I am reading a lot these days about hospitals advertising how long patients must wait in their Emergency Departments before they are seen by a doctor or nurse. In my hometown of Roanoke, Virginia our local HCA hospital (Lewis-Gale Medical Center) has placed an ad on an electronic billboard (which also advertises restaurants and other local businesses) which tells those who pass by just how long it will take to see a doctor at their Emergency Room at that very moment.
Pretty impressive stuff wouldn’t you say?
In 2012, hospitals are supposed to begin reporting to Medicare how fast their ERs move certain patients through…a first step at increasing the quality of care. Faster care is often the difference between a good and a bad outcome. Take stroke patients as an example…if the stroke is an occlusive stroke the administration of a drug known as tPA (which dissolves clots and restores blood flow) must be done within 3 hours of the stroke in order to have a beneficial effect.Have you experienced an unacceptably long period of time in any of the following hospitals?
Bath Community Hospital
Buchanan General Hospital
Carilion Bedford Memorial Hospital
Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital
Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital
Carilion New River Valley Hospital
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
Centra Lynchburg General Hospital
Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital
Danville Regional Medical Center
Dickenson Community Hospital
Johnston Memorial Hospital
Lewis-Gale Medical Center
Memorial Martinsville Memorial Hospital
Montgomery Regional Hospital
Norton Community Hospital
Page Memorial Hospital
Pioneer Community Hospital
Pulaski Community Hospital
Rockingham Memorial Hospital
Smyth County Community Hospital
Stonewall Jackson Hospital
Tazewell Community Hospital
Twin County Regional Healthcare
Wellmont Bristol Regional Hospital
Wellmont Lee Regional Medical Center
Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital
Wythe County Community Hospital
Buchanan General Hospital
Carilion Bedford Memorial Hospital
Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital
Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital
Carilion New River Valley Hospital
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
Centra Lynchburg General Hospital
Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital
Danville Regional Medical Center
Dickenson Community Hospital
Johnston Memorial Hospital
Lewis-Gale Medical Center
Memorial Martinsville Memorial Hospital
Montgomery Regional Hospital
Norton Community Hospital
Page Memorial Hospital
Pioneer Community Hospital
Pulaski Community Hospital
Rockingham Memorial Hospital
Smyth County Community Hospital
Stonewall Jackson Hospital
Tazewell Community Hospital
Twin County Regional Healthcare
Wellmont Bristol Regional Hospital
Wellmont Lee Regional Medical Center
Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital
Wythe County Community Hospital