Villages ER wait

[rjn5656]

Our neighbor has been in the villages er now for 30.5 hours waiting for a room to be admitted. Unbelievable.

[graciegirl]

Our neighbor has been in the villages er now for 30.5 hours waiting for a room to be admitted. Unbelievable.

If your friend is waiting to be admitted at TVRH they are probably in a comfortable bed in a cubicle, hooked up to a bunch of monitors and under the eyes of nurses while they wait for patients to leave so there is room. This is spring break, the time when hoards of people visit Florida and make it the busiest time all year. Many people get sick and are away from their family physicians so E.R.s and Urgent Cares are flooded.

I hope your neighbor is admitted soon, gets better soon and joins the fun again soon.

[Debfrommaine]

If your friend is waiting to be admitted at TVRH they are probably in a comfortable bed in a cubicle, hooked up to a bunch of monitors and under the eyes of nurses while they wait for patients to leave so there is room. This is spring break, the time when hoards of people visit Florida and make it the busiest time all year. Many people get sick and are away from their family physicians so E.R.s and Urgent Cares are flooded.

I hope your neighbor is admitted soon, gets better soon and joins the fun again soon.

Agree

[Shbullet]

If your friend is waiting to be admitted at TVRH they are probably in a comfortable bed in a cubicle, hooked up to a bunch of monitors and under the eyes of nurses while they wait for patients to leave so there is room. This is spring break, the time when hoards of people visit Florida and make it the busiest time all year. Many people get sick and are away from their family physicians so E.R.s and Urgent Cares are flooded.

I hope your neighbor is admitted soon, gets better soon and joins the fun again soon.

ppp

[Bambi]

From CMS (Federal government) website
TVRH aid considered a medium volume hospital
Following stats were taken from the website
Average time patients spent in the Emergency Department before they were admitted to the hospital as in inpatient
TVRH 503 minutes
National average 261 minutes
Florida average 260 minutes

Average time spent in Emergency Department after Dr. decided to admit them as in patient before leaving for their inpatient room
TVRH 256 minutes
National average 92 minutes
Florida average 95 minutes

Average time patients spent in ED before leaving from the visit
TVRH 260 minutes
National average 142 minutes
Florida average 144 min

There is more data available.
My last visit to TVRH was not exactly the visit described in an earlier post and it was not during snowbird season.
I was seen quickly and had CT scan. Sent out to waiting room nauseated with a headache. An hour later, called back to placement of an INT
( IV port). Sent back to the lobby to wait another hour. Taken back and placed in a straight backed chair in a hall between the clean linen room and the dirty linen room. Spent approx on hour there receiving IVs etc. while patients and staff walked by.
From sitting in the waiting room, I observed one young man stating that he had been there for hours (also had INT in his arm),was diabetic and that if he didn’t get something to eat, he was leaving. Another man was groaning and moaning, couldn’t sit upright in his chair and his wife was complaining that they had been there for an hour without pain meds or treatment. Another woman was pacing in front of me talking on a cell phone trying to get her father transferred to a hospital with more than two stars. This was last year before we dropped down to one star.
The waiting room was only a quarter full.
I think the government statistics reveal the quality of our hospital.
For more info, google CMS hospital compare.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Seems like a pretty obvious sign of underfunding and mismanagement.

[asianthree]

I get to deal with ED daily. I have yet in 48 years found any ED without major wait times, inadequate staff, and lack of information to family or patient.

We usually wait and hope the oncall guy is going to make the decision we already know needs to be made. Only on 2 occasions have we pulled the “I know people, and am not afraid to wake them up” card.

No hospital staffs for high season. Staffing is scheduled months in advance, and if ED can no longer handle the influx of patients, it is officially closed to any more incoming patients. Except for trauma level, which the ED staff steps back while trauma teams take over.

At facilities I work at there is a 30 minute guarantee you see a physician. Of course once you are seen, there is no guarantee on how long before any measures are taken.

Most EDs are overwhelmed with people that should have gone to an urgent care, or called their physician. While those who are in direct need of a true ED department gets attention quickly, it tend to upset those with less issues wait longer

[JoMar]

Since The Villages have nothing to do with the management of either TVRH or Leesburg, and there is a need to vilify in this forum and not work with the owners or management to improve what they believe is inadequacies, and therefore not believe anything will improve, shouldn't you just make sure you go to another hospital that meets your standards? How many that are condemning are going to listen to the President of both hospitals at the POA meeting?

[manaboutown]

A few weeks ago I had a kidney stone so painful I had to go to an ER. I arrived at 4:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning, walked in, signed the paper at reception and was back in an ER cubical within two minutes at most. The doc came in checked me out as all I knew was I was in great pain. They did a CAT scan, gave me a Flomax, a non-opioid painkiller similar to ibuprofen (so I could drive home) through an IV, gave me a couple prescriptions I could pick up later that day and released me with written instructions and a referral to a urologist. That is how a four star hospital handles things although they do have busier times and wait times. It took a few days and the stone did pass. Yay!

