Sign of the times

[RoaminHankRN]

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E715975%257E,00.html

Article about University of Colorado having to restrict number of patients that present to their ER.

[thisnurse]

i dunno ....seems like this is the thing to do...we are always taking more pts than we can handle. but it seems to me the ones they will turn away are the uninsured...so will that mean only those with money can get care?

[Tiiki]

Wow I've never head of restricting patients, except if you were dealing with a disaster and couldn't physically handle anymore. WE used to have what we called "ambulance by-pass" where if our ER was filled to the rafters, the ambulance would take the pt to the next avail. hosp. Walk-ins were still treated. Unfortunately our provincial gov't has vetoed this. We must now accept all ambulances and ambulatories regardless of how busy we are. Desperate times require desperate measures. We now have instituted what we call "CODE ER" This is broadcast thru-out the hosptial and basically means that if anyone is being discharged..then get em out, we need the beds!! Staff Dr's are supposed to go to the floors and expidite discharge orders. Now this is only for those planned dischages. We don't send off pt's who aren't ready. We have found that it has freed up space...we get pt's to the floor faster. It's mostly for the pt's who are dawdling, having been discharged at 0900hrs, but are waiting for their ride, who should arrive somewhere around 1700hrs. It works here!

JO-ANNE

:)

[WashYaHands]

I wonder how much Dennis Brimhall and his upper echelon make per year (including stock options)?

Linda

[fedupnurse]

The ER in my facility is basically a glorified clinic especially after 5 pm. They expanded the fast track type services but still. It is also always the ones who shouldn't be there that are complaining so loudly about the wait!! When we go on divert I swear more ambulances show up!! It doesn't have any teeth or mean anything. It is such a double edged sword. We should close beds when we don't have the staff but where do they go then?

I too would love to know the salaries, perks and benes of the suits! They aren't hurting that is for sure!

[pacernurse]

It's just another indication that health care is a business and the best care goes to the people who have the insurance and the money. It's always been a business but in the last five years it has become more blatant. I don't remember seeing anything about restricting care to the people who have insurance, Brimhall kept emphasizing the "poor and uninsured." That chest pain room worried me a little. What happens if the person is really having an MI? Some patients, especially diabetics, don't get classic MI symptoms and some could be having a major infarction with only a little arm or shoulder pain.

How sad that our health care system has gotten to this point.