[Carl in Tampa]

Well, apparently the stress of packing for a move and putting her house on the market caught up with Barbara and she made a 911 trip to The Villages Regional Hospital last night.

Arriving at the Emergency Room by ambulance meant that she was seen immediately, and she was tucked into a cubicle in the ER, where she is still housed at 4:15PM the next day.

She and about twenty other people are in the ER waiting for people to check out upstairs so they can be moved to a room. When she arrived last night there were 100 people in the ER waiting room.

Apparently a lot of the crowd was stricken by the Flu. In fact, there is so much Flu in the ER area that people are not allowed to visit patients who are in the ER awaiting being moved upstairs.

Barbara's problem is not the Flu, so she is being kept away from other ER patients. Hopefully, she will be treated and released in a couple of days.

Be careful about your health in this Flu season.

[FMF Doc]

Have a friend with her Mom in Leesburg Regional Hospital. She has been waiting for a room since last night. Sounds like the same scenario.

[aletarw]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

Well, apparently the stress of packing for a move and putting her house on the market caught up with Barbara and she made a 911 trip to The Villages Regional Hospital last night.

Arriving at the Emergency Room by ambulance meant that she was seen immediately, and she was tucked into a cubicle in the ER, where she is still housed at 4:15PM the next day.

She and about twenty other people are in the ER waiting for people to check out upstairs so they can be moved to a room. When she arrived last night there were 100 people in the ER waiting room.

Apparently a lot of the crowd was stricken by the Flu. In fact, there is so much Flu in the ER area that people are not allowed to visit patients who are in the ER awaiting being moved upstairs.

Barbara's problem is not the Flu, so she is being kept away from other ER patients. Hopefully, she will be treated and released in a couple of days.

Be careful about your health in this Flu season.

I am considering moving to the Villages. Hospital crowding concerns me. Is this normal for hospitals in the Villages?

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by aletarw

I am considering moving to the Villages. Hospital crowding concerns me. Is this normal for hospitals in the Villages?

Right now it’s normal in many states. Up north we are at 100% and have been for 13 days. The flu has hit hard for not only seniors, but kids as well.

[New Englander]

This years Flu Bug is reaping havoc. Many hospitals around the country are being deluged with people very sick with it.

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by aletarw

I am considering moving to the Villages. Hospital crowding concerns me. Is this normal for hospitals in the Villages?

The Villages Regional Hospital is the only hospital actually located in The Villages. Being convenient for getting to, it is sometimes overwhelmed by things such as a flu epidemic. However, there are a couple of other hospitals just a short trip away.

Additionally, there are a number of Urgent Care Clinics in and around The Villages, which are geared for problems like sports injuries (Pickleball players) and illnesses that do not require hospitalization.

It has been my general practice to be treated at Urgent Care offices. On one occasion the doctor identified a life threatening condition and I was immediately transferred to the hospital.

If someone's condition is not urgently life threatening, excellent medical attention is available at various specialty hospitals in Tampa, which is an hour and a half drive south of The Villages, and in the highly regarded Shands Hospital in Gainesville, just over an hours drive north of The Villages.

[Wiotte]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

The Villages Regional Hospital is the only hospital actually located in The Villages. Being convenient for getting to, it is sometimes overwhelmed by things such as a flu epidemic. However, there are a couple of other hospitals just a short trip away.



Additionally, there are a number of Urgent Care Clinics in and around The Villages, which are geared for problems like sports injuries (Pickleball players) and illnesses that do not require hospitalization.



It has been my general practice to be treated at Urgent Care offices. On one occasion the doctor identified a life threatening condition and I was immediately transferred to the hospital.



If someone's condition is not urgently life threatening, excellent medical attention is available at various specialty hospitals in Tampa, which is an hour and a half drive south of The Villages, and in the highly regarded Shands Hospital in Gainesville, just over an hours drive north of The Villages.

If you live in TV south of Hillsborough Trail, Leesburg Regional is closer. Head east on SR44, no roundabouts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pauld315]

I went to the doctor's office in my town in NC today and it was packed, A lot of people in there wearing masks. I make sure I touch nothing and used purell 3 times while i was in there.

The problem is that they are so inefficient at discharging people. My husband was admitted last year for a cardiac stent. He was cleared to leave the following morning by his cardiologist but had to wait all day to be discharged by the admitting physician.

[starflyte1]

Isn't Leesburg Hospital owned and managed by the same group that has The Villages Hospital? There is Monroe and West County Marion in Ocala. Monroe would be choice.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by aletarw

I am considering moving to the Villages. Hospital crowding concerns me. Is this normal for hospitals in the Villages?

Hospital crowding is an issue all over the country during a serious flu season.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by fw102807

The problem is that they are so inefficient at discharging people. My husband was admitted last year for a cardiac stent. He was cleared to leave the following morning by his cardiologist but had to wait all day to be discharged by the admitting physician.

Please understand that it is not an efficiency problem. It is a process. Many of the physicians will explain to patients (when they have the time) that just because he/she says you can go home, it does not mean that getting there will be quick.

