In the past few years, I've come to St. Paul's Hospital frequently, as some of my specialist…read moredoctors work primarily out of this institution, so I've had many an appointment here. Plus these doctors have often ordered tests here, too (i.e., MRI's, respiratory tests, specialty stress tests and radiology tests and more). Every time, I've been treated respectfully and everyone has been super professional. (I should add, for many years I worked as a paramedic in the States, and as a phlebotomist and EKG tech in major hospitals and doctors' offices alike, and in medical labs. I am quite familiar with the medical field, and my expectations - and I suppose, my standards too - are very high. And I will add that I am the WORST patient too, which adds another element to my experiences as a patient. So when I say that the office staff, X-Ray techs, phlebotomists, respiratory techs, doctors and nurses and aides have all been excellent with me, that says a lot).
The other night was my first time going to the ER here. (Long story, don't ask. All is well). As a medic, I know how ERs work. They are hectic, often chaotic spaces with a large element of the unknown going on (a result of the variety and amount of patients there and what their issues are, as well as staffing and more). I was originally going to go to VGH but I checked online and the wait time there was nearly 8 hours whereas at St. Paul's it was 2.5 hours. I'm so glad I went to St. Paul's.
Yes, the ER department is run-down and dated. Yes, many of the patients there were either drug addicts or homeless folks (or both), and/or had mental-emotional issues. The walls are dingy, there's no privacy in the waiting room (AT ALL. I found it startling TBH that there was a "blood draw" station in the middle of the waiting room, and I prayed I wouldn't have my bloods drawn here as I am a tough draw and, as mentioned, I am the WORST patient). So, yeah, the accommodations here are definitely NOT plush, nor are they modern.
All that said, the staff working here in the ER when I visited were UNBELIEVABLE. As in, unbelievably GOOD. The tech who registered me in, the triage nurse, the radiology tech who brought me back for a CAT scan, and finally the doctor who, thankfully, checked in with me and then had me go into a separate room to discuss their findings (I was fine and could go home. Yeah!). All of them were incredible. SO professional, so on top of everything, very efficient. I know I must have been prioritized fairly high on the ladder, as I was seen, scanned and consulted with and discharged within 90 minutes. I know that is NOT the norm, but I also know I had the potential for having something serious, and they had to rule it out promptly. And they did. And I am ever so grateful.
I'll add two things: I saw the doctors and nurses and aides talking to patients and treating them respectfully, whether the patients were drug addicts, homeless folks or well-dressed grandmothers there with their families. We were all treated equally and professionally. Also, I should not that, within the year, St. Paul's is moving to a huge, new, state-of-the-art hospital by Central Station, behind the Science Center. I've seen tours of the new facility on tv and it blows me away, how modern and spacious it is. So the days of the dated, dingy hospital here on Burrard are numbered. Very soon, this new hospital is going to be as wonderful as all the staff who work here.