Our hospital systems are broken

On September 20, Mike Herrera checked into the waiting room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas (The same hospital that Kennedy was brought to when he was shot). He was complaining of a stabbing sensation in his abdomen. The man collapsed 19 hours after he first checked in. Medical staff rushed to help you Herrera but it was too late. He died. As a physician, let me say that my heart goes out to Mr. Herrera’s family and friends. It should never happen. There is no excuse that is adequate. As a physician who trained at Parkland Hospital, I can say without a doubt that the staff is as carrying and knowledgeable as any in the United States. The problem here is resources. Parkland has one of the busiest ER’s in the country. There is no where to put all of the patients. All the treatment rooms are full. There are... [read full story]