ʻAʻole i ke kenekulia 21
As compared to Mount Sinai, the ER spaces at NYU Langone are clean; however, requests for cleaning one of the few mixed sex bathrooms took hours although feces, blood, and other unidentified liquids glimmered brightly on the floor making the space unsanitary and dangerous for slips and slides.
The toilet facilities are poorly designed and require manual cleaning. There is no counter space to place a handbag or a sanitary product. If attached to an IV, there is almost no comfortable or efficient method for using the toilet, keeping the hospital gown covering a few body parts and getting personally clean enough to leave the area. An architect and/or interior designer along with a sanitary engineer should be immediately hired to design this necessary amenity so that it is efficient, effective, and sanitary.
For patients fortunate enough to earn a private bay, the space and the gurney need a new design. To use the faucet and a wash basin, the patient has to walk/crawl from the gurney to the water source. Unless you have the forethought to bring a pair of disposable flip flops to the ER, getting from the bay to the toilet to the water – all the time attempting to keep the hospital gown covering your ass and not displaying both the left and right breasts – is more complex that winning a game of chess.
Another redesign necessity is the hospital gown. Where is Vera Wang or Ralph Lauren when you need them? Heading to the ER – pack your own cotton gown and plastic/disposal flipflops. PJs will not work as the medical staff may need to access parts of your body that are hard to reach when wearing shorts or pants.
Ke ola o ka meaʻoi
Fortunately, I have landed at the NYU Langone Women’s Center that is staffed by intelligent and caring women doctors. My GI doctor and her team of nurses and administrators actually respond to questions on meds and after-visit concerns.
Change is beyond necessary – it is critical. Without embracing 21st century technology, robotics, and anti-microbial furniture and materials, along with an evaluation of the antiquated system with an appreciation for the efficient and effective changes being introduced by the hospitality industry (especially airports), the ED system will implode. I shudder to consider a major explosion or terrorist attack in Manhattan as the ED hospital system would be unable to deal with an enormous surge in causalities.
To change the ED systems and protocols it is necessary to require improvements to the primary care system which needs to be more responsive to patients, taking into account how they decide when and where to seek care. The opportunities for private doctors to be engaged in the ED process also requires a review.
Private physicians and primary care clinics must be better rewarded for providing a lower-cost and yet effective and efficient alternative to ED use and for the prevention of emergency situations from developing. Without stronger incentives, higher payment rates, and the acceptance and inclusion of new technology and management, the ED sector of American healthcare will continue to sink lower and lower to the point of no return.
© Kauka Elinor Garely. ʻAʻole hiki ke kope ʻia kēia ʻatikala kope, me nā kiʻi, me ka ʻole o ka ʻae palapala ʻia mai ka mea kākau.
He aha e lawe ʻia mai kēia ʻatikala:
- To change the ED systems and protocols it is necessary to require improvements to the primary care system which needs to be more responsive to patients, taking into account how they decide when and where to seek care.
- Unless you have the forethought to bring a pair of disposable flip flops to the ER, getting from the bay to the toilet to the water –.
- If attached to an IV, there is almost no comfortable or efficient method for using the toilet, keeping the hospital gown covering a few body parts and getting personally clean enough to leave the area.
