I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Centers => Dialysis: Workers => Topic started by: kitkatz on April 03, 2008, 07:04:48 PM
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How about some cable TV people? Do you know how long six channels last me? About five minutes! Come on folks! I sit there for four almost five hours flipping through those same channels hoping something different will come on. I watch PBS kids programming because there is NOTHING else on in the afternoons! Cable! Cable! Cable!
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what no cable.........wow that sucks
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I couldn't make it thru dialysis without my cable and wifi.
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We'll see how the one Keith goes to down here goes. Will fill you in. It'll be middle of May
He's going to visit the other ones too and make sure which one suits him best
and such.
Fingers crossed he finds one he can deal with. (is it too much to hope he likes one?)
I'm going to go to make sure they speak English.
That or crash course poor Keith in Spanish. :rofl;
Darn.. that means he will know what I mumble under my breath in Spanish won't he? :oops;
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When I was in-center, I was at a Fresenius clinic. It was a clinic they took over from Renal Care Group, and they had cable.
However, I went to a Fresenius in Atlanta, and they didn't have cable.
I was told, before I changed to NxStage, that Fresenius is in the process of putting DirecTV and internet access into all their clinics. I know that one of the centers down here has it already and they are working on getting the system into all their centers.
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My center only had basic tv reception, no cable. I never watched tv because during my time it was talk shows, soap operas, or kids crap. Nothing I cared for to watch. They needed the Speed Channel in there for the guy's!
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Fresenius is building a new clinic here. They are advertising heated massage chairs with touch screen TV and internet. I won't be switching because I like where I am.
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We'll see how the one Keith goes to down here goes. Will fill you in. It'll be middle of May
He's going to visit the other ones too and make sure which one suits him best
and such.
Fingers crossed he finds one he can deal with. (is it too much to hope he likes one?)
I'm going to go to make sure they speak English.
That or crash course poor Keith in Spanish. :rofl;
The unit we used in Miami is a Fresenius unit and they did have cable. Creole is the second language there.
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and the first one is Spanish
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Invest $80 in a portable DVD player. There are plenty of movies out there old and new. It takes up at least 1.5 hours if not the full 3. Life Saver for me on dialysis.
That and ICE which I don't get anymore!!!
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or $200 in a good used laptop...you can do movies, music or just surf the internet. I never notice the time and sometimes wonder where it went.
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and the first one is Spanish
No actually.. I am hispanic, live in miami.. but my first language is english..
she meant at the center.. not the city.'
I've picked up some creole.. if im around it long enough it gets a lot easier.
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When I was on hemo, I went to two different Fresenius clinics in the Atlanta area and both had cable. I don't know about wi-fi, but no one mentioned it, so I guess not.
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I have a DVD player to take with me. I just think of the injustice to the patients not having cable. We sit for four hours there three days a week. Fresenius in San Berdoo are you listening?
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My center actually has DVD players and laptops available for patients who don't own one. They also have a large inventory of movies and books on DVD.
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Fresenius is building a new clinic here. They are advertising heated massage chairs with touch screen TV and internet. I won't be switching because I like where I am.
Yes! The new Fresenius center that they built in Independence, MO has heated massage chairs and touch screen computers that access the internet, games, and even xm radio! If I ever need dialysis...I'm going there!!! :2thumbsup;
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The NEW center has all of this stuff, meanwhile back at the ranch...
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The new one here is even offering incentives to get patients to switch.
They are also advertising for Dialysis Technicians "No Experience Necessary, Will Train"
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The new one here is even offering incentives to get patients to switch.
They are also advertising for Dialysis Technicians "No Experience Necessary, Will Train"
haha :P I didn't mean it like that! I just think it's a good improvement. ;)
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The NEW center has all of this stuff, meanwhile back at the ranch...
I'm sorry :'( Maybe I should keep things like that to myself? :shy;
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I agree that all the clinics should have at least basic cable for the patients to watch but in some cases (not all) the fact that there is no cable tv is not the clinics fault. If the clinic is in a building that is leased (the majority of the clinics) it has to be ok'd by the building owner before they can do anything with cable or sat. One of the clinics I have worked at just got cable about a year or so ago. It was in an 8 story office building and Comcast would only wire the place if the whole building was done and Fresenius wasn't about to pay for that. After enough of the tenants complained (mostly medical in the building) the owners finally broke down and payed for the install. I would talk to the Manager about it and if that seems to get you no where I would start a petition and have all the patients sign it. Give a copy to the Manager and send another to the Area Manager and Medical Director. They can't ignore that the patients have spoken. Fresenius does have a project underway that will get all clinics that can have DirectTv installed up and running with sat. The wireless thing is part of the chairside roll out so if you have chairside computers you should have wireless as well (Sorry former RCG clinics though you have chairside type systems it's not the same system). Eventually all clinics are being upgraded to the new system where the TV at the patient station has everything you need for entertainment. It just takes time to upgrade all the clinics Fresenius has.
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mysty did u make it down here
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Wire me up quick!
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Roxy,
Dustin would like to take his laptop . Thing is they don't or won't let people use them. I could get Dustin a wireless card but without access its not gonna matter.
Lori/Indiana
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Roxy,
Dustin would like to take his laptop . Thing is they don't or won't let people use them. I could get Dustin a wireless card but without access its not gonna matter.
Lori/Indiana
That depends on the type of wireless card you are talking about. The center doesn't have to have wireless access for you to use a wireless card from a phone provider. It basically turns your laptop into a cellphone to access the internet through the cellphone system so if cellphones work it should too. They are a bit pricey and come with a monthly bill just like a cellphone though.
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We have some more cable stations as of tonight through direct TV . Need more, but some favs are there now!
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We have some more cable stations as of tonight through direct TV . Need more, but some favs are there now!
