[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by blueash

Hopefully this will not be deleted as political, but you completely misunderstand the workings of the ACA. The ER's are in part overcrowded because people DON'T have insurance. ER's are required to provide evaluation without regard to the financial coverage of the patient. So the uninsured use the ER for primary care and minor illnesses. We still hear people say we don't need universal health insurance as poor people can get great free care in the ER, so everyone really already gets needed medical care. Once people have insurance, they will be able to go to primary care doctors and NP/PA's and not overcrowd the ER, and in fact get their care at much lower cost per incident. The ACA will hugely improve the ability of ER's to return to their mission of providing emergency care.

This is going on all over the country, not just in the area around TV. ERs should be for emergencies, not routine care for people without health insurance seeking free medical care. Tragically, the patients who really need to be seen and treated are the people most adversely affected.

[eremite06]

Originally Posted by blueash

Hopefully this will not be deleted as political, but you completely misunderstand the workings of the ACA. The ER's are in part overcrowded because people DON'T have insurance. ER's are required to provide evaluation without regard to the financial coverage of the patient. So the uninsured use the ER for primary care and minor illnesses. We still hear people say we don't need universal health insurance as poor people can get great free care in the ER, so everyone really already gets needed medical care. Once people have insurance, they will be able to go to primary care doctors and NP/PA's and not overcrowd the ER, and in fact get their care at much lower cost per incident. The ACA will hugely improve the ability of ER's to return to their mission of providing emergency care.

I agree from I've seen in Miami.

My son is a Marion county fire/medic. He told me if I need an ER, go to Leesburg.

[justjim]

OP: Unfortunately, your "ER Story" is a repeat of many such stories documented over and over again at The Villages Hospital. Any reasonable person would say that the ER at our closest Hospital is totally unacceptable. Can it be fixed? Sure. But it may take the Developer using all his influence (and that is substantial) to intervene to correct this as soon as possible. So it's America's Healthiest Hometown!

[blueash]

The Average ER Wait Time Reached A New U.S. Record In 2009 - Business Insider

Average wait times in ER by state 2009 data. For Florida 264 minutes which is 4 1/2 hours. Worst is Utah at over 8 hours and best is Iowa at 3 hours. Waiting 4 plus hours is sadly average per this report.

[billethkid]

seems to me with all the data pointing to 3+ hour waits...the name EMERGENCY room is obsolete. It became obsolete when they started taking in the uninsured.

And if the uninsured is the problem then they should have a priority for those with insurance. I know get ready for the maelstorm coming after that comment!!

btk

[jmarkohio]

I used to be a fire medic and I have seen the good as well as the bad ERs but The Villages is by far the worst. As someone else said it is shameful especially that it has gone on this long.

[bluedog103]

Despite the comments by Dillywho, I'm convinced that the last place a seriously ill person needs to be is at the TVRH emergency room. This place is just too small and understaffed for a city the size of TV. Add to that the fact that this is the closest hospital for a lot of people in the surrounding area. I have no doubts that the staff is excellent and doing everything they can do to provide top notch care but they need more room and more staff.
I'm skeptical of the decision to scrap plans for an additional hospital in the southern end of TV in favor of a larger facility at the present TVRH. This should not be an either/or situation. We need a larger hospital to attract other medical professionals but we need another hospital as well.
So many things are done right here, why isn't top quality healthcare among those things?

[rp001]

This area is notorious for lower wage scales....As far as employee treatment and compensation, ASK ANY EMPLOYEE, from any buisnesso or service in our "paradise" and get the truth......That is why the standards are so low, from restaurants to hospitals. I never said a word about the developer...I did say the villages and that is area specific. The developer does set the standard though!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by rp001

This area is notorious for lower wage scales....As far as employee treatment and compensation, ASK ANY EMPLOYEE, from any buisnesso or service in our "paradise" and get the truth......That is why the standards are so low, from restaurants to hospitals. I never said a word about the developer...I did say the villages and that is area specific. The developer does set the standard though! Great to see our benefactor has a voice on this board though.

No. You have that wrong fella. I am a fiscal conservative who has worked hard all of my life and my husband at 72 is still working so WE can pay for our grandchildrens' college tuition and launch them into a working world without a huge debt that some never repay. I think I was poor growing up but never realized it because most were in the same boat. I don't work for the developer who himself seems to have found the key to success is hard work and having a good idea.

It seems the builders and contractors are content to work here because all I have spoken to when they worked on our home recently built say that they had worked for the Morses for years and spoke well of them.

[LyndaS]

I have read the horror stories in this forum about the TV Emergency Room but my two experiences were positive. I would encourage others that have had a positive experience to comment because I believe a lot of people are being frightened unnecessarily.

Almost a year ago, I phoned my doctor�s office for an appt. and they advised me to go to the ER. I filled out the triage sheet. (very short maybe 3 questions) Before I got to my seat, I was called to the triage room and sent right to the treatment area. The treatment was courteous, respectful and caring. I was in a room on the cardiac floor within an hour. The hospital care was wonderful. My only complaint was a couple of days later� while �waiting� to be discharged. But� that is a different thread and every one was doing the best they could.

My second experience was two months ago. I sliced off a piece of my thumb. Because of all the comments on this forum about people going to the ER when they should have gone to Urgent care, I went to Urgent care.

