Is Beaumont Hospital really...

[mwilbert]

I have never used Beaumont, but my parents have. It is a perfectly good hospital [[although no one I know of thinks it is the best in the country) but it suffers from the usual problem of hospitals that basically have an unrelated bunch of physicians working adjacently but not together. My parents have used that hospital because it is where some of their doctors practice.

The care didn't seem very well coordinated. There didn't appear to be adequate communication between doctors on a case, and they don't necessarily seem to pay much attention to an individual patients needs. My sister who is a hospital social worker [[at another hospital) had to keep checking on them to make sure they were being cared for appropriately.

Second, there is endless log-rolling, with doctors calling in other doctors for seemingly pointless consultations, apparently with the intent of increasing the number of billable incidents. This annoys the patients, who have no idea who all these people are, or why they are there, and they didn't really seem to have the time to figure out what the situation actually was. Patients would be more annoyed if they actually had to pay the bills--in fact it did annoy my mother quite a lot on behalf of Medicare and the taxpayers of America.

I am not saying that makes it a bad hospital. It is not. It is a kind of typical hospital in those respects. My mother had a great doctor there for her hip replacement, and has had an excellent result. However I have to say that in my opinion you really have to credit the surgeon more than the hospital.

The reason HFHS is likely to outperform Beaumont is not that they have better doctors; for all I know they have worse doctors. It is because their model of managing a health practice is superior, and a good team has a lot of advantages over a bunch of even great individuals. And in most cases good health care delivery is a matter of consistency rather than spectacular performance.

[Blueidone]

Thank you very much, Jefferson78!

[drjeff]

Untrue for most procedures. Stitches or the flu do not require globally renowned specialists, they require skilled people who care, in comfortable environment.

Whether or not it Henry Ford has some of the best in the world is irrelevent to the VAST majority of patients.

Beaumont serves upscale, privately insured demographics, with spacious facilities in a welcoming environment. Henry Ford is overburdened with poor folks on Medicaid, leading to slapdash service and care for all. Its emergency room is a nightmare.

And frankly, I find it hard to believe that "some of the best doctors in the world" would choose to work in an inner-city Detroit hospital affiliated with a lower-ranking medical school, as opposed to Harvard-Mass General, Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian, Cedars-Sinai, etc. In fact, I find it hard to believe that a typical doctor, living in Bloomfield Hills or someplace similar, would prefer a longer commute to a dangerous, barren neighborhood, all for the privilege of serving angry, poor people who can't pay.

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. First off, the emergency room and hospital that treat the most uninsured and/or medicaid patients in Detroit is the DMC/Receiving Hospital. Secondly, HFHS is not affiliated with any medical school. The DMC is associated with WSU School of Medicine, which produces, by far, the most physicians who practice in the state of Michigan. That includes the guy who was just named chair of Medicine at U of M. Before you start talking out of your ass, at least make an attempt to know the subject.

[Homer]

That's telling him/her Drjeff.
Facts trump BS every time.

[tangerine]

No, it is not.

[enough already]

they are all good hospitals.

why are you even making an issue over this.

worry about more important things. really?

[REL]

Actually, according to Beaumont's ad campaign, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU'LL MAKE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE

[[Cue: creepy bell music)

[enough already]

Actually, according to Beaumont's ad campaign, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU'LL MAKE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE

[[Cue: creepy bell music)

hello...it's an advertisement.

are we also going to have a topic on why Bounty really isnt the "quicker picker upper"?

[SWMAP]

Nine posts and two of them are complaints about ongoing discussion of real topics - and a third is the mocking post above attemting to reduce an honest discussion to an exercise in absurdity:
In the Border Crossing discussion you wrote:
"AHHHHHH! Stop it!
carry the passport!
is it too much to ask?
Really?
it is about 1/8th of an inch thick.
$45?
if you need the money that bad, please let me know, and I will pay your fare, just like I am paying the taxes to keep your stupid schools afloat! "

Earlier in the Beaumont discussion you wrote:
"they are all good hospitals.
why are you even making an issue over this.
worry about more important things. really?"

