Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center Reviews

I went in yesterday because I was experiencing acute pain in my flank that matched up with me passing another kidney stone, or possibly having a kidney infection (both of which I ve dealt with before so I figured it would be handled like usual, ie. I would go in, get some antibiotics and a small scrip [like 5] for painkillers to deal with the pain while it passed and be on my way). Well it took half an hour for anyone to see me, I threw up from pain during the time I was waiting, and then the doctor, can t even remember his name, finally showed up. He was an older guy, with a voice that made me want to cheese grate my ears off, and he was so condescending it was amazing. Stunning. Literally *the most lazy ER doctor I ve ever come across* and believe me you, I ve met a good deal of them in my 22 years on this earth.

He didn t help me besides writing my antibiotics, and told me to take Tylenol for the pain and left. I m sure not everyone reading this has been through the same thing, but Tylenol for kidney stones and a kidney infection is like throwing a water balloon at a house fire. Useless. I spent all last night in pain, crying, shivering and sweating and unable to sleep due to the pain. I told him how it was usually handled and that Tylenol wouldn t work, and he couldn t be bothered.

The nurses were fine. The old guy needs to learn how to listen to his patients. It was early am and nobody was even there but me so it s not like he was so busy he couldn t listen to me. Worst hospital experience ever, next time I won t even waste my time, I felt worse leaving than when I arrived. If you re not on the cusp of death, I would suggest making a longer drive to literally any other hospital but this one.

If i just got stabbed on the street in front of this place I would drive hours out of my way to be seen elsewhere. Rude doctors, and labels everyone a drug addict.

Me and my wife have been sitting in the waiting room for over a hour and a half and she is in need of stitches and was already told that by the check in nurse and they still have came and got her not sure why it is taking so long to be seen there are 5 others here and this is not right you need a better and fast seeing time instead of haveing people who need medical help to stop bleeding Im never coming back here again at least to the emergency room very poor and slow help

I wish there was an option to give them no stars.

My wife went there on 3 different occasions. All 3 times she gave them her insurance that I get from work.

Everything went fine, they took our insurance information and said it was all correct. Only to be sent a bill 2 months later. Which was odd. So we called Essentia and they said they did not have record of our insurance. So we gave it to them. They assured us everything would be taken care of.

Fast forward another month: another bill. This time they say Blue Cross Blue Shield rejected the bill. We call BCBS and they claim they never got a bill sent to them. After some complaining to Essentia they assure us everything will go through, again!

Another month, another bill. Essentia claims that BCBS rejected the bill, again. Now they are threatening to send the bill to collections. Threatening us for THEIR mistakes! Called BCBS, again, no bill has ever been sent to them.

This was all over the past year from November of 2017 until right around August of 2018.

It is now Nov 2018 and my wife called Essentia to make sure everything has gone through. Nope! The bill is still sitting there and once again they claim BCBS rejected the bill. Called BCBS and AGAIN they say they never received any bills.

Essentia is a trash company. Do anything and everything to avoid it all costs. Not sure if the people that work there are just stupid or if they are intentionally trying to scam people. DO NOT GO TO ESSENTIA!

EDIT: Essentia commented asking to take concerns to them. I emailed them and have had no response. This company is a joke. Until we can get this resolved my rating will remain 0 stars. I only put 1 because I cant go any less than that.

EDIT #2 (5 months later): After months of not getting anywhere with Essentia even after they tried contacting us and assuring everything was taken care of, it wasnt. Again threatening us with sending our bill to collections and not forwarding it through Insurance. Our insurance still stands by the fact that they never received any bills from Essentia. So we decided to just pay the damn bill and get it over with and set up an auto payment plan. Being assured that the autopayments will be taken out monthly and make sure we are not charged extra or sent to collections. ...3 months later and we get a bill WITH LATE FEES...we called Essentia and they told us that the original "payment plan" was set up as a one time payment only.

They are completely and utterly incompetent and use their marketing teams to pretend like they care and know what they are doing. They dont. Dont be fooled by their responses.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO ESSENTIA HEALTH FOR ANY HEALTHCARE! Go to LakeWood instead!

