NATIONAL NEWS FEATURES PLIGHT OF BELLVILLE MEDICAL CENTER AND OTHER RURAL HOSPITALS

Ed Pothul September 17, 2021

1 284

The Bellville Medical Center recently received some national attention.

According to The Bellville Times, CBS News’ David Benaud visited with the facility as part of a report on the plight of rural hospitals across the nation.

The recent increase in COVID cases has left many rural hospitals in search of ICU beds for their emergency room patients.

The CBS story featured the problem the Bellville hospital faced when they needed a bed of a local patient in critical condition and were unable to find an available bed in Texas, Louisiana and other states for over six hours. The patient was ultimately transferred to the VA Hospital in Houston, but passed away.

Any other time, the BMC staff would have had him transferred in 30 minutes.

In a follow-up by ABC Channel 13 in Houston, BMC CEO Dan Bonk emphasized the struggle to get rural patients to a higher level of care.

What’s your Reaction?

Ed Pothul September 17, 2021

1 284

I was so upset after seeing the story about the veteran that lost his life due to the inability to find an ICU bed available for him at a higher level of care facility. I think it affected me so strongly because I used to work at that same hospital in Bellville years ago and imagined how I would feel knowing that I couldn’t do anything to change the outcome for this patient.
Covid is no longer just upsetting the lives of those stricken with the virus or their loved ones. This could happen to any of us today as ICUs are at capacity and more and even ERs are overfilled due to Covid patients, mostly unvaccinated. Why people can’t get it through their thick skulls that the pandemic will never get better or be over as long as this virus continues to be spread around like wildfire? And it can be avoided or at least not as fatal to anyone if they would just get the vaccine.
As a healthcare professional, I am an adamant proponent for the Covid vaccine. I have had my 2 doses months ago. And guess what??? I do not light up, a magnet doesn’t stick to me, and the government doesn’t track me anymore than they did before because I still use a smartphone everyday. And I’ll be in line to get another booster shot too if they have that available and recommend it for me too.
Vaccines SAVE LIVES! They eradicate illnesses! Polio, smallpox, and mumps just to name a few. Why people won’t do one simple thing to help themselves and to help others, I will never understand. Get vaccinated! Social distance! Wear a mask if you can or want! Or if you get severely ill with ANYTHING, have a heart attack, an accident, or any other major medical emergency at this point and end up taken to a small local ER and need a specialist or higher level of care, this could easily be YOU who dies a very unnecessary and untimely death.
God bless the ER doctor and nurses who tried so very hard that day to get this man the care he needed. Everyone working in healthcare on the frontlines, in ERs, ICUs, and hospitals all over the world, should be considered a hero.
Our nation’s downfall will be and IS the ignorance of those who listen to fiction instead of science and those that will refuse to take the vaccine to save even themselves. I’m shaking my head at the ridiculous of it all everyday.

One Comment

Vaccinate healthcare professional who listens to facts, not fiction says:

September 17, 2021 at 12:59 pm

I was so upset after seeing the story about the veteran that lost his life due to the inability to find an ICU bed available for him at a higher level of care facility. I think it affected me so strongly because I used to work at that same hospital in Bellville years ago and imagined how I would feel knowing that I couldn’t do anything to change the outcome for this patient.
Covid is no longer just upsetting the lives of those stricken with the virus or their loved ones. This could happen to any of us today as ICUs are at capacity and more and even ERs are overfilled due to Covid patients, mostly unvaccinated. Why people can’t get it through their thick skulls that the pandemic will never get better or be over as long as this virus continues to be spread around like wildfire? And it can be avoided or at least not as fatal to anyone if they would just get the vaccine.
As a healthcare professional, I am an adamant proponent for the Covid vaccine. I have had my 2 doses months ago. And guess what??? I do not light up, a magnet doesn’t stick to me, and the government doesn’t track me anymore than they did before because I still use a smartphone everyday. And I’ll be in line to get another booster shot too if they have that available and recommend it for me too.
Vaccines SAVE LIVES! They eradicate illnesses! Polio, smallpox, and mumps just to name a few. Why people won’t do one simple thing to help themselves and to help others, I will never understand. Get vaccinated! Social distance! Wear a mask if you can or want! Or if you get severely ill with ANYTHING, have a heart attack, an accident, or any other major medical emergency at this point and end up taken to a small local ER and need a specialist or higher level of care, this could easily be YOU who dies a very unnecessary and untimely death.
God bless the ER doctor and nurses who tried so very hard that day to get this man the care he needed. Everyone working in healthcare on the frontlines, in ERs, ICUs, and hospitals all over the world, should be considered a hero.
Our nation’s downfall will be and IS the ignorance of those who listen to fiction instead of science and those that will refuse to take the vaccine to save even themselves. I’m shaking my head at the ridiculous of it all everyday.