Hilo Hospital

[Loretta]

I believe most emergency rooms in major metropolitan areas are taxed to their limits. I don't see the Hilo ER as any different. Shortly before leaving the mainland for here we had to take one of our closest friends to the ER in a major mid-western city. And, this was one of the "best" ER's in the area. However, because our friend was having a "nervous break-down" (my words) and was not bleeding from a gunshot wound, etc., we sat in the ER for 8 hours waiting for our friend to be seen by a doctor. He was on the floor in the fetal positon at our feet. Babies with fevers, car accident victims, sports injury victims, etc. were all triaged ahead of us and our friend. We comletely agreed with what we saw at the time.

Eventually our friend was seen by the doctors. He was admitted. we were very tired, but able to go home and be assured that our friend was being looked after. I believe that ER care is hard for most of us "lay" folks to understand. All ER rooms do the best they can. I do not believe that Hilo is any different.

[missydog1]

I think Hilo does the best it can.
Waimea does it a lot better, without question, by all acounts I've heard and my own experience.
Are they slammed with as much as Hilo gets? No.

I have some MRSA concerns with Hilo, but then I'm a worrywort about that. I was told by someone told by a nurse there that they have a MRSA "area" or ward that they don't like to talk about to the public.

[macuu222]

MRSA? Sorry my hospital lingo isn't so good....

[aikahimomma]

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

used to be years back that you were most at risk of catching this in the hospital..i remember working on Oahu in the 80's when it became a big deal..we had to gown and glove just to enter the room of patients with it..they would be in strict isolation...

aloha, jamie

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Loretta

I believe most emergency rooms in major metropolitan areas are taxed to their limits. I don't see the Hilo ER as any different....All ER rooms do the best they can. I do not believe that Hilo is any different.

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I agree Loretta. I think we all tend to think our situation is always the worst.

I had to wait at Saint Joseph's ER in Burbank a few years ago. (The hospital right next to NBC and Disney with big donations going to it!) My little brother had kidney stones - 6 hours we were there - they finally did give him a few shots of Demerol while we waited!

Big or small, well funded or rural. ER's are as Loretta said taxed to their limits, even worse during holiday seasons.

What can we do to help our medical facilities? Attend their fundraisers. Go to doctor preventively ( I know this is hard but it does help). Pay your portion of the bill as you leave so they dont have to send a bill. If a new medical professional is your neighbor, dont bombard them with what is wrong at HMC. If you go to ER, take what they will need to know - your insurance card, a list of the medications you take, what ever will help them speed up the process.

[dakine]

Hilo Hospital? Not! Note that it lost it's hospital accreditation years ago. Is only allowed to call itself a medical center. There should be a clue there.

A true story: A friend's son was having headaches. Eventually he ended up in the ER at Hilo Medical Center. After an initial examination the parents were told that he had a brain tumor and would need immediate brain surgery. After consent, and surgery, the poor lad developed meningitis and a whole slew of complications. In the end, after the parents were told to get a priest and do the last rights thing, friends stepped up and the boy was removed and a real surgeon on the mainland was found. The boy lived, is healthy, and a great member of our community. If you really need serious medical assistance DO NOT GO THERE! you will be risking your life!

[aline]

Hilo Medical is JACHO accredited and just because it is called a medical center has nothing to do with accreditation. If that was the case the Mayo Clinic would not be considered a hospital either or a lot of other highly respected hospitals in this country who are called centers or clinics

[Kahunascott]

I can’t speak for the ER but I had surgery about two weeks ago at Hilo Medical Center.
It included nuclear medicine, radiology and some pretty major surgery.
The administration, nuclear department, pre op, operating room and post op were all above my expectations. I was treated better then when I was in the big city.
No infections, MRSA or Staph. My surgery was successful and I have nothing but nice things to say about the staff and facility.
My Surgeon was the best, Dr. Joshua Pierce from Hilo Surgical Associates. Undergrad at Cornell, Medical at Yale and internship at The University of Pennsylvania. His wife is an Oceanographer at UHH so he ended up in Hilo instead of midtown Manhattan. We are very lucky to have him here!
Not that I want to go back anytime soon but I would have no problem using this facility and its staff again.
[]

"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin

[StillHope]

I am glad ,you are OK,Kahunascott,because you have another poor calf to take care next year![]

[Kahunascott]

quote:

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Originally posted by StillHope

I am glad ,you are OK,Kahunascott,because you have another poor calf to take care next year![]

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I'm only coaching next year, once is enough for a city boy.

"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin