I have been a patient at WFBH for over a decade. ...

I have been a patient at WFBH for over a decade. Due to my medical issues, I have had 28 surgical procedures there. Their ONLY saving graces are Dr. Gregory Waters and Dr. Lisa Cassidy-Vu.

Here's the bad:

The pre-op nurses are a nightmare 98% of the time. If you have any problems with IV placement at all, they immediately get punitive toward you. My husband is a medical professional (and former Baptist employee) and he actually watched a nurse lie and switch out the requested 22 that she told us she was using for an 18 that immediately blew my vein (which she was told it would do). This was for a simple soft tissue abscess drainage that does not require blood products.

On my most recent surgery on April 18, we encountered this nurse again. She was brought in by the nurse that was setting me up after I mentioned my IV placement issues. I again requested the 22, and asked that she please give me a 3 count as she placed it. Both nurses began acting oddly, and the nurse from before started beating on my hand so hard you could hear it echo in the bay. I have fibromyalgia in addition to Crohns so this is particularly painful.

The 2nd nurse leaves, and comes back with a grey box that she says 'will help with the IV'. I wasn't sure if it was a doppler, because it didn't look like one and she didn't use it at first. The 1st nurse (who is STILL beating my hand) pulls out the 22, and my husband moves closer to the foot of the bed to watch. This is the same action she made the previous time when she switched the guage on us. Then, without warning, she jams the IV in. No 3 count as I requested, not gentle, nothing. I burst into tears, as she HURT ME. There is also blood splattered all over the blanket.

The 2nd nurse dips in with something, and pops back after a second, talking about my blood suger being in normal range. I'm still crying and upset, but manage to ask her what she is talking about: I'M NOT DIABETIC.

She responds that she saw insulin needles on my chart. I explain that I am given those for my B12 shots. Her response: 'Oh. Well, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO READ YOUR MED LIST.'

Again, this was not the ED. This was not an emergency surgery. They simply didn't bother. Now, I'm being billed for an unnecessary test.

I called Service Excellence, and I'm told that it takes up to 45 days to investigate. Then, I get a bill that week.....for a doctor visit from a year ago. I run dual insurance, so I check my EOB online. It says I have no further responsibility. My second insurance is Medicare. I call them and they say WFBH can't legally do this. I report that to billing and they say they will investigate....in 30 days.

30 days later, I check back. Now billing says they are still investigating, but I have an ADDITIONAL bill for a surgery from a year ago.....that the EOBs say (again) that I don't owe. Billing, when questioned, says insurance has up to 2 yearsto pay a claim and that is the reason it is just cropping up now.

EXCEPT THE EOBS SAY WFBH WAS PAID BACK THEN. So what's the real reason?

The real reason is that WFBH wants money to compete with Novant. Just look around the city. It's a competition of who has the bigger health system. It makes the patients suffer. They put up a shiny facade while the interiors look like garbage. They blocked off parking in front of Janeway Surgical Services in November of 2016.....and have done nothing to it in almost 3 years. Some of the research buildings downtown didn't even have usable water because they kept the existing pipes when they renovated the old tobacco buildings. They probably still don't.

And don't forget the scandal from last year with those cancer patients. That doctor was the chair of the Pathology department.

The bottom line is, don't walk....run from WFBH. I am, just as soon as I can. I spent all day trying to sort this mess, and am probably going to spend most of today on it too. Don't land in my shoes.