Wade Hugendubler

Review of Penn State Hershey Medical Cen...

Hershey Medical Center has sharply declined over t...

Hershey Medical Center has sharply declined over the past 15 years.

My father was dying, was known for being an interesting personality, and I as the eldest son attempted to be the voice of reason for assuring my father made the transition from treating his cancer to easing his pain. Among my experiences with the staff at Penn State:

The doctor that diagnosed my father as terminal assured me he had an excellent team that would sit down with my father and I to break the news, with me present. I saw no evidence that this happened and they didn't include me if it did.

Despite informing two nurses of our want to have a doctor come in to break the news, with family members present; we waited several hours for a doctor to come in and be completely non-committal. He either never read the previous doctor's notes, or the previous doctor hadn't made them.

I spoke to five health care professionals about my father's situation. Responses ranged from blame shifting to passive aggressiveness.

No family member ever received a clear picture of my father's condition, my father never gave a clear picture of what they told him, and his poor decision making had him fighting an unbeatable battle with cancer. Much of this could have been avoided if just one health care professional had the courage to cut through the bureaucracy or follow up on a commitment.

When dealing with end of life issues; one mistake is too much. Hershey Medical Center made several and are unapologetic about it. Nothing in their behavior indicates to me that they are interested in fixing it. This hospital is not worth the risk of entrusting the care of a dying loved one.