I'm 35 weeks pregnant and switched to Mainline.. making that stressful of a decision so late into my pregnancy should be an indicator as to how terrible it is at VF. Where to begin...
It was a red flag that at the end of every appointment I was given a cup to bring back a urine sample at the following visit. When I explained I come To my appointments from work and I dont Feel comfortable traveling from work with a urine sample, I received rolled eyes and was told they don't have the time to let me give the sample at the office. The one time I forgot To bring a sample I was scolded at like a child and reminded again "we don't have time for you to do this here so don't let it happen again." I am a patient, not a number.
Dr. Pineda is the rudest and most unprofessional doctor I've ever met in my life. It's my first pregnancy, and when I asked For education on what gestational diabetes was and what a positive result would mean should I fail My test, she rolled her eyes and replied "it would mean your baby is too large and too difficult to deliver with too many complications. If you are so concerned with with so many questions we can just make this simple and automatically put you as gestational diabetic and you will see my dietician and report 6 sugar samples a day. We don't have time to answer so many questions." As she typed away on her laptop and I began crying, she finally looked up at me and said "can we just get your belly check over with?"
I thought maybe I am Being overly sensitive and hormonal, however, at my next appointment 2 weeks later, one of the staff asked me very concerned how my apt w Dr. Pineda went. I said not great... "I was afraid of that... we receive at least one call per day from women threatening to leave because she makes them cry during visits. I dont Know how she still has a job here, it's been an issue for a long time. Please let the other doctors know of your experience because we have to keep documenting when this happens!"
I did, and was told she probably had an off day and everyone loves her.. seemed like it was more of a way to cover their ass because she's a fellow partner. When I did Let them know I would be leaving since she was on call around my due date and I couldn't Imagine her delivering my baby, they had a meeting with the partners and all agreed she would not deliver if I agreed To stay.
I should have just left then, given how often all of the employees were rude, in addition to the fact that the Doctors are only in Collegeville on Monday and Tuesday mornings or early afternoon, which was not convenient for my work schedule. I was forced to take appts at the locations that were further just to get an apt later in the week. 1-2 weeks out of the month there are actually no doctors in Collegeville. It's very inconvenient for patients who cannot leave work on a Monday or Tuesday morning.
Finally, the hospital tour... Phoenixville hospital, which felt like a scary movie. I had to use the restroom when I got there and was directed to the employee bathroom (not sure why) but it was filthy! Mold around the toilet, dirty seat and floors, a dirty plunger in the corner. I couldn't believe this was where the staff used the restroom! Then, I began My tour.. which consisted of a tiny, depressing room for a delivery room, where I was told by the nurses "this is way too small to have anyone other than your husband so don't plan on having anyone else in here." I was So confused, as I had multiple conversations w my NP about my mom and sister being in delivery. I was Rudely told "we are not tripping over your family, okay? You can have your husband and maybe your mom. We will only allow a doula. Who did you even ask? Why would you ask a nurse?you should have asked YOUR DOCTOR OKAY? You're not bringing anyone else in here unless it's a doula." Wow, okay I think I'm finished my tour. You're all rude, the hospital is disgusting, oh and there's one mother giving birth on the entire floor! The entire floor and nursery was empty! It was so creepy! Like a nightmare. When I walked by the nursery to see only one baby in the entire room, the nurse closed the blinds.
Had I taken the tour in the beginning I would have switched a long time ago. The only people I actually enjoyed talking to at my visits who seemed to care about the patients was the front desk girl, Kendra at collegeville, and a head nurse at Phoenixville. The rest of the staff treats you like a number and an inconvenience to their day.
I had My first apt w mainline and I couldnt Believe the doctor actually took me to her office after my belly check just to have 1:1 time with me to go over any questions or concerns. I wasnt used to this 1:1 treatment, and she was shocked They never did this at VF. I reminded her they are in a rush during every appt and don't even allow urine samples on site, I have to bring it ahead of time. Again, we aren't patients we are numbers.
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