World Class Care In A Resort-Like Environment

Several days ago I had the pleasure of visiting Miramar’s newest resort. Sitting tall and magnificent on 172nd Ave. just north of Miramar Parkway, the building is a stone’s throw from I-75.

There you can find world class services and cutting edge technology that would be the envy of the world’s finest 5-star hotels.

You didn’t know Miramar had a resort?

Well, neither did I until a friend recently asked me to take her there in the middle of the night.

Before you go rushing off to make a reservation, you should know that this place is a bit exclusive. And, even though you can check in anytime of day, unfortunately, in order to be admitted you have to be feeling a bit under the weather.

You see, the ‘resort’ I’m talking about is Memorial Hospital Miramar, whose Web site boasts is “Simply the Best! This full-service, acute-care hospital combines advanced technology with individualized care … and a state-of-the-art Adult Emergency Department.”

Believe me when I tell you, that’s quite an understatement!
Now, I’m not one who usually gushes about health care. In fact, I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to a doctor for my yearly checkup. So, when I tell you that a hospital made me think of a resort, you can tell it made quite an impression on me.

From the moment we pulled into the parking lot, I felt like I’d clicked my heels and been transported to a health care facility of the future. “Toto, we’re not in Miramar anymore,” I heard myself saying out loud.

The security officers who greeted us at the door were professional, efficient and polite.

Once past security, the check-in process was, excuse the pun, painless (at least for me).

My friend’s vital signs were checked and her blood was drawn by two young men who were so pleasant while doing their job, they should be teaching a course on bedside manner.

“Let me see if we can put you in a private room so you can be more comfortable,” one of them said.

“You’re kidding,” my friend replied.

No, he wasn’t. We were taken into a private room with a private bathroom and television.

Granted, the fact that it was the middle of the night and they were ‘slow’ may have had something to do with it. But even if they’d put my friend on one of those beds behind a curtain and made me sit in a cold, metal folding chair, it would not have put a damper on the care and personalized service we were offered.

Within moments of being taken to the room, a nurse came by to ask a series of preliminary questions. In less than 20 minutes, my friend was examined by a doctor, an EKG was performed and she was given an IV. That’s one commercial break better than the doctors do on television’s E.R.!

And to make sure we were sufficiently awed, they saved the best for last!

It was only after the doctor’s examination that the question of health insurance even came up. This is a far cry from most doctors’ offices where you’re greeted by a bouncer at the door who demands your insurance card and co-payment before he even lets you in!

One hour and one bag of IV solution later, the lab results came back normal and thankfully, my friend was sent home with a clean bill of health.

Health care professionals should take their cue from the staff at Memorial Hospital Miramar. These folks clearly recognize that health care is a lot more than filling out a prescription pad.

Let’s face it … no one likes to get sick. But should we ever be in need of quality health care, it’s comforting to know that hospitals like Memorial Miramar are in our own back yard.