In fact, there are many bad hospitals and many that aren't very important - Beaumont may be one of those. This is a good discussion that you don't have to read. Why are you so interested in whether anyone is wasting time - just don't read it.

[detroitbred]

Not saying it is the best hospital in the world. I'm sure I have heard good and bad stories about every hospital in the metro area. I can only speak from my own experience, at Botsford Hospital. . I have had several prosedures, and recent knee replacement surgery [[on both knees at the same time ). My surgeons work out of Botsford and it raised some eyebrows when I told people I was having it done there. I couldn't be happier with the outcome or my treatment there. I liked the smaller, more community feel of the place, and received excellent care, from doctors, nurses and rehab staff. I was in there for 2 weeks so I had care from many different departemnts and staff members. They have a wonderful woman who is their " joint replacement care coordinator" who went above and beyond to make sure all was good with me. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Claire]

Izzy,

I am so sorry to hear that. I saw a vehicle in W. Bloomfiled on Thursday with that on it. I recently lost my mother at Henry Ford West Bloomfiled. Totally unexpected. So, when I saw the SUV [[I think), my heart sunk because I know what I just went through.
Keep me in your prayers and I will keep you in mind.

Claire

Hardly,

Beaumont Hospital and Dr. Aaron Berman, MD Killed My Mother!

[Gistok]

Sorry to hear about that Claire...

My experience was the total opposite at St. John. The staff rushed mom to the ICU at lightning speed when her blood pressure dropped to 45/35 when an infection set in after colon cancer surgery. They told us that she likely wouldn't make the night. Her surgeon [[from 4 days prior) rushed to the hospital at midnight on a Saturday night to comfort the family.

Fortunately mom did make it... and is still with us...

[sumas]

Beaumont sucks big time! I am talking past and present. My parents both ended up with detached retinas. After surgery at Beaumont Royal Oak, my Mom ended up legally blind in both eyes and my Dad lost permanent vision in one. Dad is now gone, but new surgical Lazer techniques developed by St Johns restored a good degree of vision to Mom after 15 years of virtual blindness.

Recently Beaumont bought out Bonsecour Hospital in GP. An elderly friend had a bad fall at the local GP Krogers. The SOB's transferred her to Royal Oak for treatment. They did virtually nothing for her but the bill was large. She is a widow and has no children. It was not easy for friends and neighbors to visit. Then they transferred her to a Beaumont owned nursing home for rehab. Didn't do much there either.

More recently, [[within the past year) my husband had an accident and needed 4 stitches on his eyebrow. We were in and out in an hour ... the bill $2200 dollars. It will be a cold day in hell if I pay those blood suckers

[Crystal]

When the annoying Beaumont voice asks "Do you have a Beaumont doctor?", we usually reply to the radio or television, "If you do, get another doctor!"

In my Mom's care we have found Beaumont to be condescending, rushed, dismissive, uncommunicative, unavailable, and, at times, incompetent.

In 2003 they discharged Mom with poor instructions, 24 hours after a lumbar laminectomy, the crowning insult to over thirty years of inadequate care.

When Mom moved in with us last year we left the Beaumont system and switched Mom's health care providers to the U-M Turner Geriatric Center, where we have been very satisfied.

Whether the event is an outpatient appointment, a simple test, or a long hospital stay, I believe every patient needs an advocate right there with them, pen and paper in hand. Write down what they do, when they do it, and ask questions. A good provider won't be defensive; in fact, they will appreciate the concern. Good medical care is a partnership.

[Haikoont]

More recently, [[within the past year) my husband had an accident and needed 4 stitches on his eyebrow. We were in and out in an hour ... the bill $2200 dollars. It will be a cold day in hell if I pay those blood suckers

Oh, I see. So you're a deadbeat?

