[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

I think you may have somehow missed the history and medication part. Perhaps you stepped away for awhile?

I'm a RN on the medical floor in TVRH. When patients are sent up from the ED I see all the paperwork (yes there is tons of it!). One of the basic and yes most important forms is the history and medication list. In fact we need to reconcile the medications with a doc ASAP when the patient is admitted. The health history area is usually very extensive and details all known conditions. Maybe it's different when someone is not considered for admission but the facts I just stated are just that - facts, for all the patients I have admitted.

Right now the ED is completely overwhelmed with patients. Two days ago we had 14 patients waiting for a bed upstairs but the hospital was booked. And quite often the ED is in 'divert' mode where we send patients (non life threatening) to other hospitals.

I'm not saying it justifies the long wait but she was triaged in decent time for a non life threatening injury and I'm sure the triage nurse (hopefully) let you know that it would be some time since the injury wasn't urgent. We have dozens of very ill patients that get seen in appropriate time in the ED and unfortunately this time of the season presents many challenges.

I hope she is well.

Russ

This tells a lot of the story. But just wait. When final plans and construction of the new Brownwood-area TV hospital get under way, those who think they know how to run TV and the hospital system better will be on here screaming about how "money should not be spent on that", "the developer makes money off this", etc. etc. etc.

[ARedheadedMermaid]

Originally Posted by cricket1

I was with my Mom the entire time she was in the treatment room. At one point I even produced the plastic bag I had brought Mom's prescription meds in and said to the ED nurse, "Look, I even brought Mom's meds with us." She said, "Oh, we love it when patients do that", but she didn't look at the meds. That was the entire discussion about current meds.

I understand the triage concept and the need for it. I get it on how busy things are here this time of year. What I don't understand is how after years of this topic, the situation doesn't seem to improve. I don't have an answer but I'm not in a position to fix it. I hope the folks who are in that position are working on it in some way.

Mom is still having pain in her hip. There really isn't a reason except for favoring that leg for a day (10 days ago) while she had a charlie horse in the opposite leg. She will get better, in time. Thank you for your concern. And thanks for reading my story.

When your mother was in Triage she was asked for a health history, she had a very specific complaint "Hip Pain" without injury. While you had to wait a lengthy time in the ED, they did address the hip pain. What would have been the reason to see all the medications your mother had when she wasn't admitted into the hospital? Those medications were not related to her hip pain. If she was having chest pain or couldn't breath it would be important to see what her medication list was. She would be most likely be admitted and would be an important part of the admission process, in her case, since she was not going to be admitted a full list of her medications wasn't necessary. If you come in with an ear ache the doctor is going to examine your ear, treat that and send you home-the same is true with someone coming in with hip pain.

I'm sorry to hear your mother is still in pain but hope that with follow up care she will soon be feeling much better ...sometimes we just don't have an answer as to why someone has pain.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by nkrifats

I was at Munroe in Ocala for ER this past weekend. 8 hour wait. Not unusual for an emergency room.

I had been to the Munroe ER twice and did not have much of a wait. I suspect it may be the time of yhe year (seasonal residents, et al )

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by ARedheadedMermaid

When your mother was in Triage she was asked for a health history, she had a very specific complaint "Hip Pain" without injury. While you had to wait a lengthy time in the ED, they did address the hip pain. What would have been the reason to see all the medications your mother had when she wasn't admitted into the hospital? Those medications were not related to her hip pain. If she was having chest pain or couldn't breath it would be important to see what her medication list was. She would be most likely be admitted and would be an important part of the admission process, in her case, since she was not going to be admitted a full list of her medications wasn't necessary. If you come in with an ear ache the doctor is going to examine your ear, treat that and send you home-the same is true with someone coming in with hip pain.

I'm sorry to hear your mother is still in pain but hope that with follow up care she will soon be feeling much better ...sometimes we just don't have an answer as to why someone has pain.

I see the point about the med list. I only see them after admit so I have the list. And yes we do love it when people bring in the bottles from home Makes our job easier.

Note: everyone should keep a med list in the purse or wallet - just in case.

[ARedheadedMermaid]

Originally Posted by rubicon

I had been to the Munroe ER twice and did not have much of a wait. I suspect it may be the time of yhe year (seasonal residents, et al )

At this time of year in The Villages ED the wait can be very long...there are many seasonal visitors here and many more very ill patients. When there is no bed available within the hospital we must hold them in the ED which decreases the treatment areas within the ED to accommodate the increasing influx of patients coming in...it makes for very long wait times to be treated in the ED and long wait times for patients to go to their assigned rooms. It isn't a win-win situation for anyone, but change takes time and to make room for everyone will take even longer as it's not as simple as building more rooms/floors. People don't realize that it's not just about money and desire to build but a governmental problem as well. The governmental process for permitting is a long drawn out one that involves so many agencies and also includes the other surrounding hospitals. Everyone must agree or it doesn't get done...it takes years for this to happen.

