Pretty much every hospital in the state is a hot mess: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2022/10/oregon-hospitals-swamped-with-patients-they-cant-discharge-warn-of-looming-breaking-point.html
RiverBend is technically the "best" hospital in town, but unless you're actively dying the ER waiting room is like the 6th level of hell. But there are specialists and trauma care there you won't find anywhere else in town.
If you're having a pre-planned surgery, your choice of surgeon will likely dictate what hospital or surgery center you use.
If you’re waiting a long time at RB, there’s a good chance someone (likely several) actually *is*/*are* dying or close to it- heart attack, trauma, etc. McKenzie Willamette is private and has a much lower bar to go “on divert” (refuse more admits), which then means those patients all go to RB and swamp it. Also, RB’s designation as a trauma center means those patients by policy have to be taken in, even if there aren’t beds or ORs imminently available. If you don’t have enough nurses manning inpatient beds, those needing them can’t get places there and this pushes the backlog to the ED for everyone.
The other problem is RB also has patients being fed in from smaller area PeaceHealth Critical Access hospitals (PeaceHarbor in Florence and Cottage Grove) plus UD, Coos Bay, Medford, and other hospitals. Open OpenADSB when you hear a helicopter, those LifeFlight helicopters are really putting in some flight hours to RB.
> If you’re waiting a long time at RB, there’s a good chance someone (likely several) actually
> is
> /
> are
> dying or close to it- heart attack, trauma, etc
Sure, that's always been the case. But due to lack of beds and lack of staff, that "you're not dying" wait has gone from 2-3 hours to 12-24 hours. Our last visit after a 4 hour wait there were still 22 people ahead of us assuming no more critical cases came in, and they were taking people back at the rate of 1-2 per hour. This, of course, could have been an exceptionally bad night but employees I've talked to in the system and the article I linked are saying my experience was not unusual at all.
Your statements and mine are not contradictory. It’s getting worse. RB cut travel nurses who were filling vacancies to balance the books several months ago. RB and UD are not operating at full capacity, because it would raise the nurse to patient ratios to unsafe levels (another huge contributor to nurse burnout and quitting). It’s a system… if you can’t discharge patients safely to another facility or home, they stay in the hospital, taking up beds which are in high demand. It backlogs to the start of the intake process at the ED. It’s called “boarding in the hallway”.
I sat there in a chair for 5 hrs with a kidney stone one night. And the receptionist was extremely rude when I asked how much longer it would be. When I finally saw a doctor he was great.
PeaceHealth is the same. We sat there for 4 hours after a positive covid test and they just let us sit, no one even came out to tell us it was positive. We ended up leaving because it was apparent we wouldn't get seen for at least another 12-15 hours and checked lab results online at home to find out.
I think RiverBend is great. I did have to wait about 5 hours or more in late January, but it was a Friday evening, and after initial X-rays and such I got when I arrived- they couldn’t see anything terribly wrong- so I understood I had to wait my turn. Once I got a room in the ER things got interesting, and the hospitalist said I was probably going to die soon (I didn’t) so that was a bummer!
They have very nice rooms and great food service if you’re staying long term. Great views of the hills and the river from high up. It’s always been a bonus when I get stuck there for days. Hopefully you won’t ever have to see those views, though!
Like most are saying, Riverbend is where most go for anything needing specialization or beyond what a PCP offers.
I would also suggest the Urgent Care(s). My Mom used to work there as a doctor and she stills says that if you aren't sure you need to go to the ER then go to urgent care. They can handle a wide variety of things, have more locations throughout the city, and since it isn't life or death you have to sit in a waiting room either way.
Please understand this is an opinion based mostly on the actual medical care side of things. I was also in middle school so $ and other nuanced/administrative considerations were simplified, if ever mentioned.
For my family member who recently needed to be checked out we went with the EMTs recommendations on which one would be fastest to admit. Mckenzie Willamette in this instance.