[thecarl]

well, this former e.m.t. has been to beaumont in royal oak numerous times, and i've been more than satisfied with the service. i've found the facilities to be modern and accommodating, and the staff - from the receptionists to the physicians - to be clear, helpful, and understanding. after spending years in the health care field, i know what to look for.

and, just to make sure i wasn't deluded, i did a little google search and found this: "Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak was ranked in eight categories in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report 'Best Hospitals' lists." that sounds like a lot of support for my personal observations and experiences.

different hospitals achieve success in different areas; teaching hospitals are generally excellent, while some hospitals are innovative in various regimens related to treatment of the sick and injured, and also maintenance of well-being. burn units, neonatal care, sports medicine, alternative treatments, cancer treatment, physical therapy...there can be no one best place.

but, again - i have enough experience in the field - and in beaumont's facility - to give it my full-fledged endorsement.

[Jimaz]

This isn't necessarily about Beaumont but I was wondering why emergency rooms have waiting rooms. Ambulances have sirens and lights so a patient with an emergency doesn't have to be held up by red lights and traffic yet when they get to the emergency room they're expected to wait?

That makes no sense to me. Sincerely.

[detmich]

Why would you not pay your Bill? Is this how Detroit rises?

[313WX]

This isn't necessarily about Beaumont but I was wondering why emergency rooms have waiting rooms. Ambulances have sirens and lights so a patient with an emergency doesn't have to be held up by red lights and traffic yet when they get to the emergency room they're expected to wait?

That makes no sense to me. Sincerely.

Well you just explained the flaws of a single-payer health care system in a nutshell.

[Blueidone]

Jimaz: They have waiting rooms because people are seen in order by the urgency of their problem. If a cardiac or stroke patient comes in by ambulance, someone with a minor cut, or the flu will have to wait. This is why most ER's have a triage nurse when you come in the door. It's not like a doctor's office where you are seen in order.

The problem is that those without health insurance are using the ER's like a doctor's office for all their complaints...some very minor, because there is no where else to go. Recently my 7 year old grandson was a passenger in a car that was involved in a car accident. They were afraid of a back injury. He had to wait over an hour on a backboard with a neck brace on because the ER was so busy, and it was late at night when they do not have as many x-ray techs as during the day. But he survived it and was fine.

I have worked for doctors and in a hospital, as well as being a patient multiple times. Part of the problem today is that we live in a fast moving world with cell phones, ipods, fast food, ATM's, instant food, instant coffee, instant communication and we expect everything to happen in a blink of an eye. Medical care...good medical care, takes time. I don't mind waiting to be seen as long as the care I receive after waiting is good care.

When I was a heart patient in Beaumont, I had excellent care. They kept me informed of everything they were doing, what to expect every step, and how my recovery should go. I have been there many times since for tests, and never had a very long wait. They have always been courteous, efficient and caring.

[Jimaz]

They have waiting rooms because people are seen in order by the urgency of their problem.

That wasn't the case in a recent visit I experienced. Patients who were casually joking and ambulatory were admitted long before an immobilized, elderly woman in severe crying pain.

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt though. Perhaps there were minor staff available for the casual patients but no specialized staff available qualified to handle the problems of the more severely suffering patient. Maybe this was a staff scheduling problem.

Again, in fairness, this wasn't at Beaumont.

The conflict between ambulance urgency and emergency room complacency still haunts me. Waiting rooms are strategically built into an emergency room facility. Ambulance traffic regulations are also strategically built into the code. Yet they seem to be in conflict.

Maybe there's an improvement that can be made here.

[Jimaz]

I understand this is an emotionally charged political issue right now, but even if it weren't I'd ask the same question:

How can that final emergency-room waiting-room stop-light be bypassed after the ambulance has successfully bypassed all others up to that point?

No politics - just genuine practicality.

[g-dub]

I had a work-related injury to a finger joint, and I knew something was wrong, so I had them do an x-ray and the tech, who probably isn't qualified to flip a burger at McD's told me nothing was wrong. A half-blind idiot could look at my knuckle and see a difference. At least I didn't have to pay for that lazy hack to sleepwalk through the motions and bill my employer his idiocy. Those people have coasted on Oakland County residents' insurance for so long they have the place on autopilot.

God help anyone who shows up there with a life-threatening situation. I had way better treatment at Henry Ford when I lived up the street on Trumbull and had a truly life-threatening infection. The staff at HF were totally attentive and caring and brought me back to normalcy in a few days and I give them total credit. Beaumont can suck it.