Q8 Comments – Acute Care for Who

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We asked who should receive Acute Care assistance DURING clinic hours and provided an opportunity for comments.

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Comments regarding who receives Acute care DURING clinic hours.

For WhoComments
For EveryoneWe need to take care of our tourists if they become ill or have an injury while here
xnone of the above
xWe have the fire department
Only RegisteredUntil such time as there is a single clinic AND pricing for non-residents can cover their costs
Only RegisteredI don't want acute care at the clinic at all !
Only RegisteredLet people who want after hours care pay for after hours care. Non-emergency care is not a right and should not be foisted onto the tax payer.
Only RegisteredBeing registered gives clinic a way to bill patients insurance or cash
Only ResidentsYes,since we the property owners via property taxes are paying for the full price of this service.
Only ResidentsWhat about someone who had an ekg at the fire station, was told to go to med center and have another and had to wait 2.5 hours during which time he had a heart attack. This is not right and your front desk is a REAL problem. I have lost confidence in the med center. Non residents should have to pay a surcharge for treatment.
Only ResidentsPeople who live here need to have more priority
Only ResidentsResidents and visiting family members of residents
Only ResidentsThe registered patient metric is bad, i live here and pay taxes. They should not be able to deny me services when I support their funding
Only ResidentsOur EMS team is amazing and can handle acute care for off-island visitors
Only ResidentsMusy pay for services-Guests and visitors too but up to a point so as not to overwhelm the capacity
Only ResidentsNon-residents might have to pay to offset higher costs to receive equal access to residents?
For EveryoneYes. Everyone.
Only ResidentsIf they are paying the taxes, they should receive the care they are already paying for.
For Everyonewith a fee for non-clients
For Everyonewith an access fee for non-residents
For EveryoneWould be nice to have a Triage nurse available to hear the problem, it is easier to make an assessment as to a wait period. But should be available to all.
For EveryoneWhy is this even a question? No one is turning down acute care patients regardless of residency. The current model, at least at UW, appears to be assess and schedule appropriately. Don't know about Shinstrom since I refuse to even walk in that clinic.
For EveryoneWhoever asked to have this question places on this survey, should be removed from any position of influence. This is asinine. EVERYONE DESERVES CARE.
For EveryoneWhen you say "acute care", I assume that's after the paramedics deem it necessary.
For EveryoneWhile I realize that this will add considerably to cost, I don't see how we can exclude visitors and residents who are not registered patients.
For EveryoneWhen someone needs medical attention, they shouldn't have to decide if they can even go to a Dr's office!
For EveryoneWhat is Acute Care? Define your terms so we know what we're talking about here.
For EveryoneWhen my daughter broke her wrist skiing and I took her to a clinic in Truckee, CA, did they say "Sorry, residents only "? No they didn't, fortunately.
For EveryoneTriaged for urgency
For EveryoneVital
For Everyonewe can't support the thousands of tourists each year unless they are private pay.
For EveryoneWe must recognize that Orcas is heavily dependent on tourism. OMC helped many injured tourists as an appropriate standard of medical care. Rejecting non-resident clients would potentially hurt our ability to serve those who contribute to our economy in a large way.
For EveryoneTriage non residents to determine if the care needs to be immediate. Otherwise they must seek medical assistance off island.
For EveryoneTHIS IS LIFE SAVING
For EveryoneTravel a bit, and assess health care around the world. We (USA) don't stack up very well.
For EveryoneThe island needs consistent acute care for all.
For EveryoneThis can be watched as to really calling for Acute Care, a nurse practioner could do the evaluation of if and when calls are really for Acute Care.
For EveryoneThis is "seasonally" significant. Too restrictive otherwise.
For EveryoneThe acute care rate for non-residents should have a "public health district" surcharge for non-residents.
For EveryoneSuch a hard issue due to seasonal population changes
For EveryoneSurely it has to be for everyone, what else does one do call 911? which is what we all do now
For EveryoneSilly to exclude necessity.
For EveryoneSee answers to 6 and 7 above - dependent on what funds are available.
For EveryoneService is soooo bad to all anything is better
For Everyoneseriously?
For EveryoneRegistered patients should be given preference, however, if prioritizing is necessary.
