At the Hospital

I had to go to the hospital today. Remember, that just means I had an appointment to see a doctor. When you first go into this hospital, you put your hospital identification in this machine to let them know that you have arrived.




Then you sit in a large waiting room until your name is called. I couldn't take a picture of it because it was too crowded. People wouldn't want their picture taken at the hospital. When your name is called, you then move to a hallway outside the doctor's cubicle. At this hosptial there are curtains instead of doors. This area was crowded, too, but I got a clear shot of the curtains without getting any patients in the picture. My doctor, Dr. Ohta is behind curtain #6 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.




This is Dr. Ohta. I have asthma. He has kept my asthma under control for two years. He answers all of my questions. I appreciate the care he has given me. He did research at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado. He said he liked living there very much.





This table is typical of doctor's offices. For monthly asthma check-ups, I never have to lie down. As you can see he puts patients' records there. I do put my bags in the basket. That is typical of doctor's offices here, too. The scales, too.

At the Hospital 2

After you see a doctor at this hospital, you have to give your records to a clerk at this desk and wait for her to look them over. She stamps them and then calls your name.




Then, if you have a prescription for medicine, you have to walk through the hospital to this desk and have it checked and stamped.




After that you go to the front desk to show your insurance card. Your bill and records are checked and you are given a number. You have to wait until your number shows up on a screen. You pay at this machine. This is a new system. It's much faster to pay by machine.

You're not finished if you have a prescription. Prescriptions used to be filled at the hospital, but now you have to go to a separate pharmacy. You have to have the prescription filled in four days or it will expire.