My mother went in to see her primary care physicia...

My mother went in to see her primary care physician at St. Joseph hospital in Denver almost 3 years ago with complaints of severe general abdominal pain, a newly formed hernia, bowel issues, etc... All of which were repeatedly brushed under the rug by her PCP. She was outright denied resolution, informed that it was nothing they would investigate and nothing they thought they could do anything about anyhow. Come to find out 3 years later (as a result of persistent requests for help on my mother's behalf) that she has abdominal cancer.

I understand that doctors are not perfect, I understand that diagnosis can be hard to nail down in any situation... but what I do not understand are the doctors who would rather turn away patients than help. I don't understand the complete lack of humanity and general medical knowledge that we've experienced time and time again from SEVERAL doctors and nurses at this particular hospital. Again, none of this was limited to 1 doctor in particular. After my mother's PCP had been convinced that my mother's issue was becoming much more severe, she called in the head of oncology to take a look (he brought another oncologist for a second set of eyes). Once they had examined my mother, all three proceeded to the hall, 5 feet away from us, where they literally SCREAMED at the PCP for not having had my mother admitted for surgery earlier. In their words, "she should be on the operating table TODAY!!". Not only was it entirely unprofessional, but a testament to the help my mother KNEW that she needed but was repeatedly denied. It was also a massively inappropriate way to inadvertently inform a patient that they are in dire straits as far as their health is concerned.

My mother's multiple visits to this hospital have ALL been riddled with RNs showing a shocking inability to insert an IV (leaving my mother with numerous unnecessary bruises from failed IV attempts, EVERY single time she has visited and required an IV), complete lack of concern for her safety and those around her (allowing her, after massive abdominal surgery, to walk completely UNATTENDED down the hall with a chest tube, abdominal drain, catheter, heart monitor and oxygen tube in tow), complete disregard for family inclusion (she had experienced emergency level situations during a massive surgery and her emergency contact had never been informed... in fact, we were informed of the exact OPPOSITE, told that everything went perfectly fine - found out 5 hours after the fact that she was in ICU getting a chest tube, blood transfusions, etc.)... She even underwent a surgery for the explicit purpose of removing any cancerous tumors they could find and the surgeon, in his own words, FORGOT TO BIOPSY ANYTHING.

You might be thinking, "with so many bad experiences, why would you continue going back to the same hospital?". My mother is on a sliding scale insurance plan THROUGH the hospital due to her low income status which forces her to remain. If I had any say in the matter, she would have been seeking treatment elsewhere from the very beginning. To boot, they nickel and dime EVERY single person who walks through their front door by quibbling over insane parking fees. That is the absolute last straw.

I would strongly urge anyone considering seeking treatment at this facility, unless they know the doctor they are being treated by to be reliable and trustworthy firsthand, to stay as far away as they possibly can. There are a handful of decent, knowledgeable employees at this hospital. Unfortunately, none of them are in any position of power. To my experience, they've all been pre-op CNAs or janitors. No joke. Not a single personable, knowledgeable, result-driven, community serving person at that hospital above the janitor. They TRULY want your money more than they want for you to leave their facility healthy and happy.