How Long is the ER Wait at Hinsdale Hospital?

Wait times at the hospital are better than average. New Medicare database shows how hospitals across the area—and the rest of the nation—compare.

If you go to the emergency room at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, how long will it take before you see a health-care professional? The federal government says 28 minutes on average. That's just barely better than both the state and national average, according to a new database causing some hospital officials nationwide to cringe, though not by much. The national average is 30 minutes; the Illinois average is 33. The other nearby hospital, Adventist La Grange, served just a minute better, with an average wait time of 29 minutes. (For a speedier example, Naperville's Edward Hospital averages just 12 minute wait times.) Key measures of ER efficiency have been posted from hospitals taking part across the country, according to a report by Cheryl …

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Add a Punchline to Our Cow Cartoon

If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.

Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Alex Bradley, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Snowman cartoon: So this is what happens when you take Frosty's Hat.

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Kristine Magnuson

4:19 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013

Oh yes, and Brian M.'s is my other favorite. So many great entries.   more ›

Local Health Officials Respond to Increase in Whooping Cough Cases

School District 181 and Adventist Hinsdale Hospital employees are reminding parents to keep their kids updated on vaccinations in light of a rise in whooping cough cases.

In response to a recent increase in cases of pertussis in DuPage County, more commonly known as whooping cough, School District 181 and Adventist Hinsdale Hospital are reminding parents to make sure their kids are up-to-date on vaccinations and practice good respiratory hygiene. "[Children] as they get into the school-age years and adults have waned immunity," said Barbara Kratochvil, RN, manager of infection prevention at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. "These vaccinations don't provide lifelong immunity." The Center for Disease Control recommends that children get five doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, one dose at each of the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months and 4 to 6 years old. …

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From the Hinsdale Police Blotter

Man Faces Felony Charges for Punching Paramedic

What would have been considered a misdemeanor is being charged as a felony, because of the circumstances of the case.

A 68-year-old man is facing felony charges after punching a paramedic, while in the waiting room of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. According to police, Kishor Ajmere, 68, of 906 Valencia Drive in Shorewood was with a member of his family who was received by the emergency room at the hospital. Police say Ajmere became "very agitated" while in the waiting room and punched a Pleasantview paramedic. Hospital officials say that incidents like this can occur in the emergency room, but the hospital is prepared to handle them. "Patient safety is our top priority, and we do have a security team at the hospital 24/7 for incidents like this," said Lisa Parro. "We work very closely with the Hinsdale Police Department." "The motive was not identified," …

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Stanley Cup Stops at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital

Former Chicago Blackhawk Marty Lapointe takes the Stanley Cup through a trip through Hinsdale.

The stormy weather might have slowed it down for half an hour, but the Stanley Cup arrived at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital to enthusiastic applause on Tuesday morning. Fans lined up to meet former Chicago Blackhawk Marty Lapointe. Those waiting munched on Blackhawk-themed cookies, and got to walk away with hockey pucks, the hospital had made for the occasion. This isn't the first time the Stanley Cup has visited the Hinsdale Hospital. Blackhawks defensemen Brett Sopel brought the cup with him to the ER in August for a surprise visit with his children. Not many staff members were able to see the cup during its short stay in the ER, but many doctors, nurses, and hospital staff were on hand Tuesday for the cup's second trip to Hinsdale …

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Hinsdale Hospital Happenings

New Pediatric Sleep Facility Available at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital

Poor sleep can contribute to behavioral and emotional problems, as well as scholastic underachievement.

Doctors agree that we should get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Kids need more sleep—10 to 11 hours a night from ages seven to 12. The younger they are, the more sleep children need. Poor sleep can contribute to behavioral and emotional problems as well as scholastic underachievement. One in four children have a correctable sleep disorder. Many children have insomnia, difficulty falling or staying asleep. If they snore, they also may have an obstructed breathing pattern. This can be difficult to identify. Other symptoms of poor sleep are often dismissed as "acting up," or misdiagnosed as attention deficit disorder or depression. Successful treatment of the disorder involves engaging the entire family and addressing the child's …

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Hinsdale Remembers Gentle Giant

Hinsdale ER Nurse: Deputy Chief Helped Us Get Certified

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital nurse Christina Nelson remembers Deputy Chief Mark Johnson.

"I've known Mark since I was a teenager. Mark was the type of guy who—when he saw an intense or highly stressful situation—could deflate it with a joke. He would do that a lot for the staff in the ER when things were hectic. When I was a nursing student, he would let my friends and I come to the fire department to practice on their dummies. He loved practical jokes. One time he asked us if we wanted to see the inside of the firetrucks, and we were all excited and said, 'Sure!' While we were looking at everything, he said, 'Why don't you try that button?' Someone pressed it, and there was a loud noise. We were all freaking out, and he was just standing there laughing. He gave us a lot of good practicing tips and helped a lot of us nursing …

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Hinsdale Hospital Happenings

Robotic Surgery Specialty Team Performs 100th Operation

Team operates the da Vinci robotic surgical system, which shortens patient recovery times.

At Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, we take great pride in caring for our patients with the kind of state-of-the art technology typically found at academic medical centers. We even have a team that specializes in robotic surgery. Recently this team reached a milestone by completing the 100th procedure using the da Vinci robotic surgical system. The hospital purchased this innovative system last year to enable surgeons to perform complicated procedures in a minimally invasive manner. Dr. Sudarshan Sharma performed the first and the 100th da Vinci surgeries at our hospital—not to mention countless others in between. Sharma is a 14-year veteran of laparoscopic procedures and specializes in gynecological oncology. He is a big fan of the da Vinci …

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