Lyndsie M

Review of Provena Covenant Medical Cente...

I went into the ER for severe headaches. I was lat...

I went into the ER for severe headaches. I was later diagnosed with "complicated migraines."
The ER was very quick in getting me seen. 1 star, but I have a whole list of complaints. I had an EKG test. The technician left my chest exposed for the duration of the test, while other nurses came in and out. I'm very sensitive to medications, and have a lot of known allergies. The medicine I received in the ER caused me to have a bad reaction, and made my headache worse. They did not tell me they were going to keep me over night, until one of the doctor's said "we'll see what the test say in the morning." They proceeded to keep me "hostage" for the next 2 days. Ran tons of test, thankfully stating I'm very healthy. I got 15 vials of blood drawn at 1 time. They took at least 27 vials during my "stay" at the hospital. Flash forward, I had a follow up appointment with a general physician 2 days after my stay. She declined to full fill the order to draw more blood, stating she felt it was excessive. The hospital ran treatments through out my stay, which I repeatedly stated were making my headaches worse. They did not tell me they were going to keep me a second night until I finally saw the neurologist late in the afternoon. The care on 7th floor was just terrible (with the exception of 1 nurse). It took over 2 hours to get water, over 4 hours to get an ice pack. My IV was constantly beeping. Several times it took over a half an hour to make it stop. I asked for information about the "medicine" they were pumping through my body, and didn't receive it until hours later. I was told I was going to see someone from financial assistance...they never came. I called financial assistance after my hospital stay...an application was never sent. The neurologist's bedside manner was terrible. I declined to take the medicine Topamax, and his response was condescending "that's fine if you want to suffer from migraines." Thanks! Super helpful Dr. Helfrich! I even said the "H" word...holistic. Boy, did I get looked at like I was crazy. I'm a therapist, and worked in an acute psych and chemical dependency hospital for a couple of years. I think I have the right to advocate for my own health...Especially since the hospital was not going to do so. I stated that I suspected my headaches may be due to a gluten intolerance and hormonal imbalance. This being the main reason why I did not want to start a regimen of harsh mind altering chemicals. Sure enough my suspicions seemed to be right. Eliminating gluten has help immensely! Recently I started getting 3rd party doctor bills in the mail. Ethics? I was finally the cover letter to the financial application, but not an application. I'm still waiting on the application. I called today, again. I've called several times to complain about my hospital stay, and have not heard back. To top it all off, my significant other stayed with me for the duration of my visit, and ended up covered in bites. We suspect it was from the recliner he slept in. The bites did not appear until the last day, and he showed the nurse. The manager of the floor suggested he go to the ER. I did not get bites, but we spent the following Christmas week, cleaning, checking for bugs, and loosing lots of sleep! We didn't have a bug issues before staying in the hospital, and luckily not afterwards. I've been patience and courteous for far too long. I do not recommend this hospital at all!