[jaringg]

Lets talk about experiences at the local hospitals.
Mine have not been good, seems like no one is in charge, like organized confusion!

[asianthree]

it may seem that way but trust me when a trauma comes in its like a dance everyone moves in and out..and in the right place... to save the life in that room...its what the ed was designed for...trauma, not cuts, bruises, colds, and such

[cmfjr]

I recently have had personal experience with The Villages Hospital ER. My wife was transported to TV ER via Sumter County EMS. Within 10 minutes from our arrival I was in the ER Rommel with her and 2 doctors and a RN. The treatment was efficient and professionally administered. My major observation that this Hospital is big (ER, ICU and private rooms) enough, especially during the "busy season" which is not in full swing yet! Because there were no ICU beds she stayed in ER for 20 hours taking up a critical ER bed while waiting for an ICU bed. The same thing happened while in ICU. She stayed an additional day in ICU as there were no private rooms on the medical floor. However, I can say from many previous hospitalizations at major city teaching hospital, the services received to date, including the ER was/is on par with any received in the past!

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by jaringg

Lets talk about experiences at the local hospitals.
Mine have not been good, seems like no one is in charge, like organized confusion!

Most of the people waiting in the ER could be handled efficiently and quickly in one of the Urgent Care Centers, especially the care center run by TV hospital. I can assure you that if they think you need to be treated as an emergency you would be.

[rubicon]

Define emergency care. I certainly cannot with any degree of accuracy since I am not a medical professional. I listen to an incident once from a state trooper concerning an automobile accident involving two vehicles. The trooper told me he spoke in length to one of the drivers. the driver told the state trooper he was just fine and hadn't received as much as a bruise. This driver went home and within a few hours died from internal injuries.

Based on the concerns expressed by people perhaps the ER being a triage needs to have a triage within a triage so that the flu patients, etc are directed to urgent care leaving more time and resources devoted to fractures, etc.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by rubicon

Define emergency care. I certainly cannot with any degree of accuracy since I am not a medical professional. I listen to an incident once from a state trooper concerning an automobile accident involving two vehicles. The trooper told me he spoke in length to one of the drivers. the driver told the state trooper he was just fine and hadn't received as much as a bruise. This driver went home and within a few hours died from internal injuries.

Based on the concerns expressed by people perhaps the ER being a triage needs to have a triage within a triage so that the flu patients, etc are directed to urgent care leaving more time and resources devoted to fractures, etc.

Flu is often life-threatening to an older person, or those with cancer and many other diseases that have them already immune-compromised or debilitated, while most fractures are not life threatening. Fractures are painful, yes, but they can be treated for that while waiting on the life-threatened patients.

Respiratory, cardiac and neurological problems possible from flu (and other things) are nothing to fool around with, especially among seniors.

[Heritage]

Been to Villages Hospital ER three times in past 14 months. My husband was treated well and so was I. Staff was efficient, friendly and competent.

[TraceyMooreRN]

The flu is not a medical emergency- in the eyes of an ER. What determines the emergency is the symptoms you are experiencing when you are in triage or just happened based on a quick assessment by qualified staff (nurse, PA, MD). You may have the flu-but you may have the following that is determining the emergency:

No heart beat, No breathing, Too Rapid or Too Slow Heart Rate, Little breathing or too fast, Unresponsive patient= IMMEDIATE CARE= Emergency

Chest Pain- will usually get you in the back quickly--if you are having active symptoms-crushing chest pain, neck/jaw pain, abnormal EKG done in triage, abnormal stat labwork done in triage.

Neuro- Fall with loss of consciousness, slurred speech (without drinking ETOH), head injury, open wound on head, change in mental status.

Your cough for 3 days, your dental pain for a week, arm pain, leg pain, swelling of any body part other than tongue/face/throat, rash, throat pain, groin pain, toe pain, knee pain-any other pain than chest pain really, spots in vision that has resolved but you want checked, back spasms, abdominal pain are all patients who will have to be worked up (labs, iv line, ekg sometimes, ultrasound, ct scans...will be waiting in ER waiting room and waiting in ER room once they make it back there for several hours) or rather quick depending on who else is in the ER being seen and how busy that particular ER is when you arrive.

Please remember- you may wait hours in any ER and you have NO IDEA what has come in that is a true emergency that bumps your chart back again. Please be patient with the staff, they don't want you waiting in pain or uncomfortable just because we want too-it is because we need to take care of the critical patients first. Find urgent care if you can and you feel it is not an emergency. If they are closed and you can wait until the am then wait until they open. If you can't wait---then please go to an ER and be seen. Any ER will assist you in the order of your critical/non critical assessment at the time you arrive in the ER. Never pass up coming to an ER because they are busy--if you thought you needed emergent care--please wait to be seen, it could be life threatening.

