"I have a problem with cyclists"
 

"I have a problem with cyclists, always slowing me down" - that's what the ER med tech told me as I was finally getting checked in to ER.

I had other things on my mind at the moment, but now after the emergency surgery, a day in ICU, a couple in the Trauma unit, and some recovery I can't help but wonder if that had something to do with having to sit in an empty ER lobby for half an hour, with a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. Since they already had X-rays and a diagnosis from an Urgent Care clinic, which they didn't even glance at, was it because their admissions techs "have a problem with cyclists"?

I dunno, maybe they simply didn't think it as urgent as the surgeons, nurses and doctors did. But after I'm recovered from all this, I'm going to call around to the local hospitals and find one that doesn't "have a problem with cyclists". Something to consider, that you probably never thought was necessary.

Was there any triage in progress in the ER?

Maybe you should be glad your injuries weren't such that you became a higher priority.



Getting to a well run hospital is important when it matters, if you have a choice.

Care to fill us in on what happened BEFORE you arrived at the hospital... or is it a blank?

And, how did you arrive at Urgent Care with a collapsed lung & internal bleeding? Our local hospital is trying to separate "Urgent Care" from "ER" which would be fine for a hospital associated general/family practice office.

However, if you have some kind of a traumatic event sending you to the hospital, then it should be directly to the ER, do triage from there.

And, any transfers, Urgent Care to ER should be room to room, without going back out to the waiting room.

No it's not a blank, no I do not care to provide details and yes I was a transfer from Urgent Care. With the x-rays and diagnosis as I mentioned. All the paperwork, and that's what the Urgent Care told me.

" Eh a tech will look at that later just sit over there sir". I'm half serious, did the fact it was a cycling accident deprioritize it?


I went through triage pretty quickly, straight to a Cat-scan and then surgery.

Never took you for a smart-ass. If you folks don't find the med-tech's actions objectionable, being accusatory to the patient, taking her own sweet time to tell you how she disapproves of you before going to triage, then I guess there's nothing really to discuss here.

Mod's please lock thread.





Getting to a well run hospital is important when it matters, if you have a choice.[/QUOTE]

I don't believe there was any disrespect intended by members here.

Everything I've observed of our local hospital, they're reasonably supportive of bike commuters, and have several large restricted entry bike cages for hospital employees, and a row of single bike cages in the basement parking garage for "customer" use. Also, several bike racks scattered around. Even a "No Smoking on campus" policy (so one isn't always getting smoke blown in one's face when one is locking up a bike). I haven't heard any negative comments to me/about me when I've arrived by bike.

And, I've found that bike commuting is handy for shuttling when a patient can drive in, but needs a ride home. Just toss the bike in the back of the car.

The last time I was visiting my mother in the ER, I had to stop at the reception desk to check in. Someone came up behind me that I didn't notice, and I was asked to wait for the "patient" to be served before the "visitor" which was fine by me. 30 seconds later I got the room number and visitor's badge.

I did have an experience a few years ago when we brought my grandmother into Urgent Care. She walked into Urgent Care, and had a stroke while waiting to be examined. She was transferred to the ER by Ambulance (one end of the hospital to the other), and I believe was in an ER room by the time we got down there.

We were told never to take an Octogenarian to Urgent Care. :P Go directly to the ER. But, she was disoriented, but walking when we entered the hospital.

I think it is a bad thing about the Medical System is to always make patients wait. Poor Staffing & Scheduling?

Your transfer first to Urgent Care, then from Urgent Care to the ER waiting room, then into the ER, then up to the ICU sounds very odd, and sounds like a system failure.

I would hope that some patients can go directly from the door to the ICU or Trauma Center.

:foo:

I'm still not quite sure what that kind of a statement actually means in either the riding on the road, or ER context.

However, if you are still in the hospital, perhaps see if you can talk to an administrator about the statement by the tech (his name should be logged somewhere), as well as the general roundabout path for your admission to the ICU. That sounds like more of a systemic failure.

If there is a choice of local hospitals, perhaps once you're back on the road, you can tour some others. Although, trauma triage usually takes a person to the closest hospital (generally into the ER or Trauma Center).

Insurance Coverage?

I think that's a fairly common sentiment. Unfortunately, it was voiced at a sensitive time for you. No idea if it impacted your speed of care, one would hope not.

I would be really angry if a med tech said something like that to me as I was getting checked into to ER. Although, I would hope her ignorant comment would not cloud her judgment... but one never knows.

When someone is holding you up from urgent medical aid for a potentially life threatening injury, to lecture you on how she disapproves of you instead of doing her job, you might phrase it other than "a common sentiment at a sensitive time". Obviously she had more to say about it until I shut her down.

I've asked Moderator to close this thread and you folks should respect that and refrain from further comment or speculation about what I'm doing wrong, my insurance, or what I don't understand about that ER check-in. Thanks for your consideration.

My wife had a similar experience after a cycling accident. The ER doc sent her home with a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and 6 broken ribs, not even any pain meds. He later apologized. ERs do have issues, mostly related to time pressures on the docs. She finally got treatment 3 days later.

