[angiefox10]

Thank you for your response. Either you didn't read what I had to say or I wasn't clear.

Originally Posted by 57ChevyFI

Sadly, I apologize for your experience. However, I would like to tell you that with the experience I have with several hospitals-maybe I can assist you from things on the other end of the spectrum.

They immediately took you somewhere to hook you up to a monitor--GREAT, you GOT IMMEDIATE care for CHEST PAIN. Nitro on your chest wall, one of the first lines of defense for potential heart damage. Great-side effect is headache.

Gurney- yes, that is what is in ALL Emergency Rooms. Sorry, with holding ER patients for days because the SNOW BIRD season is here and the beds are full with patients. The new addition should open this month- however, ER will not be expanded until Fall 2016. You will stay on a gurney while in the ER.

The new addition not being open is not my problem... My problem is I am a patient needing care. If you don't have enough room at the hospital to handle the people divert those that can wait.. I could have been one of those patients. Taking patents when you don't have the staff to handle them is careless with everyone's care

I was also told that with the expansion, there is no reason to believe it will be staffed any better.

Hungry? Hmm, you are having CHEST PAIN--you should be NPO (nothing to eat or drink) until ALL results are in-in case you are having a heart attack. Sorry, EKG is not the only indicator of heart attack. Lab work and yes, they do three sets of cardiac enzymes and then routine lab work as well- to see if maybe your WBCs changed as well from the baseline.

I was not NPO... That was one of the questions. My husband was directed to a vending machine for junk food for me to eat.

Waiting for pain medication? Might had to get a MD to write the order, then pull the medication. Along with take care of 4 other patients- maybe a critical patient? Approx 30 minutes is appropriate.

I thought I made it clear the nurse directed another nurse to bring the pain meds. The 30 minutes was from the first request to the second request.. not until I received the meds.

9:20 you were informed you have a room- GREAT!! You are a lucky one that didn't have to spend the night a busy ER. The nurse then has to call the floor nurse and give report. In hopes that the nurse on the floor is available that first call to take report. Then, need to find someone to take you upstairs that can monitor your heart as you travel-usually a nurse or paramedic. Remember the same thing going on with you may be happening with the other 4 patients the nurse is just settling in or giving discharge instructions too at the same time. Or, just maybe they had another loved one come in without a heart beat or breathing on their own--CODE BLUE--usually 3 nurses, Respiratory Therapy and MD with paramedic. There is no CODE BLUE team in any ER--it is the staff already there helping others just like you.

My concern was when a tech told me they have people in the ER for three days on a gurney waiting for a room. Maybe in the hospitals you work in, that's normal, not in the hospitals I've been in it's not.

And from what you are saying.. The Villages Hospital is clearly not staffed for the influx of the season. Shame on them.

Dietary concerns- Valid, maybe education to the nurse that offered saltines! Along with sandwich (yuck)! Grapes, sounded good....

None of the food being served was healthy or edible. No one in the hospital that I questioned had eaten it and one nurse told me most of the employees bring their own lunch as to not have to eat the food there.

Stress Test- I would research that further request copy of your records and orders, etc. You were awake right? Not under anesthesia- you can certainly question anything and tell them no without doctor clarification. That should not have happened to you and I am sorry that it did.

Our family cardiac doctor was very concerned that I didn't walk the treadmill. He was also concerned that he wasn't called in to see me. I won't go into that but he wasn't surprised either. That's something he will have to take up with the hospital. And... no... when I said no to the test.. it was done anyway... as when I said no the blood tests the doctor forgot to cancel. Not good.....

I am sorry you feel you would do everything not to go there again. Seems you have concerns- but certainly not life threatening and you received PROMPT treatment in the ER regarding your chief complaint of CHEST PAIN. Which is ruled out CARDIAC first- just thought you should know what usually goes on in any given ER and reading your post--you might have not been able to see what was going on behind the scenes.

Interesting.... I was there and you appear to know what was going on behind the scenes. In fact.. I was told the people being brought in that evening were there because of the flu.

TVRH will never be able to handle the stress of the continued growth of THE VILLAGES. Look at all the people in The Villages- do you know that ER is only 24 rooms with hallway beds? Yes, 24 rooms. So- 100,000 people, I think approx 260 beds--when the hospital is full, there is no rooms for the patients being admitted to go upstairs (or off a gurney). You sit and wait, receive the same care as if in a room--without the private room and with all the chaos of the ER on any given night during snowbird season. I am sure you are aware of 1/3 of the patients who use the hospital as an urgent care and child care clinic.

Again... the hospital should divert when they become too full. That's what most hospitals do.

The Villages need a 24 hour Urgent Care near Brownwood/Wildwood Area. That would assist in the overflow of patients with the ER. I also think that another hospital would benefit this aging population.

You can certainly choose another facility for your continued emergency care- however, it might be more than the food that you complain about next time. Each visit, nurse, MD are different. Good luck and best wishes for quick recovery.

Since writing this... I have talked to people who work at the hospital who have also been patients. They have expressed that they also would not go back. I stand in good company.

I expect The Villages Hospital to have better care than what I received.

As I said before...If you are happy with this hospital... you can continue to go there. This is written for others who have a problem to understand they are not the only one and they do have choices. I didn't know about all of this until I had the misfortune to go there.

Just so everyone is aware.. Yes, I did send this to the hospital and am told I have to forward the letter to Oakbrook Terrace, IL. hmmmm

As I said before, since my stay at The Villages Hospital, I was with another patient who went to Shands Hospital. If you look at the care, organization, and processes there.. it's night and day difference than the care, organization and processes at The Villages Hospital.