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After reading the recent articles in the newspaper about the wait time in the Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department, I feel there are a few things that need to be said.
First of all, the definition of emergency is this: A serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action. Obviously, this would include things like car accidents, heart attacks, strokes, drug overdoses, serious falls, injuries resulting from abuse, uncontrolled pain such as that of a kidney stone, serious infections and a variety of conditions involving children.
By law, Mercy cannot refuse treatment to any patient regardless of what they are being seen for, even something as non-emergent as a headache, sore throat, runny nose, toothache or sprained finger. These patients are taking valuable time away from the true emergencies. I wonder how many people would be visiting the ER for such things if they were paying the bill out of their own pocket?
Here is a challenge to everyone in this wonderful community: The next time you are sitting in the emergency room waiting to be seen by a doctor, ask yourself this, "should I be in the emergency room or the doctor's office?" If everyone would ask themselves this question and use a little common sense, I guarantee the wait time in the ER would be drastically decreased.
Instead of pointing an accusing finger at the hospital staff or even the physicians, look at the patient in the ER who has had a toothache for six months and decides one night to visit the ER instead of a dentist. The "E" stands for emergency!
Amy Holst
Roseburg
First of all, the definition of emergency is this: A serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action. Obviously, this would include things like car accidents, heart attacks, strokes, drug overdoses, serious falls, injuries resulting from abuse, uncontrolled pain such as that of a kidney stone, serious infections and a variety of conditions involving children.
By law, Mercy cannot refuse treatment to any patient regardless of what they are being seen for, even something as non-emergent as a headache, sore throat, runny nose, toothache or sprained finger. These patients are taking valuable time away from the true emergencies. I wonder how many people would be visiting the ER for such things if they were paying the bill out of their own pocket?
Here is a challenge to everyone in this wonderful community: The next time you are sitting in the emergency room waiting to be seen by a doctor, ask yourself this, "should I be in the emergency room or the doctor's office?" If everyone would ask themselves this question and use a little common sense, I guarantee the wait time in the ER would be drastically decreased.
Instead of pointing an accusing finger at the hospital staff or even the physicians, look at the patient in the ER who has had a toothache for six months and decides one night to visit the ER instead of a dentist. The "E" stands for emergency!
Amy Holst
Roseburg