That is American ERs for you. I once sat in a hospital ER with a broken arm for 4 hours before getting any kind of care other than an aspirin.


You're (perversely) lucky it was only 30 minutes.

Get a lawyer to pursue it against the hospital. Make it cost her her job, before it costs someone else his or her life.

Sorry about your injuries. If it was the result of a vehicle/bike collision, I am very sorry, but make sure your lawyer has this info as well.

Does she lecture drunk drivers about being drunk? I'm going to bet not, and if she did, it would still be unprofessional, and withholding medical aid would still be a breach of ethics. So what she did was pretty low, epecially if it was a collision incident, given how unlikely it is to be the cyclist's fault.

• "Have you ever ridden with North Shore Cyclists?" A question during one of my exams.
• At one hospital there are so many bike racks filled with bicycles of the many staff who ride to the hospital that I have had trouble finding a parking place.
• Orthopedics took a strong interest in getting me off my knee scooter and back on my bicycle. They did not even blink about thumbs upping back on my bike in January just a few weeks after I started walking on my own two feet. "Just be extra careful on your dismounts."
• I've biked to my PT just about every appointment.
• MASCO is one of the strongest advocates for biking in Longwood Medical Area and Boston.

Urge you to find care where they care.

What happened to you is completely unacceptable.

-mr. bill

I wrote the 30 minutes off to normal Georgia style half-assed bumbling, but I was taken aback by not even looking at the transfer/referral from an Urgent Care clinic. It just makes me wonder if this "problem with cyclists" things was broader than just one tech. I had a 3.4-4 hour wait for ER with a broken clavicle a few years ago, which was one reason I went to a clinic instead when I was sure there was a serious problem.

@wgscott I'm not going to see a lawyer about that, but I will speak to the hospital administrator about it later.

what the heck? does she prefer gun shot victims more? or is she a splinter or sprained ankle kind of gal? & just how many cyclists are going in there?

I'll bet if you grilled the med tech she probably also has "a problem" with lots of other people whose niche interests or demographics differ from her narrow world view. It's pretty rare for someone to "have a problem" with one type of person. Well, except for ex-spouses.

If this hospital is like most, they will send you a customer satisfaction survey. Then you can rip her a new one, so to speak. You also have social media at your disposal. They don’t like bad publicity. If you’re in a similar situation again, record it on your smartphone, then post it to YouTube.

Probably not. The fact that you were apparently alert and oriented, not showing acute respiratory distress, and at least somewhat ambulatory probably bumped more acutely ill patients in front of you in the queue.

There wasn't anyone else there, and I was showing (and actually in) acute respiratory distress.

You probably don't know what was happening in all the exam rooms. They could have been running a "Code Blue" in one, for all you know. If you were in respiratory distress, did they at least start some supplemental oxygen? If not, somebody dropped the ball.

Acute respiratory distress aka punctured and collapsed lung was the only reason I was there in the first place. Correct I don't know what was in the exam rooms, but what has that to do with not even looking at the transfer papers and my cooling my heels in the lobby? I've been in far busier ER's where someone at least put me on a rolling bed and found something for pain.

But you really should understand that waiting in the lobby isn't what I've been complaining about. I haven't complained about ANY of the medical treatment there.

I've been thinking a good amount about such thoughtless behavior after reading several books about sociopaths. Among the things I learned was that sociopaths and psychopaths worm their way into positions of responsibility and authority. Such positions make it possible for such people to remain hidden while creating havoc on those around them. The most recent and extreme example is that of a German nurse who was charged with murdering scores of people. A well known example is Ted Bundy who was an EMT. Sociopaths seem to be a less extreme version of similar behavior and the common thread is lack of empathy.

According to psychologists who study the condition, about 3-4% of the population are sociopaths but their positions of responsibility and authority produces more mayhem and confusion than their actual numbers would indicate. Another milder example, one we are more familiar with, is the individuals who delight is derailing threads on internet forums but do not add any useful content to the thread itself.

Having said all the above, most of my own experience with medical people, but not all, finds them professional and caring.

They may have already received the transfer documents and imaging electronically. If they didn't at least check your oxygen saturation level and offer supplemental oxygen, that could be an issue.

N.B. I am a retired Registered Nurse with over 25 years of hospital based acute care experience, including Pulmonary Medicine. And I have personally had a collapsed lung and chest tube insertion, so I can empathize with that as well.

Miss problem-with-cyclists checked the oxygen level along with the other vitals, it was 80's but not panic inducing low. I'm not second-guessing the treatment.

Except maybe, waking up during the tube insertion and take it from me you DO feel it regardless of what they tell you. That had nothing to do with someone hating on cyclists though.

Our protocol was to start supplemental oxygen when the saturation dropped below 90%, unless the patient had a history of COPD and CO2 retention.

If you haven't already, you're likely to get a survey to fill out Real Soon Now on how you liked your treatment. If you can remember Ms. Problem's name, calling her out and giving the hospital a low rating because of her attitude is likely to get you some attention. Just don't ever go where she's working for the rest of your life...