Lawrence Memorial Hospital

Reviews 4

SA

Sarah A.

This is VERY important to know about the LMH emergency room: they reverse triage. In order to improve their official response time to ER intake, they will see the *least* sick, *least* injured, *least* critical patients first. Your only chance of getting seen quickly unless you have an easily treatable, simple, no-hassle problem like a sprained ankle that will count toward their success rate in under 10 minutes is basically zero - unless youre making a mess in the waiting room by puking or bleeding. You can go in there with symptoms of a heart attack, stroke, spinal meningitis, you name it - if its complicated and potentially lethal, youre not going to be seen soon (if at all - depends entirely on how long youre willing to wait). Thats because they maintain two separate workflows, one with ultra fast turnaround (easy problems, easy money, easy numbers) and one for serious problems - and the serious problem flow has way fewer beds, can only process a few patients at once, and those serious patients take a LONG time to sort out and stabilize. Thats bad for their numbers, which is why they want to load balance the kind of patients they see to make the ER appear more effective and more efficient and more competent by sheer metrics. This dual workflow was explained to me by one of the front desk triage techs. They didnt add "so we can look more competent" but thats the very obvious outcome of front-loading easy problems and putting the serious ones on the back burner, handling a max of 3 or 4 at once. Based on what I heard from the nursing supervisor, I think there are only 3 or 4 serious problem beds. Every other bed is hot sheets. Separate workflows, remember? They wont have an opening in serious problems for hours, but they will crank those nosebleeds, ear infections, sprained ankles, etc. out on a rapid churn. From what I can tell, if a patient goes in just saying "Im puking" (and maybe you are puking - salt water and ipecac are good for that) you will get seen ASAP. Once you get into triage just let them take your numbers (pulse, temp, etc.) and keep saying "Im puking" - you will get in to see a PA in zippy time. Then tell him or her that youre also having problems X, Y, Z. They can NOT send you back out into the waiting room, once youre in the room you are IN THE ROOM. They also can NOT ignore the fact that you just told them the symptoms youre having arent easy metrics and try to route you back over to the serious medicine rooms. Malpractice is the problem at that point. Once youre in the room, youre in the room, and they have to deal with reality. You will be seen by a doctor, and the doctor will have to treat your stroke/heart attack/etc. instead of the "burned my hand on the cookie sheet" person. Its getting in the room that is the problem, when the ER is used as a primary care facility by every clown, weirdo, addict, homeless person, crazy, or unenrolled in a 30 mile radius. You will watch meth heads who need to have the chunk of scalp they ripped off their head while tweaking patched up SAILING ahead of elderly cardiac emergencies in that ER. Its all about the numbers. The girl who pinched her finger in the shake machine at the fast food restaurant will go ahead of the guy who is literally struggling to remain conscious in his chair because the pain from his injured back is so severe that he has turned an alarming shade of purple. You will watch that guy sit there for an hour. And then two hours. While you sit there, unable to feel half of your hand and most of your arm... For almost four hours. Watching literally every other person come and go. Wondering - is this a stroke? Did I throw a clot? Is it just nerve damage? Will I get sensation and function in my arm back? Are my chances of getting the arm back going down with every additional hour? Thats what you sit there wondering. In the "serious" workflow lane. For hours.

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Lee B

Recently a bad experience at LMH South. Doctor chewed and shouted at me for 15-20 min for seeing other docs. He is the one that referred me I reminded him. Even chewed on me for even seeing his own nurse practitioner...the staff referred me so I could get in to the office quicker. He also does not even remember my name after 6 visits. After his appointment I was admitted to Stormont Vail ER for severe dehydration, vital signs diminishing, electrolytes issues, chest pain, spilling sugar into urine. Previously in the doctors office he did nothing but scream at me...no medial interventions at all! I see the office visit was billed to Medicare for what reason? Im 73 with disabilities including cardiac issues. Id like to know why LMH allows this abuse to happen. Ive never received a reply or answer pertaining to this issue. or my questions answered. What kind of hospital does the Administrator/ CEO want? The more questions I ask the staff becomes even more angry. This attitude is pervasive throughout the operation. Thanks for Storment Vail near by...I could have died to be honest. I reported the doctor to the Board of Medial Arts in Topeka, and Id also like to receive a response to this complaint. This hospital needs a real good cleaning out and hire some competent staff. Your health grades are embarrassing.

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cami gammons

I am unfortunately a frequent visitor. I am in constant pain and have had 7 surgeries in my lifetime for the SAME issue. The first 2 times I went here, I was treated well...after that it went down hill and the nurses or P.A.s are judgmental. They sit in their stations and talk LOUDLY while you can hear patients moaning in pain across the hall but no one checks on them. They had the gall to insinuate that I was seeking pain meds when I already had some prescribed by my regular Dr. The last time I went I had upper right quadrant pain...they did NO tests except urine. I subsequently went to another hospital where I was told that my appendix area was sensitive to touch but blood work was fine and that I need to watch how I feel bc I could be developing appendicitis. Their attitude so so rude last time I went that I am in process of TRYING to complain to the patient rep who never answers her phone then calls back when Im unavailable.

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Chlo Li

I am seeing a lot of reviews where people feel that their medical care was inadequate and Lawrence Memorial did it because people in handcuffs in Alcoholics got in to see doctors before them but I will tell you one thing triage when appropriately incorrectly done is not based on who is a better person and who is a criminal and who is not triage is it system designed to save the most life possible and not let a single life fall by the wayside okay triage is based on Whose Medical Care is truly most urgent life-threatening cases come first if a person in handcuffs or an alcoholic came in before you its because their medical condition was far more serious and if you honestly believe that their life is worth less than yours well frankly I do not respect your review but I do respect the care that I have received at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and I appreciate it greatly

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