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I didn’t expect to return to work today. Val was scheduled for her second spinal block and I took her to Beaufort County Hospital and intended to wait while she had the procedure done. It’s a horrid invasive surgical procedure, a cervical spinal block. The anesthesiologist gives Val a local anesthetic before he inserts a needle into her neck but not over-all sedation. Eastern Radiology did her first series of epidurals and they gave her a couple valium pre-surgery. Not at BCH. So it takes Val a bit to prepare herself for the pain… concentration to lower her blood pressure, mental prep, that kind of thing.
So we arrived a few minutes before the appointment time written on her radiology sheet from two weeks previous. Walked to the front “desk” and waited for admissions to call us in for the proper paperwork to take to radiology. We waited. We sat there and sat there. Uncomfortable chairs for me to sit in and I suspect unbelievably painful for Val. Almost an hour later, she’s called back to admitting. The woman working the desk can’t find her in the system. Val told her that two weeks ago, it took almost half an hour to find her appointment on the computer because radiology spelled her name so incorrectly that it was unrecognizable to the admitting clerk. The clerk called radiology to find out what to do with me. Radiology employee talked a bit, then the clerk said, “Do you want to talk to her?” At which time, Val said, she took the phone and she thinks she spoke to Jenny (she was too upset to remember) who said to her, “The doctor has gone home. It’s 2:30. You’re too late. Have you been sitting in the admissions lobby all this time?” Val said the woman had quite a superior tone to her voice. Val replied, “I’ve been in the lobby since 1:45.” Radiology said, “Your appointment was at 1:30 and you were supposed to come straight back here, we already have your paperwork.” Val: “No, it was at 1:45, I’m looking at the time right here on the sheet you gave me two weeks ago. No where does it say to walk straight back to radiology and skip admissions. No one TOLD me to come straight back to radiology.”
“Well… the doctor’s gone home. You’re too late. When can you come back?”
Val started to rev up her indignation engine. “My husband took time off from work to bring me here and wait for me so he could drive me home. You’re telling me I have to come back? I have to come back because YOU did not take the time to tell me how to check in? YOU did not check with admissions or try to call me when I didn’t show up? YOU SENT the DOCTOR HOME?”
“Yes. You’re too late. What day can you come back so we can reschedule? Is Thursday all right?”
This wouldn’t be so upsetting if the procedure wasn’t so terribly painful. I watched Val squirm and wriggle, trying to get comfortable, in those waiting room chairs. Watched her for 45 minutes. I can’t stand it when my wife is in pain. When her discomfort and fear is visible.
She’s comfortable now, upstairs snuggled on our old leather couch with an Elizabeth George mystery and a cup of tea. So, I’m going back to work.
Beaufort County Hospital radiology department staff? This is inexcusable. Get off your ass and check on people. If an out-patient isn’t in the radiology waiting room, perhaps you could lift a hand and call the admission’s desk. Or better yet — it’s a walk of maybe 100 feet. One hundred feet down a hallway, straight down — you don’t even have to turn a corner. Stop gossping about whether or not your kids play softball. Washington, NC patients deserve better care and compassion than what you exhibited this afternoon. Shame on you.
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That is awful, I am so sorry to hear they did that to her!
Congrats on the
OMG that is totally unacceptable! I work in healthcare, I works in admitting as a PSR. First off, what was that about radiology messing up your name so bad the PSR couldn’t find you? Good lord, it had to be REALLY bad. Because we usually find people no matter how bad their name is botched up. We do a search until we do, secondly that is unbelieveable they told you the wrong time and then chastised YOU for being their late. Thirdly, how were you to know that you needed to go straight back to radiology? Who would have? I work in a hospital and wouldn’t have known that! That should have been crystal clear to you! Also , what is that…crap about the doctor leaving at 2:30 in the afternoon! ??????? What he just has to come in to do one thing a day and go home?????? That baffles my mind! This is why, after two years of working in a hospital and regional trauma center I get SOOOO sick of the horsecrap with physicians pull. They are the most arrogant, hypocritical, detached, aloof human beings who think rules and policies apply to everyone BUT them. They are late all the time, leave early, take LOOOOOOOONG breaks..I mean like HOURS on end sometimes. Take naps, sit and eat at their desk while the rest of their staff haven’t had a chance for a break yet and probably won’t, totally are excluded from the hospital’s parking policy even though THE REST OF US get a ticket and then a boot on our vehicle if we violate it, they are constantly getting special treatment from the hospital, while we all got screwed out of your bonus this year ,they put demands on everyone that they know is impossible to meet , have HORRIBLE tempers, are rude, unflexable, intimidating and overall just nasty nasty people!!! And I am sorry to rant, but when I read that your doctor went at home I was like…wwwhhhattt? He should have STILL been there, for Christ’s sake it was barely 2:30 in the afternoon! I know the whole “they save lives” speel…yes okay, the procedures and medicationsd they order do…but they never have a part in it. They order a nurse and tech. to carry out those orders…other than wriing a script for it..what do they do? Honeslty, and it just infuriates that your poor wife had to set in those awful chairs, be treated like SHE had the problems, them just told bascially, “Oh well, shit happens come back later.” by totally…brase radiology staff. I know their are problems patients, I know there are blatentnly immature, naive, ignorant imbeciles that put a lot of pressure on healthcare workers, and honeslty DO waste out time with ridiculous things, and think they are entitled to thinks they are not. But that isn’t the case here with you and your wife! So it is chaps my ass when healthcare workers treat ALL patients like that, as if you as patients don’t pick up on how condescending all that is? Please. I have been on both sides of medicine, workers and patient. And I know what it feels like to be talked DOWN to and AT and made to feel like YOU are the the biggest inconvieance in the world . I will NEVER treat a patient like that, even if they are a “problem” patient. You just overlook that and held them the best you can, it isn’t like we are not getting paid (and contrary to what healthcare workers whine about, we get paid very well, especially admitting clerks/PSR’s..honestly we do.)
I would have complained with someone that was a supervisor in that department, that is just….bah ..no words for that and I am sorry that happened, as a healthcare workers …I apologize for that. Yes mistakes happens, we are human…but also in healthcare a mistake costs a patient a lot of discomfort , both physically and mentally. And people who are already dealing with physical ailments should never have a hugh emotional hassle to go through because healthcare workers are too lazy and apathetic to do their job right.
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