NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jennifer Smithfield felt weak and still had trouble breathing in February after nearly two weeks with COVID-19. It was a Sunday, and her doctor’s office was closed. So her primary care physician suggested going to an emergency room to be safe.
Smithfield went to HCA Healthcare’s flagship hospital, near its corporate headquarters in Nashville and thought she would be checked out and sent home. But that’s not what happened.
“Even though I did not feel well, I didn’t think it was bad enough to be hospitalized, especially not multiple days,” Smithfield said.
