Todd Vierling

Review of Shepherd Center

[Copied from my Yelp review of April 2016, with up...

[Copied from my Yelp review of April 2016, with update addendum below.]

Tried to get a new patient to see a physician at the Shepherd Spine and Pain Institute for treatment of degenerative disc disease (DDD) and serious problems in the lumbar area, including herniated disc, which has caused the patient to be virtually bedridden for just under two years. Sent in all the paperwork, sent over a copy of the area's MRI, had the primary care physician send all recent blood work and imaging records. The documentation was extensive. Was told that they would get back to us.

Almost a month later, no response; called to find out what was going on. Admissions coordinator said that the paperwork was "rejected by the physician". No name of physician given. No reason for rejection given. When asked, admissions coordinator said they "notified [our] doctor's office two weeks ago and shredded all the paperwork". Their policy is apparently *not* to call the patient back about it when this happens, only to leave a message for the primary care doctor.

Primary care doctor's office has no record of a call from Shepherd Center concerning the rejection, much less the actual reason for it. So now we're left scratching our heads and wondering why a new patient, seriously in need of getting spinal pain under control rather than taking more and more pills, was summarily tossed to the curb with no direct notification.

Durr-what?

Until this incident happened, our doctor thought the MDs at Shepherd Center could almost walk on water. That perception has *seriously* changed.

I'm a reasonable person. I'm willing to amend this review if Shepherd Center wants to re-evaluate the patient's paperwork (we still have it all digitally scanned, of course) and, if they can't take the case for a reasonable clinical reason, are willing to provide that reason. I can understand if they believe they can't help because they are lacking [insert some necessary therapeutic service here]. Heck, I could even understand if they didn't want to take on another patient via our insurance provider. Just tell us the truth, eh?

But being left completely in the dark is totally unprofessional and unacceptable. And, in my personal opinion, unethical and grossly negligent. Especially for a facility that it otherwise considered a godsend to patients who have gone there.

*By definition*, I can't provide more than a 1-star rating, as they simply would not allow the patient to make use of any of their services!

[Update, December 2017, follows.]

Over the next year, the patient -- my husband, not mentioned here previously to avoid adding emotional taint to the review -- became less and less ambulatory and more confined to bed. Mobility was only possible by increasing the dosage of a long-acting opioid painkiller. A year after this review, in April 2017, he was admitted to hospital for sepsis due to an abdominal infection, as well as a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) in the leg from being bed-bound almost all the time.

He died in September 2017.

I can't attribute his death directly to the incompetence and snobbery of Shepherd Center. However, I can't help but wonder if he would have been in much better shape, if he had the chance to recover and be able to move around independently again. I will never be able to find out.