Thanks. Good to have choices.

I so agree with you DB....."stuff" filters down from the top. I could give a seminar on how to be an effective front desk person in an office (medical or otherwise) as I've been there. They are the 1st people to be seen and represent the facility they work for. IF they aren't exhibiting a professional manner...then they should be fired! Bottom line. I can't speak to laziness of the doctors/nurses from our experiences at TVRH...we felt they were doing the best they could (for us) under the circumstances. What we see at the ER also happens in clinics across The Villages as well. Haven't seen it at T.V. health-care however but the others could use some training for sure. Again I say there it's their dr's and management who control that!!

Fortunately I have no experience with the ER facility.
Up north the hospitals I used gave ER priority to those who arrived by ambulance. We were at a doctors office and were told to go to the ER. According to the Doctor and his experience we could take an ambulance from his office and be seen when we arrived. If we drove ourselves it could take several hours. We drove and it took longer to be seen that those arriving by ambulance. It seems that the ER is being used over its capacity.

The problem is that when you go to the ER you might not be sure how serious your problem is and if you should go to a more remote facility for treatment. For starters I would learn where other facilities are located and how long the average wait is. Then when an emergency occurs you have to make a judgment on where to go. I know one or more hospitals in Ocala let you make an emergency room appointment before you leave home. Of course they still take the most serious person first. Guess we all have to do a little home work and some postings on experience with other ER's would helpful.

It is not just The Villages hospital. Took my dad to Leesburg for choking and ended up getting admitted for high potassium. We waited 8 hours for a bed in the emergency room. There were stories of people waiting 17 hours and we were prepared to wait that long. Hoping they can come up with a solution with such a growing population of elderly patients. After living in the North (and thinking the wait times were bad) 1 hour or so this was quite a shocker!

Leesburg and TVRH are both run by the same organization- the Central Florida Health Alliance. So I wouldn't expect a significant difference in the two ERs.


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My husband went to the Leesburg hospital on Tuesday morning. Our doctor works out of there since he no longer has privileges at TVRH because the powers that be decided that he lived too far away. Nothing to do with him or his abilities. Also, hubby's other doctors have offices in both Leesburg and The Villages. My husband was getting weaker and was sleeping more than usual. The doctor wanted to check him into the hospital to see just what was going on. I had called him on Monday evening and he suggested that I wait until early Tuesday morning, if I felt ok about it, because they would not be so busy. I did. Still don't have any answers, but we do know what it isn't.

For those who are constantly complaining (to use nicer wording) about the Villages Hospital, I have news for them. The wait is just as long in Leesburg. We got to the ER at 8:15, and my husband was triaged. There was one other person there, who was taken in first. They took us back to a room in the ER pretty quickly, but it was 7:30 that evening before he went to a room. Their ER filled up pretty quickly, and yes, they had to put some in the hallway to wait as the day progressed, starting around 9.

I found out that doctors are sending patients in through the ER (except for scheduled surgeries, procedures, etc.) to get the initial testing, etc. done. This is especially true for admission for observation.

There are some real as****** around and they, I am sorry to say, are Villagers. One guy was in a wreck and came into the ER room right next to us. The paramedics warned the nurses that he was a jerk to them, so to watch out. They said he refused to get off his phone so that they could check him, cursed them, etc. Sure enough, the first thing he did was start trying to throw his weight around the ER, making demands. He cursed at the first nurse, telling her she was treating him like a child and that he was XX-years old, for her information. (No child of mine would act like that without getting their butt busted, for sure.) She was treating him no differently than any other patient, my husband included. He told her to get out of there and go home, since SHE was apparently having a bad day. He DEMANDED she call her supervisor, which she did. He told her supervisor that he demanded that they bring him to Leesburg because the hospital at The Villages was so bad and that apparently Leesburg wasn't any better, from the way he was being "treated". He DEMANDED that they check to see if the ER doctor was part of his insurance and if not, get him one that was. This whole time, he was on his blasted cell phone, just as he was when they wheeled him in. Security finally had to be called to deal with him. I told the nurse that I had heard EVERYTHING and that if he got any money-making notion of filing suit, I would back THEM up. One-hundred percent total jerk!!!:censored:

Funny part of it, though, when his wife got there, he suddenly became Mr. Nice Guy. (Must know better than to mess with her!) That was hysterical!! :1rotfl::1rotfl: After going through being checked, x-rays, blood work, etc., AND the ER doctor on duty, he was dismissed and walked out with his wife and their friend. And on his phone again, almost as soon as his feet hit the floor!:sigh:

We finally got a room around 7:30 that evening. They do have to wait until someone has been dismissed and the room cleaned. Personally, I could see NO DIFFERENCE in going to the ER in Leesburg and going to TVRH. Both have been outstanding!

