LEO wrote on Nov 13, 2009 4:30 AM:

" Unfortunately there are so many people that go to the emergency room for stuff that they could see a normal physician for. The emergency room is for emergencies, not toothaches, back aches and stuff like that. This ties up alot of time. "




Reply to Employee wrote on Nov 8, 2009 11:29 AM:

" I appreciate the advice to go somewhere else...that would make you a little less busy! Perhaps people in the medical field should appreciate the fact that ya'll get paid better then any other field in this community. Do your job,forward your concerns the right way, and be nice...you get paid well to do that! "




Paul wrote on Nov 8, 2009 7:13 AM:

" The key to success of our Hospital is going to be commnication I have heard staff arguing with each in front of people and this is wring. "




whataday wrote on Nov 8, 2009 2:19 AM:

" So what do you think will happen when this new health care bill passes. Every street person will have the right to stand in line at any doctors office along with anyone else, as well as in an ER and demand they see him or her first.

Not to mention every illegal alien of which there are over 12 million.

Enjoy the 3 hours while you can. "




NONE wrote on Nov 7, 2009 6:30 PM:

" not only would i like to sound off about the unhappy patient that complains about the lack of services at the emergency room. those people that work there have enough to handle with out being blamed for the wait. when going to a doctors office or the emergency room of a hospital, please do not bring the entire family or neighborhood. only one person needs to go with that patient. the hospital does have guidelines they have to follow and let them do the job they are trained to do.

i have sat in the emergency room waiting area and have see the people abuse the paramedics by having the rescue squad bring in someone that is able to walk in from getting out of the ambulance and have something minor like a toothache, a headache, a sore throat or something else that is minor that they can get someone like a family member or a neighbor to get them to a medical facility or a doctors office. a rescue squad or ambulance is used for more serious needs like some one having a heart attack or a stroke or in a bad car wreck and/or cannot walk or someone dying or has been shot that really needs the help help of the emergency room doctors and nurses. "




Hallway patient wrote on Nov 6, 2009 8:48 PM:

" I think that the level of care in the hospital needs to be improved. I went to the hospital laying on a back board and was left in a bed up against a wall. Not only did I hear about 4 other patients conversations with the doctor, but seen too much of some peoples body parts. What happen to HIPPA and privacy? Then you get billed for a room and you only took up hall space. It was a terrible experience. My bloodpressure went up to 220. A curtain would have been a plus. "




wrote on Nov 6, 2009 3:09 AM:

" There are some great doctors and nurses employed there, and they take pride in there work. I believe the problem lies with the management....taking away benefits and pay raises = low morale for the hard working middle class....assigning more and more task to the medical staff rather than just taking care of patients. HRMC needs to get back to the basics. And do remember that this hospital is located in one of the poorest counties in the state where most of the patients are "no pay" or medicaid/medicare and also is not for profit. Next time you are a patient at HRMC...let them know how they are doing with your care as you receive it. "




Smart consumer wrote on Nov 5, 2009 4:26 PM:

" Emergency rooms are for life and death situations. People shouldn't spend all their money on fast food, cigarettes and beer, then can't buy some tylenol or some robitussin when they need it.
Colds and flu go away by themselves. Rural Health Group takes people on a sliding scale fee basis. if you TRULY can't afford to pay, but that's not the problem. People make wrong choices, and I reckon the staff does get sick of the abuse. "




NONE wrote on Nov 5, 2009 1:30 PM:

" THE STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM IS WORKING TO HELP THIS SITUATION. STARTING THIS YEAR, MEDICAID PATIENTS ARE LIMITED TO 22 VISITS PER YEAR. "




lisa wrote on Nov 5, 2009 11:32 AM:

" I sgree with what the person said about having to wait so long to be seen at HRMC.I took my mom there last week with her blood pressure 200/98 we had to wait almost two hours for her to be seen and the rescue squad brought her there.She was in so much pain and already has a history of heart failure ,.I see alot of young people just coming in there just to get a fix and their seen before the people who"s there with more serious problems.SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE "




Millie wrote on Nov 5, 2009 12:20 AM:

" I have made my last trip to HRMC unless I am unable to make it to another Hospital. I fully understand there are many people that go to the ER when they should not. I was admitted for surgery and stayed four days before my surgery which I am not complaining about. My complaint is every day they tried to give me breathing treatments, I do not have any breathing problems. The patient in the room next to mine coughed continually, I wonder if the treatments were meant for her. "




Lisa Myers wrote on Nov 4, 2009 9:45 PM:

" I have never seen any complaints taken care of by putting them all over the paper. Why don't all of you call the Division of Health Service Regulation at 1(800)624-3004 and voice your complaints to the regulators. "




may wrote on Nov 4, 2009 3:11 PM:

