As someone from Baltimore who has various chronic ...

As someone from Baltimore who has various chronic health issues and has grown up in and out of hospitals, I know a good one when I see one. Peninsula Regional is the absolute worst. Can t speak on any of the other departments, but the ER is absolutely horrible. I have been on two occasions, and I will preface this by also adding I am immunocompromised, so my body is more susceptible to catching illnesses and has a much harder time fighting them off. The first time I went was two years ago. I came in barely conscious, with a fever around 105, and nauseous beyond belief. My boyfriend had to sign me in because I wasn t capable. I had been profusely throwing up in the hours before. I waited for nearly 2 hours to even get triaged, and a total of 4-5 hours to get a room. My father was able to drive a 3 hour trip to come meet us at the hospital before I was back in a room. Once in the room, I had the very basic vitals taken and was given IV fluids. Took an hour to see a doctor. Doctor comes in, tells me he thinks I could have a very serious kidney infection, but he doesn t want to test for it, and if I get worse I should just come back a day or two later (except being immunocompromised I couldn t just wait like that). They gave me Zofran, and sent me on my way. My dad then drove me 3 hours back to my hometown in the same night. The next day I went to GBMC, was triaged and had a room within 30 minutes, they tested me for everything under the sun that they thought was a possibility with my symptoms, and treated me so well. Gave me another round of IV fluids. Didn t have a kidney infection, but symptoms were getting worse (so I probably would have gone back to PRMS for dumb results again), turns out I had a super virus.

I also went yesterday. I have been experiencing flu-like symptoms all week, and went to urgent care at the beginning of the week for tests to come back negative but to be treated with Tamiflu. Yesterday was so horrifically bad though that I knew I needed to go to the hospital. My temperature was creeping up on 104, and I had begun throwing up, in addition to probably 15 other symptoms. We didn t wait as long this time to be brought back, and I was triaged right away, but being triaged I felt like I wasn t even being listened to when I tried to give all of my symptoms (because I was cut off before I could give even half of them.) The nurse was definitely nice, but I felt like she wasn t giving me the right attention. Then I waited for 45 minutes, and they brought me back. A PA tried to ask me my symptoms again, once again kind of cut me off, and immediately basically gave me her idea of how to fix it. Told her I was immunocompromised, she said she understood, then she proceeded to send my boyfriend and I out into a crowded hallway filled with at least 10 sick patients to wait for over 2 hours, which is such a risk for me. Never got a room, never saw a doctor. They gave me Zofran to curb my nausea, and tried to get me to drink liquids. They said if that made me nauseous still, due to my severe dehydration, they would give me IV fluids (although being someone who gets infusions frequently and is dehydrated without illness, I knew this was the first thing they should have done). I ate ice even though I was still nauseous doing this, and the consensus was well you re not throwing up even if you are still nauseous, so go home. The male nurse I had was extremely nice and was just doing what the PA told him to do, but the entire thing was honestly handled horrifically.

All in all, avoid this hospital like the plague. The only reason I went at all yesterday was because I was too sick to make it all the way home to Baltimore to go to a good hospital. Next time I will go anywhere but here.