[RedChariot]

Originally Posted by allairenjadea

I feel the need to "chime in" with a positive story...I had to go to the ER due to severe stomach pains that got worse and did not subside. My husband took me there at 930pm. We waited and waited and were not seen by a doctor till well after midnight. To make a long story short good thing i went i could be dead today if i had not went. I had acute appendicitis! Surprise to me! Obviously I had surgery in the AM and an overnight stay after that, although i was feeling very crummy i still was impresssed with the staff and the way they took care of me in a very kind and professional manner. Thank god for TVRH!

I was not going to address the multiple horror stories that I see on this thread. But this put me over the edge. I have been a hospital Nursing Administrator for 36 years. I am really sorry you think you got good car, but you did not. If you had acute appendicitis you should have had emergency surgery. There shoukd have been an oncall surgical team that woud have performed your surgery at any time. To wait until the next day put your life at risk for a ruptured appendix. This is sub standard. You did not rupture because of the care at TV hospital, it was because of the grace of God or luck or any other reason you want to attach to it. Not because of the care.

While I am here let me say in all my experience, I have never heard of the Emergency squad/EMT/Paramedics waiting in the ER with a patient. They bring the patient in, give a report to an RN, put the patient in an ER bed and leave. They must free themselves to be available to the community's emergencies. Waiting with a patient in the ER for 45 minutes leaves me speechless. No one available at The Sanibel Firehouse to respond to that fire at the guardhouse-I just don't know what to say.

Organization in the Er is administrative. Have they called in a Consultive team to help them determine how to correct this situation. Yes all ER depts are overcrowded, but again having your emercency response team wait with the patient is the hospital's fix for them not having beds or staff to care for the patient. We are in trouble more than you know.

[applesoffh]

Originally Posted by RedChariot

I was not going to address the multiple horror stories that I see on this thread. But this put me over the edge. I have been a hospital Nursing Administrator for 36 years. I am really sorry you think you got good car, but you did not. If you had acute appendicitis you should have had emergency surgery. There shoukd have been an oncall surgical team that woud have performed your surgery at any time. To wait until the next day put your life at risk for a ruptured appendix. This is sub standard. You did not rupture because of the care at TV hospital, it was because of the grace of God or luck or any other reason you want to attach to it. Not because of the care.

While I am here let me say in all my experience, I have never heard of the Emergency squad/EMT/Paramedics waiting in the ER with a patient. They bring the patient in, give a report to an RN, put the patient in an ER bed and leave. They must free themselves to be available to the community's emergencies. Waiting with a patient in the ER for 45 minutes leaves me speechless. No one available at The Sanibel Firehouse to respond to that fire at the guardhouse-I just don't know what to say.

Organization in the Er is administrative. Have they called in a Consultive team to help them determine how to correct this situation. Yes all ER depts are overcrowded, but again having your emercency response team wait with the patient is the hospital's fix for them not having beds or staff to care for the patient. We are in trouble more than you know.

Unfortunately, I believe this poster's assessments are 100% accurate, and not about to get better any time soon.

A close family member is a paramedic in NYC and was shocked when told of the policy here...crews remaining with the patient for long periods of time until emergency room staff can take over. Unheard of! Friends and I discussed this very matter just the other day...along with TV Safety Patrol urging Villagers to learn CPR and raise money for diffibrulators to assist until an ambulance arrives...sometimes more than 10 minutes! At a meeting in Captiva not too long ago, residents of Sanibel/Charlotte were told that the local firehouse (litteraly 2 minutes away) is usually empty, its firefighters/EMTs off changing batteries in residents smoke detectors! This is nuts! Checking fire hydrants? Fine! Changing batteries? CRAZY! If TVRH needs more personnel to make the ER run the way it should, then hire the right people! Not enough room? Expand the damned ER. We're not the "Friendliest Hometown" if we can't even take care of our sick adequately.

[DEWRDW]

Originally Posted by RedChariot

I was not going to address the multiple horror stories that I see on this thread. But this put me over the edge. I have been a hospital Nursing Administrator for 36 years. I am really sorry you think you got good car, but you did not. If you had acute appendicitis you should have had emergency surgery. There shoukd have been an oncall surgical team that woud have performed your surgery at any time. To wait until the next day put your life at risk for a ruptured appendix. This is sub standard. You did not rupture because of the care at TV hospital, it was because of the grace of God or luck or any other reason you want to attach to it. Not because of the care.