An 84 year old man I know finally had a long delayed bypass surgery at a one star hospital but still has serious heart issues. He recently went to the ER at a two star hospital in another city. They kept letting the street people in ahead of him. After hours of waiting they finally saw him. He asked why he had to wait while the screaming druggies and other riffraff were taken in ahead of him. The MD told him they were screaming so the hospital had to take them first. My friend told the doc "Next time, then, I'll scream!".

[Bambi]

I don’t think anyone is vilifying the developers. What we are complaining about is a substandard hospital verified by a government entity- Medicare.
As to not staffing in anticipation of “high season” and increased patient population, perhaps this is a major cause of the inadequacy of the current situation.
Other hospitals in the south and coastal areas of Florida achieve a four star or better rating even with a great influx of tourists.
I am a retired nurse with the experience of working in hospitals in two states and can only say this is pathetic if this is the best the hospital can do.
And yes, I will be at the POA meeting.

[villagerjack]

I was in St Luke’s Cataract Center about two weeks ago anticipating my second cataract surgery. Nurses took my BP and it was sky high...183. Heart rate also extremely elevated. Doctor said a stroke could be imminent without treatment and immediately called EMS who arrived in a few minutes. I was transported by ambulance to the Villages ER, was seen immediately and treated the doctor. After a brief stay, I was completky stabilized and discharged. My entire experience was nothing less than excellent from the Angels at St Lukes to the very competent and comforting EMS personnel to the Emergency Room Staff. I am glad that I did not listen to all the negative commentary on TOTV about the hospital because had I insisted to go to Ocala instead, I may not be writing this little note. Yes, it was that close.

[sallybowron]

I get to deal with ED daily. I have yet in 48 years found any ED without major wait times, inadequate staff, and lack of information to family or patient.

We usually wait and hope the oncall guy is going to make the decision we already know needs to be made. Only on 2 occasions have we pulled the “I know people, and am not afraid to wake them up” card.

No hospital staffs for high season. Staffing is scheduled months in advance, and if ED can no longer handle the influx of patients, it is officially closed to any more incoming patients. Except for trauma level, which the ED staff steps back while trauma teams take over.

At facilities I work at there is a 30 minute guarantee you see a physician. Of course once you are seen, there is no guarantee on how long before any measures are taken.

Most EDs are overwhelmed with people that should have gone to an urgent care, or called their physician. While those who are in direct need of a true ED department gets attention quickly, it tend to upset those with less issues wait longer

I wonder if the hospital could just say " you are not ER material due to your diagnosis, we can recommend an Urgent Care." TVRH actually had an urgent care at one time. If it was done with the patients care in mind, they should not be riled up. They do triage people first.

[rjn5656]

My friend went in at 930 in the am, sat in a chair in the hallway inside the ER until 3 am, then put on a gurney in the hall until later the next day, when he then got put into a cubicle. He finally got a room at 10 pm the next day, and is scheduled for surgery today.

[retiredguy123]

I wonder if the hospital could just say " you are not ER material due to your diagnosis, we can recommend an Urgent Care." TVRH actually had an urgent care at one time. If it was done with the patients care in mind, they should not be riled up. They do triage people first.
Yes, they can absolutely do that. The Federal law requiring emergencies to be treated only requires that a patient be given minimal treatment that is needed to allow the patient to be transferred. Those that can travel on their own do not require any treatment in the ER. However, I believe that the ER does not want to reject patients because the reimbursement rate for "emergency" treatment is so much higher than normal treatment. For example, a sore throat treated by an internist in his office is one price, but the same sore throat treatment in the ER may be 3 or 4 times as much.

Another issue is that some hospitals have a contract with the local Government to treat indigents. The more they treat, the more money they can negotiate in the contract. I think a lot of this indigent care money comes from the Federal Government as a Medicaid grant, and the state controls it.

[BoatRatKat]

Recently, I had a family member end up in emergency. He was taken back almost immediately and put into a private cubicle room and had two Drs come in quickly and several tests done. Three hours later transferred to a room upstairs. During the nearly 2 week hospital stay of which I was a daily visitor, I was impressed with the care, especially after all the negative comments I've read. Was it as perfect care as I would have liked? No, but it was darn good. I've no complaints.

[skip0358]

If our local Hospital is so bad why do people continue to go there? If your able to drive yourself or be driven by someone other then an Ambulance why not go somewhere else? It is NOT The Villages Hospital it is the Hospital that is located in The Villages, We know they are swamped with people especially this time of year. Look at the amount of people and their ages in the area. Try going to another Hospital and see their wait times. The State has to approve more Hospitals and they are the ones who can correct the problems.

