concierge ? Really?

My point, which it seems you missed, was that instead of spending all that money on personnel for these concierge services which relatively few will be able to access, hospitals would be better served spending money on staffing their facilities more appropriately, providing better care and outcomes for all. But that would be too practical, and God forbid we behave in an egalitarian manner.

But that would make sense and we can't have that. God forbid we do something practical and wise. How sad and shameful that instead of benefitting the whole they cater to a very small minority? Typical and disappointing.

And just what is wrong with concierge type services? I actually pay for my family and I to have concierge doctors services. They have know all my info and they even have a chef available if I wish to have something to eat, they offer us drinks (non alcoholic but fancy coffee...yuck) they know our names and even will send a town car to pick us up for an appointment if we need transportation. They have free valet parking and if we call we get a human on the phone within 3 rings and when we need to speak to a doctor after hours we actually have a number that the doctor himself/herself answers. If we need tests doen the doctor will meet us at the hospital to walk us thru them and get results right away. They will arrange the hospital room if needed and they have fresh flowers delivered to the room daily if we are in the hospital. Yes we pay dearly for this type of service. The hospital they send us to also has this type of service available, There is nothing wrong with the hospital offering it. PEople will pay for better service and healthcare is a service industry.

That's great...of course if you paid all that money for services and then found out your nurse didn't get to eat lunch because they were so short staffed wouldn't you find that offensive? The surface is perfect but behind the scenes chaos reigns in some systems.

Fresh flowers every day...but the brakes don't work properly on the commode chair.

Test results right away...but they use the dye that has a higher incidence of reactions, and costs 10 times less.

All IV drips compounded by a pharmacist on site...unless it's a new order at midnight, or needed stat, then nursing does it no matter how complicated.

I'm not saying your system does, but these are the contradictions that drive nurses crazy.

If a hospital serves a mix of payers the contrasts get worse, like private rooms with hi def TV for the demanding jerk with "anxiety," but we can't give the ER patients meds (but we can admit them when they bounce back tomorrow).Or giving concierge care to patient x, but patient y on a different floor doesn't get toothpaste or combs.

I understand why it happens, but those decisions affect my ability to give good care, so there are always situations coming up that are unfair and frustrating

I'm not sure how I would like that especially if it gives some of these difficult patients even MORE of a sense of an entitlement.

I'm sure it can work. At my hospital people are just happy for the extra long golf cart that will take you from your car in the parking lot to the entrance and back during set hours.