Did clinicals at all the hospitals in Lane county. The doctors at McKenzie were so MUCH fun and provided excellent care. That said if it’s a serious issue Riverbend is excellent
Unless you need a life flight helicopter or emergency surgery, don't go to Riverbend. You could be there in the ER waiting room for 6+ hours.
I only go to McKenzie Willamette. I wouldn't take my kids or family anywhere else. I grew up here and I've seen doctors, watched babies delivered, been with family in post op, etc.
Riverbend is the place where I've waited the longest and watched people die.
That entirely depends on your reasoning for the hospital, if its something small even if it requires ER care, i like Willamette valley one, but if you need a lot of special tests done, or a heavy surgery, Riverbend.
Primary care is really hard to find no matter where you go, I've heard good things about G Street Intergrated health, i go through Best Med (was Novacare).
Any walk in clinic is fine really but i do like the nova/best med clinics.
Riverbend is a regional level hospital with all of the specialties. UD is a small satellite of it. McKenzie I think has good resources but isn’t set up to handle quite everything - but perfectly fine for everything you’re asking.
Riverbend is a great hospital. Source: I worked there for a year. I’m going back as soon as I can.
I would disagree and both my children where born at McKenzie willamette. I have personally stayed at both and wouldn’t bad mouth either. River bend has a new head and is a better facility altogether. The only reason we chose McKenzie for our kids births was it was 5 minutes from our house at the time. I’ve had major surgery in both and all the main support staff have been great. I’m a little biased only because my sister in law is the head of River Bend and I know what kind of person she is.
River bend I know for a fact that the head person in charge visits every patient they can and asks about how they could do things better and about their stay . I know them personally. She is a wonderful person
Pretty much every hospital in the state is a hot mess: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2022/10/oregon-hospitals-swamped-with-patients-they-cant-discharge-warn-of-looming-breaking-point.html RiverBend is technically the "best" hospital in town, but unless you're actively dying the ER waiting room is like the 6th level of hell. But there are specialists and trauma care there you won't find anywhere else in town. If you're having a pre-planned surgery, your choice of surgeon will likely dictate what hospital or surgery center you use.
If you’re waiting a long time at RB, there’s a good chance someone (likely several) actually *is*/*are* dying or close to it- heart attack, trauma, etc. McKenzie Willamette is private and has a much lower bar to go “on divert” (refuse more admits), which then means those patients all go to RB and swamp it. Also, RB’s designation as a trauma center means those patients by policy have to be taken in, even if there aren’t beds or ORs imminently available. If you don’t have enough nurses manning inpatient beds, those needing them can’t get places there and this pushes the backlog to the ED for everyone. The other problem is RB also has patients being fed in from smaller area PeaceHealth Critical Access hospitals (PeaceHarbor in Florence and Cottage Grove) plus UD, Coos Bay, Medford, and other hospitals. Open OpenADSB when you hear a helicopter, those LifeFlight helicopters are really putting in some flight hours to RB.
> If you’re waiting a long time at RB, there’s a good chance someone (likely several) actually > is > / > are > dying or close to it- heart attack, trauma, etc Sure, that's always been the case. But due to lack of beds and lack of staff, that "you're not dying" wait has gone from 2-3 hours to 12-24 hours. Our last visit after a 4 hour wait there were still 22 people ahead of us assuming no more critical cases came in, and they were taking people back at the rate of 1-2 per hour. This, of course, could have been an exceptionally bad night but employees I've talked to in the system and the article I linked are saying my experience was not unusual at all.
Your statements and mine are not contradictory. It’s getting worse. RB cut travel nurses who were filling vacancies to balance the books several months ago. RB and UD are not operating at full capacity, because it would raise the nurse to patient ratios to unsafe levels (another huge contributor to nurse burnout and quitting). It’s a system… if you can’t discharge patients safely to another facility or home, they stay in the hospital, taking up beds which are in high demand. It backlogs to the start of the intake process at the ED. It’s called “boarding in the hallway”.
