Rachel Gallagher, Senior
A woman by the name of Tate Tiffany collapsed next to a renowned stroke center, and the ambulance carrying her was turned away. Tiffany worked at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the cafeteria behind the grill. Only 37 years old, she came into work one morning not feeling like herself. She complained to her co-workers that she has a headache and was feeling weak. With a small child and teenager at home, she had been quite busy lately, so she suspected she was just overtired. As time went on she felt weaker and weaker and asked her coworkers for bread with honey. As one side of her face began to droop, her co-workers quickly came to the conclusion she was having a stroke. She then collapsed in the kitchen, and an ambulance was called immediately to take her to the emergency room, only 350 yards from her current location.
With such a short ride, everyone was expecting her to get to care in no time, but they were mistaken. When the ambulance picked her up and arrived at the emergency room entrance, they were turned away. According to USA Today, emergency departments have the right to turn away patients as long as they do not walk through the doors. While the ambulance holding Tiffany was turned away, care was not provided soon enough, and she, unfortunately, passed away. Maria Raven, an emergency room doctor, said, “To my mind, they shouldn’t be a Comprehensive Stroke Center if they can close.” “Either you can be one or can’t be. People can’t control when they have their stroke.” With this being said, many individuals are unhappy with this law and believe it needs revision.
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