The town I live in has one hospital. For a while, there was another hospital in town which was built by a group of doctors. After construction was completed and patients were being seen, the other hospital bought the new hospital out. And the town is back to one hospital. This seems to have dramatically affected the quality of care. It is also a teaching hospital. It is supposed to be non-profit but seems to be quite expensive for the results received and some people feel like the hospital is all about making money and has no concern for patient’s health or ability to pay. Many of the doctors and the clinics in town are connected to the hospital. The hospital is busy buying up property rather than working within a budget or providing affordable healthcare.
Here are some of my experiences.
My husband has been to the emergency room multiple times in the last year. He experiences vomiting, pain, clamminess, constipation, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, low potassium, and elevated white cell count. The emergency room has diagnosed him with tooth infection, bladder infection, and haven’t got a clue. The most frustrating visit was the one where my husband had repeatedly informed those treating him that he had vomited up his pain medications and was in a great deal of pain. A male doctor, when asked directly, told my husband he couldn’t prescribe pain medications without consulting with his supervisor and suggested he would be in trouble for administering pain medications to someone who is on pain management.
Another time, my husband and I were told his femoral artery was 70% blocked and he needed an angiogram. The cardiologist (affiliated with the hospital) started to do the procedure, then came back and told us he had no abnormal blockage. He claimed the emergency room “overread” the radiology report. Apparently, he didn’t notice it had been “overread” when he reviewed it?
When I experienced my first extreme vertigo attack, I drove myself to the hospital after trying to get into my primary care physician. I had at least three more attacks while at the hospital and at least two were while the doctor was “examining” me. The doctor checked my blood for electrolytes. He also tried to do a Dix-Hallpike test but did it incorrectly. He had me walk down the hallway about four steps while I grasped onto him. After being there for several hours, the doctor released me after suggesting I take meclizine, but he wasn’t sure it would help and I’m not typically a pill taker. I was unable to drive myself home from the emergency room and haven’t driven since.
My brother was in the emergency room. After hours of waiting, he was told his diabetes was out of control and he needed to be seen at a larger hospital and he was transported hours away in the middle of the night. He arrived at the bigger hospital and after running tests, they told him he didn’t need additional treatment. His diabetes was under control, and his heart function was good.
I’ve lived all over the United States, the only time I experienced worse care by a hospital was when I was living in Georgia, had a miscarriage and almost bled out in the emergency room waiting area of a military hospital.
If you’re not happy with the care you receive here, you can travel a minimum of an hour away to go to a hospital in another small town. If you want to go to a larger hospital, you must travel at least two hours away and your insurance may not cover it as it’s in another state. I’m not saying all the doctors and nurses at this hospital are more interested in money than income, but my experiences lead me to the opinion that the hospital is more concerned about making money than its patients’ health.
Is anyone else experiencing this type of problem?
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