[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by: Angiefox10

(FYI my heart and total health is GREAT!)

Angie, that's great, I'm glad to hear it! Would it therefore be safe to assume you have normal blood pressure(without medication)? No shortness of breath while working out? No fatigue while doing household chores or exercising? Wouldn't these be the type of questions they would ask before ordering a stress test?

Are they ordering tests routinely in every instance so as to make more money off of Medicare? Could this be Medicare fraud? We had a thread on Medicare fraud and I think it was agreed by many that it often involves ordering too many unnecessary tests.

Perhaps you should report it as a possible fraud.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Angie, that's great, I'm glad to hear it! Would it therefore be safe to assume you have normal blood pressure(without medication)? No shortness of breath while working out? No fatigue while doing household chores or exercising? Wouldn't these be the type of questions they would ask before ordering a stress test?

Are they ordering tests routinely in every instance so as to make more money off of Medicare? Could this be Medicare fraud? We had a thread on Medicare fraud and I think it was agreed by many that it often involves ordering too many unnecessary tests.

Perhaps you should report it as a possible fraud.

She had chest pains! If they didn't order tests it would be fraud all right--better known as quackery.

Lots of people with good blood pressure, no shortness of breath while working out, no fatigue, good weight, etc., suffer heart attacks. I personally know two such people who died of heart attacks, one while jogging. And countless others I've read about down through the years.

[gomoho]

I wonder if anyone has ever died on a gurney in the hallway of the ER at TVRH?

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by CFrance

She had chest pains! If they didn't order tests it would be fraud all right--better known as quackery.

I'm just going by what she said, "....my heart and total health is great!

Lots of people with good blood pressure, no shortness of breath while working out, no fatigue, good weight, etc., suffer heart attacks. I personally know two such people who died of heart attacks, one while jogging. And countless others I've read about down through the years.

I think you may be somewhat misinformed. For one thing, I don't believe this happened while jogging. And I doubt you know "countless others" who have had the same thing happen.

When I went to the hospital several years ago, the emergency room doctor told me I wasn't having a heart attack. How did he know without any testing? Only two things were used: blood pressure and stethoscope plus a few questions.

My prediction: Emotions often trump reason, just wait and see.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I'm just going by what she said, "....my heart and total health is great!



I think you may be somewhat misinformed. For one thing, I don't believe this happened while jogging. And I doubt you know "countless others" who have had the same thing happen.

When I went to the hospital several years ago, the emergency room doctor told me I wasn't having a heart attack. How did he know without any testing? Only two things were used: blood pressure and stethoscope plus a few questions.

Emotions often trump reason, just wait and see.

Are you calling me a liar? I knew the woman's 27-year-old son, and he was found dead on the jogging path, while jogging. The autopsy listed cause of death as a heart attack.

The other person I knew personally was an athlete who dropped dead while taking a shower at home. he was 40. Same autopsy results.

The countless others were people in news reports during our 25 years in West Michigan.

You have no clue know what I know; we don't even know each other. So please don't try to tell me.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Are you calling me a liar? I knew the woman's 27-year-old son, and he was found dead on the jogging path, while jogging. The autopsy listed cause of death as a heart attack.

My point was: I don't think the OP got chest pains from jogging.

The other person I knew personally was an athlete who dropped dead while taking a shower at home. he was 40. Same autopsy results.

But he wasn't in a hospital emergency room being examined by a doctor.

The countless others were people in news reports during our 25 years in West Michigan.

Were they in the emergency room of a hospital being examined? This is what we are talking about. We are talking about whether or not a doctor can tell if a stress test is needed.

[CFrance]

I was referring to your statement that hospitals doing tests on seemingly healthy people who show up in the emergency room with chest pains are engaging in medical fraud.

[Fred McNickle]

New to the Villages. Where is a good place to go when needing medical care? Obviously not The Villages ER. Are there other ERs in the vicinity?

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Fred McNickle

New to the Villages. Where is a good place to go when needing medical care? Obviously not The Villages ER. Are there other ERs in the vicinity?

Leesburg hospital has an ER, and there are several in Ocala. TVRH is overwhelmed during season so it's not that busy out of season and is being expanded. There are also several urgent care centers in and around TV.

[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.

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Leesburg has a really good hospital, particularly for Orthopaedics and Cardiology/Cardiac Surgery. The cardiac surgery program is ranked 3rd in a state with a number of really good programs. You should also know that TV Hospital and Leesburg are part of a system called Central FL Health Alliance, so they have the same management...and same physicians for the most part. I have watched the healthcare industry grow here in central FL for the past 25 years. It has come a long way, both in facilities and physicians, as well as the quality of care. Sure, it has room to go, but for most everything I would stay here for my care. I am very pleased with the physicians I personally have here, and am really picky having worked with physicians for more than 40 years.

I would also note that it is uncommonly difficult to manage the swings in patient volume that occur when Season brings another 25-30K people to our community. I've not been happy on one or two occasions with TVRH myself. But I've contacted administration to let them know. They can't fix a problem unless they know it exists. And I believe they are genuinely interested in fixing things. It is in their best interest to do so, as well as in our interests.

I have a girlfriend who is a nurse at Leesburg who says that while they are the part of Central FL Health Alliance, and have the same management they are not the same.

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by blueash

Here is some information, one respected well balanced source, on when is a stress test needed, and nuclear vs exercise.
Choosing Wisely | Stress tests for chest pain

To the OP, as you have suggested that your being fit should have gone into the decision making process, I would respectfully disagree. You presented with acute chest pain. Your past ability to exercise did not preclude your having a significant cardiac event at the time of this hospitalization. Had they said, "Well, she is Beachbody Coach so we don't have to evaluate her heart, she must be fine." that would have been terrible care.

As to who ordered what test, I can't tell from your posting. You said you were seen by a PA, and then said a doctor ordered your test. A PA is not a doctor and despite your telling the PA you wanted a treadmill, if the MD the previous evening had ordered a nuclear test, that order would still apply. I don't know what your blood work showed or whether there might have been some concerns on your baseline EKG that they may not have even mentioned to you as they can be non-specific.

To clarify, the PA decided I should do the treadmill test... The doctor later agreed that he wanted it and questioned why I didn't take the treadmill test.

You can be 100% certain that some technologist in the cardiac lab did not make the decision of what stress test you would receive. They were following an order from someone. And as someone else posted, if you objected to having the test it is completely within your rights to decline it. At worst this will result in someone coming to explain to you the pros and cons and that if you die from an MI on the ride home they told you to have the test (CYA informed consent).

Something that was missed in my letter. The right hand in the hospital didn't know what the left hand was doing. I found it very scary. It was so bad I felt that if someone came in to have their left leg amputated... they would most likely remove the right one. It was BAD!!!!

The people posting here are assuming the staff at the hospital knew what they were doing. It was clear to me.. they didn't!!!

I was told they are over worked and understaffed!

[angiefox10]

You know.... I don't think I have written anything bad about any company.. In fact... I have gone out of my way to live by the adage "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"

My health and my family's health is important to me. My doctors and my hospital is important to me. I wrote this.. I believe my first (if not, one of few) bad reviews because it was important to me and I thought it might be important to someone else.

Clearly I was wrong.

Just consider... Maybe... just maybe...I might know what I'm talking about.

Have a great day.