That doctor will have to see the remainder of his/her patients on that floor, go to the desk and write up all orders, many of which may or may not be dismissals. They do them all at once, not one at a time. This has to occur with any and all doctors who are or have been involved in your care. All doctors do not make rounds at the same time and some have patients on more than one floor or section, which means that your floor may be the last one they get to. Some may have already "dismissed" you from their care, but not from the hospital. It just means that there is no need for them to be involved any longer. Once this is done, the nurse has to prepare the paperwork, sometimes requiring that nurse to call and arrange any followup appointments if requested by the doctor to do so; that just depends on how each individual doctor handles dismissals. Any and all IV's must be removed (if not already out), telemetry monitors removed, and you have to go over the paperwork with your nurse and then sign it. Meanwhile, that same nurse will also have some new admits coming to the floor which can require that he/she drop everything else and do what has to be done with/for them. In the midst of all this, some patients who are neither being dismissed nor admitted, will press their call buttons for numerous reasons and those must be addressed. Dismissals go to the bottom of the priority list. When all is said and done, then someone has to be called to transport you to your vehicle for your ride home. Depending on the number leaving at the same time, this can also take a little while.

With hospitals at capacity and so many having to wait hours to be admitted, they do their very best to get patients ready for dismissal as quickly as possible. They understand the urgency of getting patients out of the ER, Cath Lab, Surgery, etc. for care. They also understand that once you have been told by so much as one doctor, you are ready! Even when patients do leave, all the cleaning and preparation has to be done before others can be brought to the floor and room.

Just remember, home is not going anywhere. It is still there, awaiting your return along with any pets you may have. They are just as anxious to see you as you are them and your spouse is ready for your return.

I sincerely hope your husband is doing well. Stents are an awesome lifesaving invention.

[Arlington2]

Originally Posted by dillywho

Please understand that it is not an efficiency problem. It is a process. Many of the physicians will explain to patients (when they have the time) that just because he/she says you can go home, it does not mean that getting there will be quick.

I recently had a TV Emergency room into the hospital experience. In the late afternoon I had chest pains and was immediately taken in for an EKG .The waiting room was about 3/4 full. When it was determined my condition was not life threatening but serious enough for more attention I was no longer top priority which I understood and accepted. After approximately 5 hours I was sent to a bed in the emergency section with the expectation I might spend the night there unless something opened in the hospital which it did about 2 hours later. 2 days later I was discharged in the late afternoon. The discharge process took about 2 hours from the time the cardiologist said I was to be discharged and the actual discharge. While there I was told that on another floor the flu patients overwhelmed the hospital and beds were in the hallway. I believe the process worked in my case. It is designed to attend to the most needy and patient safety - definitely not for patient convenience. By the way the staff was excellent through the process. I would absolutely go the TV hospital next time a real emergency need arises, but to a urgent care if not life threatening.

Originally Posted by dillywho

Please understand that it is not an efficiency problem. It is a process. Many of the physicians will explain to patients (when they have the time) that just because he/she says you can go home, it does not mean that getting there will be quick.

That doctor will have to see the remainder of his/her patients on that floor, go to the desk and write up all orders, many of which may or may not be dismissals. They do them all at once, not one at a time. This has to occur with any and all doctors who are or have been involved in your care. All doctors do not make rounds at the same time and some have patients on more than one floor or section, which means that your floor may be the last one they get to. Some may have already "dismissed" you from their care, but not from the hospital. It just means that there is no need for them to be involved any longer. Once this is done, the nurse has to prepare the paperwork, sometimes requiring that nurse to call and arrange any followup appointments if requested by the doctor to do so; that just depends on how each individual doctor handles dismissals. Any and all IV's must be removed (if not already out), telemetry monitors removed, and you have to go over the paperwork with your nurse and then sign it. Meanwhile, that same nurse will also have some new admits coming to the floor which can require that he/she drop everything else and do what has to be done with/for them. In the midst of all this, some patients who are neither being dismissed nor admitted, will press their call buttons for numerous reasons and those must be addressed. Dismissals go to the bottom of the priority list. When all is said and done, then someone has to be called to transport you to your vehicle for your ride home. Depending on the number leaving at the same time, this can also take a little while.

With hospitals at capacity and so many having to wait hours to be admitted, they do their very best to get patients ready for dismissal as quickly as possible. They understand the urgency of getting patients out of the ER, Cath Lab, Surgery, etc. for care. They also understand that once you have been told by so much as one doctor, you are ready! Even when patients do leave, all the cleaning and preparation has to be done before others can be brought to the floor and room.

Just remember, home is not going anywhere. It is still there, awaiting your return along with any pets you may have. They are just as anxious to see you as you are them and your spouse is ready for your return.

I sincerely hope your husband is doing well. Stents are an awesome lifesaving invention.

Still it is a process that ties up much needed beds. In our case it was a physician who came in after he was done seeing his own private practice patient for the day. We did not get out until 6:00.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by fw102807

Still it is a process that ties up much needed beds. In our case it was a physician who came in after he was done seeing his own private practice patient for the day. We did not get out until 6:00.

The doctor who released me, signed my papers so I could go home a few weeks ago at TVRH was also my own PCP and I went home at nine in the evening after an eight day stay to the Christmas that we had all been waiting for.

During that time, every day, I saw my cardiologist early in the morning and after supper, and my PCP at all hours too.

I realized personally the long days that doctors commit themselves to.

Thank God for them and for TVRH.