I would not even give this hospital one star…read more
My experience with the Emergency Department yesterday morning was extremely concerning and completely unacceptable.
At approximately 7:23 a.m., I approached the front desk and asked a simple and reasonable question regarding how long I could expect to wait to be evaluated. I specifically advised the representative that I was experiencing difficulty breathing and was seeking medical attention.
Rather than receiving assistance, the representative became confrontational, raised her voice, and used profanity toward me. She advised me that someone would be contacted regarding my request. Approximately 15 minutes passed, and no one came to assist me.
When I followed up, the representative began laughing. I questioned why she was laughing given that I was at the Emergency Department seeking medical attention and had specifically reported difficulty breathing. Her response and demeanor were deeply inappropriate under the circumstances.
I requested to speak with a supervisor. Instead of assisting me or obtaining a supervisor, I was told that I needed to walk around to the front desk myself to locate one. The representative remained seated and continued laughing.
A security officer subsequently approached me in a manner that I perceived as intimidating and instructed me that if I intended to remain at the facility to receive medical attention, I needed to be quiet. I was not being disruptive. I was attempting to obtain medical care and advocating for myself after reporting a potentially serious medical symptom.
I understand that Emergency Departments can be extremely busy and that patients may experience delays. However, a delay in care does not justify hostile, disrespectful, profane, dismissive, or degrading treatment of a patient, particularly when that patient has reported difficulty breathing.
Patients who enter an Emergency Department are placing their trust in the facility and its staff during moments when they may be frightened, vulnerable, or experiencing a medical emergency. At a minimum, patients deserve to be treated with professionalism, dignity, compassion, and respect.
I work in the legal field and understand the importance of professionalism, accountability, documentation, and appropriate handling of complaints. Based on what I experienced, I believe this incident warrants management review and investigation.
I strongly encourage hospital administration to review the circumstances surrounding this incident, including any available surveillance footage, incident reports, staffing records, and other documentation relevant to what occurred.
This was not simply a complaint about waiting. It was the manner in which I was treated while attempting to obtain medical attention that was most concerning.
I sincerely hope hospital administration takes this matter seriously and uses this experience as an opportunity to evaluate how patients presenting to the Emergency Department are treated. No patient should feel ridiculed, intimidated, or dismissed when asking for assistance with a medical concern.
This experience was deeply disappointing and has significantly affected my confidence in this facility.