Please dont' call EMS to come just thinking you will be seen faster. You are triaged at the door and if not critical- you will be sent to lobby to wait in line with the people who have been there already waiting. (Yes, people call EMS for a dental problem and are sent to the waiting room).

Also- please don't come in and tell a nurse/md "I am not going to stay the night". If the doctor feels like you need to stay- he/she writes admission orders and you will have to sign out Against Medical Advise and some insurances won't pay for your visit. Please don't have us do all the lab work/testing and then say we are taking too long and leave--you will NOT get your results without going through medical records--which rumor has is a pain!

Most of all--seek help as quick as you can--don't wait 3 days with chest pain or difficulty breathing. Don't be afraid to at least get checked out...Nurses and Doctors want to help you and make you better!

This is all just IMHO of how an ER runs in most hospitals....

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by TraceyMooreRN

The flu is not a medical emergency- in the eyes of an ER. What determines the emergency is the symptoms you are experiencing when you are in triage or just happened based on a quick assessment by qualified staff (nurse, PA, MD). You may have the flu-but you may have the following that is determining the emergency:

No heart beat, No breathing, Too Rapid or Too Slow Heart Rate, Little breathing or too fast, Unresponsive patient= IMMEDIATE CARE= Emergency

Chest Pain- will usually get you in the back quickly--if you are having active symptoms-crushing chest pain, neck/jaw pain, abnormal EKG done in triage, abnormal stat labwork done in triage.

Neuro- Fall with loss of consciousness, slurred speech (without drinking ETOH), head injury, open wound on head, change in mental status.

Your cough for 3 days, your dental pain for a week, arm pain, leg pain, swelling of any body part other than tongue/face/throat, rash, throat pain, groin pain, toe pain, knee pain-any other pain than chest pain really, spots in vision that has resolved but you want checked, back spasms, abdominal pain are all patients who will have to be worked up (labs, iv line, ekg sometimes, ultrasound, ct scans...will be waiting in ER waiting room and waiting in ER room once they make it back there for several hours) or rather quick depending on who else is in the ER being seen and how busy that particular ER is when you arrive.

Please remember- you may wait hours in any ER and you have NO IDEA what has come in that is a true emergency that bumps your chart back again. Please be patient with the staff, they don't want you waiting in pain or uncomfortable just because we want too-it is because we need to take care of the critical patients first. Find urgent care if you can and you feel it is not an emergency. If they are closed and you can wait until the am then wait until they open. If you can't wait---then please go to an ER and be seen. Any ER will assist you in the order of your critical/non critical assessment at the time you arrive in the ER. Never pass up coming to an ER because they are busy--if you thought you needed emergent care--please wait to be seen, it could be life threatening.

Please dont' call EMS to come just thinking you will be seen faster. You are triaged at the door and if not critical- you will be sent to lobby to wait in line with the people who have been there already waiting. (Yes, people call EMS for a dental problem and are sent to the waiting room).

Also- please don't come in and tell a nurse/md "I am not going to stay the night". If the doctor feels like you need to stay- he/she writes admission orders and you will have to sign out Against Medical Advise and some insurances won't pay for your visit. Please don't have us do all the lab work/testing and then say we are taking too long and leave--you will NOT get your results without going through medical records--which rumor has is a pain!

Most of all--seek help as quick as you can--don't wait 3 days with chest pain or difficulty breathing. Don't be afraid to at least get checked out...Nurses and Doctors want to help you and make you better!

This is all just IMHO of how an ER runs in most hospitals....

Thank you for taking the time to explain how an ER works for those who have no idea. As you explained, there are always tests to be run and then there is a wait for those results. ER cannot be equated with fast food service. In conjunction with what you said, those tests are not necessarily at the top of the line, either. Tests may be being done for patients already in the hospital and there is just so much equipment available.

Along the same line, whether in the ER or the hospital, just because the doctor says you can go home, that does not equate to right away. Thankfully, more and more doctors are now taking the time to explain the process to patients. People just need to acquire a little patience and realize that they are not the only ones in need.

We are blessed with having such caring and devoted doctors and nurses here in The Villages and I, for one, am very grateful.

[Peachie]

Originally Posted by jaringg

Lets talk about experiences at the local hospitals.
Mine have not been good, seems like no one is in charge, like organized confusion!

Are you stirring the pot or have you actually been seen at TVRH, Leesburg Medical Center, Ocala Regional Medical Center, Munroe Hospital and not one of your experiences was satisfactory? That would be a shame since most people report good experiences at these facilities.

As a side note; hospitals operate on a different wave length of organization than say, a department store. There are far many more variables when it comes to caring for patients that may make their practices appear confusing to lay people, (patients); but the talented, capable medical staff at these facilities have a steady hand on the drama within hospital walls, (in most instances).