My fiance could have died due to an error made by this hospital.
Sunday evening we went into the ER as my fiance had what we believed to be an infection in his knee -- it was swollen, hot and the pain seemed to be moving up as the day went on. Everyone was nice, but no one seemed to have answers. We were told white blood cell counts were slightly elevated but they were unable to drain any fluid out of the leg so they sent us home with a prescription for antibiotics. If it wasn't better by Thursday, he was to schedule a follow up with Ortho.
Monday evening he was back for emergency surgery as he was unable to walk or bear the pain. We had two staff members tell us the ER team should not have tried to draw fluid the night before as this could have introduced a different infection or caused other damage.
At least three of the nurses he had in his three day stay told us "this isn't my floor, I'm normally somewhere else and don't work with surgery patients" -- doesn't put a lot of faith in the staff when you ask simple questions such as 'Shouldn't he be wearing compression socks?' and that's their response.
There were at least eight different nurses in his three day stay -- I understand the rotation but unfortunately there was little to no communication between any of them and we found ourselves constantly repeating ourselves and asking for things -- such as the next dose of pain medication (2x) and throat lozenges (which were ordered on day 2 but never delivered).
The doctor only visited the room at 6AM and seemed in a rush to get the answers they needed but not answer the questions he had. It's hard enough to get sleep in a hospital and he was barely coherent enough to remember the conversations -- yet the nurses would ask him for the information rather than the doctor.
Our discharge nurse had poor bedside manner, making a joke about how our deductible was certainly met as surgery was insanely expensive, yet not seeming to have answers to any of our questions. She made this comment three times in our five minutes with her that second day.
A picc line was installed so that we could administer a daily antibiotic at home. Unfortunately, the team discharged him without a cap on his picc line. While trying to shower during his first night at home, blood came into the tube and he went back to the ER to ensure everything was okay. He was told by a nurse and doctor that it was incredibly dangerous to not have the cap on the line as it could introduce air into his bloodstream or another infection. If either of those things happened, it could lead to death if not treated immediately. They filed a report and the next day we were called to have the picc line replaced.
The positive thing is that everyone was very kind, but unfortunately kindness doesn't heal... and lack of knowledge and attention to detail could potentially have killed my fiance. We will not be back.

So comforting an genuinely kind when my wrist was broken, worth the ride

I went to Essentia for the first time today. The lady at the registration desk was quick and kind. The radiologist for my MRI was SOOOOO KIND! She told me everything that she was going to be doing, made sure I was comfortable, asked what would I like to listen to while in the MRI. She was so kind.... Best experience at a hospital yet!

We always had great experiences with both the ER and Family birthplace. I cant say enough nice things about the nurses and Doctors. Theh are kind, educated, supportive and makes ua feel like we are the only patients they have. Thank you so much for taking excellent care of my entire family.

Doctors who know what they are talking about and care about you as a person and patient. Most people who would not like this place, are the people who come in seeking narcotics, and the doctors don't give them out.

This is the worst hospital I have ever been to. We went into the emergency room because my boyfriend is having severe abdominal pain and no one was at the desk when we walked in. When the receptionist finally came she made us sit and wait for an hour to even be seen. We are now in a room but still waiting for a doctor to come in. We have been here for 2 hours now and haven t even talked to a real doctor. The wait time is ridiculous. It s called an EMERGENCY room for a reason.

My labor an delivery experience. I was scared from what i heard about this place but it turned out im very happy i went in, i called ahead of time, got there an got admitted right away. The first nurse to help me change an verify i was in labor was so amazing i never got her name and i so wish i did id write a thank you letter an recommend a raise for this lady. She was so attentive an loving. I had to labor an deliver alone cuz my hubby and i had no one to watch our one yr old an we didnt think it was right to let him watch mommy go through this so i sent them home and this nurse stayed with me even after her shift was over i had no pain meds so i was a hand full. Dr to deliver was in as soon as she was needed but the nurse and i delivered my son together. After delivery the nurses to tend to me were all lovely an kind to me, my hubby an 1yr old. We were there 4 days too. This hospital gave us a car seat, 200 diapers in a case, a gift basket of assortment different things for my nb and myself, a fruit an snack basket a soft large blanket and formula to go home with. Brainerd hospitals staff are the nicest an caring group of gals. I will be having my next child here. Oh an they kept it clean an the tubs are theeee best. Ive ever had the pleasure of using. I had an amazing stay thank you labor an delivery you ladies are great!!!