[villagerjack]

My friend went in at 930 in the am, sat in a chair in the hallway inside the ER until 3 am, then put on a gurney in the hall until later the next day, when he then got put into a cubicle. He finally got a room at 10 pm the next day, and is scheduled for surgery today.

What was wrong with your friend? If he survived in a chair for 15 hours his condition does not sound very serious.

[villagerjack]

If our local Hospital is so bad why do people continue to go there? If your able to drive yourself or be driven by someone other then an Ambulance why not go somewhere else? It is NOT The Villages Hospital it is the Hospital that is located in The Villages, We know they are swamped with people especially this time of year. Look at the amount of people and their ages in the area. Try going to another Hospital and see their wait times. The State has to approve more Hospitals and they are the ones who can correct the problems.

I agree Skip. If I had listened to all this negativity and insisted that the EMS go to Ocala I may not be alive today.

[graciegirl]

I was in St Luke’s Cataract Center about two weeks ago anticipating my second cataract surgery. Nurses took my BP and it was sky high...183. Heart rate also extremely elevated. Doctor said a stroke could be imminent without treatment and immediately called EMS who arrived in a few minutes. I was transported by ambulance to the Villages ER, was seen immediately and treated the doctor. After a brief stay, I was completky stabilized and discharged. My entire experience was nothing less than excellent from the Angels at St Lukes to the very competent and comforting EMS personnel to the Emergency Room Staff. I am glad that I did not listen to all the negative commentary on TOTV about the hospital because had I insisted to go to Ocala instead, I may not be writing this little note. Yes, it was that close.

I had a similar event with the same outcome. Many thanks to the staff at Laurel Manor Rec Center, EMS, who gave me two shots of Atropine and loaded on two firefighter to the "Bus" and for the staff in Emergency who had me diagnosed before I got there and were waiting to act immediately. All were wonderful as were all of the nurses in critical care who treated me like a family member for a whole week.

[NotGolfer]

Did any of you read Dear Heloise in todays (3/18) Sun?? A person wrote in who lives in Atlanta and I thought of all the folks in T.V. who complain about our care facility here.

I, for one, haven't had complaints about the care I've received with our health system.

[JohnN]

We waited for 11 hours and I thought that was horrid. Sorry to hear about your neighbor.

[queasy27]

Being seen and treated in the emergency room is different from waiting to be admitted or for a bed to become available.

I've been treated in the ERs at Leesburg and TV hospitals for cardiac arrhythmia. All three times I was triaged, seen by a physician, and treated within 10 minutes of arrival. I had to wait about 9 hours for a room at Leesburg but was on a gurney or in a bed in the ER, which honestly is not that much different from being in a bed upstairs.

Both hospitals did very well by me in emergency situations as well as in the care I received after being admitted. (Can also attest that the cardiac ward at Leesburg is quite plush.)

I feel very badly when I hear stories of people sitting in the waiting room for hours and hours but also can't help but wonder why they were willing to do so. Being in an ER waiting room for that long would exhaust and defeat me more thoroughly than whatever illness I was there for.

[CWGUY]

:read:

Home - Villages | The Villages Regional Hospital | The Villages, Florida (https://www.thevillagesregionalhospital.org/)

Home - Leesburg | Leesburg Regional Medical Center | Leesburg, Florida (https://www.leesburgregional.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand)


Wait time in red in the top right of each page.

:ho:

[ColdNoMore]

Home - Villages | The Villages Regional Hospital | The Villages, Florida (https://www.thevillagesregionalhospital.org/)

Home - Leesburg | Leesburg Regional Medical Center | Leesburg, Florida (https://www.leesburgregional.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand)


Wait time in red in the top right of each page.


"Wait times" include those who are brought in by ambulance, who are almost always seen immediately...and therefore bring the 'averages' down.

ER Wait Watcher VILLAGES REGIONAL HOSPITAL, THE (https://projects.propublica.org/emergency/hospital/100290)

Waiting Time - VILLAGES REGIONAL HOSPITAL, THE

Average time patients spent in the emergency room before being seen by a doctor. 41min

National Avg. 20min

Fla. Avg. 17min

This Hospital 41min

:ho: :ho:

[rjn5656]

My friend had a serious operation the next day, guess that might be quite serious.

