Kaiser Permanente Ontario Medical Center — Local services in Ontario

To hear that a patient was waiting to be seen since 3pm. How do you miss a patient for that long. 40+ waiting. It’s time for an expansion. In my 25 yrs of EMS, I urge the administrators to focus on improving the ER and it’s operations. I rather struggle with pneumonia than wait.

My biggest issue is, what if there was a mass casualty incident and major pandemic outbreak. With a system already bleeding from being overwhelmed, what would happen? Hospitals should not be filled more than 50% of their bed status and no more than 75% of their admissions. This would be a great opportunity for telemedicine and otc medications. In addition, the doctors need scribes or someone to take notes. This way they can quickly see more patients and not have to get up every 15 to 30 minutes to interrupt charting.

To have specimens handled in the lobby and ensuring proper labeling, there is a health concern and a mismanagement in the department. I’m not sure if the ER is setup for acute, subacute and minor treat and release (MTR). The MTR could be treated like a clinic. Additionally, if someone comes in for care and a x-ray, labs, EKG is needed, having a standard to have those things done, would expedite care. Remember, we treat the symptoms and the patient. So finding life threats or potential problems before the doctor, would make treating faster. Having an algorithm that says if this, do this and get them in a monitored room.

Revamping of the process is needed. Color code charts so specific portions of a department handles that care. Creating the three sub departments in the ER and with a specific color, would help move patients along and reduce time spent explaining.

I came in with pneumonia symptoms, rapid heart rate, dizziness on exertions and standing from a seated. To the point of fainting. My entire body was weak and fatigued. No, I could never get covid, as a medicine given to me to be stationed in S. Korea, deleted that protein or made it very hard for the virus to bond with the protein. I know a chest x-ray is needed to rule out fluid in the lungs or a possible collapse, if the Z-pak or a strong antibiotic was available to pick up from the pharmacy, an ER or clinic visit would not be needed. This isn’t my first go-round with respiratory issues. I haven’t had a respiratory infection in a long time, now I’m dealing with pneumonia and severely hate it.

Something needs to be done. Or I need to get over my bad family experience and do something about the care given. This was the first bad experience and first time I signed out of an ER.

Make sure this is seen by administrators. I’m calling the hospital out to come up with better measures. Not just this hospital, but ALL in the area. It’s a failure.

Please look into the model they Hackensack Meridian Health did at their main campus in Hackensack. They have several section. They open another section, when one fills. Yes, overflow. Getting patients in a bed, eases their mind...

Regarding the Kaiser Ontario Medical Center Emergency Department, I’m a little confused and definitely disheartened to read so many 1 Star reviews for this ER department. If I hadn’t already experienced great care there, two separate times just the first part of this year alone, I’d be afraid to go to this ER. If it had only been one visit, I’d say I got lucky; but, two times is more than luck.

The first time I went, I had taken my blood pressure at home and it was very low. This was around 10:00-11:00pm. I called the Advice Nurse and she advised me to go to the ER. She even checked to see which facility was closest to where I live (I’m about in the middle between Ontario, Baldwin Park and Fontana Medical Centers). Ontario was closest by one mile so that’s where I had my granddaughter take me.

We walked into the ER and got in line to check in behind two or three other patients. Full transparency: my blood pressure was dangerously low so some details are blurry. When I got to the window, the person at reception asked me why I was there. I told her and shortly after that I was called in to be triaged. My blood pressure read the same way that it had at home and the nurse sprang into action. She literally ran and got a wheelchair, got me into it, and ran pushing me back to get me in a bed. The nurses and doctors were very attentive, patient, kind, professional, thorough…I have no complaints. I was eventually admitted and taken upstairs.

The second time was early in the morning, around 6:00am. I was having trouble breathing and even just catching my breath. We called 911 and the paramedics gave me a breathing treatment and took me to the ER. I was taken back to a bed in a timely manner. There were a handful of other patients in the waiting room but I did not have to wait for hours and hours like other patients have stated.

Now, when I got to a bed in the ER Department, there were three nurses. I guess they were rather busy and were helping each other out, taking vitals and charting. One of the nurses was a little grumpy but the other two seemed to be caring and kind. Blood was taken and I was taken for a CT Scan where there was no waiting. That time, I was eventually discharged from the ER later that day.

My experiences at the Ontario Medical Center ER have actually been some of the best I’ve ever had and I’ve been to Lots of ERs in my lifetime. I’m 65 years old and had two sons (Lots of trips for stitches, goose eggs, X-rays for possible broken bones, etc.) and four grandchildren. I cannot even begin to count how many different ERs I’ve been to over the years. I know what it’s like to wait Hours to be seen but I’ve also experienced some excellent care in a reasonable amount of time and two of those occasions were at this facility.

Thank you for a...

Being a parent with a child feeling pain & discomfort is frustrating, and we put our faith in medical staff to help them control that situation. I'm thankful for the 24/7 nurse hotline, they were straight to the point and talked to us with respect. We were advised to go straight to the ER. Entering the hospital towards the ER, was a bit challenging due to arriving there around 12am, it was dark, a few turns and no lights which was difficult to see. I appreciated the access to the wheel chair by the front door, as we entered security handed my son an open box of masks. Besides to prevent airborne germs, what was the purpose when many people's hands and fingers were touching them, just to grab one. We went straight in to get checked in, I explained to the intake employee why we are there in detail. My son expressed pain and had a difficult time breathing prior to use coming in and answering her questions i already gave her answers too. My son was trying to ask a few questions, but she kept cutting him off and said 'i need you to listen" as if she was reading a memorized scripture. It took about 45 mins to get blood work, after drawing the blood, I was told it takes about 10 mins to get the results. Two hrs had passed, my son asked me to wheel him to the front window to ask them a question. There were four people behind the window talking among themselves, non work related, because u can hear them from the seating area.I was told to stand by the sign, because one of the ladies was talking with someone from inside there work area. Then the guy who was just standing there talking came out asking my son what he needed. My son asked a medical question he was concered about and responed wirh "ya its normal', which was a safe answer, but if that was "normal", my son should of not had moments of chest pain, when trying to breath. I was so mad and disappointed, that this health care my son is paying for every two weeks , didn't show him or talk with him with respect. Plus the ER department, not being managed and or functionable to assist, the ill when it takes longer than 3 to 10+ hours to be seen by a doctor because they're short staffed. We waited three hours and we left. While a elderly couple was waiting 6.5 hrs, when we just arrived and still not been seen when we left. THIS IS NOT...