Rally for better hospital care at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center held in Wilmington
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — More than 30 people gathered in downtown Wilmington on Tuesday afternoon for the Rally for Better Hospital Care, where people were calling for better medical service quality at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
The event, also known as the 5-Star Hospital Rally, was held outside the old New Hanover County Courthouse before the County Commissioners meeting.
The name of the rally refers to wanting Novant Health NHRMC to provide the best service possible.
According to Medicare.gov, the hospital has a 2 out of 5-star rating, with patients only giving a slightly better rating of 3 out of 5.
People attending the rally want Novant Health to provide better care and service, with several, like retired doctor Jon Martell, who organized the rally, citing a bad experience following a severe medical emergency.
“I was in shock, they did not activate a rapid response team to come deal with my shock,” Martell said. “I was left in shock for 3 and a half hours. Cleanliness issues, I never got one shower in the 5 days I was in the hospital. The room never got cleaned.”
Tamara Agnelli and her husband took part in the rally, said her son was unable to get proper treatment at the hospital, forcing them to travel hours away from home, an effort that ended in vain.
“4 years ago, July 12th, our son died at Novant hospital, in the ER and I was there, holding his hand,” Agnelli said. “And they couldn’t save him. And, there’s too many things happening like that. We shouldn’t have to be forced to go up to Duke, Durham, or any of those places to have quality healthcare, we need it here.”
Martell hopes this rally gets more people involved and helps convince county commissioners to ensure Novant Health follows through on the promises it made following the purchase of the hospital nearly 5 years ago.
WWAY reached out to Novant Health for comment about the rally and the concerns shared by those who attended, and a spokesman said they would be in touch.
