SEVERELY ILL WOMAN TOLD THERE’S A 24 HOUR WAIT TIME TO BE TREATED AT CMC

A 22-year-old woman in Crossville who has been sick since Thursday became severely ill Monday night and went to the ER at Cumberland Medical Center (Covenant). Upon arrival, the woman was told there is a 24 hour wait time to be treated at the facility. The patient’s oxygen level was below 90 and was having an unusually rapid heart rate and having great difficulty in breathing. On top of her current illness, whether it is the flu or COVID-19, she has asthma.

She then called Sparta Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital who told her there was no wait time at the moment. The woman was driven to Sparta.

CNF called CMC to ask about the current wait time at 11:30 pm Monday night and we were told they cannot give out that kind of information. We also called Cookeville Regional Medical Center who told us the exact same thing. We called Sparta Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital which did provide us information that there was no wait time at the moment we called but that could change at any time.

There is a surge in COVID-19 cases in Cumberland County presently which is keeping the ER very busy. To make matters worse – CMC is understaffed to handle large volumes of patients presently. The number of COVID-19 cases jumped from 172 before the New Year Holiday to 276 afterward.

So let’s get one thing straight…. Everyone in this county has seen or heard that the ER has a long wait time… nothing new. The stuff there is doing everything they can to help and treat patients. Keep this in mind next time you choose to go to the ER. Day shift ER staff barely has enough staff to cover the ER. Night shift is lucky to have 3 nurses TOTAL plus a doctor. Let’s think about this… for sake of argument, you have a 10 – 20 bed ER who is also holding 5-20 overflow patients (ones that have been admitted, but there is no bed in hospital to take them). You have 3 nurses for those bed so using the higher numbers (worst case scenario) you have a total of 40 patients PLUS those in the lobby. Let’s say the lobby is full with 50 people waiting to be seen… that’s a total of 90 not only the doctor has to see, but the nurses have to ensure the patients in the back are taken care of, but have to make sure the lobby is to. With the patients alone each of the 3 nurses have roughly 15 patients each. 1 of those nurses has to work the triage as well sometimes… so not only do they triage everyone that walks through the door, she also has the 15 patients in the back. Now, if there are 4 nurses, 1 nurse will work the triage room leaving the other 3 in the back to take care of the 15 patients (the standard nurse-patient ratio is 7/8 patients per nurse). The Er nurses have double of the standard, plus any life threatening, or severe medical issues that need to be seen immediately. Their job is extremely high stressed due to staffing shortages. Put yourself in their shoes for once. How would you handle that kind of stress with 90 people being frustrated and mean towards you for nothing you can control? How would you handle taking care of those many people? Most of you would say no you couldn’t. Some would say yes. Nurses and hospital staff are not respected anymore by most patients. You don’t see the emotions, the stress, the physical demands these nurses are dealing with day after day! You don’t see the affect it has in their families.They are exhausted and doing the best they can with the staff they have. The ER is to be used for true emergencies.. not a cold or minor issues… in some cases, it’s best to call your doctor, or at night, call whoever is in call for that physician. They can advise you to go to the ER or not. If it’s something you know can wait, go to your PCP the next day. If half the people would quit using the ER as a doctors office or a walk-in clinic, it wouldn’t be half as bad as it is now. For the love of God, quit complaining about the staff and the ER. Try doing something nice for them, to show you appreciate them and understand what they are going through. These nurses are breaking their backs to help people. What are you breaking your back for that helps others? RESPECT THEM for they are taking care of those in need. CHERISH THEM, for they are the ones taking care of you and your loved ones. Without nurses, there would be no one to take care of you properly. THANK THEM, for they are stressed and doing everything they can to make sure everyone is taken care of. All the rude and slandering on Social Media just adds to the stress and emotions they deal with everyday! That kind of stuff makes them feel unappreciated and there is no sense in it. If you go to the ER and decide to leave, that’s your choice. Just don’t decide to complain about it later on Social Media. Don’t contact news sources and give them a 1 sided story to be published or gain attention. That’s just ignorant. One other thing, just because you take an ambulance to the ER, doesn’t mean you get seen faster. Everyone that comes in is triaged (if you don’t know what that means, a quick Google search will help you). Your also tying up EMS crews because they cannot leave you until they have given report to a nurse. Again, refer back to the above paragraph. Just give some respect to these workers. Understand what they go through day after day, night after night. Think about their families that have to help comfort and destress their loved one to relax and calm down. Think about their children that are asking “what’s wrong with mommy/daddy” or “why is mommy/daddy sleeping all the time”? Some of these nurses get off work after a very stressful night of working code blues, taking care of car wreck victims, and then go home to take their children to school, or play with them on the playground. They get little to no sleep. Then they go back to work and stay calm and positive despite all the rudeness and angry people waiting and the patients. No need for the smart a*s joke comments. This ain’t the place.