While I am here let me say in all my experience, I have never heard of the Emergency squad/EMT/Paramedics waiting in the ER with a patient. They bring the patient in, give a report to an RN, put the patient in an ER bed and leave. They must free themselves to be available to the community's emergencies. Waiting with a patient in the ER for 45 minutes leaves me speechless. No one available at The Sanibel Firehouse to respond to that fire at the guardhouse-I just don't know what to say.

Organization in the Er is administrative. Have they called in a Consultive team to help them determine how to correct this situation. Yes all ER depts are overcrowded, but again having your emercency response team wait with the patient is the hospital's fix for them not having beds or staff to care for the patient. We are in trouble more than you know.

I totally agree with you - my mother had acute appendicitis and had surgery immediately in Bradenton - it was 10 p.m. and the on call surgery team performed it - I don't understand this whole hospital situation here - it's very scary to me as a newcomer!

[TunaFish]

This is my only concern for not moving to The Villages or anywhere around there.

[DEWRDW]

What are the best hospitals around this area? Everyone should have a plan in case of an emergency - it amazes me that when I talk to other golfers who are having procedures or have had procedures no one has gone to the Village Hospital for anything - where are patients that require hospital treatment going that belong to these Health Care Centers, say like the one on Colony - are they being referred to Ocala, Munroe, Leesburg, etc.????

[blueash]

Originally Posted by RedChariot

I was not going to address the multiple horror stories that I see on this thread. But this put me over the edge. I have been a hospital Nursing Administrator for 36 years. I am really sorry you think you got good care, but you did not. If you had acute appendicitis you should have had emergency surgery. There should have been an oncall surgical team that woud have performed your surgery at any time. To wait until the next day put your life at risk for a ruptured appendix. This is sub standard. You did not rupture because of the care at TV hospital, it was because of the grace of God or luck or any other reason you want to attach to it. Not because of the care.

Your extremely stated allegation that the poster got sub-standard care is beyond the pale and nearly libelous. I suspect that your years as a nursing administrator does not qualify you to know the care required for acute appendicitis. Here is the correct information: JAMA Network | JAMA Surgery | Effects of Delaying Appendectomy for Acute Appendicitis for 12 to 24 Hours

"An approach to the treatment of acute appendicitis that includes the early administration of intravenous antibiotics and fluid hydration followed by the performance of appendectomy during the day hours does not increase the rate of complications, and it does not significantly increase the length of stay or rate of advanced appendicitis. In addition, this practice pattern decreases the need for operating during the late night hours or the interruption of the regular operating room schedule. Finally, it aids in focusing resources and operating room availability to life-threatening emergencies"

[sharonga]

The answer is to call an ambulance and have them take you right in.

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by sharonga

The answer is to call an ambulance and have them take you right in.

Are you saying that coming by ambulance versus her husband driving her would have gotten her in sooner? I'm not talking travel time, I'm talking once they entered the building......do they treat and evaluate ambulance arrivals differently than non ambulance arrivals?

[rp001]

Originally Posted by sharonga

The answer is to call an ambulance and have them take you right in.

This is absolutely not true...They still will put you out in the "hinterlands" of the er regardless of how you arrived.Depends on their assessment of your condition.My emt tried to talk me out of going to the hospital because "I would just wait for hours"..His words,not mine..As it turned out he could not stop the bleeding after 20 minutes and transported me..At the time I got there there wasn't a backup and was seen pretty quickly...the follow up treatment was horrendous however and I witnessed what could only be described as incomprehensible...Not something I've ever seen in this country..Not blaming the Morses so defenders can relax.

[Warren Kiefer]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

I have heard horror stories about our hospital emergency room but I got to experience it first hand last night. My husband has been having problems with asthma and saw our doctor on Tuesday. He was given meds and told to come back if he got worse. Last night he SUDDENLY got worse. We called the doctor but got no response. The Urgent Care office was closed sooooooo we went to the ER. He was promptly called back and had his vitals checked and then told to go back and wait in the lobby. After a while patients started getting restless and comparing stories. One woman had come in and they inserted an IV and told her she would be getting interveinous antibiotics. That was 10 hours earlier. One man was bleeding and needed sutures and had been waiting 5 hours. There were two very elderly people in wheelchairs who were on oxygen and were so weak that they could not hold their heads up. One of them had been there so long his oxygen tank had run out so they gave him another tank. One man was very frail and in a wheelchair and had been there alone for a very long time and needed to go to the restroom so the bleeding man assisted him to the toilet. One man covered in blankets and in a wheelchair looked very ill but his family finally gave up since he could no longer sit up and left. I don't know where they went. Several more gave up and left and several more came in. The last person coming in was told it might be a 24 hour wait. My husband decided he was not going to die unless he stayed there, so we too left. He suffered through the night and he saw our doctor this morning. I know Emergency rooms are busy and crowed but this was shameful. I might add that while my husband and I were concerned for his well being, my heart was breaking for some very sick and very elderly people who just really shouldn't be left sitting in a waiting room for hours on end. I hope they are doing well today.

