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I've had no experience with BGH, but haven't heard anything negative about them until now. I have had two sorta bad ones with KMC.
1) Poor billing practices (a bill showed up 6 months after service).
2) My mother was in an emergency situation on her way to KMC and the staff "misplaced" her ambulance. They said they'd lost track of the ambulance and couldn't tell me her status when they'd last heard from the ambulance or even when/if the ambulance was expected to be coming in.
Other than those two times, KMC has been excellent in my rare interactions with them.
We have had several ER visits over a number of years. We had one bad experience there which could have resulted in death or very serious health issues. We have had very long waits in the ER as well. If one of us needed besic care BGH would be fine, but if we needed surgery or had a serious health problem I would try very hard to at least get to Kootenai Medical Center.
You sum it up perfectly bc. Residents need to know the abilities and limitations of the medical facilities where they live. Depending on medical conditions family members have different levels of care are required.
Spokane may be the only city appropriate in NID for some people, given the care needed.
hate11r, I agree with a lot of what you wrote. Please include info to those who PM you about Idaho's Critical Access Hospitals. It is complicated and so many assume national medical problems are identical in each state, which isn't correct. I wish you would post for all to read too as some issues in states like TX, MO, NY,NJ etc. aren't issues in ID.
I looked at BGH website and left smiling. I remember when one of the attendings was a resident on my surgery team who always got called about all the complications. Since it was a teaching hospital located elsewhere, it was nice to read what this MD is currently doing.
Sage - it is not my experience and then 2 or 3 more. It is everyone we talk to including the loan officer at our bank, our plumber, the receptionist at the dentist...
Misty - I have an ethical dilemma. Should I invite people to visit my beautiful place when I know if they have a serious health problem while they are here they could be in danger? If the hospital needs improvement should I just shut up, go to CDA, and let my neighbors in Sandpoint fend for themselves?
hatin11r - I will write to your privately, I would like to know your thoughts on this.
I didn't want to say what I think is wrong first because I didn't want to color anyone's response. But here goes. I grew up in a town of 1000 people. The way our hospital worked is that they were very good at stopping bleeding, setting casts, delivering babies, stabilizing people right after an injury. If you came in with any kind of serious illness or injury you would be stabilized and then sent by ambulance or helicopter to the city one hour away. I have never heard a complaint about the hospital in my 60 years. Mistakes have been made. But everyone is pretty forgiving about that. Humans make mistakes! I have never heard of the hospital being sued. So all in all I think that system works.
As far as Sandpoint - it just doesn't WORK right now IMO. In our situation we should have been transferred to Spokane but we were not taken seriously and told to go home and come back if we felt worse. We thought they knew what they were talking about but now talking to other physicians and describing the symptoms everyone says we should have been transported to Spokane. So this falls into the same category as Misty's misdiagnosed broken bones. An acquaintance of mine went to BGH with chest pains, they told him he was fine he drove himself to Kootenai, he was having a heart attack (he recovered). I believe the BGH ER is not triaging people correctly. If they don't think that you have a broken bone, and you say you don't feel right, they should send you to CDA or Spokane, not tell you that you are fine and send you home like you are a complainer. I don't think it's the doctors. Notice how I have not said I think it is the doctors. It seems like it is some kind of administrator decision based on what I don't understand. But somehow Bonner is failing in what my little hometown of 1000 people sails through gracefully. And it is not about money. We didn't have insurance but I just don't think it is about money. That's just my guess.
And Misty, I am not interested in getting a lawyer. I'm interested in supporting my local hospital so it will be there for my family and friends when they need it.
Sage - it is not my experience and then 2 or 3 more. It is everyone we talk to including the loan officer at our bank, our plumber, the receptionist at the dentist...
Here is what I think. I can just as easily say "EVERYONE I talk to has had a good experience there". My point is that among internet forum posters, you and I are just two actual "voices" among many, and the various people with whom we interact can have VERY different perspectives on BGH, and in essence cancel each other out, leaving this hospital at a "net" rating of "neutral". However, your own perspective shared (caveat: AS SHARED), to be blunt, raises red flags.
Quote:
We thought they knew what they were talking about but now talking to other physicians and describing the symptoms everyone says we should have been transported to Spokane.
It's my personal experience (not only as a cop/EMT-II and first responder but also with the inordinately high amount of time we spent in the ER hearing things from the medical staff's perspective) that when "describing symptoms", a person shares their own views on the symptoms (their own or those of their child/spouse/etc), NOT the actual objective symptoms that are presenting at the time. They ALSO share the symptoms (I'm sure unintentionally much of the time) that they feel will get them the result they want, and in a WAY that will get the desired outcome.
So unfortunately, your explanation leaves me pretty much discounting the credibility of your personal anecdotal experience with BGH because it's basically opinion and emotion, not a case of a medical error confirmed by medical analysis or reporting.