For EveryonePRIORTIY TO PATIENTS THEN RESIDENTS
For EveryonePaying full ride if nonresident (insurance included) - not to subsidize not residents
For EveryonePeople who are not island residents should bill their own insurance or pay their own costs.
For Everyoneplease allow comment boxes for all questions, not just select questions.
For EveryoneNon-residents and non-patients should pay full price at time of service.
For EveryoneOpen-access scheduling allows for more patients to be seen and offers plenty of availability for acute care. Timely availability of acute care is necessary on this island. A patient should be able to be seen same day for acute care. They should not have to wait 4 or more hours for a return call from a triage nurse. Generally speaking, if a patient thinks they need to be seen same day...they need to be seen same day.
For Everyoneneed to partner with fire dept to cover non emergency acute calls
For Everyonenon residents could be charged an additional fee
For EveryoneNeed pediatric specialty
For EveryoneNeed to consider what acute care is available from Fire Dept
For EveryoneMedical care needs to be available to anyone needing it.
For EveryoneIt would be helpful to know what the history is of vacationers needing acute care here.
For EveryoneIsn't this a hypocratic oath issue?
For EveryoneImportant t be accessible
For EveryoneIf off-island will pay appropriately
For EveryoneIf someone is on the island and needs stitches they should be able to get them PERIOD
For EveryoneIf it's acute, I'd call 911, so unnecessary
For EveryoneIf needed everyone who needs emergency care.
For EveryoneIf not a resident or registered patient there should be an extra/premium charge
For EveryoneI'd initially marked registered patients, then decided cute care for everyone is what's best for the community
For EveryoneIf a visitor, including any family member, needs to see a physician, I think it is extremely important that they are taken care of.
For EveryoneI'd like to say island residents only, but I don't see how you can do that without having the emergency medical team at the fire station pick up the burden.
For EveryoneI WANT EVERY ONE ALIVE VISITORS OR NOT
For EveryoneI want Orcas to have a 24-hour, 365-day Emergency Medicine Facility.
For EveryoneI wouldn't want to be the one to look anyone in the eye and say they cannot be treated, so I wouldn't ask anyone else to do it, either.
For EveryoneI really think there should be priority to residents and registered patients
For EveryoneI find this question a bit shocking - who will care for all of the people who visit when they are in need?
For Everyonefor non locals, their insurence should pay full cost.
For EveryoneHard choice for me. I think this should be up to the medical staff
For Everyonehaving lived here for 35 years I have heard and seen many emergencies of all kinds
For EveryoneHow can we not do this?
For EveryoneHow else would they get the immediate care needed? Get on a ferry with a broken leg, bleeding knife cut, popped infected blister?
For EveryoneHowever, currently registered UW patients are unable to get acute care services during clinic hours!
For EveryoneI assume that the majority of those persons availing of acute care services will be paying for those services.
For EveryoneI don't see how the clinic can ethically turn away non -residents in need of acute care, but I think visitors should be charged a higher rate for this service.
For EveryoneCan't very well deny care for guests or visitors for acute problems.
For EveryoneCategories are not "legal" ones with recognized definitions; impossible to operationalize.
For EveryoneEMTs are vital
For EveryoneFor myself, and for visiting family and or friends.
For Everyonebut not advertised as such. if a visitor has an acute need they should be able to be seen.
For EveryoneBeing an Island which depends upon the Tourist Industry, we need to think of our visitor's needs!
For EveryoneAccess should be based clincal need based on the triage nurses assessment.
For EveryoneAcute Care = immediate, for everybody
For EveryoneAcute care suggests urgent-necessary for all humans
For EveryoneAging population on the island(s) require more care and attention. Acute care assessment necessary.
For EveryoneAs stated above my family was turned away three times this year - once we had to go to Anacortes the next day with my daughter in pain all night and twice we had to go to Friday harbor
For EveryoneAt least provide RN triage; ie- refer to EMS if can't be handled locally.
For Everyoneat what cost? could visitors be charged a "convenience" fee to offset expense of hiring extra staff during the "busy season"??
For EveryoneAvailable to non-residents with an appropriate fee scale. Available to all residents and non-residents
For Everyone"Warranting prompt attention" means what it says.
For Everyone Non-residents must pay extra to fund added staff.
For Everyone"Acute care" for what illness?