posted by Joe Polk at 12:34 AM /
Officials at St. Clair Hospital say an anticipated record number of people seeking emergency treatment could lead to a larger emergency room and changes in protocol when patients arrive.
The Mt. Lebanon hospital expects more than 52,000 people will have visited the emergency room by the June 30 fiscal year-end, compared with 49,343 in the fiscal year that ended last June and 48,578 the previous year. To accommodate the volume, hospital officials want to add 21 treatment bays to the 25 existing ones and send patients immediately to a bay so that they aren't stalled in the waiting area.
Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/southwest/s_506616.html
Labels: st. clair hospital
2 Comments:
You can add all the bays and beds you want but it's not going to make a hill of beans difference if, a) you don't add any new physicians, and b) people keep using the EMERGENCY room as their family medical clinic. Your only hope in avoiding a four-hour visit is to show up in an ambulance, otherwise you'd be better off sucking it up until the morning when you can see your real doc.
I must comment to comment #1! I love Mt. Lebo, but deer have a better chance of getting shot here than someone needing an getting a timely appointment at a "REAL Doc's" office for an acute illness! Ever hear of anyone getting kicked out of a practice for NOT going to the ER when the Dr's schedule is full? Well, that's me.
Everytime I had an acute non-lifethreatening illness or injury that required a Dr.'s or at the very least a NP/PA's attention, I got the answer: "Well, you can come in 3 weeks from now or just go to the Emergency room if it is that bad!" Sometimes it was 3 weeks and others it was 4 days. Have you ever sat in misery for four days with a Urinary Tract infection? Fatigati-Nalin are famous for this, especially the Mt. Lebo office. Good once you get to see the ACTUAL DR., but getting an appointment is a run-around!
I refused to go to the emergency room over a stupid sinus infection! I tried to protect our local ER by insisting it was "their job - my PCP, Fat. Nal." to see me. All it got me was a pink slip. I doubt the actual Dr.'s know. Or do they?
Pat answer if you can't get an appointment: "Well, you can always go to the Emergency Room if you feel THAT bad!"
So, anonymous comment #1, what do you say to that?
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