I understand your layman's view is that you don't feel BGH ER is triaging people correctly. But I'm not really tracking with your logic. You talk about them sending someone home "like they're a complainer" instead of sending them to CDA or Spokane, but any adult knows that if they don't like the result at one doctor (or ER) that they're free to go to another doctor (or ER) for a second opinion. So is your biggest beef that if radiology fails to show a broken bone yet the patient still has complaint of pain or discomfort the hospital is out of line for not proactively suggesting they visit a second ER? Really? See, I can't go with you there.
You're comparing a tiny town hospital (which has to stabilize and transport) to BGH which can handle most things but trauma cases. BGH has the ability to evaluate, admit, and then if necessary transfer to KMC or Sacred Heart of Deaconess for specialized treatment, etc. But they can also discharge a patient, same as those other hospitals would. They're under no "small hospital burden" to automatically transfer any patient to a larger hospital. Your premise is quite frankly ludicrous.
Here is my view after a law enforcement career (and I dealt with hundreds of broken bones in that time, and saw all types of breaks/wounds in ER's around Los Angeles County). Fractures are a really tricky thing and hairline (very small "incomplete") fractures sometimes do not show up on x-rays the first time. Movement during x-ray, the angle of view, whatever...I don't know. But I know that there are times where even good doctors and good hospitals have missed incomplete fractures. Displaced fracture with a good fracture gap? Much harder to miss. Compound fracture? No missing those.
But even if an x-ray shows no fracture, the patient is going to still feel the effects of the trauma to the body. If every time an x-ray showed no fracture and the person still said "well my arm/leg/bone still hurts" BGH "stabilized and transported" them to another hospital, that would just be silly.
And as to potential legal recourse, I don't even see that you have any here unless you suffered terribly by not receiving immediate transfer to KMC or Spokane that day or your health degraded in direct correlation to that decision by the hospital and that can be confirmed by expert medical testimony under independent review.
I hope you understand, I'm not questioning your personal truthfulness, but I most certainly am struggling with your premises and the resulting conclusions you've drawn about the hospital...
in my case I was thrown by a horse and walked ... okay, hobbled into the ER with one arm hanging lower than the other. My shoulder had dislocated on impact and when I tucked and rolled out from under the horse, it popped back into the socket. I felt the "clunk" clearly and the ligaments were stretched so the arm was hanging lower. I had a doc at the ER who was new there and I've never seen again. I've heard she is no longer there. She claimed after x-rays of my hip, ribs and shoulder that nothing was fractured and sent me home. After a day the pain was so bad that my doctor sent me to an orthopedic guy who accessed my x-rays and saw the fractures immediately. However, nothing could have been done differently anyway at the ER. The fractures were such that they didn't need setting or splinting. My arm was in a sling and I was sent home with pain meds.
I have found in other instances that the staff has been very proactive, cautious and transferred my husband immediately with suspicion of chest pain (turned out to be nothing serious). I feel confident that my one somewhat bad experience was an isolated thing and I have no problems going there.
Jim....I look forward to your direct message and will share my medical opinion with you concerning the event. Aside from that,we are all susceptible to these situations when visiting an ER,Dr's office and the like. Even I have had to use/interject my medical experience to help steer the situation toward a more favorable direction. Here in lies the problem.Most layman do not know when to challenge/ask for further explanation,tests or diagnostics. This is where the situation starts to go south. Many problems/misdiagnosis can be caught at this point when provider/pt. are talking. No one is infallible.
So what is the answer? Well not so easy to accomplish,but I will share some tips:
1- Communicate and ask questions.You are the pt.and the customer.The provider exits because of you. If you don't understand,let it be known. A Dr. is human,not GOD.
2- Have an advocate with you.Someone who is calm and communicates well,preferably with a medical background.
3- Be respectful but assertive. If you are not comfortable with the way things are going let someone know.Sometimes the Nurse or other medical staff can answer some of your questions. Just don't leave the provider without ALL of your concerns/questions satisfied.
4- If you truly feel you have not gotten the appropriate care then follow up with a call,letter or email to the facility Director,Administrator etc. Be prepared to provide specifics about date/time/provider name/facts surrounding the case etc. Sometimes true problems exist and the appropriate measures will be taken. However,saying nothing is guaranteed to solve nothing.
In conclusion,we all need to be aware our medical system can vary greatly from place to place.Staying informed and vigilant will help keep you safe. Having an advocate is better, staying in the loop with your provider is usually the best. Hope this helps........
Jim....I look forward to your direct message and will share my medical opinion with you concerning the event. Aside from that,we are all susceptible to these situations when visiting an ER,Dr's office and the like. Even I have had to use/interject my medical experience to help steer the situation toward a more favorable direction. Here in lies the problem.Most layman do not know when to challenge/ask for further explanation,tests or diagnostics. This is where the situation starts to go south. Many problems/misdiagnosis can be caught at this point when provider/pt. are talking. No one is infallible.
