Not long ago my teen granddaughter by blended marriage became ill with terrible chest pains and difficulty breathing. She was bent over and could barely walk. She's very active in track and ROTC at her school where she's received many awards in both. Her parents took her seeking medical help on more than one occasion only to be sent home. At one emergency room the ER doctor did say she had fluid on her lungs, but sent her home without any further instructions other than rest and no medication.
They have very good insurance with Aetna I think. So a lack of insurance wasn't the issue. After seeking medical help several times with no results, and her condition worsening they decided to take her to Erlanger.
To make a long story short, at Erlanger their daughter was placed in ICU for over a week with a diagnosis of Lupus on her kidney. Fluid was building up around her heart and in her lungs. She will be on medication for the rest of her life to control the Lupus. Her dreams of becoming an Army Ranger will likely no longer be an option. She's home now, and so far seems to be adjusting well to both the illness and the medication - although both cause certain physical adjustments and other changes.
One of the brightest spots during her stay in the hospital was when her ROTC instructor came for a visit dressed in all his military uniform and decorations. That he cared enough and was concerned enough meant a lot to her and the family.
It's been several years since I worked at downtown Erlanger. However, I do remember the sheer energy of the place. It wasn't unusual for me to go to work at 3 p.m. on a Friday and not leave until around noon on Saturday. Then start the process all over again, going to work at 11 p.m. Saturday. Leaving at noon on Sunday. But the energy was so high that you really didn't tire easily and sometimes even wished for another hour just to get reports to their charts or X-rays pulled.
I can remember working alone during third shift, when all second shift workers had already left for the night, and suddenly the printer began printing out drove upon drove of requests either for reports or the emergency room needing a comparable old X-ray to be pulled. I remember workers, even doctors and nurses from other departments, rolling up their sleeves and coming in to help me. Or during down time, I'd go into other departments to offer assistance where needed.
I recently found myself at downtown Erlanger's emergency room. I didn't see all what Roy is describing. But it may have been the time of the day or the day of the week. The emergency room wasn't at all crowded. I was taken immediately into triage. There was a small wait, but nothing to complain about. The area was bright, sunny and clean. The staff were really kind. It was nothing like the experience I had at another emergency room about a year ago, where the insurance clerk made an unsavory comment when she realized my insurance was Medicare through BC/BST. We do pay monthly premiums for our Medicare. It's not the entitlement insurance some people think it is. Medicare recipients do pay monthly premiums. We also worked and earned our benefits. However, because of that one experience at the prior emergency room I almost felt ashamed to present my medicare card at Erlanger, but the Erlanger insurance clerk didn't seem phased by it. She treated me with dignity, kindness and respect and made no derogatory comments about accepting it.
Whatever problems Erlanger may be facing, it's certainly not due to incompetence of any kind or a lack of professionalism. I think more people rely on Erlanger for medical help, and the hospital may be understaffed. Yet it remains the all around very best in this region. Even after having gone to several ERs, as my granddaughter's parents found themselves having to do, people sometimes find themselves having to go to Erlanger in the end for quality care and respect.
Whatever issues, if any issues, Erlanger will rise above them all and remain the best all around trauma hospital and everything else that come with it in this area.
If true what Roy say, that two people died waiting for treatment at Erlanger, it more likely has to do with staff shortages. We may not always hear about it, but it happens at other hospitals too. I believe my granddaughter would likely have died in her sleep with the fluid continuing to build up around her heart and lungs if her parents hadn't taken her to Erlanger.
Just 2 1/2 cents worth/ and may the Great Spirits always shine their blessing on hospitals like Erlanger.
Brenda Washington