[Velvet]

From CMS (Federal government) website
TVRH aid considered a medium volume hospital
Following stats were taken from the website
Average time patients spent in the Emergency Department before they were admitted to the hospital as in inpatient
TVRH 503 minutes
National average 261 minutes
Florida average 260 minutes

Average time spent in Emergency Department after Dr. decided to admit them as in patient before leaving for their inpatient room
TVRH 256 minutes
National average 92 minutes
Florida average 95 minutes

Average time patients spent in ED before leaving from the visit
TVRH 260 minutes
National average 142 minutes
Florida average 144 min

There is more data available.
My last visit to TVRH was not exactly the visit described in an earlier post and it was not during snowbird season.
I was seen quickly and had CT scan. Sent out to waiting room nauseated with a headache. An hour later, called back to placement of an INT
( IV port). Sent back to the lobby to wait another hour. Taken back and placed in a straight backed chair in a hall between the clean linen room and the dirty linen room. Spent approx on hour there receiving IVs etc. while patients and staff walked by.
From sitting in the waiting room, I observed one young man stating that he had been there for hours (also had INT in his arm),was diabetic and that if he didn’t get something to eat, he was leaving. Another man was groaning and moaning, couldn’t sit upright in his chair and his wife was complaining that they had been there for an hour without pain meds or treatment. Another woman was pacing in front of me talking on a cell phone trying to get her father transferred to a hospital with more than two stars. This was last year before we dropped down to one star.
The waiting room was only a quarter full.
I think the government statistics reveal the quality of our hospital.
For more info, google CMS hospital compare.

This place sounds like a bloody nightmare! How do we get to a real hospital if we need one in TV? I can’t see myself ever voluntarily going to this hospital.

When I went to Strub Hospital in Honolulu I couldn’t believe that I was in, tested and seen by doctor for bronchitis and was on my way with prescriptions in an hour. Hospital did follow up calls.

In Kailua, Hawaii when I broke my knee I was seen within 15 min at Castle Hospital, stabilized and the surgeon called me the next day to discuss options. I chose to fly home. Again hospital did follow up calls to see how I was on my cell 3 times a day. I was on Allianz insurance which bargains with the hospital on bills.

I’m afraid to get sick in TV. Do I need to arrange for access to private nurse and how I get to Orlando in an emergency?

[David73]

MOST of the people in the ER waiting room should not be there at all. They should be at an "urgnt care" where they will take care of your sniffles, give you a prescription and send you home. The operative word is EMERGENCY. IF you are truly and "EMERGENCY" they will see you and treat you. Getting from the ER to a "room" is another subject. If there is no room, you remain in the EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT until they have a bed. My "guess" is: if you drove yourself there, you are probably not an EMERGENCY.

[Velvet]

May I ask, where exactly are the people supposed to go? If I had bronchitis in TV when I can drive myself where do I go? And if I broke my knee cap and needed an ambulance, then where do I go? Oh, and Allianz would like to know too as they were looking at what services to suggest to me when I was in TV.

[Bogie Shooter]

May I ask, where exactly are the people supposed to go? If I had bronchitis in TV when I can drive myself where do I go? And if I broke my knee cap and needed an ambulance, then where do I go? Oh, and Allianz would like to know too as they were looking at what services to suggest to me when I was in TV.

When you were in TV....does that mean you don’t live here?

[Villageswimmer]

What’s Allianz?

[JoMar]

This place sounds like a bloody nightmare! How do we get to a real hospital if we need one in TV? I can’t see myself ever voluntarily going to this hospital.

When I went to Strub Hospital in Honolulu I couldn’t believe that I was in, tested and seen by doctor for bronchitis and was on my way with prescriptions in an hour. Hospital did follow up calls.

In Kailua, Hawaii when I broke my knee I was seen within 15 min at Castle Hospital, stabilized and the surgeon called me the next day to discuss options. I chose to fly home. Again hospital did follow up calls to see how I was on my cell 3 times a day. I was on Allianz insurance which bargains with the hospital on bills.

I’m afraid to get sick in TV. Do I need to arrange for access to private nurse and how I get to Orlando in an emergency?

You are not in Hawaii.....if you can afford it, get that private nurse and hire a helicopter to take you where you feel comfortable. From your post, I am assuming you have never been to either Leesburg or TVRH but are judging based on the small fraction of folks that bash on here with limited information.

[Velvet]

I am a snowbird for now. And Allianz is like Bluecross, they pay all your medical expenses. International insurance for anywhere in the world.

[Velvet]

You are not in Hawaii.....if you can afford it, get that private nurse and hire a helicopter to take you where you feel comfortable. From your post, I am assuming you have never been to either Leesburg or TVRH but are judging based on the small fraction of folks that bash on here with limited information.

You are right, I picked TV over Hawaii for several reasons. I would like to know what I should do if I get sick in TV. Allianz would pay for helicopter if necessary. But I can’t believe what I am reading here about this hospital. Scares the *** out of me.

[sallybowron]

If your friend is waiting to be admitted at TVRH they are probably in a comfortable bed in a cubicle, hooked up to a bunch of monitors and under the eyes of nurses while they wait for patients to leave so there is room. This is spring break, the time when hoards of people visit Florida and make it the busiest time all year. Many people get sick and are away from their family physicians so E.R.s and Urgent Cares are flooded.

I hope your neighbor is admitted soon, gets better soon and joins the fun again soon.

I agree Gracie, I knw the wait is long but they do try to make you comfortable. The waiting room is more of a concern for me.

