Health
Muskegon residents struggle to access quality health care amid shortage of workers
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Mercy Health Hospital in Muskegon, now being renamed under the Trinity Health brand, is experiencing short-staffing issues which have resulted in three residents who had waited over seven hours in the emergency room. Some residents believe Musekgon requires another hospital to meet the community’s healthcare needs.
“We were told that we could expect at least a five to six hour wait time,” said Renae Nuell, a Muskegon resident. “There were patients that were sleeping on the floor because I’m sure they were waiting so long.”
Nuell went to Mercy Health’s ER on July 19 at 10 p.m. and did not get past the waiting room until over seven hours later, she said. Nuell said the experience was far worse than any other hospital visit she has ever made.
“There were some really sick people in there that were just throwing up, like they had buckets and they were just throwing up in the buckets, like right in the waiting room,” Nuell said. “There was an officer that came in with a gentleman that was like tweaking out and he was in the waiting room with everybody and he was shackled and handcuffed.”
The worst story Nuell recalled from the night included an elderly lady in a wheelchair who was visibly unwell.
