Headline Courier News Saturday August 7,2010. "Pregnant Plainfield woman in labor allegedly turned away from Muhlenberg" What actually took place when she sought admission to the satellite emergency facility will be a matter of "she said,they said" may never be determined.
The fact is that the ER at Muhlenberg does not have complete obstetrical facilities. Yes, it would be possible to deliver a baby in treatment room but that is not a delivery room.
The Satellite Emergence Room is not an ideal venue of choice to deliver a baby. The infection preventive status of a multipurpose room can not equate with that of a hospital delivery suite or birthing room. If the triage nurse did an assessment of the woman's stage in labor and determined that in her opinion the woman was not in active enough labor that she could reach the hospital in Elizabeth in time to be admitted and be properly prepared for giving birth, the recommendation that she not be admitted to the Muhlenberg ER was proper. There may well have been a misunderstanding by naturally apprehensive individuals.
That part of the incident is not as important that in this urban area there was no ambulance available either from the Plainfield or North Plainfield squads that would normally respond. I would hope that there can be clarification how many vehicles were "on duty" in the twin communities? Where they were when the call was made? How long it would have taken for a response from one of those units? What and how are alternate emergency units contacted and what would be their expected response time?
These questions must be answered. I hope that the Director of Public Safety can promptly answer these questions. Emergency medical aid is a Public safety responsibility even if ignored. Over the past few years repeated public questions about disaster plans have never had a satisfactory response. If Administration will not address the issue I hope the Media will actively pursue those questions.
The fact is when at the public hearing(s) it was pointed out the potentiality of a unacceptable delay in transporting critically ill patients to a hospital, it was ignored by the previous Commissioner of Health and Senior Services who had predetermined without adequate study that Muhlenberg should be closed.. A politically safe venue was treated without respect for its population in favor of an affluent community with better access to health centers. The safety and welfare of 50000 individuals meant nothing to Trenton.
Yes public leaders had tried unsuccessfully first to prevent then when that failed to remedy the situation. Non the less there has been no effective support, if any, from the local political leadership. Answers must be demanded from the new Administration. Universal Health Care is valueless if there are not accessible facilities and trained givers
The Muhlenberg we knew can not be restored. However, a credible replacement can be developed if Trenton wishes. It will take time to do so but the longer the delay the longer will be the rebuilding period. One of the fall outs of hospitals closing has been the removal of private physicians offices from the area. How many are today located in the "Park Ave Doctor's Row aa compared with 2000? What is the census in Plainfield and North Plainfield nowadays as compared with 2000? Yes there has been an increase number of medical practitioner's' offices along the Oak Tree Road in Inman Ave corridors as well as along Mountain Ave in Warren. How accessible are they to those without transportation? Plainfield has become a third world medical community.
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Ok Doc...how about this one !! -- TRUE TO LIFE INCIDENT THIS WEEK!!
ReplyDelete- I was bitten by a feral kitten that I was trying to rescue..and I mean a nasty hard deep bite. I honestly didn't think anything of it until 3 days later, I watched this poor kitten that I was trying to help, adopt etc etc..die the most horrific death that mirrored how they describe death from rabies in an animal.
- Next morning -
I called the hospital satellite emergency room to ask what should I do, as instructions from the state dept of health say go to an emergency room for treatment and inform them of your suspicion that it may have been rabies and they will contact the proper authorities so that testing of the animal can be arranged etc , etc.
- I was transferred to the NURSE on duty who told me, " No, you don't need to come in. If you had rabies you would have known it right when you were bitten as you would have shown the signs of rabies infection right away. And we can't help you get rid of the dead animal, you need to get rid of it yourself."
- When I told her what the state guidelines said on their website, she told me," It's not their problem and I shouldn't worry about it."
Welcome to Medical Care in Plainfield NJ!!!
I subsequently went to receive proper medical care at Somerset Medical Center...professional, clean, high class....nothing ghetto or Plainfield'esque about it.
( and to answer your question ... yes, I reported the incident to the local health official in Plainfield - Mark C. at the City Hall Annex )
As the wife of an OBGYN I know from his experience that water breaking doesn't mean that the baby will arrive in 15 minutes. Many women are in labor for hours after their water breaks. Contraction durations are the key indicator of when to go to the hospital. I don't know if the woman in question had pre-natal care and a doctor who told her when your contractions are every five minutes for two hours then it's time to go to the hospital.If it went strictly as reported it doesn't sound like it or they didn't absorb that critical piece of information. Seems like an incident that did not have to happen this way for any of the parties involved, including Muhlenberg ER staff and the family in question. If it was truly a situation as reported that her water just broke an expensive ambulance ride may not have been necessary either. People have to take responsibility for themselves -- like arrange for your own transportation -- and not rely on the public sector for everything.
ReplyDeleteWhy would any pregnant woman from Plainfield go to Elizabeth to give birth? When JFK or Overlook are closer and have better facilities than those of Trinitas'? My wife gave birth in Overlook and they treated her as if she was in a five star hotel... While we tried JFK, we chose Overlook due to the bad service JFK personnel gave us, but either way, why go to Elizabeth???
ReplyDelete11:35 AM:The facts of life!When JFK closed MRMC they did not want Plainfield's medicaid or perhaps ethnic obstetrical patients. Their excuse they did not have the space. Trinitas made an agreement with the State and Solaris to accept those patients especially the ones under care of the Neighborhood Health Services.
ReplyDeleteJFK only desired well insured patients from those who would have gone to MRMC. This is another example that the closing of the hospital was a legally suported criminal action.