Reviewing on behalf of my dad. He went in for a routine colonoscopy, told covered at 100% by insurance, then while he was under anesthesia, took polyp samples and changed the diagnosis to medical. He's now looking at $5000 bill which they refuse to recode as preventative and refuse to waive. One star review for communication--sure, they communicate it MIGHT become medical, but never communicate that you might be responsible. Very misleading.

ETA: Been one month since the comment below, don't waste your time writing Jessica, it goes nowhere. 1 star review still stands, as does dad's $5k bill. Thanks Essentia!

I got sent here from Urgent Care in baxter. I went in with what I assumed to be kidney stone pain. They ran the CT scan and said they hadn't found anything so they went back to the original diagnosis of sciatica. The doc ended up sending me away with a prescription for muscle relaxers after arguing about when I filled my last prescription (he thought the current month was JANUARY. I, under the influence of morphine, politely informed him it is currently FEBRUARY). Today, 2-18, I ended up in urgent care with the same pains. Turns out kidney stones WERE PRESENT on the CT scan, though nobody bothered to inform me of this and actually told me 'the scan came back clear'. I only found out I was correct on assuming kidney stones when the urgent care doctor said it was noted in my chart!? I'll be filing formal complaints on the doctor with the state medical board as soon as possible because this doesnt feel right. Finally on meds to get rid of my kidney stones with absolutely 0 help from st Joe's. Muscle relaxers!? Come on..

About 14 years ago I had a problem I couldn t keep food down I was in so much pain had blood when I took a dump all they did was give me pain pills and I kept telling them something was wrong they wouldn t listen to me it took them almost 2 months to admit me I found out a day after they admitted me what was wrong it was my gallbladder I had stones about to go into my liver because the ER couldn t give me the time of day instead They listed me as a pill head and almost killed me.......
The nurses I had was nice I had a nurse with the British accent I liked her

My mother had cancer they put an IV in her foot they went and pinched it and she jumped off the bed I stood up and was about to hit the nurse in the face I knew right there and then that she had a blood clot they came in and took the IV out and put it somewhere else my mother was telling me to calme down her doctor came in and I laid into him about it and said I am not my mother and you will not be poking her like she is a Guinea pig and I do not want that nurse back in this room I sat in that chair to the end of the shift and went home to sleep.....

Staff was so helpful to get me what I needed. Compassion and bedside manner was the best I have ever seen in an ER! Thanks to the nurses and doctors that helped me get my breathing back to normal today!

There is no policy in place to request patients or attending family members to wear mask in waiting area when they have respiratory symptoms. The receptionist was unaware that the main purpose of the mask is not to protect the person wearing the mask but that it helps prevent spread of illness by the sick individual wearing the mask and preventing spread of droplets. Meanwhile a patient who is immunocompromised and waiting in the lobby is at risk. They can wear a mask but it really does little to protect them from getting ill. It should be standard in healthcare to request they wear a mask or leave if they are not required to be present. Very disappointed.

Thank you all the nurses and social worker from the Grace Unit! I appreciated your help

Wait time to get back to a room was ridiculous, over 1.5 hours. When i asked about it i was told all rooms were full. When we finally got called back, 10 min after i asked, we passed multiple empty rooms. Dr was great and everything went fast after we were finally in the room. But for an emergency room they are VERY slow getting people in rooms to see a dr. Only gave 3 stars cuz the dr and nurse were awesome otherwise it would have been 1.

Best Emergency care ever! This place blew us away. Dr Henry was amazing. We got a diagnosis when I never expected we would! He was extremely thorough. Spent a great deal of time with us to make sure we understood everything. Super traveling nurse! Very compassionate staff. I just can't say enough about the place.

