Contrast
Talk about a difference in care. I spent the weekend at Bayfront Medical Center (1/11-14), then for a "pit-stop" in their ER this past Friday. I figured I had the option of going early enough to have a friend drive me there or wait until later, call 911, and end up at N.side.
Okay, here's the deal. First off, Bayfront's ER seems to have a grasp on what triage means. Yes, people are seen on a first-come,-first-serve basis, with a definite change: If someone has been sitting in the ER with, say, a probable sprain, broken toe, etc., and someone comes in with chest pain, altered neuros, etc. before the sprain is seen, the chest pain is seen first. This is how is should be.
While spending the weekend there, from what I observed, whenever a call light is pulled, if a nurse or Patient Care Tech is nearby, they'll pop in and ask what is needed. Otherwise, within a matter of seconds, the room's intercom will come on and whoever is manning the nursing station full-time will ask what's needed. If no response, or if a response that is urgent, someone is in the room STAT. Flip side is that if it's not an immediate emergency, it may take a minute or two, especially if there is an emergency elsewhere on the floor. However, I never saw anyone, even in a non-emergency, have to wait long. Certainly not ten minutes, and definitely not ten minutes without checking on the patient, which is one of the complaints I had with P__'s stay at N.side.
Another issue at Bayfront: Everyone seemed to know what he or she was doing. The only time it looked like someone might have a problem was when my IV had to be changed. I've got veins that like to roll, move, and otherwise do "the funky chicken" when they see a needle. This is on good days. After several days of being stuck, they were even funkier. The nurse assigned to my room told me that she'd get the charge nurse, who was a pro at hitting hard-to-get veins. When in deep, call for help. This is different from the nurse at N.side who told P__ and me, "I'll figure it out," when she had to use an inhaler she was unfamiliar with. I have more respect for someone who knows they have a problem and asks for help, especially on something as important as someone's health.
Finally, when I was discharged, I had K__ (my cab driving friend who was going to help pick P__ up) waiting downstairs for me. The nurse had a wheelchair waiting and said that, no matter what, they always insist on having someone discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair with a nurse wheeling them down. This, of course, is another difference with N.side's treatment of P__.
Which begs the question: Why can't N.side take a few lessons from a hospital? They sure need it!
Okay, here's the deal. First off, Bayfront's ER seems to have a grasp on what triage means. Yes, people are seen on a first-come,-first-serve basis, with a definite change: If someone has been sitting in the ER with, say, a probable sprain, broken toe, etc., and someone comes in with chest pain, altered neuros, etc. before the sprain is seen, the chest pain is seen first. This is how is should be.
While spending the weekend there, from what I observed, whenever a call light is pulled, if a nurse or Patient Care Tech is nearby, they'll pop in and ask what is needed. Otherwise, within a matter of seconds, the room's intercom will come on and whoever is manning the nursing station full-time will ask what's needed. If no response, or if a response that is urgent, someone is in the room STAT. Flip side is that if it's not an immediate emergency, it may take a minute or two, especially if there is an emergency elsewhere on the floor. However, I never saw anyone, even in a non-emergency, have to wait long. Certainly not ten minutes, and definitely not ten minutes without checking on the patient, which is one of the complaints I had with P__'s stay at N.side.
Another issue at Bayfront: Everyone seemed to know what he or she was doing. The only time it looked like someone might have a problem was when my IV had to be changed. I've got veins that like to roll, move, and otherwise do "the funky chicken" when they see a needle. This is on good days. After several days of being stuck, they were even funkier. The nurse assigned to my room told me that she'd get the charge nurse, who was a pro at hitting hard-to-get veins. When in deep, call for help. This is different from the nurse at N.side who told P__ and me, "I'll figure it out," when she had to use an inhaler she was unfamiliar with. I have more respect for someone who knows they have a problem and asks for help, especially on something as important as someone's health.
Finally, when I was discharged, I had K__ (my cab driving friend who was going to help pick P__ up) waiting downstairs for me. The nurse had a wheelchair waiting and said that, no matter what, they always insist on having someone discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair with a nurse wheeling them down. This, of course, is another difference with N.side's treatment of P__.
Which begs the question: Why can't N.side take a few lessons from a hospital? They sure need it!
Labels: avoid this hospital, Bayfront Medical Center, lawsuit, Northside Hospital (Tampa Bay), Problem Tampa Bay Hospitals, problems with Northside Hospital - St. Petersburg
posted by feminist writer - Robin Shwedo | 12:14 PM
2 Comments:
From reading your newest blog entry I feel Bayfront gives top notch service especially when it comes to being in the ER.
A couple of years ago I had to go to Bayfront's ER due to a flare up involving a chronic right ear ailment. The doctors and staff were very helpful. Earlier, my sister had to have surgery at Bayfront and when I came to visit her I have noticed nothing but the most wonderful staff of any hospital anywhere.
I agree with you many more. This is compassionate care that you will not find at Northside. Back in 2000 when my mother was taken to Northside - against her wishes - the ER staff at Northside was rude and belligerent not only with me but my sister as well. You probably remember from a previous reply to your blog a while ago about how my mother was treated at Northside.
To tell you the truth, I believe if my mother was taken to Bayfront - where she had doctors that knew her condition - instead of being shuttled off to Northside she would still be with me today.
Moreover, I am afraid of where I currently live because if in the event I call 911 and the paramedic decides that closest hospital is needed, I will be taken to Northside! At least for the time being my sister would take me to Bayfront if I needed to go there.
You got a great blog - keep up the good work!
My sympathies on your mom, Ed. I really understand your pain on this issue. I feel reasonably sure that my husband would still be alive had he gone to Bayfront, rather than N.side.
The horrible thing about for-profit hospitals is that most of us concentrate on the "hospital" part, while their share-holders and CEOs concentrate on the "profit" aspect. I say this both from experience and from a paper I wrote a year ago on for-profit facilities. If everything else is equal (number of beds in the facilities, types of units--CCU, NICU, etc.--access to types of doctors), a person going into a for-profit facility stands between a 5-25% higher chance of dying than in a comparable non-profit facility. Even at the low end, that's 5 people out of every 100 with a certain problem. I don't want to take that chance.
Thanks for your compliments on the blog, Ed. And again, I'm sorry to hear about your mom.
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