Sean Sullivan

Review of CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial...

The review I am about to give is specifically for ...

The review I am about to give is specifically for the ER. The other sections I've had dealings with have always been great. Very friendly and helpful and willing to answer any questions.
I have spent too much time in this Hospital int he last 5 years. I have chronic pancreatitis as well as quite a few other issues as a side effect of it as well as some other non related issues.
Times in the ER on the other hand... First trip in my Doctor called and told them I had acute pancreatitis with a history of it and that they needed to get me in immediately and to notify him as soon as I arrived. ER left me in the waiting room for 4 hours before I was even triaged. If you have had pancreatitis you know that the pain level is just short of causing you to pass out and if not treated quickly can cause death. Even telling them my Dr had called and was waiting for me to be admitted they didn't do anything. The next trip in I ended up with a C-Dif infection form something I was exposed to there. 3rd trip I went in with internal bleeding and passing blood. The ER doctor gave me antibiotics and sent me home . I went back 2 days later still bleeding and they sent me home again. I nearly passed out and was extremely dizzy so we went to Kingwood. I was dangerously dehydrated and anemic from the blood loss and ended up needing 4 pints of blood transfused and as a side effected lost 75% of the vision in my left eye and 25% in my right from oxygen deprivation nerve damage.
That was the 3rd strike so we stayed away from there and went to Kingwood despite the 45 minute drive because it was still quicker and we received better care. This was also before Chi St' Luke took over the Hospital. So fast forward to last Saturday, my daughter got struck in the foot by a cottonmouth. The puncture wasn't deep and it didn't start swelling right away so we decided to give them one more chance. Nice 2 hour long wait in the waiting room followed by the Doctor confirming it was a snake bite but said it didn't look severe enough to be worried and sent her home with instructions to take ibuprofen for the pain and keep her foot elevated for a few days. Sunday her foot continued swelling and got to the point she couldn't move her toes so off to Kingwood. They immediately took her back and started blood work and preparing antivenom. Due to her age and the fact she wasn't in distress they transferred her to Texas Children's Hospital where we met a toxicologist and she had to go through 4 rounds of antivenom, Found out the last medicine that should be given to any kind of snake bite victim is any pain killer that thins blood because snake venom can cause internal bleeding and the person can bleed to death from it.
Needless to say it appears that change of ownership has done nothing to improve the quality of service in the ER. I wish this was just a series of bad luck occurrences but after checking around it is apparent that this is more the common experience in this ER than an exception. Please avoid this place if at all possible.