I too had gto be taken by ambulance to the Villages ER. I laid on a gurney type bed in the hallway for nearly 8 hours. There were at least a dozn others in the hallway waiting for treatment. I began to feel a little better from what was a kidney stone attack and asked the attending doctor to sign a release allowing me to go home. I promised to see my urologist the following morning. It is my opinion that the staff is capable but very shorthanded as well as the doctors being seriously under staffed. I don't believe that the Villages Hospital is adequate in size and staff to provide proper ER service to a community as large as the Villages and the surrounding community. Ocala a smaller community than the Villages, has three major medical facilities. I hear many people say the problem is because the snow birds are here. This is nonsence, any hospital needs to be prepared for the worse case senerio not the best .

[daviskgb]

The size of a facility has little to do with the care provided. I have 35 years experience in Emergency Departments. It is about the processes that are in place to deliver the care. illage Regional Hospital could use some performance and process improvements.

[daviskgb]

Originally Posted by gerryann

Are you saying that coming by ambulance versus her husband driving her would have gotten her in sooner? I'm not talking travel time, I'm talking once they entered the building......do they treat and evaluate ambulance arrivals differently than non ambulance arrivals?

Yes, They do receive priority.

[tucson]

I was at TV ER today from 10:30a-5:30. I witnessed a EMT bring a patient into the waiting room w/her husband also in a wheelchair, stayed awhile w/them talking to them,etc. I thought he worked for the hospital until someone said he was an EMT! HUH??!! My husband's ENT doctor told him once (when she couldn't figure out what was causing his issue) "to go to Shands in Gainesville where the experts are", she said:" we're just a bunch of country doctors down here" !!!!! :-(

[KYDIANA12]

After reading 11 pages of comments on this issue I am more aware that this problem will only get worse in the coming years. Everyone was up in arms about the cancellation of the parades recently - why can't we be as outraged by the lack of good healthcare! It will only make a difference to you when you are the one waiting in the hallway of the ER and not being seen by a Dr. Living in a new Village we have been approached to have AED machines to help save lives until the EMT can arrive and take over. What happens when you then get to the ER and need immediate attention?

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by RedChariot

I was not going to address the multiple horror stories that I see on this thread. But this put me over the edge. I have been a hospital Nursing Administrator for 36 years. I am really sorry you think you got good car, but you did not. If you had acute appendicitis you should have had emergency surgery. There shoukd have been an oncall surgical team that woud have performed your surgery at any time. To wait until the next day put your life at risk for a ruptured appendix. This is sub standard. You did not rupture because of the care at TV hospital, it was because of the grace of God or luck or any other reason you want to attach to it. Not because of the care.

While I am here let me say in all my experience, I have never heard of the Emergency squad/EMT/Paramedics waiting in the ER with a patient. They bring the patient in, give a report to an RN, put the patient in an ER bed and leave. They must free themselves to be available to the community's emergencies. Waiting with a patient in the ER for 45 minutes leaves me speechless. No one available at The Sanibel Firehouse to respond to that fire at the guardhouse-I just don't know what to say.

Organization in the Er is administrative. Have they called in a Consultive team to help them determine how to correct this situation. Yes all ER depts are overcrowded, but again having your emercency response team wait with the patient is the hospital's fix for them not having beds or staff to care for the patient. We are in trouble more than you know.

I think you're wrong on this in bold. I've been told that Villages Fire Dept. EMT/Paramedics who respond to the calls do what's to be done to the patient on site, but that they do not transport. Transport is done by private ambulance, so that the fire dept. firemen-medics are freed up and available when the patient is taken to the hospital.

I could be wrong on that, but I know it's what I was told by an ER nurse at TVRH.