" If you can, go to Nash General "




michael wrote on Nov 4, 2009 12:09 AM:

" Last time I went to the emergency room and had chest pains. I stayed in there for 28 hours because they had no bed for me. One very nice nurse got me a corner room because I couldn't sleep with all the noise and goings on in there along with being upset that I was afraid of having another heart attack. After finally getting to sleep after being up over 40 some hours, I was awakened at 1:30am and told I was being moved to a private room upstairs.
Come on, I was in a private room in the ER, the nurse their said they were dead at the moment. I could remain there but I was told that the transport had orders to take me to a room that wasn't even a floor that monitors your heart. The leads they placed on me did not stick correctly, and had been off all night long. When the nurse called down to ask why no one had called to say there was a problem with me. She claimed she'd been trying for hours to call but no one would answer the phone. Its nice to know that my life was so important to the hospital that someone couldn't get up from a chair and tell someone or go up one floor and tell someone there was a problem. Pitt Cardiac Center sent an ambulance to pick me up after the horrible experience in the ER, and the lack of protocol on heart patients and leads to keep a check on my heart. They definitely need to do some checking out with the going on there and the lack of administrative support and total lack of care and support their staff shows to people. "




Retired Nurse wrote on Nov 3, 2009 5:07 PM:

" HRMC does a great job in taking care of true emergencies.Too many people use the ER that should make an appointment with a physician or buy over-the-counter medication to treat non-life threatening conditions. I worked in an ER and know that some young, healthy people came in because they were constipated and needed an enema. Some folks came in with colds and needed cough syrup or decongestants or acetamenophen. "




Sick and Tired of Excuses wrote on Nov 3, 2009 3:36 PM:

" I am SICK and TIRED of all of the excuses, an emergency room should be just that an emergency room. I have been there with my family members who have had serious problems and have been told to have a seat until you are called. First of all who wants to spend time in an Emergency room waiting to be seen. If it serious enough for anyone to even make it into the emergency room. Then they should be treated as that, as an emergency. Grant it there are some cases, but the majority of the folks that come in should wait to be seen by there private doctor. BUT I have had enough family members to go and then get sent home with medication and then the next thing you know they are either back in the hospital or either couldn't make it back in time (dead). There must be a better system, until it happens to you or someone in your family you just won't understand. I really don't like HRMC and pray that I never ever have to be bothered with HRMC. MAKE IMPROVEMENTS or SHUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!!! "




Jane wrote on Nov 3, 2009 12:35 PM:

" I totally agree with Penny's comments. Having worked in Emergency Departments in other cities and towns, I can thell you that Health Care Workers have to maintain a high level of attention to detail and numerous tasks, often simultaneously, all related to providing patient care to multiple patients at any given time. We know people get frustrated with long waits, and I would too. But we can not control the number of patients or the severity or complexity of their conditions and needs. Add to this the stress of dealing with patients and families who are angry and at times down right abusive, and you might be able to see why Health Care workers might become just a bit callused and impatient with these complaints and abuse, considering how hard they work each and every day to do their already stressful jobs. "




megan wrote on Nov 3, 2009 12:02 PM:

" ok to penny i agree with the fact that the cases are taken in order of seriousness however my husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital and he couldnt breathe at ALL and they stuck him right over into the waiting room. also i went to take my daughter and a gentleman was SITTING in the waiting room with a BIG hole in his hand bleeding he said he had been waiting 45mins. it has been numerous people go up there just to be told its a cold or just this n that. my friend was told that so she was to the rocky mount hospital and was kept 6 days.i know every hospital has its corks but this one is over the top. "




employee wrote on Nov 3, 2009 11:02 AM:

" It seems that the people outside of the hospital do not realize that the employees are being worked to the bone to take care of you patients. We the people that actually deal with the patients love our jobs but latley the hospital administrators seem to think that productivity is more important than the people that need to be cared for. It makes it hard to enjoy your job when everyday your boss tells you something else that the hospital is taking from you. I as a employee have no benefits to even go to our hospital so its hard for me to tell anyone else to go. I say go where you get the best care and if that 30 minutes down the road then go. "




none wrote on Nov 1, 2009 11:39 PM:

" to the unhappy patient. put your self in the shoes of the peopel that are the most seriously ill. if you have a simple common cold or a tooth ache that can be taken care of in the doctors office, then go to the doctors office and not the emergency room. the staff there is already doing the best they can when paitents come in. if you are in the emergency room waiting are waiting to be seen and a rescue squad brings someone in, it is more likely that depending on the severity of the case of that patient will most likely be taken to the main emergency room depending on the problem. if it is a cold or cough, they are triaged and will also have to wait in the waiting room. when one comes to the hosptial seeking treatment, only bring one person with you that can get you home and not the entire neighborhood. there are others that are sick and the ones that are not sick are the ones chasing away the ones that are sick. "




missy wrote on Oct 31, 2009 10:26 PM:

