Todd Pollock

Review of Shawnee Mission Medical Center

My Primary DR referred me to Dr Trempy at the SMM...

My Primary DR referred me to Dr Trempy at the SMMC Pain Clinic. He diagnosed me with a bulging disc, two herniated discs, arthritis, and spinal stenosis. He did an epidural for my bulging disc, A couple rounds of shots for my herniated discs. He then did three radio frequencies on three of four nerves that needed it.He told me to set up an appt with HIM, when the fourth nerve became more of a problem.

I tried to set up my appt.with him, as I was told, I called the PC, asked for an appt.with Dr. T. I did ask to be seen before the first of the year.
While sitting in the exam room, 100% expecting Dr. T, a nurse came in to do my appt anyway. She had obviously never even glanced at my chart before coming in the room When I became sure she was not familiar with my case, I told her I was there to see Dr. T and have a radio frequency done on my fourth nerve. She asked me where it hurt. I pointed to where it started and showed her the areas the pain was going.
After about a second she says, "No, that's not it."
According to a Dr it WAS the problem, so she either didn't know the diagnosis and/or treatment, ignored the Dr's diagnosis and treatment plan, or overruled the Dr.
She finally gets to the bottom sheets of my chart, does a triple take at one certain page, and says meekly, "Oh...you have two herniated discs."
Unprepared, unprofessional, and entirely unacceptable.
My bill showed my service provider was Dr Don Richter. I have NEVER met this man, and he has surely never examined me. From what I understand he was supposed to be supervising the nurse.
If he had talked to her before the appt she would have been prepared, knew my condition, and that the next move for my treatment had already been decided by a surgeon.
I called the mgr of Midwest Anesthesia LLC., (both SMMC & MWA claim the nurse and Dr. R as "theirs"), who sent the bill, and asked her How the nurse missed so much in my appt when all of the answers were in my chart, AND IN HER LAP. And, how if Dr. R supervised her prior to the appt how did she not seem to know anything about my condition. She had no answers for either question, but to call her back in a week.
The next time I asked the same questions, each answer started with the word maybe. "Maybe...the nurse wasn't given time to read your chart before your appt.". "Maybe...Dr R talked to her after your appt." Talking about an appt after the fact is completely useless. It is just hearing about the appt., not of supervising it.
The bill from MWA was repaid to me quickly. while SMMC and SMMC Pain Clinic want to do is tell me how they are right. I was told for 4.5 months changing appts was PC's Mgr, Beth's "Policy" it was called a policy by people in Beth's office and by the Patient advocate. Only until 6/1/16 was "policy" walked back to "common practice" In a letter from the Patient Advocate.
Then, on Thurs, june 9th at 11:32 I got a call from the HR Director's asst. and a hospital administrator. They want to talk about my issues with their facilities. I told them I was at work, but would be glad to stop by afterwards. I told them I was tired of having to start at the beginning of my story every time a new person wants to stick their nose in it. They both told me how much they new about my complaints.
I asked them a question directly from their rejection of settlement letter to me. The letter indicated that it was "common practice" to use a mid-level level associate for "appts like mine." So, I asked them "what kind of appt did I need?"
There was a few seconds of complete silence, I'm sure while they stared blankly at each other, when the ADMINISTRATOR threw a tantrum any five year old would be proud to call their own. "W-W-We know about your Stuff!" "Y-Y-You just leave us alone." And " Y-You just quit calling us."
I would think their administrators should be able to control themselves a bit better, but not at SMMC!
To restate my opinion of the entire SMMC facility, Unprepared, unprofessional, and entirely unacceptable.
I could not post this with no stars so disregard the one I had to give it.