BEWARE!!
My family and I had the unfortunate experience of…read moredealing with St. Mary's Hospital during my mother's week-long hospitalization. From the beginning, there were significant communication failures between the medical team and our family. My mother was critically ill and often unable to advocate for herself, making clear communication even more important.
One interaction with "Dr.G" summarizes many of our concerns.
After performing my mother's emergency surgery, he briefly updated my sister and me. The conversation felt rushed, he did not introduce himself to me, and he seemed unwilling to answer our questions. I left with more questions than answers.
Following surgery, my mother experienced a reaction to the anesthetic gas. Although rare, this is a documented part of her medical history. Recovery nurses informed me she would likely remain intubated for 12-24 hours because of the reaction. When I later discussed this with "Dr. G", he insisted no one knew about her history. After I explained that the nurses had already informed me, the discussion became argumentative. Rather than addressing my concerns, he appeared to blame the nursing staff, became visibly frustrated, and rolled his eyes.
Even more concerning, multiple providers seemed unfamiliar with my mother's most significant medical history. She underwent a highly specialized surgery for a rare disease about 20 years ago while in her 30s, yet several providers, including "Dr. G", repeatedly insisted the surgery had occurred when she was a child. It was alarming to feel like her medical records had either not been obtained or not been thoroughly reviewed.
Because of our concerns, we met with Jayne, the hospital's patient advocate and risk manager. She assured us "Dr. G" would no longer be managing my mother's care aside from one final postoperative visit. However, over the next four days he continued entering my mother's room, arguing with her about her medical history, making negative comments about our family, and having a verbal disagreement with my brother, who is her medical power of attorney. We were also told he continued making changes to her treatment plan despite saying he was no longer directing her care.
Over the weekend there was no apparent follow-through on the concerns we had raised. After my mother's hospitalization, I also left Jayne a voicemail and, five days later, I have still not received a return call.
Another incident that deeply concerned us involved my mother's hydration. She had already been severely dehydrated from an intestinal obstruction. After being transferred from the ICU, her orders stated she could have nothing by mouth--not even ice chips. About 12 hours later, I discovered she was still receiving no IV fluids despite being unable to drink. When I asked the nurse, she said she was still waiting for the internist to update the treatment plan. My mother had effectively gone 12 hours without oral intake or IV hydration while waiting for clarification.
I understand hospitals are busy and medicine is complex. However, patients and families deserve respectful communication, providers who are familiar with a patient's medical history, and coordinated care between physicians and nursing staff. Unfortunately, our experience at St. Mary's consistently fell far short of those expectations.
