Embarrassingly poor service and concerning behavior that, from my perspective, felt discriminatory…read morein nature.
My friend sustained second-degree burns a few weeks ago after a Starbucks tea lid popped off as he picked up the drink while getting out of the car, and this urgent care happened to be the closest option available. During the initial visit, the experience was fine. We saw a male doctor whose name I unfortunately do not remember, but the interaction was normal, professional, and friendly. We later had two follow-up appointments. The first follow-up also went smoothly with a blonde female doctor wearing glasses who was pleasant and professional.
Unfortunately, the second follow-up experience was completely different.
A blonde woman with glasses who appeared to oversee the front desk was speaking loudly across the room while requesting patients' personal information. At one point, she had two people at the desk simultaneously asking both individuals for personal information. My friend became very uncomfortable and later said "the lady gave him a headache" because personal questions were repeatedly being called out loudly, and people often seemed confused about whether she was speaking to them, having to repeatedly ask, "Are you talking to me?" In a medical setting where privacy should be expected, this felt highly unprofessional.
Additionally, a heavier woman repeatedly came to the front desk to ask the receptionist if she was okay, but only when I, or another Black woman nearby, happened to stand near the front desk for any reason. I never spoke to her directly and never even interacted with her personally, which made the repeated behavior feel uncomfortable and unusual.
During this follow-up, another doctor (an older blonde woman with glasses) entered the room with an energy that immediately felt aggressive. She seemed dismissive of my presence as a support person and spoke loudly in my friends face while examining his skin. We have photographs of the burns, and the skin was still visibly sensitive and partially raw in areas. Despite this, she stated that it looked "completely healed," even though the area remained sensitive enough that even wearing a shirt over it caused discomfort.
We also received guidance from a family friend with experience working in a burn unit who advised continuing to keep the area covered and lightly bandaged until the skin had healed further. Hearing that the injury was "completely healed" despite what we were still seeing and experiencing created confusion and concern.
What made the situation even more uncomfortable was the atmosphere surrounding us. The doctor, nurses, and receptionist were laughing loudly and made inappropriate comments implying that I was acting like my friend's mother, when in reality I was simply there because he experiences anxiety in situations like these and wanted support. It felt uncomfortable having our friendship perverted through assumptions and sexual jokes. This occurred after I simply asked for a receipt for our payment, which seems like a completely ordinary request.
I remained quiet and respectful throughout the visit, yet I felt subjected to inappropriate comments and uncomfortable looks. As someone who has dealt with inappropriate jokes and assumptions in the past, the experience was personally upsetting and brought back trauma.
What concerned me most was not simply the humor itself, but what felt like a lack of judgment and emotional maturity in a setting where patients are vulnerable and trusting healthcare professionals with their care. In healthcare, professionalism, awareness, and sound judgment are essential because patients should never leave feeling ridiculed, sexually assaulted verbally and emotionally uncomfortable.
Overall, this experience was disturbing and disappointing. Healthcare environments should prioritize professionalism, patient privacy, respect, and making patients feel safe and heard. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.
Please use discretion if you already struggle with anxiety, past sexual trauma, or place a high value on privacy, professionalism, and feeling respected while receiving care. God bless.