Thank you for the definition of facetious--now I don't have to look it up in the dictionary. DOH! :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:----still rolling on the floor

Disagree, ignoring the closest ER might be a very wise idea. I’ve only experienced one true actual emergency in my life and made a very bad mistake by choosing the closest ER, the former Villages Hospital. After waiting 12 hours only to be failed miserably by the closest ER, my wife drove me to the ER at a real hospital in Gainesville. They immediately assessed my condition and admitted me straight into their critical care department. The difference in the quality of care I got between the two places couldn’t have possibly been further apart. Thanks to my wife, I was able to get to a hospital that saved my life. Call me jaded from that experience, but there is absolutely no way I’ll ever go back to the ER on El Camino Real.

I rarely make a comment about a facility, however I agree UF is a glorified surgery center. No emergency surgery, either you wait until next day, or shipped out.
While there isn’t anything wrong with the facility itself, or floor staff. Physicians are definitely more miss than a hit.

After closely listening to the on call cardiologist, we both respectfully declined any procedures. Asked for a discharge, which refused, because and I quote “You will die if you walk out” you have no idea what is happening.

My spouse smiled and said, before a physician thinks he can walk on water, you might want to ask a few questions of the patient instead of intimidation. So a little background, I have 10 years of “open heart”, in my 40 plus year career.

So here is what I think is the problem, you have withheld all fluids, no IV, and all meds for 31 hours, for cause and effect. Physician, then looked at my spouse and said this must be confusing to make a decision. I smiled “not really I also have 40 year OR career.

Discharge written. We travel to Gainesville or emergent Leesburg. While no ED is perfect or the facility itself, experience is on our side

Background: I'm a retired paramedic, my wife is a ER director with 40 years in trauma centers. She now runs a standalone ER.

1 - All ERs are not equal, based on certifications they have and what services the hospital has. Some are trauma centers, some are stroke centers, some are cardiac centers, some have hyperbaric medicine, some are burn centers, etc.

2 - In a real emergency, call 911. The EMS crew knows which facilities specialize in what, and where the best place is to go for YOUR specific problem. They also know which hospital's MRI is down, or their cardiac cath lab is down, or they have no orthopedic coverage tonight, or they're on trauma bypass.

3 - Standalone ERs are great for many things, like isolated broken bone, stitches, fever/flu, general illness, chronic conditions, etc. They're great, and they usually have short wait times.
BUT ALSO, they are real ERs with ER doctors and ER nurses, and are fully equipped to handle anything that comes through the door. My wife's handles gunshot wounds, stabbings, cardiac arrests, strokes, etc.
In a life threatening emergency, I would go to the standalone ER across the street rather than wait to go to the hospital ER that's 10 minutes away.
A standalone ER can administer clot-buster drugs to stop a heart attack or a stroke, they can stabilize severe allergic reactions, airway or lung problems, or most other true emergencies and then transfer to the hospital for further care.

ER care
 

I have been involved with 3 ER visits by family members in the last two years. Have had nothing but excellent care. My opinion as a physician.