So what is the answer? Well not so easy to accomplish,but I will share some tips:
1- Communicate and ask questions.You are the pt.and the customer.The provider exits because of you. If you don't understand,let it be known. A Dr. is human,not GOD.
2- Have an advocate with you.Someone who is calm and communicates well,preferably with a medical background.
3- Be respectful but assertive. If you are not comfortable with the way things are going let someone know.Sometimes the Nurse or other medical staff can answer some of your questions. Just don't leave the provider without ALL of your concerns/questions satisfied.
4- If you truly feel you have not gotten the appropriate care then follow up with a call,letter or email to the facility Director,Administrator etc. Be prepared to provide specifics about date/time/provider name/facts surrounding the case etc. Sometimes true problems exist and the appropriate measures will be taken. However,saying nothing is guaranteed to solve nothing.
In conclusion,we all need to be aware our medical system can vary greatly from place to place.Staying informed and vigilant will help keep you safe. Having an advocate is better, staying in the loop with your provider is usually the best. Hope this helps........
This is an awesome post. Kudos.
Regardless of my views regarding Jim's presentation of his situation on this thread, you never EVER want to just get bulldozed by a doctor or nurse anywhere at any time. The polite-but-firm refusal to go away meekly and insistence on having a doctor or nurse's actions reviewed by the hospital administrator are important tools we possess.
Jim....I look forward to your direct message and will share my medical opinion with you concerning the event. Aside from that,we are all susceptible to these situations when visiting an ER,Dr's office and the like. Even I have had to use/interject my medical experience to help steer the situation toward a more favorable direction. Here in lies the problem.Most layman do not know when to challenge/ask for further explanation,tests or diagnostics. This is where the situation starts to go south. Many problems/misdiagnosis can be caught at this point when provider/pt. are talking. No one is infallible.
So what is the answer? Well not so easy to accomplish,but I will share some tips:
1- Communicate and ask questions.You are the pt.and the customer.The provider exits because of you. If you don't understand,let it be known. A Dr. is human,not GOD.
2- Have an advocate with you.Someone who is calm and communicates well,preferably with a medical background.
3- Be respectful but assertive. If you are not comfortable with the way things are going let someone know.Sometimes the Nurse or other medical staff can answer some of your questions. Just don't leave the provider without ALL of your concerns/questions satisfied.
4- If you truly feel you have not gotten the appropriate care then follow up with a call,letter or email to the facility Director,Administrator etc. Be prepared to provide specifics about date/time/provider name/facts surrounding the case etc. Sometimes true problems exist and the appropriate measures will be taken. However,saying nothing is guaranteed to solve nothing.
In conclusion,we all need to be aware our medical system can vary greatly from place to place.Staying informed and vigilant will help keep you safe. Having an advocate is better, staying in the loop with your provider is usually the best. Hope this helps........
Good post hate11r. I've done my time in Trauma I Hospital E. Rs and seen the problems from many different perspectives.
Perhaps LT staff covering for others adds to the confusion, but not always.
I totally agree the patient and patient's family/advocate play a key rule along with clear commujication.
I like your ideas and will appreciate it when you add in how Idaho's critical access hospitals also are a factor.
Thank you hatin11r for the tips. Our situation was complicated so those tips did not apply. But they will help other people. I decided I don't want to talk about my family member's situation in particular, especially since it did not happen directly to me. It would not be appropriate considering people's careers and finances are on the line. It wouldn't be appropriate to publicly or privately discuss the details and people involved. What I do want is a local hospital that functions better. At least at the caliber that my home town, population 1000, hospital functions at.
When Sage questioned me about my survey I sat down and wrote out each of the negative comments I have gotten about BGH from the above mentioned waitresses, loan officers, car mechanics etc. I have heard 17 negative comments. I have heard one positive comment (from a young healthy couple who had a normal child birth at BGH).
I am asking anyone who lives in Sandpoint to ask the next ten people they run into, the checker at the grocery store, the barista at the coffee place, your barber, ask them what they think of Bonner General. Please write down what you learn. Post it here. Prove me wrong! If you get at least 4-6 out of ten negative comments like I think you will you are going to have to agree with me that BGH, at the very least, has a serious PR problem.
When Sage questioned me about my survey I sat down and wrote out each of the negative comments I have gotten about BGH from the above mentioned waitresses, loan officers, car mechanics etc. I have heard 17 negative comments. I have heard one positive comment (from a young healthy couple who had a normal child birth at BGH).
I am asking anyone who lives in Sandpoint to ask the next ten people they run into, the checker at the grocery store, the barista at the coffee place, your barber, ask them what they think of Bonner General. Please write down what you learn. Post it here. Prove me wrong! If you get at least 4-6 out of ten negative comments like I think you will you are going to have to agree with me that BGH, at the very least, has a serious PR problem.
JD
Jim,
I'll freely admit that I haven't talked to 17 people about BGH. So in straight numbers, you've heard more negative about it than I've heard positive.
But I will ask around, as you said, and objectively report back what comments I get.
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Hope this helps........
