, but I remember people all over in the ER waiting for beds, rooms, etc.

[Jimmydoodlebug]

Originally Posted by Dan9871

Are you referring to Ocala Region Medical Center or the Villages Region Hospital?

This thread is about the Villages Regional Medical Center.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Jimmydoodlebug

This thread is about the Villages Regional Medical Center.

At least you got that part right

[EPutnam1863]

Here up in the Northwoods the local hospital had to open a special ER area reserved for victims of hunting and gunshot incidents. It is staffed by gunshot specialists. Scary.

[Jimmydoodlebug]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

At least you got that part right

Do you dispute my experiences? Explain yourself if you can.

[PennBF]

Why in God's name would anyone risk their body to some of the terrible treatments locally? We are 2 1/2 hour car ride to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville where there is the latest medical technology and the most amazing thing that if you have an appointment you will be called to meet with the Dr. at exactly on the time of your schedule. No hour or more waiting because of over booking etc. It is impossible to describe all of the advantages to trust your body to Mayo but is safe to say they are miracle workers every day.

[wsachs]

I can tell you from experience that the best place to go is Waterman Hospital ER in Taveras! Went in on a Tuesday with some chest discomfort. Within 5 minutes was given an EKG. Then blood was drawn and a chest exray without even getting out of the gurney.

Within the next hour was given a echo cardiogram and seen by a staff doctor. Later in the afternoon, saw a cardiologist, who went over the results with me and then ordered a stress test.

Great staff, great prompt service. Give it a try. I know it's a ways, 1/2 hr, from TV but well worth it.

[JeanRichwein]

Thank you for informing the people here about health care in The Villages, and confirming what so many of us already know. It is far from what it is touted to be. The care a friend received at TV Hospital (incl. the emergency room) was the worst I have ever witnessed in any hospital I have worked in since 1960. I am a retired RN and I was appalled at the lack of knowledge and skill, the inefficiency, and unclean conditions. I will never go there or take anyone there unless I have no choice in the matter. I pray that will never be the case. At one point, during a transfer situation, when the EMT heard us say that the patient should be taken to The Villages Hospital, he asked us , "Do you want her to live?" - and offered an alternative suggestion. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are horror stories out here and no one to report them to.

[Brynnie]

Just as a point of information, Ocala Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is the trauma center for all area accidents that may involve head injuries. The EMTs are instructed to take anyone there who has potential head injuries from an accident. That's why they sometimes bypass The Villages Hospital.

[rmd2]

Here is the e-mail I sent to the care group in The Villages Medical:
"I worked in Emergency Rooms in Illinois as well as ER's in Washington DC hospitals and suburban hospitals. The Villages Hospital Emergency Room is a DISGRACE and totally inadequate for this population!
My 5 year experience with The Villages Hospital Emergency Room in a total of 3 visits was:
visit #1 a 7 hour wait time
visit #2 a 7 1/2 hour wait time
visit #3 after waiting 8 1/2 hours and never been seen I left (and this visit was due to a 4 auto crash on 441 in which I was the 3rd car that accident).
I trained in Radiology in Rockford, IL and worked the Emergency room there. At the time Rockford had the approximate population of 50,000. We had 3 hospitals at that time (each of them were approximately the size of our one hospital in The Villages) and all three Emergency rooms in Rockford were BUSY! WE ARE WOEFULLY SHORT OF STAFF AND OF EMERGENCY ROOMS in The Villages. This is such an under-served area I am surprised it has not made the national news. Perhaps that is where we need to go next with our very valid complaints because they are not address by those in charge here."
They sent me a form response to call them.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by JeanRichwein

Thank you for informing the people here about health care in The Villages, and confirming what so many of us already know. It is far from what it is touted to be. The care a friend received at TV Hospital (incl. the emergency room) was the worst I have ever witnessed in any hospital I have worked in since 1960. I am a retired RN and I was appalled at the lack of knowledge and skill, the inefficiency, and unclean conditions. I will never go there or take anyone there unless I have no choice in the matter. I pray that will never be the case. At one point, during a transfer situation, when the EMT heard us say that the patient should be taken to The Villages Hospital, he asked us , "Do you want her to live?" - and offered an alternative suggestion. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are horror stories out here and no one to report them to.

We have been there twice and had good treatment each time but breathing difficulties are always taken first.

A good friend had a terrible allergic reaction to a new medication on her first night in The Villages and had anaphylactic shock. She was put into an induced coma with a breathing tube for several days.They helped her immediately and we visited her every day after she was admitted to The Villages Hospital. It appeared that she had very good treatment from beginning to end.

If anyone goes to their browser and types in Emergency Room Wait, you can read dozens of stories from across the U.S. You may be in pain and you may be scared but if you aren't on the top of the Triage Nurses List, you will wait.

[vintageogauge]

If these conditions were to be investigated and published my a network TV station out of Orlando it might put enough pressure on the hospital to start making changes. If these conditions are proved and it is broadcast nationally it would scare off potential buyers. Part of the reason we are moving to TV was the fact that it has a hospital and after reading these posts the first thing I'm going to do is research the availability of emergency care other than within TV. We are not new to the ER conditions as we had our on problem there and thankfully someone in the waiting room suggested we go to a urgent care who took care of my wife within 5 minutes. I thought this was just a bad day as it was a Saturday night and the waiting area was full of young people, I didn't think is was typical until finding this thread. Not a good situation for a community full of aging residents..

[jojo]

I am a volunteer at the hospital and speak with all the patients after their first night in the hospital. I give my notes to the volunteer who directs patient surveys. She compiles and meets weekly with the administrative team at the hospital. I don't have the hard data, but I would estimate from my notes that well over 85% of patients are happy with the nursing services they are receiving on the floor. Many give very high ratings. One of the questions that I ask in the protocol that I use is whether the patient was admitted through the ER. I then ask about the wait time and the quality of the treatment in ER. While the answer to the time varies, most patients say they were triaged immediately. They acknowledged that they may have had to wait in the waiting room during busy times if their issue was not life threatening. The major delay they tell me is not in being treated in a timely manner but waiting in the ER rooms for a bed to open in the hospital. As to care in the ER, again the vast majority say it was OK or good. As I read these reports, clearly one would assume that the place is a disaster. I have taken my mother there twice in the past year and we were treated immediately and she was admitted to the hospital both times. I do not question the authenticity of any of these reports. Clearly, folks are telling what happened to them. Obviously some people have experienced major delays or problems in treatment. However, I must tell you that I talk to patients weekly and rarely do I hear stories such as these on TOTV. I wonder, do those who have experienced good care in the ER just not speak up?