32 replies to this topic

[marianna]

A little over a month ago, we brought my 85 yr. old father to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital Folsom. It was about 3:00 a.m. on a Friday night and he received prompt medical attention. He was transferred to ICU and I cannot say enough about the wonderful nurses (both male and female) and the great care he received.

Unfortunately, my father didn't make it but our family was very grateful for the love, care and kindness that was shown to my dad and our entire family.

Marianna

[folsom500]

Hi again. First, thanks for all the great help that you folks have offered.  I have one more question before I make the decision one way or the other to relocate to Folsom.  How is the Health Care in Folsom?  My mother who is 80 lives with my family. She is doing well, but has a cardiac condition, which needs to be monitored. She had a quadruple bypass six years ago.  I love my mom and want to make sure that I will have access to quality care for her.  Thank you.

Folsom FD and Emergency medical units are very quick to respond. In my case, they got to the house and got me to Mercy quite quickly from what I am told- at least enough to save my life... as I was flatline when they arrived at the house.
My partner had some issues when we got there, but with his strong will , they relented and allowed him to be by my side and answer for me.

Folsom emergency care is great !
cheers
F500

[mando]

All three of my kids were born at Mercy Folsom. Care was excellent. We've also had a hernia operation there; no problems.

Something missing in Folsom is a pediatric ward. My son had a bout of Kawasaki syndrome and had to stay at Mercy San Juan. One of my kids also had to stay there for a different illness I no longer recall (some kind of infection). The pediatric staff there was fine.

We've used the Mercy Folsom emergency room 2 or 3 times. Yes, waits can be quite long (esp for less serious problems), but triage is usually quick enough.

Arab, Wolfrey, etc. are good doctors, indeed. As are doctors Lynch (no longer practicing?), Cragun, etc. (obgyn).

We've had mixed experiences with general practicioners.

One thing about the doctors with Mercy Folsom, is they rock! (they have a band -- Have Mercy -- see them at an upcoming Picnic in the Park [or did I miss it?])

[DalOwnerX3]

If I was searching, I would also ask about the urgent care facilities. If I have a non-critical problem (e.g. ear infection) on the weekend or after office hours, I would be going to an urgent care facility instead of an emergency room. (I like to leave the emergency room free for those who really have an emergency)

I remember hearing about some sort of scandal that caused the urgent care near Dos Coyotes (Blue Ravine/Folsom Blvd) to shut down. I haven't heard much news about the new one on E. Bidwell. I think my doctor is still recommending the one on San Juan.

[bekmann]

My experience with Mercy Folsom was bad as well....but the good news is they are trying to expand. Here is my story: 2-1/2 years ago my husband was taken in to the ER with Flu like symptoms and a horrible rash. We sat in the waiting room for over an hour...I finally went to the receptionist and asked if there was somewhere he could lay down (I had to continue to help him into the restroom, because he was nauseated while sitting up). She told me and I quote "We must treat the sickest first." At this point, I got a little upset and a nurse came and took us back to lay down on a gurnee in the hallway. We then sat in the hallway for another 2 hours....then they took him into a room and called him a different name. I noticed that his I.D. bracelet was wrong. I informed them of their mistake. They wheeled him out of the room and back into the hallway where we sat another hour before being seen (during this wait, they did get him a new ID bracelet). While waiting, I contacted his regular doctor who was in the office building next door. He happened to get there while the ER doctor was examining him. He looked at my husband and said admit him. We have now been in the ER for 7 hours, and they finally move him to a room. I left at approximately 9 pm to get our children (1yr and 4yrs at the time). I left my information with the doctor and nurse to contact me if there was any change in his condition. NO phone call through the night. Show up at 7am the next morning and he is worse then when I left. I get the riot act from the nurse asking why I'm in his room (Note: she is now masked and gloved). Explained I was his wife, she said I needed to go to the ICU waiting room.... the doctor would come get me. They were treating his illness as an Infectious Disease. I wonder how many people he infected while sitting in the ER waiting room the day before. They were taking him to ICU. Sat in the waiting room for about a half-hour, finally called the ICU desk. Doctor had called me at home (no one told him I was there). By this time his condition had worsened. By 2pm he was gone (Cardiac Arrest). Still no idea what he had. Thoughts were Meningitis, West Nile. All screens came back negative....never got a straight answer from the doctors. Didn't get anything until I received his autopsy reports - 8 months later. He had a mild viral meningitis, pneumonia, and a flu virus. Obviously, the long wait and comments from the receptionist have left a bad taste. But, only GOD knows whether quick treatment would have made a difference.....but, I will never know. Now, I am widowed with two young children. I lost my best friend! But, my question is.... does that mean it's a bad hospital? or Is it just a small hospital for the size of the community? My answer is.... the hospital is too small for how large the Folsom Community has grown. I am pleased to see them trying to expand their emergency room and bring in a helicopter pad. I think it will benefit all. Although, I will always wonder "What if?", as a resident of Folsom, I felt is was my duty to donate to the cause. And yes, I did donate "In Memory of my husband". My thought is....I hope no one has to go through what I did.

