Imagine having Leukemia, being in a Critical Care unit where your room has cockroaches, you have to make your own bed, and when you ask for a transfer the social worker says: “You can leave the hospital and enter another E.R. if you want”.
That’s what happened to Howard Rund a thirty-something year old cancer patient at St. John’s Queens Hospital. www.sjqhospital.org St. John’s is one of the two hospitals serving Queens and owned by Caritas, a private operator that will be closing due to bankruptcy the other is Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn. St. John’s, according to Brian M. Rafferty in a story appearing in the Queens Tribune only received $6 million dollars from the state to meet payroll. And no further financial help has been promised from Albany translating into the firing of hospital staff, this has been obvious to Mr. Rund as it affects his treatment.
The chemo treatment he receives intravenously must be administered by licensed nurses and according to Mr. Rund St. John’s does not have enough licensed nurses, but they give him the treatment anyway. This is unsettling to Mr. Rund.
Mr. Rund exclaims, “I’ve been begging for a transfer since I got here”. Mr. Rund normally gets treatment at two private hospitals in Manhattan, Memorial Sloan Kettering and New York University. But due to a medical emergency he was rushed to St. John’s Hospital Queens, 15 minutes away from his home although Jamaica Hospital is even closer to where he lives in Briarwood. “I don’t know why they diverted and sent me here” he says.
Mr. Rund has even missed treatments due to the lack of medical personnel. Mr. Rund also claims he was left to take his own sample by a nurse’s aide when he asked her for help. The aide’s response was: “I don’t have a job anyway so just do it”. The sample was requested by one of the few doctors on staff he said.
Mr. Rund, who’s been at St. John’s since being admitted January 6th finally did see a doctor on that Wednesday, February 18th he said it had been 3 days and he only met with him for “30 seconds”. He is also points out that: “There’s no staff! They’re all out looking for other jobs.
Mr. Rund has at least 6 weeks left of chemo and really doesn’t know where to turn for help. His mother recently past away and his elderly father lives in Florida. As for St. John’s Hospital Queens he says: “They want everybody outta here”. And with a tear in his eye he says: “I don’t think they care much about breaking laws anymore”.
i can relate to this. many hospitals like St.John’s that are closing down,can be a horrible experience for the sick.The employees are understaffed and overworked.Many of them are in danger of losing their jobs,and so their position is no longer caring for the sick,but working the 9-5. the healthcare industy need to be revised and improved.
http://fairsharereform.com/content/campaign_highlight/9
Why should the healthy care about the hospital closings? I hate hospitals. They are like prisons for sick people. But that’s just it. Prisons are detention centers for people that should not be out and about in society until they serve enough time and prove they can continue to function in society. Can you imagine a world with no prisons? Where would criminals be contained? Likewise, a city with 8 million plus citizens needs hospitals for sick and unhealthy people. If ill people do not have hospitals to turn to, they’re going to stay home and become increasingly ill. Hospitals turn them around to be healthy people so they can function in society with the rest of the healthy citizens. Hospitals are a key part of any civilization. A village cannot thrive without a doctor, even if he was a spiritual healer. The population as a whole is not getting any healthier. WE NEED DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS!
my daugter was born in this hospital 11 years ago this is the closest hospital in my town elmhurst exept for the elmuhst hospital .my daugter always wanted to find out what room she was born in but know i think this is not possible
I know Mr. Rund when he was in the hospital, I wonder why he did not mention about the doctors & nurses and many other people who helped him. The reason he did not see his doctor is he is never in his room. People saw him across the street in the mall. I would like to know if he has any insurence, doctors and nurses never asked him.
why? know Mr. Rund (or his different aliases)first and you will know why health care doesnt care for him. i feel bad for the doctors and nurses that all they want is to care but got abuse by the pt…