First we tried to go to 441 Urgent Care at Buffalo Ridge but we went to the wrong building. We saw a big sign that said �Urgent Care� but it was closed. What we didn�t know was that 441 urgent care was across the street inside the Villages Lab. So, we headed to the urgent care in Sumter Landing . Unfortunately, by this time, the cold pack wasn�t as cold and my thumb was bleeding quite heavily. The urgent care was PACKED (Sunday close to noon) I thought they would triage as it was obvious that I was bleeding and using direct pressure. Not� We waited an hour until it was our turn. (which was pretty quick considering how many people were there) The doctor unwrapped my thumb and it was bleeding profusely. He said we had to go to the ER. He put a compression bandage on, said he notified the ER and to go right over there. We got to the ER and they didn�t seem to know anything about the urgent care phone call. But after a few minutes, they called us into triage. Maybe 10 minutes later, they called us into a small room off the waiting room. A NP removed the compression bandage and explained the processes that could be used to stop the bleeding. The first procedure worked, they bandaged me up, gave me instructions, bandages and sterile water to take with me. I was on my way home, less than an hour after I arrived.

I don�t doubt other poster�s experiences as I am sure there are times that it is very busy. But based on my experiences, I would not hesitate to go to the The Villages Hospital in an emergency.

[NotGolfer]

I have nothing but positive to say about The Villages Hospital. Went there via automobile due to a very serious issue. I was in much pain so I think they have a method of evaluation for that because I've heard there's folks who abuse medical facilities to get drugs. THAT was NOT the case with me. They did administer a shot for pain and sent me for a CAT scan. It was a holiday weekend---I have NO idea how busy they were. Eventually I was admitted! The care on the floor was wonderful and caring! I know when we're in a stressful situation that involves our health we expect prompt attention. That being said....I'm sure we're all put on a triage for seriousness. I will NOT say anything negative about the hospital as we need ALL of the information before making a judgment.

Healthcare in the U.S. will be changing...you can expect this!! With Socialized medicine---patients are all put on a waiting list depending on the seriousness. It won't matter if it's a large medical center or not.

The small town we moved here from had a hospital. We'd moved into this community due to a job change. Many of the "townies" sounded like the folks here who feel they were adversely treated---saying they'd never darken it's door. Instead they'd go to a large city that was 20 miles away. I will tell you people I heard many negative stories about those large hospitals as well. One is a renowned teaching hospital even. On a thread such as this though...I don't think we'll change the minds of people who think they have them made up.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by KARENNN

Why can't they hire enough staff to meet a decent standard of care???

For one thing, there's no place to put the patients in peak season winter months, when maybe a dozen are in the ER waiting to be admitted upstairs, and there are no beds available. Russ Boston works there and he stated on this board awhile ago that one night there were 14 ER patients waiting for a bed upstairs.

Then take into account that when the hospital applied for the certificate of need to build another hospital in the Brownwood area that would also serve Wildwood and ourskirts of Leesburg, "experts" on this board screeched about how it was all a money-grubbing scheme on the part of the mean ole developer who's "too rich". Lots of people think they know how to run a hospital because they were born in one.

[Mack184]

These stories enrage me and NOT for the people who are telling them about how badly they are treated and their poor, poor family member who is left to "rot" in the waiting room.

If you knew ANYTHING (which you don't) about how things work in an ER you might begin to understand. The ER staff at TVRH, and in fact most US hospital ERs are on roller skates from the minute they clock in until the minute they leave some 12 hours later. They often have not had a single meal break, or even a bathroom break.

ERs take people on a 1-5 triage scale. 1 being the most critcal, 5 being the least important. 1=you're dieing. They take people in order of their NEED. Since you have no idea what's happening behind the doors, you make the decision for yourself that the staff's in the back room playing cards and drinking beer while your poor, poor family member is left to rot. BS!

Actually these HARD WORKING people are handling heart attacks, strokes, gunshot victims and severe traumas. Those ALL go first. In every hospital everywhere in the USA.

TVRH has a problem that is only going to get much worse as time progresses. They have a chronic shortage of beds on the medical floors. If you can't get a patient OUT of the ER and onto a medical floor bed, they can't take another patient UNTIL that current paitent is moved out. TVRH is constantly short of med-floor beds.

Since TVRH draws fully 88% of it's entire revenue stream from Medicare, and Medicare reimbursements are continuing to decline, they have NO ADDITIONAL MONEY to build a larger facility, or hire better and more staff. However, they have a continually growing population that requires more and more services which they have to provide on less and less money. That's a losing deal all the way around.

Poster after poster has said "Something Had Better Be Done"! OK what? The staff pay is horrible and so they have trouble attracting more and good people. The revenue stream is dwindling daily. The answer is MONEY. Are you ready to come up with a few million bucks so that the hospital can afford to expand? Yeah. I thought not.

The problems that plague TVRH are financial. That isn't going to improve unless there's a BIG infusion of money.

And..when you finally get into an ER room..Zip Your Mouth and don't carp at your nurse, tech or doctor. They are busting their butts to help you out and they don't need your lousy whiny self-entitled attitude to make their hard day or night even harder. Also.. you are in the hosptial's ER..Not Denny's. The staff is there to give you MEDICAL care..Not run and get coffee & sandwiches for your family or fetch magazines or other personal wants.

If you are in need..you WILL get help at TVRH..but it will be on their need scale..not yours. And I would trust them ANYTIME to know what's important and what can wait.

[jmemc46]

I have to say my experience with the Villages er was just as bad. Fell and had two broken ankles waited over 20 hours before I was treated and admitted.There is a big shortage of beds in the er.They really need to expand to take care of all the people who go there.Unless it is live or death I will go to an other hospital (God for bid) in the future. Hope this situation is solved in the near future.

[janmcn]

The Florida Legislature has two weeks to make a decision on expanding Medicaid to almost one million people or have these people continue to use emergency rooms for their primary care, while passing up billions of federal dollars.