Providence ER needs to be understood first and cri...

Providence ER needs to be understood first and criticized later. ER #1 job is to triage, not resolve life-threatening issues often in a specific generally accepted prioritized protocol (i.e. death imminent 1st, imminent harm to others 2nd, imminent loss of vital organ 3rd, imminent loss of limb 4th, etc...) Kidney stones, back pain, and any other order of situations such as these are very far down the list for ANY emergency room. We have had our share of ER issue over the years with Providence, however, once the prioritization process was communicated to us, we understood, and our expectations for the ER while lowered, where set appropriately.
Now, my reason for 5 starts is for their A7 Nursing staff - who are the definition of what competent and compassionate nursing is. My family has had to spend 5 days in a room there, every 3 weeks for treatment and that staff and its supporting Dr's catered to every request while communicating and supporting the treatment process.
I know this place has to deal with the insane amount of homeless, druggies, and other (as one poster put it) poor life choice folks, as there is nowhere else for them to go> One suggestion might be to improve security substantially. I have seen on more than one occasion during my visits, computer screens not signed out, questionable "family members" roaming the halls with filth, and coming out of the bathrooms on the 2nd floor. I was happy to see they now have metal detectors and security at the ER entry way. Kinda stinks that we have to pay for that, but if its what it takes to keep patients and staff safe - I'm glad it was done - to this outsider, more needs to be done to secure 2nd floor doors, bathrooms and entries...not to keep people out necessarily, but at minimum keep tabs on who is coming in.
So in short, go to the ER if your life is in danger, go to the clinic if it is not. If you are in severe pain, go to the ER but don't expect to be looked at straight away as there is likely a heart attack, aneurysm, gunshot wound, OD, or stabbing well ahead of you. For cancer treatment, IMHO, this place was/is phenomenal.