On a more positive note, last year my son was hit in the head with a baseball bat out in our front yard. 911 was called and arrived within 5 minutes. Engine 35 and Medics 35 both were on scene and were absolutely fabulous. Their quick response and taking all the precautionary measures were very comforting for me as a parent and they also were great at keeping my son calm. The sad thing is we had to drive clear to Sutter Roseville (because I would not take my son to Mercy Folsom). So, obviously it's your choice whether to move here or not. But, the hopes are that they will improve and expand on Our Community Hospital.

They have just added an Urgent Care Facility across the street from the Hospital, so this may help with some of the immediate issues until they start the construction of their expansion.

[john]

sorry for your loss, bekmann... understandable that you would be furious!

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Bekmann, what an awful experience. I'm sorry for your loss.

It seems the nurses who call patients back for treatment just don't always use the best judgment when prioritizing cases. When we were trying to get my daughter's appendicitis diagnosed, we had to make several trips to the hospital. On the last trip, the ER waiting room was so overcrowded people were waiting in the main lobby of the hospital to be seen. My daughter was in so much pain she doubled over in tears. The nurse called a boy who had possibly broken his arm. I went up to her and demanded that my daughter be seen. She gave me a song and dance about how they prioritize cases... and I would understand that if the people they were calling truly had more serious emergencies... but I said the boy's arm wouldn't be any more broken a half hour from now, but that if my daughter's appendix burst, poisons would spread. My daughter was called next, it was her appendix, and she was headed to surgery.

Whether a hospital is arge or small, we should be able to count on sound triage procedures and a strong ability to prioritize. And, as I've said before, the consumer has to be assertive, proactive and even aggressive if necessary.

[newcomer]

Well, this has been sure been a thread that gives some feeling of apprehension to Folsom Health Care. It sounds like the initial emergency response teams (Fire Department, paramedics, etc) seem very good, but there are a lot of mixed feelings about the local hospital. This is very surprising. I figured that an upscale community such as Folsom would have top notch health care, doctors, nurses at every level.

Another issue to consider.

Thank you.

[mando]

Well, this has been sure been a thread that gives some feeling of apprehension to Folsom Health Care. It sounds like the initial emergency response teams (Fire Department, paramedics, etc) seem very good, but there are a lot of mixed feelings about the local hospital.  This is very surprising. I figured that an upscale community such as Folsom would have top notch health care, doctors, nurses at every level. 

Another issue to consider. 

Thank you.

Not to say that the problems mentioned here shouldn't be improved upon, but I doubt that you will find ANY place that has zero complaints about its health care services.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Exactly, Mando. I've talked to many others who live in other parts of the country who have simillar praise and similar complaints about their local hospitals and health care professionals. Overall consumers have to take more of the responsiblity for being persistent and for doing their own homework.

[ducky]

Bekmann, my sincere condolences for your experience. You are a bigger person than I in trying to find understanding and turning your negative experience into a positive by donating to the cause.

I had a good experience with Mercy Folsom. I had actually put off going into the emergency room because I felt I was in "too much pain" to sit in a waiting room for hours on end. Fortunately, my husband made me go. When we got there, there weren't many people waiting and I was seen in about 20 minutes.

Turns out I was bleeding internally. Of course this wasn't discovered until they had trotted me here and there and to x-ray and back. By the time I was diagnosed and sent to surgery I had lost nearly half my blood supply. If I had to wait as long as your husband I probably wouldn't have made it either.

I am so sorry both our experiences couldn't have been good. I owe the staff and doctors at Mercy Folsom for saving my life with their quick diagnosis and the skill of the surgeon.