[Bogie Shooter]

You are right, I picked TV over Hawaii for several reasons. I would like to know what I should do if I get sick in TV. Allianz would pay for helicopter if necessary. But I can’t believe what I am reading here about this hospital. Scares the *** out of me.

Don’t worry happy

[Velvet]

:) Knowledge never kills, but ignorance can.

[jflynn1]

Noot quite true. Take a look at who the Board of Directors are of TVRH

[Velvet]

I looked at the board of directors, but not sure what to make of them. Any hints?

[Dan9871]

What’s Allianz?

An insurance company

[Velvet]

I just read the PAO Bulletin on this hospital. Am I the only one who hears loud alarm bells about what is written? The justification for the low rating is that they have to serve an older demographic, a retirement community. Well then. This should be included in the Lifestyle advertisements to the world: “We are an active community. Keep in mind, you better stay healthy if you want to be here.”

I love The Villages, (my uncle was friends with Harold S) but, we HAVE to do better in this area.

[skyking]

I just read the PAO Bulletin on this hospital. Am I the only one who hears loud alarm bells about what is written? The justification for the low rating is that they have to serve an older demographic, a retirement community. Well then. This should be included in the Lifestyle advertisements to the world: “We are an active community. Keep in mind, you better stay healthy if you want to be here.”

I love The Villages, (my uncle was friends with Harold S) but, we HAVE to do better in this area.

There are hundreds of hospitals who serve "an older demographic" with much much higher ratings than TVRH. I don't know what their problem is but it is not the age of the patients.

[ColdNoMore]

There are hundreds of hospitals who serve "an older demographic" with much much higher ratings than TVRH. I don't know what their problem is but it is not the age of the patients.
Excellent point. :thumbup:

One can't help but wonder, if it's analogous to what I believe is the underlying reason for the subpar conditions of a lot of the golf courses...i.e."captive audience syndrome?" :shrug:

[graciegirl]

According to a CBS News report on the quality of Health care from 2016, Florida was in the bottom ten of the country. I think that the licensing requirements for physicians should be raised. I know of one who practices here who lost her license in another state for drug addiction and one who has been jailed for failure to pay child support.

Keep in mind that The Villages has nothing to do with running TVRH. It just owns the building.

Here is the CBS report putting Florida in the bottom ten of the 48.

Best and worst states for health care - CBS News (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-and-worst-states-for-health-care/)

[Velvet]

Keep in mind that The Villages has nothing to do with running TVRH. It just owns the building.

Here is the CBS report putting Florida in the bottom ten of the 48.

Best and worst states for health care - CBS News (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-and-worst-states-for-health-care/)

Thank you for clearing that up. I hate to have anything besmirch my dear TV.

However, ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem.

[Bogie Shooter]

We......

[Velvet]

Unless, of course, you never plan to get sick.

[graciegirl]

There are hundreds of hospitals who serve "an older demographic" with much much higher ratings than TVRH. I don't know what their problem is but it is not the age of the patients.

I am trying to think of a hospital in this country, on this planet that would have a higher percentage of geriatric patients. We are the largest community like us in this country and arguably the world.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I am trying to think of a hospital in this country, on this planet that would have a higher percentage of geriatric patients. We are the largest community like us in this country and arguably the world.

Percentage, no. Total count, yes. There are city hospitals with geriatric wards that are larger than the inpatient ward at TVH. TVH has less than 300 beds to accommodate a population of over 100,000 senior citizens, AND tens of thousands of non-seniors who don't even live in The Villages, but rather, in homes surrounding it. Yes there are other emergency centers and inpatient hospitals within 30 miles, but anyone who lives less than half that distance, will likely want their emergency treated at the closest place, if it's truly an emergency. If that emergency results in needing to be admitted to inpatient, that hospital needs to be capable of performing competently and efficiently.

Apparently, TVH is not capable of performing efficiently and competently. I don't know about you, but I don't feel "performing competently and efficiently" should be considered a very high standard to meet.

[Jayhawk]

Seems like a pretty obvious sign of underfunding and mismanagement.

Or too many hangnails and toothaches. Because that is what slows the ER.

[graciegirl]

Thank you for clearing that up. I hate to have anything besmirch my dear TV.

However, ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem.

I love it here, but it is not perfect. Florida, in my opinion, does not have excellent health care, I think of places like Boston, Baltimore, Houston and LA as places where excellent health care in available and Ohio which has Cincinnati Childrens, third best in pediatrics and Cleveland Clinic for years the best heart hospital nationally.

There is little any of us can do, and I understand your concern. We go back to Cincinnati for our oncologist visits . There are many that say I am wrong, but Florida is not a mecca of fine health care. Even Shands is not in the top ten or near it.

