St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital, Ohio: A Review of Service

What I thought would be a routine doctor appointment for my infant son for a cold and fever suddenly turned very frightening. The look on the doctor's face told me immediately that my son was very ill. After the doctor consulted with the physicians on the floor of the St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital, we were sent there for urgently needed medical care. Although my son's illness was itself very frightening, the experience we had at St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital was pleasantly surprising.

When we arrived at St. Vincent Mercy Hospital, large, easy-to-read signs directed us to the Children's Hospital, housed on the sixth floor. We did not have time to appreciate it at check-in, but the welcome desk and waiting area is comfortably furnished with discretely placed chairs. Nestled in one corner was a colorful fish tank filled with busy, cheerful fish.

Upon our arrival, we were quickly checked in by the nurse and ushered to a private room. The room itself was furnished with a small couch, a glider, and a rocking chair, all of which were covered in a disturbingly bright shade of green vinyl. The couch pulled out in what was supposed to be a sleeper. However, the narrowness of the couch -- together with the fact that the blinds on the room were broken and allowed visual access into the room -- precluded anything other than an uncomfortable cat nap.

The St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital nursing staff immediately greeted us when we arrived in the room, and they performed an assessment of our son's condition. His I.V. was placed with precision, and the nursing staff was very attentive to his comfort and our own. The room was fully stocked at all times with diapers, wipes, washcloths, gowns, and blankets for us to use. An electronic chart was used to keep all nurses and doctors up-to-date on our son's condition, which prevented any confusion about when medications should be given or what procedure had last been performed.

Once we were settled into the room, a nurse came in with the electronic chart and gave us a brief survey regarding our expectations for the stay and any special requirements we might have. Since our son's condition was so serious, I found the survey a bit off-putting. It seemed to draw the attention from his medical condition and focus it more on comfort measures that were less concerning to me at the time.

A room-service type of menu is available at St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital for ordering fresh prepared meals any time of day, and parents are provided with $4.50 in meal vouchers each day during their child's stay. The hospital also boasts a cafeteria and coffee shop that serves Starbucks coffee. Given the lack of sleep I got during my son's stay, the Starbucks coffee was a life-saver!

We are fortunate in the Toledo area to have choices in medical care. I would choose to use St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital again for my family's medical needs.