13 COMMENTS

Little squaw

January 4, 2022 at 5:34 am

That’s a shame Thay ain’t changed a bit I hope I don’t have to go there I wish they could get some better management Thay have some really deadacated employees
Little squaw

January 4, 2022 at 5:36 am

That’s a shame Thay ain’t changed a bit I hope I don’t have to go there I wish they could get some better management Thay have some really deadacated employees
- Catherine Patton
  
  January 4, 2022 at 7:18 am
  
  I had same situation a while back, my husbands blood pressure was extremely high and he could not even sit up and they did not seem to care all while their personnel were playing on their personal cell phones, next time we will go to Cookeville or Sparta
Debbi Galbraith

January 4, 2022 at 7:14 am

I took my brother who was very ill to the ER back when Covid cases were at the lowest according to hospital stats and was told it was a 24 hour waiting time. There were 2 patients In the ER on stretchers that had been there, lying in there own filth since the evening before, no family with them at all and I never saw anyone attend to them the entire time we were there, the very elderly lady was hollering for something to drink the entire time. There were 6 others patients there before us, all told us they had been there at least 10 hours some more. My brother and I waited for over 12 hours in the ER and during that time NONE of the patients that were there before us were called back to see the doctor!! We were told you had to come in by ambulance to be seen at all, but then the family in the ER with us said not true, their father who had been in a chair covered up for over 12 hours had been brought in by ambulance and was still waiting…we saw 3 other sick patients walk out after several several hours without being seen as well!
After 12 hours neither my brother or I could sit there any longer and he begged me to take him home, so I took my blind disabled brother home, thankfully after 3 days at home he was feeling better, stupid me didn’t even think to take him to Sparta, but we were told at that time Cookeville was just as bad as Crossville. The ER staff did offer up the excuse there were only 2 nurses working in the back and only one doctor due to the staffing shortage. I asked if it was also due to those who opted not to take the vaccine and being let go and she just shrugged her shoulders and walked away……
These events happened the night of October 2, 2021.
Anonymous

January 4, 2022 at 7:40 am

I was there yesterday for heart issues and my dr wanted me to get checked I waited for 6 hours with no answer. I was getting more and more stressed sitting in the waiting area then before I got there. Cause seeing the elderly people and how they were being
Treated was killing me. They would not help them to the bathroom or just help them when they needed to sit up and when I asked about my test still no answer and bye that time I have to leave or I would have had more issues with my heart. The people skills and caring for other people has left that ER.
- Anonymous
  
  January 5, 2022 at 2:02 pm
  
  Wouldn’t it have been nice if everyone had gotten vaccinated when they first came out, so even if they still caught it that it wouldn’t be severe enough to go to the ER?
Jonathan