Access Denied (https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl/shands-at-the-university-of-florida-6390283)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I love it here, but it is not perfect. Florida, in my opinion, does not have excellent health care, I think of places like Boston, Baltimore, Houston and LA as places where excellent health care in available and Ohio which has Cincinnati Childrens, third best in pediatrics and Cleveland Clinic for years the best heart hospital nationally.

There is little any of us can do, and I understand your concern. We go back to Cincinnati for our oncologist visits . There are many that say I am wrong, but Florida is not a mecca of fine health care. Even Shands is not in the top ten or near it.

Access Denied (https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl/shands-at-the-university-of-florida-6390283)

This is true. And we, the people who pay for this medical service (whether through paying bills sent to us or taxes that ultimately end up covering our Medicare) have the power to change that. We can change it with our votes, we can change it with our active participation in municipal meetings, we can change it with grass roots campaigns and activism in encouraging and incentivizing quality care to congregate near us.

We can change it with donations and grants and fundraising activities as needed, if we are financially able to do so. There are SO many things we CAN do, to make our little speck on the map "better," even if not "good."

Some of the wealthiest, most influential politicians live in, and visit, and come to address Villagers every year, especially during election time. These are the prime opportunities to tell them that we need better quality health care, and challenge them to get it done.

Obviously it isn't a matter of lack of funding. If it were, all of the hospitals would be suffering from quality health care. And they're not. Florida is, and the Villages in particular is. We have a lot of very affluent people living in the Villages. And many of them are politically connected. Do you go golfing with any of them? Play bridge with any of them? Sleep with any of them? Dance, have coffee, do woodworking, bicycle, grocery shop - anything? Do you have an opportunity to say "hey Susie Bigbucks, I see you got another boob job. Beautiful job by the way, they're perky as a teenager. But what would happen if that saline implant ruptured and you needed to go to the emergency room? You know the ER closest to you sucks even harder than that lipo machine that trimmed your hips down last year. Maybe you could tell your husband to call his Doctor pal up and see if maybe Dr. Buttslim could do a little consulting at TVH once a month. Y'know, just in case."

[Velvet]

Excellent suggestions!

[JimJohnson]

We have so many wealthy people that pass away here in the villages after spending years enjoying this wonderful place only to leave large portions of their money to their church. I find that selfish and wasteful. Put that money to good use in hospitals and the police force.

[ColdNoMore]

We have so many wealthy people that pass away here in the villages after spending years enjoying this wonderful place only to leave large portions of their money to their church. I find that selfish and wasteful. Put that money to good use in hospitals and the police force.

At a minimum, start treating/taxing those churches that get involved in 'P' as the entity they really are...thinly disguised PAC's. :ho:

[queasy27]

I wasn't at the meeting with the hospital execs but didn't see in published reports that anybody asked not why the rating is so low, but why it went down from 3 to 2 to 1? What changed? The percentage of geriatrics and Medicare patients has remained thee same, as has the total bed count.

[Madelaine Amee]

It appears to me that most of the people complaining about our hospital do not yet live here and probably have not had any experience with our hospital. I have a suggestion for you, wait until you are here and if you die at the hospital you can always say "I told you so".

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I wasn't at the meeting with the hospital execs but didn't see in published reports that anybody asked not why the rating is so low, but why it went down from 3 to 2 to 1? What changed? The percentage of geriatrics and Medicare patients has remained thee same, as has the total bed count.

Because people keep harping on percentages.

The bedcount is still under 300. The NUMBER of geriatrics and Medicare patients has gone up. And that doesn't even really matter, because geriatrics and Medicare patients aren't the only people who ever need hospital beds.

The overall population has increased, but the bed numbers and staff count has remained unchanged.

Math coming up:

You got 100,000 people. 70% of them are geriatrics. That's 70,000 people. Your hospital is built and staffed to accommodate 70,000 people, and therefore is accommodating 70% of the population.

Fast forward 5 years, you now have 200,000 people. 70% of them are geriatrics. The total population count of geriatrics is now 140,000 people. Your hospital is built to accommodate 70,000 people. That's somewhere around 38% of the total population (which is 200,000 people)

You've gone from a hospital that can handle the majority of the population, to a hospital that can't even handle half the population, within a 5-year period. The 70% is based on the population that existed when the hospital was built.

Percentages mean nothing when you don't put them in context.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

It appears to me that most of the people complaining about our hospital do not yet live here and probably have not had any experience with our hospital. I have a suggestion for you, wait until you are here and if you die at the hospital you can always say "I told you so".

It appears to me that your callous dismissal of people who are aging and going into the period of their lives where they are MOST LIKELY to need a hospital, is callous, and dismissive.

People look for relative safety when they pack up and move to a whole other way of life. We're not looking for health spas where our feet get rubbed by half-naked virginal boys carrying pitchers of warmed scented oils. We're looking for competent, efficient life-saving and disease-preventing health care.

