Disappointing Experience at Lifesaver ER in Summerwood. Special Recognition to Christy…read more
Lifesaver ER in Summerwood has always been my go-to ER, and I've been coming here for years without any issues. Unfortunately, my experience today with my seven-year-old son was disappointing, particularly because of my interactions with Dr. Kent and Nurse Myra. I left feeling frustrated about the professionalism, communication, and accuracy of my son's discharge paperwork.
During the evaluation, I felt Dr. Kent lacked patience when my son struggled to describe the symptoms affecting his swollen eye. As someone who works with children every day, I understand that seven-year-olds don't always have the vocabulary to explain what they're experiencing. Children deserve patience, empathy, and understanding. I also felt uncomfortable with some of the personal questions and assumptions made about my work schedule.
I was also concerned to hear the nurse suggest that my son's condition was most likely just a bug bite before the evaluation was complete. While that may have been a possibility, I believe a thorough examination and assessment should come first. Making assumptions too early can create a preconceived notion and make a parent feel that their concerns are being minimized. I wanted to make sure my son's symptoms were properly evaluated before reaching a conclusion.
My biggest concern was the discharge paperwork. Nurse Myra handed me the paperwork, gave me instructions regarding Benadryl, and walked away without reviewing the discharge instructions with me. When I took the time to review everything myself, I discovered that both my name and my son's name were misspelled. I also found a discrepancy in the medication dosage instructions.
When Dr. Kent reviewed the paperwork with me, he acknowledged the dosage discrepancy and stated that he was unsure why it indicated once daily when the intended instructions needed to say "BID," meaning twice daily. He corrected and initialed the paperwork. I appreciate that he addressed the issue, but I should not have had to discover these discrepancies myself.
As an educator, I understand the importance of accurate documentation, verifying information, and protecting people's personal information. I am not sure whether Dr. Kent and Nurse Myra consider misspelled patient information a minor issue, but as professionals, especially healthcare workers, ensuring that records are accurate should be a basic principle. Names, medication instructions, and medical documentation matter. Accuracy is not an unreasonable expectation. It is part of professional responsibility. Incorrect information can create complications with pharmacy processing, insurance verification, and patient care. SOPs, proper charting practices, and HIPAA privacy safeguards exist for important reasons. This is about patient safety, not simply paperwork or an inconvenience.
What disappointed me even more was Nurse Myra's response when I raised my concerns. She slammed the paperwork down, threw her hands up, and said it could be fixed. This happened in front of my child and other patients. I felt as though I was being treated like an inconvenience for simply asking staff to correct errors involving my child's medical information.
Dr. Kent did attempt to de-escalate the situation and offered to correct the information, which I appreciate. However, his comment suggesting that he did not think my employer would care much about the spelling errors felt dismissive. My concern was about accurate records, pharmacy processing, insurance verification, and my child's safety, not whether my employer would accept the paperwork.
I understand that early morning ER visits can be busy and that staff may be tired or dealing with a shift change. However, empathy, professionalism, and accountability should never depend on the time of day. Mistakes can happen, but how staff respond when those mistakes are identified matters just as much.
I absolutely want to recognize Christy at the front desk. She was amazing, compassionate, and professional. She checked on me, apologized, and went above and beyond, even offering me a Starbucks gift card. She showed genuine concern and treated us with kindness and respect. I sincerely hope management recognizes her outstanding customer service.
I have trusted Lifesaver ER in Summerwood for years, so this experience was especially disappointing. I hope management reviews what happened and reinforces the importance of thorough assessments, accurate charting, medication safety, proper discharge reviews, and respectful patient care.
One negative experience does not define the entire facility, and Christy reminded me of that. Thank you, Christy, for being the bright spot in an otherwise disappointing visit. Your kindness and professionalism did not go unnoticed.
