Voices
Letters to the Editor: One reader’s experience exemplifies the issue facing America’s emergency rooms
A person walks past a sign directing vehicles toward the emergency room at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
(Jenny Kane / Associated Press)
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To the editor: A couple of months ago, I received a call from my oncologist. “Come to the emergency room as soon as you can. Your recent CT scan shows you have blood clots in your lungs,” she said.
Thinking this was a life-threatening situation, I quickly packed a bag and ordered a ride to the hospital, which is more than six miles from my home. Upon my arrival, I settled down to wait. And wait. I think I sat in the lobby at least three hours before a doctor saw me.
I was finally admitted to the hospital, where I stayed for three days and received treatment. Eric Snoey and Mark Morocco’s article resonated with me (“The emergency in emergency medicine,” May 20).
Sue Kamm, Los Angeles