It helps to know what we're moving into, before we actually move there. We COULD pick anywhere in the country to choose from, so when we do pick the Villages, we want to know that we made the right choice.

Judging from the board of health, the hospital organizations that actually know about this stuff, the state of Florida's health department, and the Villages residents, this hospital is remarkably horrible.

[biker1]

Since The Villages grows by about 5000 people per year, and has been growing at that rate for several years, the population will not double in 5 years. The current population of The Villages is closer to 120,000. The hospital also supports the surrounding areas. I am not sure how many additional people that is. Regardless, the population will not double in 5 years. The new facilities being built in Brownwood will shoulder some of the burden. Do you actually live here?


Math coming up:

You got 100,000 people. 70% of them are geriatrics. That's 70,000 people. Your hospital is built and staffed to accommodate 70,000 people, and therefore is accommodating 70% of the population.

Fast forward 5 years, you now have 200,000 people. 70% of them are geriatrics. The total population count of geriatrics is now 140,000 people. Your hospital is built to accommodate 70,000 people. That's somewhere around 38% of the total population (which is 200,000 people)

[Velvet]

As Jazuela says, we could pick to live anywhere in the country, or also anywhere in the world. I have picked TV and bringing my family member with me. As we prepare for our increasingly vulnerable years, we want to know what is facing us should we need help with our health. This is not a theoretical exercise, or a shaming exercise. It is a true concern.

[graciegirl]

It appears to me that your callous dismissal of people who are aging and going into the period of their lives where they are MOST LIKELY to need a hospital, is callous, and dismissive.

People look for relative safety when they pack up and move to a whole other way of life. We're not looking for health spas where our feet get rubbed by half-naked virginal boys carrying pitchers of warmed scented oils. We're looking for competent, efficient life-saving and disease-preventing health care.

It helps to know what we're moving into, before we actually move there. We COULD pick anywhere in the country to choose from, so when we do pick the Villages, we want to know that we made the right choice.

Judging from the board of health, the hospital organizations that actually know about this stuff, the state of Florida's health department, and the Villages residents, this hospital is remarkably horrible.

The hospital building is owned by the developer and leased to a hospital corporation. The second hospital corporation that leased it. This one came in 2013. The CDD does not have a drop of influence on how the hospital is run. Florida in general is in the bottom ten of all of the states in excellence in health care. My husband had surgery a month ago done by a specialist in The Villages Health Care System which is owned and run by the developer. The surgery was not done at TVRH, it was done at Advent Hospital in Ocala. The Villages Health Care system is a group of buildings that house a number of PCP's and PA's and surgeons and specialists and it was put in place to help us I think. AND of course it makes money. I was hospitalized in critical care for eight days at TVRH and I could not have asked for better care. Every single nurse and tech treated me as if I was their loved mother.

Jazuela. I think you should wait to move here and live here for awhile until you totally understand how this place works and doesn't work. You cannot depend on posters on a public forum for accuracy or depth of understanding. Patience, grasshopper.

[spring_chicken]

Since The Villages have nothing to do with the management of either TVRH or Leesburg, and there is a need to vilify in this forum and not work with the owners or management to improve what they believe is inadequacies, and therefore not believe anything will improve, shouldn't you just make sure you go to another hospital that meets your standards? How many that are condemning are going to listen to the President of both hospitals at the POA meeting?

Who vilified The Villages?

[Velvet]

Yes, and there are urgent care units sprinkled in TV, which are like walk-in clinics from what I understand. Very happy to have those!

[Madelaine Amee]

It appears to me that your callous dismissal of people who are aging and going into the period of their lives where they are MOST LIKELY to need a hospital, is callous, and dismissive.

People look for relative safety when they pack up and move to a whole other way of life. We're not looking for health spas where our feet get rubbed by half-naked virginal boys carrying pitchers of warmed scented oils. We're looking for competent, efficient life-saving and disease-preventing health care.

It helps to know what we're moving into, before we actually move there. We COULD pick anywhere in the country to choose from, so when we do pick the Villages, we want to know that we made the right choice.

Judging from the board of health, the hospital organizations that actually know about this stuff, the state of Florida's health department, and the Villages residents, this hospital is remarkably horrible.

Callous Dismissal --- not so, just totally fed up with people who have never lived here or had to use the hospital assuming it is not up to standard. My husband has had two cancer surgeries here, one was an extremely rare cancer which was picked up right here in this "horrible" hospital and he is alive and well. Plus he had a serious head injury which was dealt with immediately through the ER with excellent results. I have had two major surgeries here (heart and internal) with excellent results. There are literally hundreds of us walking around who have survived this hospital. We are both from Boston and have also had surgeries in Beth Israel and the Baptist so we do have something to compare.

Do you really think 20+thousand people would chose to live here if the medical facilities were so bad? We are surrounded with excellent hospitals, i.e. Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Gainesville ......... take your pick.