January 4, 2022 at 11:44 am

So let’s get one thing straight…. Everyone in this county has seen or heard that the ER has a long wait time… nothing new. The stuff there is doing everything they can to help and treat patients. Keep this in mind next time you choose to go to the ER. Day shift ER staff barely has enough staff to cover the ER. Night shift is lucky to have 3 nurses TOTAL plus a doctor. Let’s think about this… for sake of argument, you have a 10 – 20 bed ER who is also holding 5-20 overflow patients (ones that have been admitted, but there is no bed in hospital to take them). You have 3 nurses for those bed so using the higher numbers (worst case scenario) you have a total of 40 patients PLUS those in the lobby. Let’s say the lobby is full with 50 people waiting to be seen… that’s a total of 90 not only the doctor has to see, but the nurses have to ensure the patients in the back are taken care of, but have to make sure the lobby is to. With the patients alone each of the 3 nurses have roughly 15 patients each. 1 of those nurses has to work the triage as well sometimes… so not only do they triage everyone that walks through the door, she also has the 15 patients in the back. Now, if there are 4 nurses, 1 nurse will work the triage room leaving the other 3 in the back to take care of the 15 patients (the standard nurse-patient ratio is 7/8 patients per nurse). The Er nurses have double of the standard, plus any life threatening, or severe medical issues that need to be seen immediately. Their job is extremely high stressed due to staffing shortages. Put yourself in their shoes for once. How would you handle that kind of stress with 90 people being frustrated and mean towards you for nothing you can control? How would you handle taking care of those many people? Most of you would say no you couldn’t. Some would say yes. Nurses and hospital staff are not respected anymore by most patients. You don’t see the emotions, the stress, the physical demands these nurses are dealing with day after day! You don’t see the affect it has in their families.They are exhausted and doing the best they can with the staff they have. The ER is to be used for true emergencies.. not a cold or minor issues… in some cases, it’s best to call your doctor, or at night, call whoever is in call for that physician. They can advise you to go to the ER or not. If it’s something you know can wait, go to your PCP the next day. If half the people would quit using the ER as a doctors office or a walk-in clinic, it wouldn’t be half as bad as it is now. For the love of God, quit complaining about the staff and the ER. Try doing something nice for them, to show you appreciate them and understand what they are going through. These nurses are breaking their backs to help people. What are you breaking your back for that helps others? RESPECT THEM for they are taking care of those in need. CHERISH THEM, for they are the ones taking care of you and your loved ones. Without nurses, there would be no one to take care of you properly. THANK THEM, for they are stressed and doing everything they can to make sure everyone is taken care of. All the rude and slandering on Social Media just adds to the stress and emotions they deal with everyday! That kind of stuff makes them feel unappreciated and there is no sense in it. If you go to the ER and decide to leave, that’s your choice. Just don’t decide to complain about it later on Social Media. Don’t contact news sources and give them a 1 sided story to be published or gain attention. That’s just ignorant. One other thing, just because you take an ambulance to the ER, doesn’t mean you get seen faster. Everyone that comes in is triaged (if you don’t know what that means, a quick Google search will help you). Your also tying up EMS crews because they cannot leave you until they have given report to a nurse. Again, refer back to the above paragraph. Just give some respect to these workers. Understand what they go through day after day, night after night. Think about their families that have to help comfort and destress their loved one to relax and calm down. Think about their children that are asking “what’s wrong with mommy/daddy” or “why is mommy/daddy sleeping all the time”? Some of these nurses get off work after a very stressful night of working code blues, taking care of car wreck victims, and then go home to take their children to school, or play with them on the playground. They get little to no sleep. Then they go back to work and stay calm and positive despite all the rudeness and angry people waiting and the patients. No need for the smart a*s joke comments. This ain’t the place.
- Anonymous
  
  January 5, 2022 at 1:30 am
  
  I agree with shortage of staff issues, and overwhelming number of nurse/patient ratio. However, you state, “The Er nurses have double of the standard, plus any life threatening, or severe medical issues that need to be seen immediately.” Excuse me but, the article pertains to a woman with asthma having a breathing issue, a severe life threatening event (your own words…”life threatening, or severe medical issues that need to be seen immediately”), yet was denied immediate attention that you state is still being provided.
  - Anonymous
    
    January 5, 2022 at 9:28 am
    
    Evidently Cumberland Medical Center has forgotten what EMTALA means. It is the hospital’s responsibility to take care of the patient once they arrive on the property. Not the patients fault that Covenant does not have the proper staffing. Covenant needs to staff the hospital properly or get out of the health care industry. Cumberland county residents deserve better from the hospital that their taxes help pay for. Prove me wrong!
Anonymous

January 4, 2022 at 11:47 am

Cumberland medical center even before pandemic has always been a lousy hospital, my broke her wrist when she was 8 and we waited for 3 hrs for them to tell us that the bone doctor there was not coming even though she was on call. We drove to Erlanger in Chattanooga and the doctor there was pissed and called cmc and chewed them out over it. Personally I would not take a dog there period. If I had gone there in this girl’s condition and was treated this way I would go hire me a lawyer after I got well. They have policies that says no one can be refused.
A. Hole

January 4, 2022 at 12:05 pm

Why did she wait until Monday to go to the ER? Why not go to her doctor or a walk-in clinic? Why do people wait and go to the ER instead of going to see their regular doctor? These people need to quit wasting the time of the ER staff. This is something that could have been taken care of with a visit to the doctor’s office.
Also, what is CNF’s and Tony Perry’s problem with CMC and the ER? CNF is nothing more than trashy tabloid crap!! This isn’t news, it’s gossip and garbage!!
Susan

January 4, 2022 at 9:23 pm

Please do not go to Sparta. I took my father there in sep 2015. His heart rare was up his oxygen low and they sent him home and he passed away less then 5 minutes after we got home. They killed my father do not go to Sparta. As for crossville if she gad died or suffered more damage by having to wait you could bring a lawsuit against them
Anonymous

January 5, 2022 at 3:35 am

perhaps you should triage yourself, seeing as your very long and boring post seems to have been posted by a severely butthurt hospital worker, I suspect possibly even of the facility discussed in this article.