Anon wrote on Dec 1, 2009 3:40 PM:

" I agree with Happy to Support Mercy.

wndres brings up a good point, but it's probably not the ER staff that should be running a call center. Ultimately, the popular assumption that the local ER should be the first number to dial with often trivial concerns is the problem. Of course, not everyone is able to safely judge which medical concerns are trivial and which are emergent, but that's what family, friends, EDUCATION, and resources like the internet are great for. For every pointed finger, there is a lack of understanding; I believe the average person should be able to tell the difference between trivial and emergent medical concerns, as well as seek medical advice OUTSIDE the ER for NON-EMERGENT situations. "




me wrote on Nov 27, 2009 7:03 PM:

" If you think sitting in the ER for a couple hours when they are busy is alot, perhaps you should venture to a bigger city and wait up to 24 hours. Or maybe try Canada, as where you are lucky to see a doctor and if you do it can take up to 72 hours! I would quit complaining if I were you! I would say we are lucky to even have a hospital still. Wait until you need to drive to the next town to see a doctor and see how much you have to complain about then! "




wndres wrote on Nov 25, 2009 1:51 PM:

" Since we are talking medical care here...I think some of the docs at Craven need to go down the road. As for the hospital, would they rather talk to a new parent, as I am, on the phone for 5 minutes to assure them that the 100 degree fever their child is running is ok and if it persists they should call the childs usual physician in the morning - OR - would they rather we come to the ER and waste several hours of their precious time to simply tell us to go home and call the childs usual physician in the morning. I would like to see the actual numbers of people that call the ER asking for advise vs. the people that come to the ER to simply be told to go home and see their doc tomorrow and the amount of time each case takes to resolve. In larger cities, and I know Williston is not a larger city, the hospitals have a phone number to call and they staff a nurse or two to answer questions over the phone. This might actually save the hospital money as they would be able to anwer questions over the phone thus reducing the number of noninsured patients that come to the hospital and can't pay their bill. I know a person in Williston that uses the ER as her family doc as she doesn't have insurance and is not capable of paying a doc bill. She simply counts on the fact that the cost of her visits to the ER will be written off. I am most certain that it would save the hospital thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars to have a few staff nurses that can answer these questions over the phone instead of people wasting time and resources coming to the ER. Most health insurance companies offer this service. I'm sure they do because it actually saves money. Why doesn't the hospital? Maybe they would rather have that person whose question could be answered over the phone come in so they can get money from the insurance company or govt. Anyway, I certainly would like to see a service providing over the phone medical advise/direction rather than going to the ER. Perhaps some of the nurses in town should get together and form a company that would do this and rotate being on call. I'm sure that some of the docs in town would also be on board for this. I have received medical advise/direction over the phone from a few docs in town. This was after hours and the ER actually patched me through to the doc on call. I hope that the administrators at the hospital read these posts. Perhaps it will give them some ideas. I find it rediculous that when I have taken a member of my family to the ER that we have had to sit in the waiting room for hours. Maybe they should staff more than one doc at the ER. That's all I have to say for now. "




me wrote on Nov 24, 2009 9:21 PM:

" Money hungry? Really? No, they are actually trying to treat REAL ER patients! Maybe if you actually worked in the health field you would know that most everybody there works there butts off giving everybody the best possible care they can and don't have time to sit around answering phone calls all day. "




Give me a break wrote on Nov 24, 2009 5:23 PM:

" It is not the responsibility of the ER staff to take these calls. The ER is busy enough and doesn't have time to take them. How would you like to be one of those waiting in the waiting room to see the ER doc and the nurses are so busy fielding non-emergent calls that you have to wait even longer? It has nothing to do with money. It has to do with giving the best and timely service that patients who come to the ER should have. You can call nurse lines for free and get medical advice. That is what they are for. Let the ER staff do their job. "




Cmon man wrote on Nov 24, 2009 4:58 PM:

" How many of you are going to do your jobs for free, and then get sued if you give the wrong info? If your sick see a doctor. I don't see how anything can be fixed by "looking at you through a phone". "




Happy to Support Mercy wrote on Nov 24, 2009 3:48 PM:

" I get so tired of the diatribes that people write on here that do nothing but criticize the hospital. Since I see so many bad things said about Mercy by other people, I'd like to change that and say a few good things.

I have been treated with respect and dignity every time I've been a patient there. The doctors and nurses are wonderful and knowledgeable, and don't treat you like a number, which they do in some other hospitals I've had the displeasure of visiting. I have no complaints about any care that I've ever had there.

What people don't see, is that Williston is incredibly lucky to have a hospital, period. Hospitals in small towns are dying a slow and painful death since they can't make ends meet. When businesses don't make ends meet, they eventually close. When the members of a community don't support a hospital, it makes it even harder to continue providing services that are clearly needed.

Perhaps instead of criticizing, you should get involved and volunteer your time there, so that you can actually stand inside the glass house you are constantly throwing stones at.
The ER should not be under any obligation to provide any kind of medical advice, and for the public to expect that, seems a little ludicrous.

Call it whatever you want, but remember that if you don't support the hospital that we have, or actually GET involved to change things that you don't like, then simply whining about it is pointless and meaningless. I for one, would like to thank Mercy Hospital for the great care I've been given, and I will continue to support the hospital for as long as I am living in Williston. I hope that others will follow suit and do the same. "




Lisa wrote on Nov 22, 2009 10:00 PM:

" All I hear is "we are money hungry". "




former patient wrote on Nov 22, 2009 5:52 AM:

" Just another way to SUCK money from someone as usual!!! "

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