I am going to be extremely rude and suggest if this subject bothers you this much, this is really not where you want to live.:):):)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Since The Villages grows by about 5000 people per year, and has been growing at that rate for several years, the population will not double in 5 years. The current population of The Villages is closer to 120,000. The hospital also supports the surrounding areas. I am not sure how many additional people that is. Regardless, the population will not double in 5 years. The new facilities being built in Brownwood will shoulder some of the burden. Do you actually live here?

It was a hypothetical, because I don't know the actual numbers. Apply the actual numbers and the result is equally valid. There are more people now than there were when the hospital was built. The hospital was built to accommodate the total count of people living in the area, at that point in time. Applying simple math tells me that however many more people need to be included in "the number of people accommodated by this hospital" needs to be increased, while the actual "number of people who CAN be accommodated by this hospital" has remained relatively stable.

As such - the hospital can no longer sustain the population, because there are more people needing to be sustained than when it was built.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The hospital building is owned by the developer and leased to a hospital corporation. The second hospital corporation that leased it. This one came in 2013. The CDD does not have a drop of influence on how the hospital is run. Florida in general is in the bottom ten of all of the states in excellence in health care. My husband had surgery a month ago done by a specialist in The Villages Health Care System which is owned and run by the developer. The surgery was not done at TVRH, it was done at Advent Hospital in Ocala. The Villages Health Care system is a group of buildings that house a number of PCP's and PA's and surgeons and specialists and it was put in place to help up I think. AND of course it makes money.

Jazuela. I think you should wait to move here and live here for awhile until you totally understand how this place works and doesn't work. You cannot depend on posters on a public forum for accuracy or depth of understanding. Patience, grasshopper.
I don't care who owns it, or who occupies it. It is the local hospital. I'll be living closer to that hospital than any other hospital, and if I should happen to need emergency service (not urgent care), that would be the quickest ambulance trip.

Regardless of who owns it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of who runs it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of whether I live near it or not, its ratings are abysmal. I'm not talking about posts I read on the internet. I'm talking about actual facts, according to actual government and medical organization checks and balances and data provided by that actual hospital to those organizations that exist to come up with these statistics.

I don't know why this is so hard for you to understand.

[Moderator]

A number of off topic and personally directed posts have been removed. Again, please stay on the topic of the ER and avoid making statements directed at other members.

Moderator

[graciegirl]

I don't care who owns it, or who occupies it. It is the local hospital. I'll be living closer to that hospital than any other hospital, and if I should happen to need emergency service (not urgent care), that would be the quickest ambulance trip.

Regardless of who owns it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of who runs it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of whether I live near it or not, its ratings are abysmal. I'm not talking about posts I read on the internet. I'm talking about actual facts, according to actual government and medical organization checks and balances and data provided by that actual hospital to those organizations that exist to come up with these statistics.

I don't know why this is so hard for you to understand.

I understand it, but some problems cannot be solved easily or immediately and sometimes not at all.. Sometimes where you choose to live has almost everything you want and misses some important things. Life is a tradeoff and a gamble.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

///responded to someone whose post was deleted.

[Dan9871]

I don't think using the size of the hospital when it was built in 2002 is a way to estimate how well it covers the service needs of the Villages and the surrounding area today.

First of all there have been a number of expansions to the hospital, the last was an increased number of ER rooms and previous to that rooms were added to the hospital itself. It is now about three times the size it was in 2002.

Both an ER and a "bedless"hospital are being added to Brownwood. Each of these will reduce some of the load on the Villages Hospital.

Central Florida Health has said it has enough land in the Brownwood area to build another hospital though they have not made any commitments to yet.

A number of emergent care facilities and an Emergency Room (in Summerfield) have been added to the Villages area since 2002.

A number of the medical practices in the area have added same day appointments for various illnesses and medical problems since he hospital was built.

So medical facilities have been being added over time to keep up with the growth of the Villages and the surrounding area.

One of the issues with adding medical facilities like hospitals and emergency rooms is that there is a political component to it (not just here but anywhere). Other medical facilities in the area will claim that they are already serving the needs of the area and adding a new one might impact the services they provide... which can prevent a new facility from getting the certificates and licenses needed even if the have all the financial backing needed to go ahead.

[ColdNoMore]

SNIP...>I don't care who owns it, or who occupies it. It is the local hospital. I'll be living closer to that hospital than any other hospital, and if I should happen to need emergency service (not urgent care), that would be the quickest ambulance trip.

Regardless of who owns it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of who runs it, its ratings are abysmal. Regardless of whether I live near it or not, its ratings are abysmal. I'm not talking about posts I read on the internet. I'm talking about actual facts, according to actual government and medical organization checks and balances and data provided by that actual hospital to those organizations that exist to come up with these statistics.<...SNIP

I couldn't...agree more. :thumbup: