Now that the Heath Care Reform bill is about to be implemented in the future, I was thinking that I might start logging the quality of care and service at hospitals, to determine later in retrospect if care and quality of service has improved.
There was a time when getting admitted to Cedars-Sinai meant something when it came to medical professionalism.
Unfortunately,Cedars Sinai represents greed and all that is wrong with the Health Care Industry, today.
For starters, the nurses and orderlies and admitting staff haven't a clue about privacy issues.
When an individual stumbles into emergency, they are instructed to provide personal information with the clerk on duty right off-the-bat.
In spite of the fact there are usually quite a few patients (with family & friends in tow) in the lobby - and within earshot - the Cedars-Sinai employees display a total lack of sensitivity during the course of the medical probe.
Do you have diarrhea?
The patient understandably cringes.
In one instance, when a patient was miffed at having to share their medical history - with mothers, babies, a couple of Sheriffs, or everyone else in the room - he requested that he be able to provide the information in private.
Instead of showing any empathy - or responding with a modicum of professionalism - the check-in clerk shouted at the patient.
"I don't have any place to do that."
It should be noted that next to his station, there was a room walled in by glass.
"Can we got in there to go over my medical history," the uncomfortable patient asked.
In a huff, the snotty Cedar's employee turned on his heel - at which point - he instructed the patient to follow him into the room that was previously suggested.
Now, that wasn't so difficult, was it?
After a patient has filled in a cover sheet with pertinent informaion - such as name, address, social, and Insurance coverage - do the staff scramble to arrange for treatment?
No, of course not.
It is named - the Emergency Room - for good reason, Doctor.
Respond accordingly, please.
In contrast, staff presiding over the Insurance issues, jump into action right away to determine the extent of insurance benefits and eligilibity for a myriad of procedures so they can run a raft of tests to pad the bill.
In my experience, Cedars-Sinai appears to care little about the fact their patient is in pain.
In fact, according to my sources, sometimes they are left to languish in the emergency for eight or nine hours on end as overworked workers (some appear to be on speed) on double-shifts struggle to keep up.
One patiet expressed his anger that after going through the admitting prcocess - and in spite of the fact all his paperwork was on file - a snotty woman (Suzanne) barged into his holding area and demanded to know "why" he had a particular kind of coverage.
Point blank, the patient told her it was none of her business.
I agree.
A staffer is entitled to take a copy of the insurance card - and send the papers on to be inputted into the system - but has no right to probe about the personal affairs of the patient.
Once a patient is ensconced in their hospital room the run-around starts.
If a patient turns on a TV, theyll be directed to the Cedars Sinai home page, and greeted by the Director of the Cedars-Sinai.
The head of Cedars proceeds to pat himself on the back and hurl out a lot of superlatives about quality care and the professional staff at the expensive medical facility.
Bull**it!
Shall I puke now?
Actions speak louder than words.
The problems at Cedars range from - snotty employees, to negligent acts, overbearing clingy nurses, incompetence, and arrogant doctors - to policies that frustrate (and in some cases starves the patient).
For example, when an individual is slated for a procedure such as a scan, the doctor issues an order that the patient be placed on a fast until the technicians have completed the test.
The problem with this?
Cedars staff don't book procedures based on a prepared scheduled - in fact - they kind-of wing it.
Here's the crux of it in a nutshell.
The staff book the procedure for a specific day but don't set an exact time for the appointment.
So, if the patient doesn't get in on the date in question, they are forced to return the next day to the procedure facility..
And who suffers?
The patient, of course.
Now the disgruntled individual is forced go into a second day without any food!
If they don't die with the ailment they complained of when they checked into Emergency, they'll probably die of hunger instead.
Then, there is the question of hygiene and contamination.
This one is a shocker!
As a patient was waiting to go down for s procedure - by accident - the lunch that was supposed to be put "on hold" was delivered to the room.
One nurse set the tray on a counter by the bed and advised the patient that it would be there for him to gobble down when the procedure was carried out.
A short time later a second nurse entered the room - saw the food tray - and proceeded to pluck it up and set it down behind a curtain nearby.
Later, when the patient got up to go to relieve himself in the bathroom, he spied the food tray on top of a garbage can near the hospital room entrance.
Duh!
Do you see anything wrong with this picture?
Talk about incompetence, lack of knowledge, and unprofessional conduct.
Did it never occur to the bimbo that the placement of the tray on top of a trash bin near the entrance to the hospital room would place the food at risk for contamination?
I wonder, did she ever figure out why hospital employees are constantly squirting alcohol on their hands, as they enter and exit a room?
Hospitals are rife with nasty germs, that's why.
The food service at Cedars used to be top notch, too.
Now, when the tray arrives (if it ever does), items may be missing (did a staff member wolf down an item or two they scoffed from the tray surreptiously), the food may be tasteless and cold of not what the patient ordered.
And, talk about sloppy handiwork.
I have 4 large nasty bruises on my arms because nurses weren't capable of properly drawing blood.
Do they hire these folks off the street?
Probably one of the most annoying experiences at Cedars-Sinai occurred when I was discussing medicine.
"Your doctor will decide what medicine you take," the arrogrant Physcian on duty huffed.
Used to be, that in the olden days, patients treated Doctors like they were Gods.
Heaven forbid, a patient should question his advice, or go for a second opinion.
The Old Boys Network - the Medical Profession - is difficult to shake.
I admit, a patient may cross paths in the hospital with a sweet outgoing professional nurse or doctor, or two.
For the most part, there is a lot of bad attitude hanging thick in the halls.
In closing I would like to point out that the Emergency Room staff - for starters - has no cooth.
In fact, the conduct I faced in the facility, was downright appalling!
As I was taken into an examination room, nurses & doctors began to drift in from their stations and make comments as they gawked at me from across the room.
"Do you know who that is," they whispered amongst themselves.
Am I not entitled to a little privacy when I am under the weather?
At Cedars-Sinai apparently not.
They don't know the meaning of the word.
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