Reply to What is the best local Hospital ER?

Forum Index » Health and Medicine

Reply to "What is the best local Hospital ER?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics