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In the summer of 2005 I was taken to the emergency department at a major hospital in Portland. I had a high fever and had chest discomfort that became an MI while in the hospital. The emergency department that night was busy and I had wait in line to be screened by a clerk who checked your insurance coverage. There were several people in front of me. After about 10 minutes I was shocked to find out that 6 of those people were standing in line to get a pass to go back into the emergency department to be with friends or relatives. When I got to the front of the line the clerk took great care to see to it that my insurance was in order and that I was covered. Then she called for a triage nurse who examined me and I was told it would be a two hour wait to be seen by an emergency physician. As I sat in the wheel chair my chest discomfort became more severe and I was finally taken back to get proper help. This inane situation continues as far as I know. I am very concerned that real emergencies will continue to wait unnecessarily for needed medical care. There needs to be a better system to triage patients and handle visitors.

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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