Corey Fitzgerald

Review of Corpus Christi Medical Center-...

This is a compliant! Corpus Christi Medical Center...

This is a compliant! Corpus Christi Medical Center Hospital - Bay Area on South Padre Island Drive (the ER department specifically) customer service is terrible and had steadily declining over the last couple years. I'm a patient with a chronic disease and my doctors' office is located in the hospital. I typically have a "flare up" 1-2 times per year. My doctor has advised me to go directly to the ER during these flare ups. I had a flare last night around 11:30pm and went to the ER. While the wait time to be seen is typically excellent, the service once you are in a room or on a bed is terrible and has declined each visit. These "flare ups" cause excruciating abdominal pain, nausea because of the pain intensity and vomiting. I was basically thrown in a bed and waited in pain. The nurse and nurse practitioner that took me to my room was not welcoming and made me feel like I was inconveniencing them. Offered no blanket, vomit bag, I had to get it myself. That is unacceptable for how much money we pay for medical services. It took approximately 30 minutes before a nurse came to my room for my IV. I told the triage folks and the nurse I was experiencing excruciating pain and nausea. So I waited for a least an hour before I pushed the help button, but not a single person showed up, was told by the person that picked up they would let the doctor know. Approximately 20-30 minutes passed, so I pushed it again. Finally, a nurse came in shortly after (10-15 more minutes) and gave me pain medicine and informed me I needed to drink some contrast for a CT scan to rule out an appendix issue, but I informed them eating and drinking causes more pain during flare ups and my doctor usually orders the contrast through the IV during the CT scan. All they had to do was review my past visits/records and understand what to do. This was by far the worst service I have seen or experienced in an ER. Flare ups are intestinal inflammation and need to be treated with much more urgency, care and compassion than what I received last night. The ER doctor also came in with the nurse. I asked for an explanation for the long wait and her response was short and snappy..."I'm the only dr in the entire hospital and I was dealing with a dying patient in room 1." While I understand there are matters that require quicker attention than others, some pain and nausea medicine to hold me over until she could come talk to me would have been a better approach vs. letting me lay there. Believe me if I could treat these flare ups at home I would, but I can't because of the pain. I also stand the risk of being exposed to other illnesses while being there. I could have just stayed home, there was nothing the ER did that I couldn't have done myself in my home. I will not be stopping with this review, emailing/contacting the director. I'm appalled at the terrible service and I'm requesting some type of internal investigation for the folks that were in the ER last night. This is ridiculous. Next time I will go to the an urgent care and get better service.

Corey M. Fitzgerald