topic Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital? in Community Chat

Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

ECBG — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:09:48 GMT

Our hospital system was bought by the giant HCA. According to a news special, they have lost a record number of patients because technicians are assigned to monitor an over load of telemetry (vital sign) machines.

NBC News reviewed federal and state deficiency reports for telemetry-related deaths at all 33 Florida trauma centers, excluding those limited to pediatrics, since 2021. The reports identified seven deaths related to telemetry, with six occurring at HCA facilities.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Sooner — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:12:46 GMT

I trust the hospital more than I trust NBC about anything.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

tansy — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:22:01 GMT

I don't know 🤷‍♀️

I would certainly trust that news source over a hospital trying to cover up malpractice.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Kachina624 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:26:41 GMT

@Sooner. I'd trust anyone over these large corporate entities that are buying hospitals and medical facilities. I've had a couple of really bad experiences with providers with $$$ signs in their eyes.

Our medical system is in big trouble. I've heard reports about other big hospital systems.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

teganslaw — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:26:05 GMT

HCA healthcare isn't in my area. The article says they are for profit. Sounds like something to say away from if one can help it. I don't trust for profit hospitals, anyway.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

ahoymate — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:32:59 GMT

HCA Healthcare, Hospital Corp. of America, has had a bad reputation for years & years.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Kachina624 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:33:27 GMT

@teganslaw. How would you feel about a doctor or dentist whose practice was owned by a for-profit corporation?

As medical providers retire, corporations are buying the practices and hiring second rate doctors who come at you like sharks. When choosing a new provider, the first question should be, "who owns this practice"?

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Zwervend — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:35:08 GMT

Thankfully there are no HCA hospitals in my area.

As for Florida - I'd be hesitant to have so much as a splinter treated at almost any hospital there.

I asked my aunt who is a retired nurse (from an HCA hospital) where I should go if I became ill enough to be hospitalized while I'm there in the Manatee/Sarasota county area. Her answer was a resounding "HOME!!!!".

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

tansy — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:35:22 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@teganslaw. How would you feel about a doctor or dentist whose practice was owned by a for-profit corporation?

As medical providers retire, corporations are buying the practices and hiring second rate doctors who come at you like sharks. When choosing a new provider, the first question should be, "who owns this practice"?

This is happening with veterinarian clinics, too🙁

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Kachina624 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:37:05 GMT

@ahoymate wrote:
HCA Healthcare, Hospital Corp. of America, has had a bad reputation for years & years.

@ahoymate. Just a few weeks ago Ardant Health Care was hacked and patient records compromised. I couldn5 count the number of incidents I've read about Hospital Corp of America.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

josie20 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:37:54 GMT

HCA is the WORST place, short staffing, poor quality. For profit, affiliated with Sen Rick Scott, Medicare fraud.. Worked there for 24yrs +, would not go to an HCA!!!!

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Sooner — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:39:56 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Sooner. I'd trust anyone over these large corporate entities that are buying hospitals and medical facilities. I've had a couple of really bad experiences with providers with $$$ signs in their eyes.

Our medical system is in big trouble. I've heard reports about other big hospital systems.

@Kachina624 It's a business. It's about "early detection" to get more money. It's all about treating, little about preventing or easing. Just treat and bill treat and bill.

But NBC is still way ahead of them on my list of things not to trust.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

josie20 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:39:38 GMT

Stay away from that unsatisfactory system. Lack of staffing all areas. Cleanliness also an issue

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

gtx — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:40:38 GMT

We have one HCA in our area. We don't go there even in an emergency and it is closer to us. It has a bad reputation for years.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

bikerbabe — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 20:51:19 GMT

I used to work for HCA. Loved my colleagues. HCA corporate is terrible.

Staffing shortages are a problem nationwide for a multitude of reasons. I had first-hand experience with HCA deliberately under staffing to where we were out of compliance with nurse patient ratios and safe patient care.

They’ve tried to break the nurses’ union and made changes to limit reporting that goes to the state regarding unsafe patient care.

Despite that, my particular hospital is excellent for cardiac.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Still Raining — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:00:06 GMT

@josie20 wrote:
HCA is the WORST place, short staffing, poor quality. For profit, affiliated with Sen Rick Scott, Medicare fraud.. Worked there for 24yrs +, would not go to an HCA!!!!

HCA caused the largest, national, disaster for our SNFs ever! Nationwide!

In 2003, before consolidated billing, HCA's fraud on their cost reports led to a pause for other's exception requests. I think it was the largest settlement ever.

Rick Scott caused many innocent SNFs to lose payments and some had to go out of business.

If you were not in the cost report/audit side I am sure the was no uproar. But within this small, national, community for finance there was outrage.

Then Rick Scott said he had no idea and moved on. Piece of scum.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

LTT1 — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:00:10 GMT

@ECBG @bikerbabe @gtx @josie20 @Sooner

The area I lived in (TX) had two hospitals. The newer hospital was taken over by HCA a number of years after it was built.
As far as I knew, nobody wanted to go there to be treated. Everyone I knew went to the established, non-privately owned hospital, which had a great reputation.

When you live in an area and get to know people you trust, ask them for recommendations for doctors and hospitals.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

missy mouse — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:01:12 GMT

Dentists are being bought out by large corporations. Especially small one or two dental practices. Doctors offices too.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

ECBG — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:16:01 GMT

@LTT1 wrote:
@ECBG @bikerbabe @gtx @josie20 @Sooner

The area I lived in (TX) had two hospitals. The newer hospital was taken over by HCA a number of years after it was built.
As far as I knew, nobody wanted to go there to be treated. Everyone I knew went to the established, non-privately owned hospital, which had a great reputation.

When you live in an area and get to know people you trust, ask them for recommendations for doctors and hospitals.

@LTT1

We're "stuck". Our HCA hospital had the only heart tower before the takeover. DH was the citie's first angioplasty at 36.

The other hospital to the south by 30 minutes is severely lacking in equipment; they can only handle certain situations.

We also have a grandson that gets a regular MRI to make sure he doesn't have a brain tumor.

Re: Do You Have An HCA Hospital?

Marp — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:17:19 GMT

@Sooner, if you don't want to believe NBC how about the word of someone that was unfortunate enough to have been an emergency patient admitted to a HCA hospital. At the time that was the only "in network" hospital available to me.

I won't go into what I experienced beyond saying I don't know who I have more sympathy for--the staff or the patients.

The State of North Carolina recently filed suit against HCA and I've little doubt other states will follow.

When a hospital loses a high percentage of its doctors and nurses, when the State receives hundreds of patient complaints about a hospital (myself included), when the emergency department is found to be "unclean and unsterile" there are no saving graces or acceptable excuses.

I did not see the NBC report referenced by the OP but I'd be willing to bet it only covers the tip of the deficiency iceberg.