Pros:
Good nurses and other staff seems just as good. Staff generally are friendly. Clean beds and generally everything in the ER room is clean. Social workers and case managers available to assist financial and emotional needs.
Cons:
Wait times vary. ER lobby can be dirty with food crumbs scattered sometimes. Wait time for nurses to assist can vary. Chairs in ER rooms are hard and uncomfortable.
Review:
So I had to go to the ER a few times this month and each time my experience has been good overall. A tip for first timers, once you get into the ER lobby the check-in counter on the left and will have a black chair in front of the counter. If there is no one sitting there, you need to just walk up to the counter because there are a few instances when people just stand in line and they never get asked by the staff if they are there for emergency services.
The wait time really depends on the time and day you come in. Generally between midnight and 6am are probably the slowest, but there is no telling when and how many ambulances will roll right in at any time. Ambulance patients have the highest priority and will be seen over almost everyone who just walks into the ER. However they will probably bump up your priority if you are in labor, or having chest pains, or seizures. But if you are having a terrible cold, or other non-life threatening pains (no gun shot or stabbing wounds where you are bleeding to death), then you can expect to wait for awhile.
The first time I went in with my symptoms, I had to wait probably 3 hours in the lobby before getting a bed on a Tuesday late afternoon. After explaining my case, they did x-ray and gave me IV fluids and other meds to help my situation. Although, I had to wait almost 30-45 minutes in between each new service (ie. Take blood sample, wait 30 min, get IV fluids, wait 30 min, x-ray, wait 40 min, CT scan, wait 45 min). The nurses were all very good and the doctors were all good that night as well as they were able to come up with best diagnosis for me. I ended up getting an emergency procedure done that night and admitted for recovery. Most ER bed rooms only have 1 or 2 hard chairs for guest to sit on and can be uncomfortable especially sitting for a long time.
On my second visit to the ER, I must have came in on a Monday afternoon and it was extremely busy. They were swamped with ambulances all day and the lobby had at least 6 patients including myself waiting. I had to wait almost 6 hours before finally getting a put into a room! Then, ER services were also a bit slow (30-45 min per service) and the nurse with the mid-western accent seemed busy and always on the go type. There was also a very rude older patient next to my room with an eastern european accent who had a chronic cough that took all his breath away, and who was rude using his cell phone to make calls to his lawyer, and also very demanding to the nurses. One younger Male nurse couldn't take it and had to start telling him to stop moving around because the patient kept tangling his IV lines and the nurse had to fix it almost every 5 min. Thankfully my nurse gave me some orange banana plugs to put into my ears that night!
The third time I came in around 6am on a Wednesday and no one was there. I got a room within 30 min after checking in, and they already got the x-ray and IV orders put in within 30 min. They also gave me meds and warm blankets. The nurse Quimby she was really nice and helpful and was able to advise me on what to eat slightly better than the doctor (though the older doctor was also really good). I was treated and out within a few hours.
Overall all ER rooms are kind of the same. Expect to wait least 3 hours before getting a bed. Also, expect to wait again once you get into a bed to get services like x-rays, scans, food, ect. This place is not the worst. I once had to visit an ER up in citrus heights called San Juan medical center a year ago, and I literally had to wait 7-8 hours before being seen! The patients there were much more impatient and some smelled really bad. Here at least every experience wasn't that bad but it's still a hit or miss. read more