There are only so many stations that you are going to be able to get at one time without getting rid of others because of the way the system has to work. Each of those cable channels you have has it's own dedicated box in the back that only picks up that station. To get new channels you have to get rid of an existing channel. The only alternative would be to have a box for each station and the storage space and price of the monthly fees keeps that from happening. The clinic should print up a list of all the channels available and distribute them to the patients with a survey. Then the channels with the most votes would be the ones programmed in.
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I got told the other day, when the tech I usually have noticed I had been running for two hours on a 3 bath instead of a 1 bath, that I should be watching for these things. Huh? WTF? I am supposed to be doing their job for them? I told them I was not paid to be there and was not on the staff. The tech then told me I should be watching these things because it was my health in the clinic. I told her I was not being paid the Big Bucks to work in there and was unaware I had to watch them like a hawk. I was less than impressed with her. She treated me like I did not know anything about my care the entire day I was there. Hello! Been doing this for nine years. Get a life techie! Floaters!
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Our Center Has 2 TV's but they only play one channel. usually infomercials!!! But that doesnot really matter since the TV is to far away and you cant hear whats going on the TV. and nurses just switch it off while you are watching it or come up with a story that its broken when its not and it stays off for the rest of the day.
I do bring a laptop but batteries only last 2 hours. no place to plug it in. i also have wireless on the laptop but unit has no internet connection for patients. i mentioned the unit getting wireless and got laughed at.
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I think I would be looking for a new center. New ones are popping up every day and there is actually getting to be competition for patients, especially ones with private insurance.
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Draven lives in South Africa. Whole different ball game.
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Oops, I remember now. That's where you're lucky to even get into a dialysis center. I've got plenty of room here, Draven if you want to move.
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Hi Flip
Once i have the transplant i am seriously consedring moving out the country. things have really gone down hill here.
There are 3 units in my part of the country. my unit is the closest to me. and on the bright side the food is pretty good
and staff is friendly.
the other unit which is farther away offers you your own TV at your chair. But there is a waiting list to join that unit.
I told my family if i win the Lottery here, i will open my own dialysis unit here in South Africa.
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They are also advertising for Dialysis Technicians "No Experience Necessary, Will Train"
Ahh- combining truth and optimism.
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I do nocturnal at a Fresenius center in Georgetown, Delaware. Got my own tv with extended cable.I like the tech and the nurse and have talked to them about being on-call when I start work again. I will be able to answer a phone and work on a laptop. :bandance;
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The reason Dialysis centers are popping up all over the place is because each and every one of us who is a patient, is a cash cow.
You can make a helluva lot more money treating rather than curing.
This would explain why UCSF only performs 300 transplants a year while over 4500 are waiting for kidneys.
It's a ruse, a scam, a charlatan's game.
Just follow the money & the lobbyists in Washington.
P.S...I have a Phillips DVD player that has never let me down. I only recharge it every other treatment because the battery lasts 6 hours. And I have a Netflix account. We only have eight channels (and half of them are Spanish) and they're all channels that our older patients chose. Ugh.
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We have limited channels too at the Davita center I am at, but more than were at Fresenius. God help us, just pay for satellite or cable already!
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We used to have just 2 tvs in the unit, with very limited cable, but you could see CNN, ABC, Fox, etc. then the Rotary club had personal tv monitors with moveable arms installed by every chair. But NO CABLE!! The only channels you can see now are TV Guide, Trinity Broadcasting, and the Catholic channel!
For all the other channels you only get sound, but the video is scrambled because no one has paid for cable.
So I listen to CNN and Fox. All through the interesting times with the election,that was all I could do.
They don't like when I bring my laptop as one nurse complains that it makes me use my arm too much!
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Our clinic in Northern California has Direct TV, but they signed up for the cheapest package possible so we only get ten channels and three of those are Spanish.
The other issue is when they installed the TV's on the ceiling, they thought it was an eight foot ceiling. Turned out after they were installed, it was twelve feet. So to watch any TV for a prolonged period of time gives you a terrible pain in your neck from craning to watch.
That's why I have my portable DVD player. I can drown out all the idiot patients who love to prattle on AT FULL VOLUME ABOUT NOTHING IN PARTICULAR.
Thank goodness for NetFlix, my personal Dialysis savior.
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I actually sat down and read the patients guide book that my fresenius unit gave out. We're not supposed to bring any electrical equipment such as lap tops, dvd players or CELL PHONES because they could interfere with the dialysis machines. What the..... I just ignored the information as if I had never read it. The techs have computers at their sations! So far I continue to bring my phone, my dvd player and sometimes my daughters Nintendo DS game.
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I actually sat down and read the patients guide book that my fresenius unit gave out. We're not supposed to bring any electrical equipment such as lap tops, dvd players or CELL PHONES because they could interfere with the dialysis machines. What the..... I just ignored the information as if I had never read it. The techs have computers at their sations! So far I continue to bring my phone, my dvd player and sometimes my daughters Nintendo DS game.
That must be an old guidebook. There was some concern with cell phones affecting dialysis electronics a couple of years ago at Fresenius. But that fear was laid to rest and as far as I know, there is no restriction on cell phones, dvd players or laptops at Fresenius clinics.
Our clinic in Northern California has Direct TV, but they signed up for the cheapest package possible so we only get ten channels and three of those are Spanish.
What clinic in Northern California is that? The 3 clinics I work at all have 60 plus channels. Although I don't really consider Bay Area as Northern California.
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Is Fresenius only for Kaiser patients?
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Is Fresenius only for Kaiser patients?
Nope. Jean, Fresenius is a national chain that anyone can go to as long as they have the room. Think of them as being like Mc Donalds as in the have many center across the country.