Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Not So Bad After All
Fort Worth Weekly’s Static column on Aug. 19 reported findings from BetterDoctor.com, a consumer health site that crunches Medicare facts and figures to determine the best and worst doctors and hospitals. That group sent out an email on Aug. 12 listing the country’s 10 worst hospitals in regard to patient communication, and listed Harris Methodist Fort Worth as No. 10. Static called the hospital to discuss on Tuesday morning, the day we go to press. We left a couple of messages but they weren’t returned that day, which made for a funny joke about bad communications, yadda yadda. The next day, a pleasant woman from the hospital’s public relations department returned our calls and was surprised to hear about the bad review. She said the hospital’s Medicare ratings were typically favorable. Turns out, BetterDoctor.com mistakenly transposed Harris Methodist’s data with that of an unrelated hospital in California. BetterDoctor.com printed a correction on its website: “An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth as the #10 lowest-scoring hospital for patient-provider communication. They are actually #1,688 out of the 4,124 hospitals in our study.” Static regrets passing along erroneous information and wishes our local hospital well.
Theater Gaming In Town
Hey, kid, you’re sitting there in your room for hours a day with your nose buried in a video game, drinking cokes, eating candy, popping pimples, all alone. Next thing you know you’re 30 years old and people are calling you Comic Book Man behind your back. If you’re going to be a video geek you might consider some social interaction. Local kids can get a taste of video game leagues that bring players together under one roof. They grab their laptops, settle into theater seats, and play the interactive video game Minecraft at Cinemark Alliance Town Center & XD in Fort Worth, or the AMC at The Parks at Arlington 18. Events at both theaters start at 4 p.m. this afternoon. Maybe you’ll make a flesh-and-blood friend instead of only virtual pals. And think of the poor movie theater owners. They’re having trouble competing with all the high-def, home entertainment centers that keep people pinned to the couch. Interactive gaming gives them another revenue stream. I know that’s important to you, kid.
Police Wrestle Naked Man
The mass public and social media have been giving the men and women in blue a hard time lately for what seems like a steady stream of police shootings. Maybe the pressure is having an impact. In this video from Sunday, several Fort Worth police officers surround a large, sweaty, naked, violent, out of control man who refuses to comply with their orders. Instead of shooting him with pistols, they taze him and wrestle him to the ground. It doesn’t look pretty, but it’s thoughtful and reasoned police work by guys who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty without taking the swift and easy option. Credit where credit is due.
Taiwanese Kid Tears 350-Year-Old Painting
Now I don’t feel so bad for breaking my grandmother’s antique lamp when I was 12. Not sure why a museum would let people wander around with drinks in their hands; but this video shows a 12-year-old boy walking through a museum, slurping on a soft drink, stumbling, reaching out to break his fall, and putting his hand through a $1.5 million painting. And just like my grandmother didn’t charge me for the broken lamp, the museum says it won’t charge the boy’s family for restoring the painting. And now for more pertinent news … .
Fancy New Water Meters In Fort Worth’s Future?
It’s going to require taking out a low-interest $13 million loan, but Fort Worth is considering digging deep in its pockets and replacing outdated water meters. Modern ones run on wireless technology and are said to be more accurate, quicker to detect leaks, and harder for thieves to steal services. Fort Worth City Council will decide, so let them know your thoughts if you care. Seems like water ought to be something we care about.