[Russ_Boston]

Let's hope the new facility in the Brownwood area can take up some of the slack. Not sure what is going to be put there but my guess is some sort of urgent care type system to take the strain off of the ED. The new CEO just took over so let's give him some time to plan and yes, work with the government issues.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by ARedheadedMermaid

At this time of year in The Villages ED the wait can be very long...there are many seasonal visitors here and many more very ill patients. When there is no bed available within the hospital we must hold them in the ED which decreases the treatment areas within the ED to accommodate the increasing influx of patients coming in...it makes for very long wait times to be treated in the ED and long wait times for patients to go to their assigned rooms. It isn't a win-win situation for anyone, but change takes time and to make room for everyone will take even longer as it's not as simple as building more rooms/floors. People don't realize that it's not just about money and desire to build but a governmental problem as well. The governmental process for permitting is a long drawn out one that involves so many agencies and also includes the other surrounding hospitals. Everyone must agree or it doesn't get done...it takes years for this to happen.

ARedheadedmermaid: You do not have to sell me when it comes to nurses. I have unfortunately been hospitalized more than I care to remember and nurses and support staff in my view deserve more pay and more respect than is accorded them. I do not know how you function so well in this fast paced and adverse environment but you do...and for that I will be eternally grateful

[ssmith]

So sorry about your husband having the mini-stroke! One thing to consider when having stroke like symptoms is to get to the hospital as soon as possible....don't wait it out at home....time is very important to getting the 'clot busting' drug. That being said, I am not accusing you of doing this...just want to make sure everyone is aware. I am a nurse and deal with patients all of the time who try to 'wait it out at home' wether it be heart pain or stroke sx. The goal is to prevent irreversable damage.

I think I do see a patten in the posts though. It appears that scheduled procedures have a better outcome than those that come in through the ED. Of course, this may not at all be the case.

Also I am glad you got a copy of your records/ tests. I was going to recommend doing that. Will be better for your own records.

[Billyg]

I did get hubs to the hospital right away. He never received any clot busting drug tho, maybe because his symptoms started to subside?
Thanks for the support. It's been quite a journey.
I think it also makes a difference if you have an established MD so that you are not at the mercy of the hospital staff MDs.
The DR.s we had were incompetent. Plain and simple.

[rpensabene]

Insist on being taken to Munroe in Ocala!!!!

[Billyg]

Thank you, I will insist.
Now that means we need to find a good Neurologist and good Family Dr. or Internist in Ocala.
Any suggestions?

[shcisamax]

I am a little surprised that the medical situation in TV is not as well thought out as the developments. Knowing that you have 85,000 "patients" soon to be 110,000, should dictate a fairly decent medical facility, especially considering the demographic of the population.
I hope someone decides to put in the same attention to detail that TV has done with their homes to make a world class medical facility. It seems to be the one thing TV is missing.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by shcisamax

I am a little surprised that the medical situation in TV is not as well thought out as the developments. Knowing that you have 85,000 "patients" soon to be 110,000, should dictate a fairly decent medical facility, especially considering the demographic of the population.
I hope someone decides to put in the same attention to detail that TV has done with their homes to make a world class medical facility. It seems to be the one thing TV is missing.

How exactly would one attract the doctors, nurses, technicians, administrators and specialists to a city of 85,000 that does not allow the above people to live here if they have children under age 19??? (And for the record, I'm not advocating that kids be allowed to live here.)

The Charter Schools here are a brilliant concept to attract the professionals and clinicians needed.

The recent alliance made between TV and the USF Medical School, which agrees to accept TV Charter High School graduates into med school is a nice way to attract the parents who are professionals needed here, too. But the bottom line is, the students cannot live here in TV with their parents.

Then, how would one attract physicians and professionals here when 85% of patients at TV Hospital are on Medicare, and Medicare reimbursement to hospitals and doctors keeps getting cut more and more every year...which leads to constant belt tightening and staffing cuts at the hospitals....and more cuts of $500 billion are part of the new law??

[shcisamax]

I do not live in TV yet so am just learning about it. I actually will be moving there in 2 months. But in answer to your question where would the doctors and nurses live because their children couldn't live with them, there are lots of other towns surrounding the villages where they could live I would think. Where I live, there isn't a teacher at any of the public schools that can afford to live anywhere in this county. They travel 40 - 75 minutes each way to get here. It is very sad but that is how we value our teachers in this country. As for hospitals servicing only older people, I hadn't considered the financial impact. I guess my next question would be, if the hospital in TV is compromised because of the financial considerations, then what medical institution is nearby that services the general population that would be considered world class?

[Russ_Boston]

TVRH employees are eligible for charter school. (At least I know a nurse who works there for that reason, so I assume it's available).