Tips For Choosing The Right Hospital

All hospitals are definitely not created equal.expect a lovely environment!).
Specialty and "boutique-type" hospitals are popping2. Find out what the hospital is well-known for.
up in every good sized town and the ones thatThis can be difficult as hospitals tend to advertise,
used to be of the "general" variety, have alsojust like any other business and they sometimes
restructured, added or deleted services and foundhave quite inflated ideas of what they are (or
their niche in the new world of hospital services.should be). An example of this is the hospital that
To make it even more confusing, manyadvertises itself as "for children" and directs a lot
free-standing surgery centers, 24 hourof their advertising budget towards convincing the
emergency centers and other ancillary servicepublic that it is. True Children's Hospitals are just
centers are proliferating at a phenomenal rate. Asthat: for children ONLY. They don't treat adults.
a retired health care business developmentThey are the only hospitals who can accurately
specialist, I can only imagine how hospital systemsclaim that children are their specialty.
are scrambling to keep up and position3. How hospitals staff their nursing units says a lot
themselves as the leaders with the newest andabout the level of care you will receive should you
best equipment and services.wind up in one of them. However, this is not
But, as a consumer, how do you know that theinformation that most hospitals will share with you.
hospital you choose is really the right one forWhat you want to know is the nurse to patient
you?ratio. A hospital that tends to staff down will have
There is an enormous amount of very clinical (andtoo many patients being cared for by exhausted
sometimes confusing) information about anyand overworked individuals. Before you choose a
hospital that is licensed to operate in the Unitedhospital, take advantage of a visit to a friend or
States. You can find it all over the internet or justacquaintance who might be a patient there and
by calling the hospital association for your stateuse your powers of observation. Or, just hang
and requesting information such as mortality andout by the nurse's station for awhile. If it looks
morbidity statistics (cheery reading) or how theand sounds like chaos and there are a lot of call
hospital scored on its most recent Jointbuttons going off and no one answering, this is a
Commission survey. The Joint Commission is anred flag.
independent group of experts in all areas of4. All hospitals do not charge the same for same
hospital operation, from safety, to bedside care,or similar services. Surprise! So, how can you
to the food served in hospitals. Most hospitalscomparison shop between hospitals? One way
voluntarily submit to these often grueling (andwould be to contact the hospital association for
surprisingly subjective, not to mentionyour state and request that information. But, you
inconsistent) surveys because their ability tocan also call a few hospitals ahead of time to get
accept most of the larger insurance carriersan estimate on the cost of your surgery or
requires a certain minimum score to participate.procedure. You will need to give them all the
But, most health care consumers want to take ainformation you can including what kind of
"snapshot" of a hospital, make a quickinsurance you have, the exact condition you have
decision....and hope for the best. The followingand what the surgery or procedure will be that
hospital tips have been compiled by the peopleyou are contemplating. You might find that you
who know the hospitals best: hospitalcould save several thousand dollars by choosing
professionals, themselves. They are oftenone hospital over another (assuming your
indicators of how the hospital operates, overall,physician/surgeon is licensed, and willing, to
and can be a quick and easy way to determineperform your surgery there).
what kind of care you are likely to get.5. Have lunch or a snack in the hospital's cafeteria.
1. The hospital's appearance is an important andThe same food is served to the patients, so pay
surprisingly often overlooked indicator of how theattention. Is it fresh and acceptable? If not, you
hospital functions. Look at the flooring. Are themight want to cross this hospital off your list.
carpets worn and dirty? Are the elevators(You would be surprised by the number of times
polished and bright or do they look old, dingy andpeople have been made sick by eating the food in
downright grimy? What do the public restroomssome hospitals). You should also know that most
look (and smell) like? Are the hospital personnelhospitals, nowadays, farm out their food services
well-dressed in proper uniforms? Is the signageto outside companies such as the ones who
appropriate and easy to read? Can you find yourprovide food services to large venues, like
way around without assistance? Are the commonballparks and convention centers.
areas bright and clean, with healthy plants andThis checklist can provide you with a very
comfortable chairs? You can be pretty certainrevealing snapshot of the hospital you are
that if the hospital looks bad, the care probablyconsidering without wading through mountains of
will be, too. (The exception to this rule can be thedata. And when it comes down to it, the place
downtown trauma hospitals in big cities. Theseyou choose should be one that you feel safe and
often grungy places can be the best places to gorelatively comfortable in. If you do just a little bit
if you have suffered some horrendous trauma,of homework in advance of your choosing a
such as a gunshot, dismemberment, etc. In thathospital, you might find that it pays off in the end
case, you will hardly be noticing your surroundings.with a better hospital stay.
But, don't go there to have your baby and