As a long-time hospital worker, I couldn’t agree more with this post. I work for a hospital that happens to be number one in New York State for the LEAST amount of infections, but if you knew how infrequently our patient rooms and beds were cleaned — I mean REALLY cleaned — you would be shocked.
What it boils down to is money, and why it boils down to money is this: If ANY business is forced to give away its products or services for FREE to one-third of their customers, cuts have to be made somewhere. So, a person gets discharged, and two minutes later, someone else has been admitted and is laying in their bed. Was the bed cleaned in between? Nope. Just change the sheets and move on.
It’s disgusting, really.
as soon as a patient is discharged, it goes up on this electronic board, and as soon as the people across town see that that bed is open, they're calling with an admission.....its like a rotating circus with little human touch.....
but they do clean the rooms well it seems...with germicide etc...
again, like you said....our hospital doesn't even get paid for a huge portion of its care, so there are no extra dollars to let rooms just sit open for a few hours....
and then there is Medicare/Medicaid that don't pay full cost and just expect to get by on their good looks I guess...