The best thing about going to Leesburg was their new Short Stay Wing, which is all private rooms. I could stay with him around the clock and not have to travel back to The Villages at night.

Contrary to popular belief, you are not seen quicker if you go in by ambulance. The only difference is that they are in contact with the hospital and it seems that ER triage is the only thing you by-pass. The last time my husband fell, I called 911. When we got to the ER, we waited a very long time in the hallway. The paramedics explained all this to me. They also told me that there is 511, which is a non-emergency paramedic call. They said that if he experienced another fall and I was certain that he was not having a heart attack, unconscious, etc., to call that number and tell them the situation and ask for a lift assist. The bad part about going in by ambulance just to be seen sooner, which you aren't, it still ties up paramedics until you are seen. This keeps them from responding to truly life-threatening emergencies. I really appreciated their telling me about the non-emergency number.

Hope this helps.

I agree. The problem is that Urgent Care is not a 24 hour operation, so people who would definitely benefit cant get sick after hours. It's off to the ER with you, where you are triaged and wait. As for ambulance patients being seen first, let me assure you that this is not the case, ad I was taken by ambulance to TVRH thinking I had a stroke. I spent 5 minutes in the ER bay, was triaged, decided it was not a stroke, and sent into the ER waiting room, where I waited an additional 7 hours. When I was finally seen by a Dr., I was sent for a CT scan and admitted. Once I was in a bed, everything was fine. My hubby, however, was sent from the doctor's office to the ER by ambulance and had an excrutiatingly horrendous experience, even after he was admitted. Our doctor was furious and had him discharged.

GolfingEagles: Could part of the problem be that the ER does not have its own lab, etc., and has to use the same lab for tests as the remainder of the hospital? Could this be part of the reason why wait times are so long, and it seems that nobody is doing anything? Could that be because they can't do anything until the results are back? I don't know if this is the case, but it looks to be. I know we have had to wait quite a while to find out what blood work, x-rays, etc. have shown. Then, the doctor would come in with a decision as to treatment or admit for further testing, etc.

Thanks

When my husband had his first heart attack, the paramedics told us that he was in the throes of a heart attack, immediately making contact with TVRH. It was a little after 1:00 a.m. when he was loaded and we were off to TVRH. When we got there, they were waiting for him, had already called in the cath team, got him ready to go up, he got a stent, and was in ICU by around 4:30 a.m..

In all probability, he would never have made it to Leesburg, much less Shands.

ER at The Villages Hospital
 

Even if it uses the same lab, ER results are usually given priority over other patients. It would be unusual, in my experience to see a duplicate lab just for the ER. A stat lab might be nearby though.

Radiological exams, for the most part, can be done in the ER with portable equipment. In some hospitals there is a dedicated CT and/or MRI adjacent to the ER. I don't know about at TVRH. Usually this is done at larger hospitals, especially trauma centers - which TVRH is not.


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Thank you. I was just wondering and looking for possible explanations for wait times.

Quite true. And it only takes 3 min to run a CBC and 15 min to spin and run a chem profile

My wife was bitten by what we were told later was probably a Marion County Brown Scorpian. She started to have problems with breathing so we went to The Villages Emergency. We stood at the front counter while a Nurse came and went 3 times without acknowledging us. I finally stopped her to ask what the process was and without her asking what was wrong said, and I quote "you're not dying so go sit down and wait like everyone else". We of course walked out and got to an Urgent Care unit and they rushed her into a room and gave her shots immediately as they could see she was in Crisis. Needless to say we will drive to Leesburg before we ever would visit the Village Hospital Emergency again.

