a look at clinic.

sorry, i've been so MIA but here is just a little look at my clinic experience over the past two weeks.

san francisco general hospital

3% patients with private insurance

60% patients with medical/medicaid

safety net hospital with 'no turn away' policy regardless of ability to pay

UCSF resident and physician oversight

baby friendly including promotion of breast feeding

level one trauma center and emergency center for the peninsula and city

full OR surgical team and obstetrics rapid response on staff at all times

onsite county jail will full incarceration protection

largest inpatient psych/mental health facility in the bay

number one admission- schizophrenia, number two admission- pregnancy

inpatient skilled nursing facility that acts as a home for the ill homeless population

numerous outpatient clinics including urgent care, women's health, dialysis, neuro, ortho, optho, GI, wound care, chemo, anticoag, dental, to name a few

dual unit that I am currently working in:

4M- ophthamology and neurology unit

clinics rotating through general ophthalmology, optometry, pediatric ophthamology, glaucoma, retinal disease, plastics, neuroscience, traumatic brain injury, general neurology, ENT, and audiology depending on the day of the week and that morning/afternoon shift

I am on the eye side of the unit now and will rotate to the neuro side in a few weeks:

hours of operation- 7:30-5 (or whenever the last patient is seen)

average patient wait time- 1.5-5 hours (busiest clinic at the hospital)

number of residents/physicians- 2-5

screening rooms- 2

medical assistants- 4-6

front desk- 3

nurses- 1

patient rooms- 7

diagnostic/laser/procedure rooms- 2

average number of people in the waiting room/spill over to the hall- 40

patient population- homeless, uninsured, incarcerated, psych, routine, pre/post-op, trauma referral

notable patients:

fully progressed AIDS

domestic abuse

head trauma from fights

screwdriver impalement

complication with brain cancer and tumors

facial cancer skin grafting of the face

pipe to the face from street fight

screening for the first post-op and determining they can't see

there you have it. back to homework, nursing care plans, and dinner before I pass out. 

so exhausted, so cool, so interesting.

gives whole new meaning to treating the patient, not the disease process.

hope to check back in soon!

p.s. the patients are the nicest. yesterday i received a hundred thank you's and a few candies.