I would strongly advise against going to Cogdell Memorial Hospital or seeing Dr. Travis Eggl SWAT…read moreSurgical Associates LLP, especially for anything surgical. The level of incompetence, poor communication, and lack of coordination between the hospital and Dr. Eggl's office is alarming.
I was required to see my primary care physician for a referral, which cost me a $40 copay. I then drove from the DFW area on Friday the 12th and paid another $60 copay for a consultation with Dr. Eggl in Lubbock regarding removal of a cyst on my back. During that visit, Dr. Eggl was condescending and arrogant. I made it very clear that I do not live locally and would only be coming back to town for the surgery.
At no point during that consultation did Dr. Eggl or his staff mention that lab work or an EKG would be required prior to surgery. Despite this, the surgery was scheduled for the following Friday.
It wasn't until Tuesday the 16th, just three days before the scheduled surgery, that I received a call from Cogdell to discuss the estimated $2,500 financial responsibility. During that call, I was finally informed that lab work and an EKG were required and that Dr. Eggl would not perform the surgery without them. This meant I had to rush back to Snyder the day before surgery to get everything completed in time for Friday the 19th.
Then, at 5:00 pm on the 17th, after I had already driven 270 miles back to Snyder for the lab work and EKG, Dr. Eggl's office in Lubbock contacted me to say I would need an additional referral specifically for Cogdell from my primary care physician or the surgery would not be covered by insurance. That would have meant another $40 copay.
At this point, I am out $140 in copays, approximately $102 in gas and vehicle mileage, and significant time off work. I am also now unable to have the surgery completed before the end of the year, which means I cannot apply it toward my current insurance coverage.
To make matters worse, I am still receiving calls from both Cogdell and Dr. Eggl's office asking me to confirm that I will be at the hospital at 7:00 am for surgery, despite all of the above. There has been no apology, no accountability, and no attempt to acknowledge the inconvenience or financial loss caused by their lack of communication.
There is no chance I would allow a surgeon to operate on me under anesthesia when he or his staff failed to communicate basic pre-operative requirements for a procedure scheduled a week in advance. If they cannot manage something this simple, I have zero confidence in their ability to manage patient safety.
This entire experience has been a complete waste of time, money, and effort. The communication is terrible, the customer service is worse, and patient satisfaction clearly is not a priority.
Please do your due diligence before trusting Cogdell Memorial Hospital or Dr. Travis Eggl. In situations like this, your health and safety truly may depend on it.
Collin McCarty, Hospital Administrator, this situation reflects a serious breakdown in your staff and provider coordination and needs immediate attention.
