What is the best local Hospital ER?
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Anonymous
| If the wait time is an issue, you probably aren't having an emergency. If you are in cardiac arrest, bleeding profusely or having symptoms of impending deterioration (appendix, stroke, heart attack, etc) the wait times aren't going to apply to you. You will be seen immediately. If you are there with something that can wait (sore throat, fever, laceration not profusely bleeding), then yes... you might have to wait. |
Anonymous
| When I was a child living in Arlington, Arlington Hospital was just terrible and didn't have a great reputation. She typically drove us to Sibley or GW for things like broken bones - I did go to Arlington when I needed stitches however. Thankful that VHC is more respectable. |
Anonymous
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There are plenty of occasions to go to the ER other than being brought by ambulance. If you are in an ambulance, they generally choose based on what is needed and what ER is less backed up. But you can express a preference to the EMTs, and they will try to do that if its reasonable for the condition and the flow at particular ERs at the time.
My recommendations are based on what I know of DC ER's. For things that need to be tended to urgently, but are not complicated like an asthma attack, it's hands down Sibley. It is calm and you will get seen sooner than at any other place. They can take children in the ER for noncomplex things, although the hospital doesn't admit children. Also a good place for mental health emergencies--their psych ward has a reputation for being the best run. I don't know much about WHC, but heard it can be pretty chaotic. It is a great place for cardiac emergencies and major trauma. It is also the only ER in DC that does rape kits. Outside of this, for adults the contest is between GW and Georgetown. The facility at GW is much nicer. The facility at Georgetown can look a bit third world and on a bad night patients are treated on gurneys in the hallways. However, my personal preference is for Georgetown. As a family member, I find that GW can be not so friendly to accompanying family members--they are put in a waiting room most often. At Georgetown you can be with the patient and they communicate with you. I think this may be because Georgetown takes kids and GW does not, so they are more used to dealing with families. You can get good care at both, so I think it comes down to a matter of preference. For kids with more complicated stuff it's between Children's and Georgetown. Both can have long wait times, but I've heard Children's can be more excrutiating than Georgetown's. I've only done Children's ER once (at doctor's recommendation) and swore never again. The communication from the doctors and other staff was really lacking, I had to beg to get a wheelchair for a child who could not walk, and they provided no helpful follow up guidelines. But I fully realize that was just one experience and could be a fluke. Georgetown and Sibley are both closer to me, so really no reason for me to go to Children's. |
Anonymous
| WHC is the only ER in DC that does rape kits?! WTAF. Can anyone confirm that? |
Anonymous
| ^^Forgot to add in the first few weeks of July avoid all teaching hospital ERs if you can. They turn over residents On July 1 and so you can get doctors who are pretty clueless. |
Anonymous
Very surprised to hear that b/c my mom had surgery there about a year ago and I had both my children there and the staff was amazing. Took DC to the ER at Inova Farifax and they were very good. Best to do in the ER only for emergencies and use the walk-in urgent care clinics if you need to see a provider after regular working hours. |
Anonymous
Yep--there was a long thread on here about two years ago started by a woman who was raped by her husband with a gun to her head (as I recall). She lived outside DC but worked in the city and posters gave her the rape crisis numbers to call and urged her to get a rape kit. She was on her way to GW, but when she spoke to the crisis center they re-directed her to WHC as the only place that could do it. |
Anonymous
| My friend is an ER doctor at a level 2 trauma hospital and I asked her where she would take her own daughter for an emergency and she said Inova Fairfax hands down. |
Anonymous
Here's a link that directs people to WHC. http://dcforensicnurses.org/services/sexual-assault/ |
Anonymous
Holy. Shit. So ALL of those college students at Georgetown, GW, Howard, etc. have to go across town to WHC? Everyone from wards 8 and 9?? That is so f**ked up!!!! |
Anonymous
That's 45 minutes from us in NW DC. Any idea where she'd recommend for inside the city/close in burbs? |
Anonymous
I recently learned that Georgetown does not really do cardiovascular stuff. They send ambulances elsewhere and refer cases once stabilized. So I wouldn't drive there for chest pain (and an ambulance likely wouldn't take you there either for that). |
Anonymous
Wouldn't go to Georgetown's PICU over Children's National, the regional referral center. RN here. |
Anonymous
I have a kid with severe asthma issues and hands down we prefer Inova FFX; we've been to Children's before and it's just so chaotic and unwelcome. The staff there are amazing but volume really hinders the care. Inova FFX Children's Hospital - we've had both PICU and non PICU stays and always had excellent treatment. |
Anonymous
| What about Holt Cross in Silver Spring? |