That is not good to hear. For all the positive and wonderful advertisements about the Villages, to me, this is of great concern and must be addressed.

Since moving here ten years ago I have been to this emergency room three times ( twice for myself ). My waits were ALL in excess of eight hours. Two of these visits required being admitted to the hospital. Once I was put in what looked like a storage room , awaiting a bed in the hospital. Horrible experiences.

Another Solution
 

Hopefully, hospitals will begin constructing new ones and additions to existing ones with all private rooms. Even though that might be more costly in the beginning, it should alleviate some of the problems such as you describe. Unfortunately, I have seen the same thing over and over in other hospitals, so it is just not TVRH or Leesburg. It also occurs in other cities/states.

Sometimes the wait for a room can be lengthy because they cannot and should not be co-ed. I am sure you understand that they cannot send someone home just because there is another patient still in ER waiting to get to a room. Getting patients out of the ER and into a room is beneficial both to the ER staff and other patients needing ER assistance.

Amazing
 

It is amazing that some are making excuses for the bad treatment or timely attention in the ER at the TVRH! It is a disgrace this is happening and if there is a problem that has 1-3 hours (which is what it is taking + in the TVRH) that the patient does not go to a good facility?? Does it concern anyone that if the ER is so badly organized and/or the treatment that the medical care, (e.g. diagnosis) may be suffering the same problem. I am sure the care of the house, or the car does not exceed the body and how many are concerned they have the right mechanic or landscaper while settleing for whoever appears in the ER? I also think the Developer who takes great pride in the homes and growth of The Villages should take more time to understand the alleged bad medical treatment and do something!!!:popcorn:

I agree, The Villages Hospital ER is the WORST I have experienced!
 

My grandson came for a visit when he was 3 yrs old. He had a seizer and we rushed him to the Villages hospital where we waited 5 hours. We never saw a doctor; only an n.p. I witnessed a man pressing against his chest clearly in pain who also waited. there was NO ONE IN ATTENDANCE WHEN WE GOT THERE....only volunteers who could only tell you to take a seat.
Months later, I spoke to a woman who is a nurse who WORKS THERE, and asked her about this experience whether it was the norm and she told me if her family needed emergency help, she would go to Leesburg, NOT to The Villages!
Where are The Villages standards??? Why is this tolerated in a place with such High Standards for so many other things?
Is there anything more important than our HEALTH?

Sounds good in theory, but you cannot just start building hospitals.

ALL new hospitals, all expansion of hospitals, adding rooms, or even changing rooms to private REQUIRES STATE GOVERNMENT APPROVAL. I may think we need more beds, YOU may think we need more beds, THE HOSPITAL may think it needs more beds, but none of that matters, only if THE STATE agrees can it be done. Welcome to the bureaucracy !

News flash-----TVRH and Leesburg hospital are run by THE SAME entity. It's like saying I wouldn't go to Walmart on 466, I'd go to Walmart on 441. I suspect the nurse who said that is somewhat unhappy for whatever reason.

Not to negate that you had a bad experience but both hospitals are run by the same organization. Also for other posters, the developer isn't involved in the management of the hospitals here...I think, only that Harold Schwartz was responsible, back in the day for bringing TVRH here.

Many of my dog park friends would head up to Shands for treatments of various kinds. UF Health Shands Hospital | UF Health, University of Florida Health

Human or canine?????:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Both actually. Bare probably went looking for that lobster. :)

Actually the UF School of Veterinary Medicine is excellent. We had a cat we took there to be treated by a small animal Cardiologist until it passed away. The UF Orthopedic Center which I go to since I have not yet passed away is also a world class facility.:coolsmiley:

Both. In addition to the Med school and Shands Hospital, they have a great vet school and both large animal and small animal hospitals. Believe it or not, they also have vet specialty residencies. Harry's cavalier predecessor (Winston) had a cardiologist there.


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That's where my dog park friends would often take their cats and dogs. And to the UF Dental School too as I hear they have good rates.