" I agree with the last comment.These workers do their job the best they can and as fast as they can, They put up with alot of crap from their bosses and sometimes patients yet they continue to care and do their job. I am sorry you feel the way you do, but have so respect for the employees at HRMC. They work hard and deserve respect.If people would not abuse the system and go to the ER for unnessasary stuff, then the employees would not feel so overwhelmed andoverworked. They are loosing most of their benefits and getting NO raises but continue to work hared than ever. You need to think about what you are saying and the people you are putting down before you open your mouth next time! They work hard at HRMC! "




Brenda Phillips wrote on Oct 31, 2009 4:53 PM:

" Hi Penny I and my son had a complaint two weeks ago. He was having a severe asthma attack, got to the hospital at 7:03, triaged and after one hour of no one calling him to the back left. Now whats wrong with this picture. The triage nurse could see him gasping for air but he was sent to the waiting area. This is the second time we have had this problem. The first time when I starting getting upset verbally with people there, he was taking back and had O2 stats of 94%, given oxygen, a breathing treatment and prednisone pills. I contacted the CEO and guess what he said, "We have investigated and found that it was a human error." Errors like this can make good lawsuits. So I guess you get upset because the the truth hurts. :) "




911 wrote on Oct 29, 2009 11:27 PM:

" I understand that it can be a pain to have to wait in the ER for long periods of time but people are forgetting what ER stands for. This is an EMERGENCY ROOM. Meaning for emergency situations. For some reason people wait all day until the doctors offices close at 8pm to be checked out. That's why you had to wait. So if your sick with a cold or something that can wait til morning than dont go to the ER. That's not what its for. I hate it when i gets calls sayin they have been feeling this way all day and now at midnight they decide they want to see a doc. Why dont you go to the doc when they are open instead of tying up emergency personnels both in the ER and with the EMS for something that could of been taken care of hours ago. You're putting REAL EMERGENCY on hold and delaying them getting the attention they need. Then people want to complain b/c they have to wait b/c there decided to wait to go see a doc when the doc offices are closed. Just think if one of your family members had a REAL EMERGENCY and had to wait b/c of people who just wasn't feeling good.

PLEASE Think before you go to the ER for something that your doc office can handle. Stop being selfish and taking up the time of the staff in the ER. They are there for EMERGENCES not to pamper you when your not feeling well. "




Joe wrote on Oct 29, 2009 4:38 PM:

" I took my 71 year old mother to the HRMC emergency room a few months ago because she appeared to be having a heart attack. They had her sit in the waiting room and they took people who appeared fine back for treatment. I got my car after waiting quite a while with no care offered to my mother, who has private insurance, and took her to the hospital in Rocky Mount, where they immediately took her back and began tests and treatment. HRMC is not where I would take any family again unless I absolutely had no choice. "




Welcome to the flu season wrote on Oct 27, 2009 7:24 PM:

" I understand your frustration but be aware it is flu season and the ER is staying packed with patients day and night. They have to leave patients in the ER that are being admitted due to lack of beds upstairs. Be aware as well that you have people who refuse to use their personal physicians for their everyday complaints and clog up the ER with bs complaints, like headaches, tooth aches, and various other non-emergency complaints. I am a health care worker that had the unfortunate luck to come down with a stomach flu and I personally spent 4 hours in the waiting room the day I went in. You are not alone in this but please realize that between walk in's and EMS bringing people in, your ER is generally filled to capacity on a daily and nightly basis. "




penny wrote on Oct 27, 2009 1:32 AM:

" to the unhappy patient, sorry you had to wait for awhile, but when you go to the E.R., you go to the first window, & you tell the person there that you need to be seen, little do you know that person at that window is already checking you out, example, that your 1.breathing 2.that your not bleeding to death 3. that you are conscious, & so on, now, you are sent to the triage nurse, now this person is thoroughly checking you out, this nurse gets all your vital statistics, example,blood pressure, pulse, oxygen level, and respiratory, now this nurse can tell alot very quickly if your life is in serious danger, if so, you will be sent right to the back, if not you will be sent to the waiting room, that is the way all hospitals work, you are seen according to seriousness of illness, so if you go there with a headache or a tummy ache,or you knocked your toenail off, of course, the more serious cases will be first, such as, asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, & car wrecks & so on. Im very tired of people always saying negative things about our hospital, in my opinion, the staff & nurses and Dr.s do a great job, all these people did not go to school & college, and get into this field not to take care of people, that really doesn't make any sense. "

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