Hbg's "Osteopathic" hospital ER: more like PSYCHOpathic - AVOID (Harrisburg: insurance, hotel)

[joey2000]

My experience anyway. I am still dumbfounded at how I was treated at this place....

Christmas night I was awakened by a bad cramp in my side. I tried drinking water, walking it off etc, but it just got worse...in fact so bad that it became nothing short of agony and I felt I had no choice but to call 911. I was in a hotel (one that Osteopathic is RIGHT behind, easy walking dist...didn't think of at time, but I could barely walk anyway), so I got dressed and went down to the lobby.

Over TWENTY MINUTES later the ambulance shows. By this point I had thrown up, including some blood. I wobble to the ambulance and get in. The guy asks me my name. I tell him my last name, which kinda sounds like a first name. He asks me my last name and I explain that's it. Again keep in mind I am in truly unbearable pain, doubled over and in tears, and so can scarcely talk. He starts over, asking me my name and seemingly irritated, trying to get it straight...and the ambulance hasn't even pulled out yet. In desperation and exasperation (but in fear, not anger) I say "would you just get this thing moving, j**us." He GLARES me down and goes "now LOOK (a**)hole. Don't give me an attitude." I mean he was pissed as if I just walked up to him on the street and called him a dirty name or something. As I type this I still can't believe it. Then with what little effort I had I did get very PO'd and in great anger explained he best get this thing in gear or I was going to rip his head off. Polite? Hardly. But again pls keep in mind I was in pure agony and it was very obvious. Second, for all any of us knew, I could have a ruptured appendix or God knows what - and this guy is hanging out giving me an attitude. I had this crazy idea that ER people's first and foremost concern was a patient's health, esp one in a potentially very serious condition and/or searing pain (doesn't that describe most if not all people calling an ambulance?) - even if the patient person in the world (which I wasn't but was working up to).

Finally, we get to the hospital. I say finally as under normal conditions I could have walked there quicker - I suspect they took their sweet old time because they were PO'd. Then we get there - they make NO attempt to help me out, so I stagger in.

But wait, there's more fun. There are several ladies there at the station, chatting away. As I stagger in, clearly in a very bad way, they say, non-chalantly, "go over there and get undressed and into the gown." Again, no attempt to help me or even polite mild concern for my condition in the slightest.

I get undressed and this lady comes over and asks me my name. Again I give a last name and she like the other guy assumes it's first. I explain otherwise (clearly, although it's a hoarse and soft tone as that's all I can get out). Again keep in mind I am laying on this bed, doubled over in absolute agony and in tears, all but bawling. No effort or concern to help that. She continues, asking me my birthdate and address and with no sense of urgency whatsoever. Again I can barely talk and have this wild idea their first concern should be HELPING me. Nahhhh whatever, we'll get to it..........finally, as I could barely talk, when she got to my address I blurted out in desperation "it's on my license in my pocket." She glares at me and snippily goes "in the time it took you to say that you could have told us your address." (PS: they repeatedly kept screwing up and re-asking me my name, even though I clearly gave it to them at least 3 or 4 more times)

There's more but I'm already rambling....finally the Dr. arrives and instructs them to give me a pain-killers...first one did little to help, second (morphine) did, at last. Finally they do a CAT scan and discover it's a kidney stone; he explains I should be able to pass it (which I finally do later in the AM). But what if my condition had been much more serious? Their attitudes and inaction could have had serious consequences - to say nothing of having no concern for the extreme pain I was in. PS and in fairness, the doctor was actually pleasant and professional. But he was about the only one. The CAT scan med techs were OK, although only just so.

I'm still absolutely dumbfounded at the rest, and this place on the whole. To call it grossly unprofessional is the kindest thing I can think of - incompeten and cold-hearted are much closer to the mark, if not outright negligent. From an ER UNIT no less.

Long story short: if you're in the area, go elsewhere if you can. Or if you have serious medical concerns: MOVE.

[jlk56]

If you really want to prevent things like this from happening again, I suggest you copy your post and mail it to the Quality Assessment department of the hospital. By law, all hospitals are required to have one, but it may have another name (the operator of the hospital should be able to tell you what it is called there). I would do the same with the rescue vehicle company. If you cannot remember names, give dates & times--they will figure it out.

As an RN, it does get irritating when people do not treat you with respect but that does not give you the right to treat them in this fashion.

If you do not hear from the hospital within 4 weeks, I would lodge a complaint with the state. I am not in Wisconsin, but the department should be easy enough to figure out on their website.

I hope that this helps, I am sorry that you had such a terrible time.

[joey2000]

Thank you. I've already lodged a complaint with the hospital aka the "corporation," who in fairness responded very quickly....but I suspect this is all just CYA, going through motions that they have to etc. I would be amazed if it's anything more than a shuffling of paperwork.

What also angers me a lot is that there are many fine people who DO care and ARE professional, but a person might end up with a tainted view of such people due to experiencing something like this w/people who have no business in the medical profession at all.

The whole thing just blows me away; it was like some absurd nightmare.

I at least take solace in the fact that I no longer live there and hopefully will never deal with that hideous place ever again.

[jlk56]

Complaints: Protecting Pennsylvanians - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Here is the link to the PA Attorney General. It gives specific instructions on how to complain to your HMO, or to the Atty. General if you have a Medicaid or Medicare plan. I will guarantee that hospitals sit up straight when these folks show up, as they have the right to ask to see every chart in the place if they want to. If the hospital is not compliant, then they risk losing funding for the government programs. This will change policies at the hospital for others. You can send a complaint online.

[stan4]

FYI, the ED most likely has nothing to do with the ambulance that picked you up. That is a separate complaint.

I can see why their attitudes bothered you, but what was the 'inaction' you were so upset about?

Sorry about the kidney stone. Those things are bad news!

[judd2401]

The hospital to which you refer is no longer Osteopathic, it was taken over by Pinnacle Health System years a go, and has almost tripled in size since then, the same Emergency Room doctors rotate through both Harrisburg Hospital and Community Campus Hospital, formerly known as Community General Osteopathic Hospital. Pinnacle's administration runs Community Campus Hospital. Emergency rooms are chaotic all over the country, they are jammed with people that should be seeing their family doctor for colds or for cuts/sprains that could be handled by an urgent care center, they are also over crowded with people that have no insurance, knowing they can't be turned away, so people like you who have serious issues, get bogged down in the system, sometimes lost in the shuffle. If think that experience was bad, try Harrisburg Hospital or Holy Spirit, same nightmare stories with 5-10 hour waits, long delays in care, and an overworked staff and doctors. That's why I laugh when it's said that "we have the best health care system in the world", we don't.