I 2nd Fosters, they are wonderful! However I believe they are only specialists & an ER. I could be wrong. I’ve gone there for emergencies.

I used to have reptiles for years but for the last 10 have only had guinea pigs. Believe it or not the only good guinea pig vets are exotic vets. I’ve been going to Littleton Animal Hospital for years, they see reptiles & birds. I live in Worcester & it’s about a 30min drive north.

I would say no, not part of metro Boston.

Very funny lol

For a true emergency? UMass. For urgent care off hours issues? St. V’s.

Example: gun shot wound, can’t breathe, possible brain injury, asthma attack not helped by rescue inhaler, anaphylaxis, chest pain that is NOT d/t GERD, signs of a stroke… go to UMass

UMass Memorial is by far a better and more comprehensive healthcare system. In general, it also has better facilities, and a bigger Network in the region. St. Vincent’s really isn’t bad, but as others have mentioned, between the recent strike and lots of staff retention issues, I think UMass still has an edge.

That being said, the ER wait at either Memorial or University Campus (both in Worcester) is usually bonkers.

definitely not st v's.

i had the very same surgery at that same hospital by the same urologist around the same time.

Could be because I needed a flatbed

Never had that happen to me. Usually about an hour wait has always been typical in my experience. I think it depends more on the towing service than AAA themselves though.

Thanks! Appreciate it

Good luck! AAA is worth it despite this kind of stuff happening.

Ah OK, thank you

Yes, it's normal. Unless you're stuck blocking a major road or on the highway, it's not considered a high priority.

UMASS. Hands down.

If it were me they’d be seeing doctors in Boston or New Haven. Neither is far away and they have some of the nations top Hospitals. But that’s not how they think.

Had the worst medical experience of my life at the ER at St V’s and have had nothing but great experiences at UMASS. Next time I get kidney stones and umass can’t take me I’m staying home with a bottle of whiskey. Fuck you ER dr named Gordon, you’re an asshole who shouldn’t be practicing medicine in an ER.

A lot of people say UMASS but I had nothing but horrible experiences there. Switched my primary care to Reliant and went through St V's for surgery and hace had nothing but good experiences.

I work at UMASS however I have family/friends that have gone to both. I would say UMASS except for non life threatening ER stuff. Unless you are a level 1 trauma, need a cardiac cath or pedi ER you’re going to wait a very long time at the UMASS ER. That being said, I feel like post pandemic healthcare is still a bit of a mess. My dept in particular is still largely staffed by travelers and while some are fantastic, there are a few who are just there the make the big bucks and don’t care. So many people who were able to got out of healthcare, at least at the bedside level.

I had Lyme disease a few years ago and when I went to see my pcp at umass after having terrible migraines and starting to lose feeling in my face they told me “oh it’s just stress from you being a college student”, then when I had to go to the ER there the attending doctor told me “we don’t know what it is, go see a neurologist”, which would have been a 9 month wait at umass, instead I went to tufts in Boston the next week and immediately they said “oh it’s Lyme disease but let’s do blood work to be sure” and of course, they were right. Being so blatantly dismissed by your primary care is why I’ll never go to umass again

👍👍👍

Having been to both recently-ish, I prefer St V’s ER’s over UMass’s ER. But for childbirth or something I’d prefer to the UMass on Belmont St.

Either way you’re getting mostly good nurses with some shitty mixed in. St V’s has a better food court and is less busy because people are still scared off from the nurses strike.

UMass seems like it’s bigger and has more options/fields if that makes sense.

UMass does have it's own fair share of criticisms imo, but my family and I have largely had positive experiences there. If you're at the university sometimes some students might drop in, lol.

UMass and it’s not even debatable really

And from personal experience

• I had to have emergency surgery at UMass this summer. All the docs and nurses were great. No issues.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/05/19/saint-vincent-hospital-nurses-shifts

Is it like a drastic difference?