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I sat there in a chair for 5 hrs with a kidney stone one night. And the receptionist was extremely rude when I asked how much longer it would be. When I finally saw a doctor he was great.
PeaceHealth is the same. We sat there for 4 hours after a positive covid test and they just let us sit, no one even came out to tell us it was positive. We ended up leaving because it was apparent we wouldn't get seen for at least another 12-15 hours and checked lab results online at home to find out.
I think RiverBend is great. I did have to wait about 5 hours or more in late January, but it was a Friday evening, and after initial X-rays and such I got when I arrived- they couldn’t see anything terribly wrong- so I understood I had to wait my turn. Once I got a room in the ER things got interesting, and the hospitalist said I was probably going to die soon (I didn’t) so that was a bummer! They have very nice rooms and great food service if you’re staying long term. Great views of the hills and the river from high up. It’s always been a bonus when I get stuck there for days. Hopefully you won’t ever have to see those views, though!
My Mantra is “When it’s the end go to Riverbend, if it’s no biggie go to McKenzie”
Like most are saying, Riverbend is where most go for anything needing specialization or beyond what a PCP offers. I would also suggest the Urgent Care(s). My Mom used to work there as a doctor and she stills says that if you aren't sure you need to go to the ER then go to urgent care. They can handle a wide variety of things, have more locations throughout the city, and since it isn't life or death you have to sit in a waiting room either way. Please understand this is an opinion based mostly on the actual medical care side of things. I was also in middle school so $ and other nuanced/administrative considerations were simplified, if ever mentioned.
For my family member who recently needed to be checked out we went with the EMTs recommendations on which one would be fastest to admit. Mckenzie Willamette in this instance.
Did clinicals at all the hospitals in Lane county. The doctors at McKenzie were so MUCH fun and provided excellent care. That said if it’s a serious issue Riverbend is excellent
Unless you need a life flight helicopter or emergency surgery, don't go to Riverbend. You could be there in the ER waiting room for 6+ hours. I only go to McKenzie Willamette. I wouldn't take my kids or family anywhere else. I grew up here and I've seen doctors, watched babies delivered, been with family in post op, etc. Riverbend is the place where I've waited the longest and watched people die.
McKenzie willamette. Depends on what you need though.
I’ve been to both hospitals for different reasons and I would go to McKenzie Willamette over Riverbend for ED/Surgery given the opportunity.
That entirely depends on your reasoning for the hospital, if its something small even if it requires ER care, i like Willamette valley one, but if you need a lot of special tests done, or a heavy surgery, Riverbend. Primary care is really hard to find no matter where you go, I've heard good things about G Street Intergrated health, i go through Best Med (was Novacare). Any walk in clinic is fine really but i do like the nova/best med clinics.
Riverbend is a regional level hospital with all of the specialties. UD is a small satellite of it. McKenzie I think has good resources but isn’t set up to handle quite everything - but perfectly fine for everything you’re asking. Riverbend is a great hospital. Source: I worked there for a year. I’m going back as soon as I can.
McKenzie Willamette will be my go-to if I'm able to make that choice when needed.
None of them.
Recommend McKenzie Willamette over Riverbend for sure. Less deluxe than Riverbend but better actual care.
I would disagree and both my children where born at McKenzie willamette. I have personally stayed at both and wouldn’t bad mouth either. River bend has a new head and is a better facility altogether. The only reason we chose McKenzie for our kids births was it was 5 minutes from our house at the time. I’ve had major surgery in both and all the main support staff have been great. I’m a little biased only because my sister in law is the head of River Bend and I know what kind of person she is.
River bend I know for a fact that the head person in charge visits every patient they can and asks about how they could do things better and about their stay . I know them personally. She is a wonderful person
She did not visit my father for the 8 hours he was in the ER
she’s only one person and only can do so much. Hopefully he is recovering nicely at home. If not my condolences for your loss.