Even if you get seen in the ER, the service is horrible. My mother went in, and then was made to wait, as an admitted patient, 6 days before they actually heard our concern, figured out she had 2 broken vertebrae in her spine, treated her, and released her that day. She died 2 weeks later. They don't care, they seem to have the mentality that everyone here is dying and can't be helped. Unfortunate.

I also had a golf cart accident, was taken in by ambulance with a broken wrist, had horrible, bleeding cuts all over my face and arms. They set the wrist, without ever even wiping off the blood (and I was concerned for infection) or wiping any blood from my face or anywhere else. So sad. I recommend when possible, going into Ocala for care.

It is reasonable to think, in an elder community where healthcare is of utmost importance, that the hospital system here should be of world class standards, rather than sub-par performance. Can't understand it, and people's lives depend on it. Just don't know where to start to get it changed.

Spent 9 hrs in ER waiting room on the Friday before Memorial Day. Finally made in back, but had to wait another 6 hrs before I had a bed upstairs. After I was finally admitted the care was good, really liked some of the nurses. The food was not much. they did not give me any choices on my limited diet.
The longest we waited back in Maryland was 4 hours.

Here's my question ? Over 5000 people have commented on this post. We all know there's a problem there and bitching on here isn't going to fix it. WHY do so many continue to go there then? Go elsewhere for your care. If your going to wait 3 to 9 hours for care hell you could drive to another state. If you don't like the place don't go. It might not be the best but it's EMERGENCY care if that's what you need and you will be treated quickly. Find an urgent care that's open late or go to one of the other Hospitals in the outlying areas.

Actually 70 have commented on it. 5172 have looked at it.

My bad you're correct. Your right the other TVRH discussion has 143 posters and 20,588 views

OhioBuckeye
 

I agree with you 100%. One month after having a 5 way heart bypass I had an issue that needed attention, I sat in the waiting room 5 1/2 hrs. I was told by my heart Dr. to be careful not to get the flu or any other kind of virus. There were 3 people in the waiting room with vomit buckets. It didn't mean nothing to the receptionist or the TV hospital what I was told about what my heart Dr. said. Not going to get into a long story but TV hospital to me isn't a place where you want to go. found out TV hospital can't treat heart issues, they can only stabilize you & send you on to another. You would think with 100,000 + elderly people they would be equipped to do these kind of things since that's one of the things that happen to people when they get older. Guess if TV hospital was as great as some people think the state medical board would make TV hospital one of the best in Florida!

With respect to all of the posters who to their good fortune have not been exposed to this ER and whose typical response is " if you don't like it go elsewhere ", I suspect you are elderly, or getting there, just like the rest of us who do not enjoy good health. Your turn is coming, just give it a couple of years ! Then we await your reaction to callous medical staffers who really do not care that much about you since you are approaching the end of your days anyway.

I have had the experience and I feel this way. If it's an emergency that requires an Ambulance I'll go. If it's a Walk In situation and it's standing room only I'll go elsewhere. 3 times admitted and had great treatment, wanted for nothing. Emergency Room I'll go elsewhere unless by Ambulance.

Our plan
 

Our plan is if we have something that is not critical we go to the Lake Sumter Urgent Care (near Winn Dixie) where you can be sure you will see a Dr. and the treatment is outstanding. If it is critical we first go to this Urgent Care and then on to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville in 2 1/2 hours. I wonder if anyone who manages the Villages (Developer,etc,) actually uses the Villages Hospital. I wonder if they do are they ever left to sit in the waiting room for 5+ hours? Of course not!! It's the old story of the Company that pays its employee's well and with good medical coverage. When they retire the Co. cuts the benifits since they no longer "need" them. Once you purchase a house in The Villages you are subject to alleged poor Hospital medical coverage since you are no longer needed??:bowdown:

I am thankful to have a hospital here! I have been a patient there several times and have had wonderful care!!

I agree. We moved from the Atlanta area and ER wait times were similar. I often think of that saying, "failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Too many in the ER should be seen in Urgent care. Too many in the ER should have gone to their doctor YESTERDAY. When I went to the ER I waited 6 hours to be seen and then was admitted. Yes, it was a long wait. Yes, I needed to be admitted but I wasn't dying. Yes, I received excellent care.

Couldn't agree more. 100% on spot !