[mommieswamie]

The last time I went to TV Hospital ER, I waited 12 hours for a room and 16 hours to see a doctor. As I had gone there on the instructions of my primary care to be admitted, I thought it was the only thing to do. My experience was the same as the OP - sick, suffering people waiting hours and hours. While I was sick and suffering too, it was heartbreaking to watch the many others in the same situation.

I vowed I would never go there again.

Indeed, the next time I was instructed by my doctor to go to the ER for admittance, I went to Florida Hospital Waterman instead. While my doctor did not have admitting priviledges there and I wondered what kind of trouble I would be in with my doctor, everything worked out. The ER doctors at Waterman took one look at me and it was clear that I needed to be admitted. My primary care doctor was phoned later and his only comment was that he wanted me to go wherever I could get treatment and get well. He was not the least bit upset with me.

(As an aside - I have now been hospitalized 5 times in the last three months for an infection that responds well to antibiotics, but returns within a day or two of the completion of the antibiotics. Sunday I am going to Mayo Clinic for a week of appointments at the recommendation of my local doctors.)