After reading all of the reviews; I was extremely skeptical about taking my son into the ER even though it was necessary and recommended. After making the decision to take him - I was extremely pleased with all of the staff. Immediately upon arrival my son was evaluated and taken to his own private room where he was taken care of by wonderful nurses, EKG techs, x-ray techs, lab techs and an amazing doctor too!! I would highly recommend this ER and have no problem taking my children there again!!! Every person in which we interacted with, made our experience extremely pleasant.

Worst hospital ever. My son needed stitches and they waited 3 hours between when they numbed his nose and when they stitched it. My husband needed an emergency appendectomy and he had to wait 6 hours for his surgery, 2 of these hours alone in his room because i was told they were going to be taking him asap. Had horrible care during the rest of his stay.
Just left there myself, completely ignored and told there's nothing they could/ would do. In the worst pain of my life (I've had 4 babies, i know pain) and having begged for help. Wasn't listened to at all. DO NOT GO HERE FOR ANYTHING.

If zero stars were a thing, that's what I'd give this place. I came in for a sunburn, which might seem silly, but I'm so swollen that I can barely walk or sleep because of the pain. The doctor didn't even tell me his name, didn't ask any questions really, and sent me home all within 10 minutes with a prescription for Zofran and told me to keep doing what i have been. Nurses were nice but the doctor was a jerk. Worst hospital experience of my life.

Excellent care and quality of staff and services. Keep up the good work.

Worst staff, nurses, and doctors of any medical facility I have ever been to. Rude, unprofessional, argumentative, uncaring, and unwilling to provide any sort of attentiveness or medical treatment.
If ever in the region and need medical help, the drive to MSP is worth it. This facility will just take your insurance and money and happily watch you die in a gutter.

Insanity... we recently had a family member hospitalized here and then sent to a different facility. Would a call just to simply inform us of this be too much to ask? Yes it would be. When I called and asked, I was only told they weren't there. We had to to the detective work and find out where they were ourselves. Mind blown...

I stayed at the grace unit and it's the best psychiatric help I have ever gotten. I can't express my gratitude.

Going to the ER is not an experience anyone wants deal with.

I had suddenly become VERY sick and was referred by urgent care to go to the ER.

I received the best care ever. The nurses, physician assistant and doctors were very caring.

Thanks for helping me get back to normal. -Steven

Garbage. Tell people not to cry after learning they have an ailment that will affect the rest of their lives. Tell them not to call 911 in an emergency unless they are dieing. I guess if you have your first siegeure of your life black out and fall, Break your jaw u should just walk it off. Wow.

Rude rude rude! All these brainerd doctors, nurses, and receptionists are so judgemental, mean, insensitive, inappropriate, inconsiderate, i cannot believe how i have been being treated by everyone during this pregnancy. Now i have to travel 40 minutes to get answers that i was hoping to get over the phone with triage. This county does not know how to help. She laughed at me. Depressing, and just sucks. Why are theynot open on weekends. This is whythe cities arebetter. Better trained staff.

Some great doctors here. Billing is decent. People that answer phones and help are pretty nice.

Nothing for a kid to do while their parent is in the er. Got scolded for trying to get my child to stop messing with stuff so I tried just keeping him with me and then got kicked out for my child screaming because I couldn't get him to stop. Not child friendly at all worst er waiting room ever.

They deserve no star
They won't allow family to go back. The lady in the emergency room counter was very rude about it. I would highly recommend staples. I called to tell them the desk lady was rude and they hung up on me. Brainerd staff are very rude. If you want to be in the back with your loved ones I would go to staples. Brainerd will not allow it. They will make you leave the door and sit outside in the heat.

The care here is often times very rude and you get stuck waiting in a cold room. They always assume if you're being seem for pain that you're seeking narcotics. And they make a lot of misdiagnosis

As a Catholic, NO way. Also, what physician has time for social media 24/7. Why was he suddenly transferred from Duluth?? See my photos