[candy328]

Health care in Folsom consists largely of blood lettings to cure fevers and boils and high doses of mercury, opium and/or a local "witches brew" to cure most other ailments afflicting the bodee humane.

I truly agree. Folsom medical care sucks. I hve been to emrgency when I was pregnat and bleeding. The doctor on duty didn't do anything except a pelvic exam and asked me to go to my OBGYN next day. I wonder if they even haev any specialist on duty during weekends or afterhours..... And the OBGYN sucks big time. I was never prescribed any vitamins, folic acid etc necessary for a healthy pregnancy. And when I told repetedly about my bleeding and passing chunks of blood clots, all I was told was this is all normal. I lost the baby(15 weeks) after passing blood clots for two weeks. Thanks to the jerks who are making money out of insurnace just by sitting on their big fat butts. FYI OBGYN I referred is Folsom OBGYN. I would never recommend even my staunch enemy to go there EVER!!!!!!!

[asbestoshills]

Mercy Folsom provides excellent care and I've been using medical services in Folsom since the early 60s when the first hospital was built here (Twin Lakes Hospital at Fargo and Montrose which later became Mercy). Mercy Folsom is affilliated with Catholic Healthcare West and includes the cardiac specialty hospital Mercy Sacramento. Physicians and other ancillary healthcare providers in Folsom are excellent in my opinion. And the emergency services from Folsom Fire can't be beat.

MERCY hospital of Folsom is the complete worst for medical care...DO not go there for an emergency....The emergency room doctors are subpar and I really mean it....I will not go into the details of what happened...GO to Mercy San Juan or Sutter in Roseville....MANY residents know this....Not only will they misdiagnose u, u will be there forever while they figure out a way to send u home.....NOW, once u r in the hospital there are some good docs and nurses; however, the emergency room is horrible, especially for children and they aren't equipped to do anything besides taking your temp and that will take u 4-5 hours to be seen....JUST my humble opinion....

[asbestoshills]

If I was searching, I would also ask about the urgent care facilities. If I have a non-critical problem (e.g. ear infection) on the weekend or after office hours, I would be going to an urgent care facility instead of an emergency room. (I like to leave the emergency room free for those who really have an emergency)

I remember hearing about some sort of scandal that caused the urgent care near Dos Coyotes (Blue Ravine/Folsom Blvd) to shut down. I haven't heard much news about the new one on E. Bidwell. I think my doctor is still recommending the one on San Juan.

Oh My God, I'm so sorry for your loss and I pray that those inept doctors get their justice if not here, in heck where they belong....How hard can it be to diagnose viral menigitis when he already had a rash? AS a layman but a research freak (I research menigitis after a lot of Folsom people got it) I am so livid at those so-called medical professionals who can't even do a culture or a blood test...As a precautioary they should have put him on antibiotics until they could find out what's wrong....ALso, have u noticed there is usually an outbreak of meningitis in Folsom every year-but it's usually the bacterial one....Also, it is usally FOlsom high kids that have contracted it....I wonder if dirty water from the sewer issues has some role to play in this....I have seen the pipes at Gallardo during the heavy rains leak a lot of water and I will call tomorrow to see if this is sewer water...Also, Folsom has issues with the sewer system and they even sealed the manholes so the raw sewage won't seep into the streets-GROSS!

Edited by asbestoshills, 30 April 2006 - 05:23 PM.

[MikeinFolsom]

Well, from my experiences Mercy Folsom is pretty much a glorified clinic, and that's it. They do not have any type of a pediatric ward, and if they receive a person with anything more severe than a common cold, they panic and lose their minds. Some of the physicians, Brazell and Johnson to name a couple, are pretty good, both of my daughters have been treated by them. A small handful of the nurses are pretty nice, but it definately seems that the older ones are either burned out, or they hate their jobs. I dunno.

The hospital is woefully inadequate to handle not only all of the Folsom people that depend on it, but a lot of the EDH people that travel a few miles to see an emergency physician. And from what I have heard, the emergency room expansion has been tabled for now. I don't know the specifics, but I do know the project is on hold.

Kaiser is supposedly building a hospital in Folsom in a few years, but take Kaiser insurance at your own risk. Basically it's probably better to just use old time methods and sip grandpa's cough syrup before going to bed...???