Sue Jensen

Review of Advocate Good Samaritan

I will never again go to Good Sam Hospital after a...

I will never again go to Good Sam Hospital after a disconcerting experience in the ER. After bringing my mother to an empty emergency waiting room we were told it would be a few minutes before they took her back. After 1.5 hours of sitting in the waiting room while she was in excrutiating pain in her back, I approached the girl at the desk and inquired as to when my mother would be taken back since she was told 1.5 hours ago it would be a few minutes. This woman promptly told me she never said such a thing, however I verified it with my sister who had been standing right there with my mother when they arrived before I did. Since I came later then my mom and sister, they proceeded to tell me that 7-8 other younger people walked in and were taken back immediately to rooms within the ER. We had to call our Dr. and ask to schedule an emergency appt to see my mother since the ER was totally uncooperative. After stating firmly that we would be leaving the hospital all of a sudden they said they were getting ready to open up a second area of the ER and she would be taken back shortly. REALLY??? After two hours of sitting in agony and then what, wait another 2-3 hours to be seen by an ER Dr?? We found out that afternoon at our Dr. office that my mom herniated a disc between L2 and L3 in her back, hence the terrible pain she was in. Yet no one in this ER seemed to really care about the pain an 85 year old woman was experiencing. Was it because she had medicare? Was it because we live in a society where the elderly are not thought of with esteem or even respected anymore? Or was it because the hospital would not be able to receive the money they expected from Medicare so therefore she was pushed to the back of the line over and over. What a sad day in this country when instead of treating everyone as an individual and trying to show concern and compassion to help someone, especially someone who has paid into the system her entire life, is now pushed aside because of dollar signs. I would NEVER recommend this hospital to anyone. My dad served on the Board of Directors for years..E.C. Marquardt, and my brother was on staff for over 25 years. I did not come in that day with my mother to demand or expect any special treatment, just humane compassion and concern for someone who was in horrendous pain. My dad has since passsed away but I know he would have been astounded by the treatment.