The bedside manner of a number of nurses employed for the VA Hospital are less than desirable at this establishment. My dad has been staying here the last few days and his current room shares a bathroom. I needed to utilize the facility in order to urinate and I was walked in on by the nurse. In a really irritated tone she LOUDLY (enough for my elderly/hard of hearing father to clearly hear) chastised me on the policy regarding visitors only using the public restrooms/patients only in the room(s). I was so humiliated and ashamed I left in tears. Aside from having to constantly remind them to change his bandages, clothes, etc. is in and of itself horrible when it comes to the nursing care but the plain MANNERS of those that I have interacted with are just disgusting. I expected so much better for those that administer care to our veterans and their families, how sad.
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While the Portland VA Hospital was awesome during my 3 day hospitalization in July 2020, I just found out that the VA system is refusing to provide COVID-19 tests to any disabled veteran who while being exposed to a person who is positive for COVID-19 is asymptomatic. NICE WAY TO KEEP YOUR DISABLED VETS SAFE!!!!
have had some good treatments and some bad. Had knee surgery there. Have a civilian doc that helped me.out after with a knee brace and said I will need a replacement in two years from the VA botched job...wasn't worth the 8 month wait for surgery.. Been hospitalized twice with infections they never cohiuld figure out.
Important NOV 20, 2020. My first visit was 42 years ago, and despite some hiccups, I'm still going. It must work. (Teeth, knees shot; normal wear & tear.) It's complicated and some people take years to figure it out. Some, like me, are still working on it. Thank God for the workers, the techs, pharmacy- they are getting it done at a rough time, be kind to your PCP- she is the best road to care for about everything
The absolute worst VA Hospital I have ever been to. Was injured 7 hears ago and the doctors did nothing for a damaged knee, broken rt collarbone, massive tears in rt rotator cuff, severely injured left forearm, and vetebrae in neck knocked out of whack causing numbness in left side. After 22 m0nths had to go to SLC VA where I have spent a lot of time, and had a directory to restore feeling. After 6 years with injuries came back to Oregon with only the neck surgery done and they refuse to treat me saying I am hostile and I am an ordained minister in serious pain for 7 years now . I would never send anyone there. I spent 11 years in Army to be kicked under the bus.
Appointment times are more of a suggestion on their part, currently an hour past my appointment time and they don't care. They assume I have all day to wait for them. I wonder what they would do if I showed up an hour late expecting to be seen? Now an hour and half and still waiting on doctor. This is a management issue not provider issue.
I am not sure why there are so many negative posts about the Portland VA. I moved from VA to here about 4 years ago and went to the VA about a year after I got here. The care, speed of appointments and overall experience has been wonderful. I came from the greater VA/DC area where the VA hospital seemed nothing moire than a giant adult daycare center where people would just go and sit all day, many without appointments. Here at the PDX VA, things are different. Still a number of vets, but the folks seem to be getting better care, or at least when I sit and chat with some of them they say that. I just want to send a great thanks to all of the doc's there, but especially those people who work in Audiology, Vision, Sleep Center and the Pain Management team. those caring folks have kept me happy and well and are always looking out for my well being. Can't say enough about this team....maybe the best in the business..
Good basic health care. Compassionate workers. Competent doctors. Improves as needed. Clean, logically laid out campus. Nice, friendly attendants. Every one should be provided health care this good. Want elective surgery? Not a feature, it's a needs based facility.
Parking can be a challenge so if you aren't there to be seen at VA please park some where else. No OHSU parking, please. Venders please find other parking. Smart to arrive early to find your spot. DAV has shuttle to Vancouver VA from here.
they are the best for what their given with lack of enough staff and proper equipment THANK YOU!!! You've come along ways as health care for Veterans has improved a lot in the past 5 years keep up the great work!!!
This is the almost worst hospital in the VA SYSTEM. I have been waiting for an appointment for going on 9 months i have COPD my oxygen level is down to 92% on a good day and can't be seen. WHAT THE HELL.........
Why does an organization with 4.2 rating delete negative reviews from Veterans? never pulled a trigger in defense 4.2 rating. The Patient Advocates and management at this VA( I refuse to say leadership because there is none, mostd and not from their experience, training or accolades) should hang their heads low in shame.
I was sent here by the Boise (Id.) V.A. Regional Medical Center for suspected heart problems. My treatment from the minute I entered the building was top notch. I went straight into ICU as I had other problems as well. The doctors and nurses jumped on my various problems as fast as the could. From blood work to x-rays to stress tests there was no waiting around. Everything was done almost as fast as the doctors ordered it. What impressed me most was the personal service. One nurse actually gave me a hair cut while another lent me a charger for my cell phone. As I was there for Christmas, I even received several Christmas presents that were sent in by several charity groups. If you are a Vet and Have to go to a hospital and live in the area this is the PLACE to go. Even if you don't live in the area like me it is still a good place to go. BTW they fixed the electrical problem with my heart and corrected and abnormal heart rhythm.
The VA Health Care System across the board is BAD I'm not suppose to pay copays for anything acroding to the means test and have my comp pay taken plus intrest, taken long time to get 100% sc their are less good Dr's and Administraters in the VA system as a whole the Veterans that are getting the treatment they need great. The meds that i need at most VA's is nonformulary and the Dr's don't want to do the paper work to get them approved .
I have been treated at the Portland and Vancouver medical centers since 1991 and as with any government program there are always ups and downs in quality of care. That said, if it weren t for the VA I would be dead!! I have watched the mental health s treatment drastically increase in effectiveness, my CBOC, Dr. Dove and staff really care about your health and well being, and without the pharmacy I would be broke! One amazing thing that has recently happened and inspired my writing this review, is the quality of the last pair of glasses I received a few months ago. The last few pairs fell apart constantly! The pair I have now are the best glasses I have ever had! And I ve had a few, VA and private. They are indestructible and I predict I will have them for years!! THUMBS UP to all VA Staff who I believe really do there best at there jobs and care about Veterans even when under supplied and under staffed!!
So I've been waiting to be assigned a PCM since I enrolled in Feb 2017 at the Portland VA. I called in March and was supposed to get a call back with an assigned PCM, then called back in June to check the status. I called today and was told I was no longer enrolled??!! Don't quite understand how that happens. Get transferred to enrollment who asks if I've physically enrolled which was also a yes. He stated that since I'm retired why I don't have CHAMPUS or Tricare..which I do, but it's the VA'S responsibility to care for me..why would I see a PCM thru Tricare with a copay when I could go to the VA. I earned that benifit I then get told that they are going to raise it via the chain-of-command:DE ja Vue from the conversation in June; and that someone will give me a call. I told them I won't hold my breath.
My husband, Doug Holden is a veteran that gets his care here in Portland and has been for many years. We arrived 3 hours after our appointment time due to the distance we had to travel. We called ahead to tell them we'd be late and they told us to come ahead and the CT scan could be done anyway but we'd have to be fit into the schedule. We only waited for 15 minutes or so and were taken in and the scan was done. The staff were all professional and courteous.
I took my Viet Nam Vet father in for cataract surgery. I work at a private hospital for the last 15 years! So I know my around health care. And I have to say I'm very impressed with Portland VA hospital!!! Prompt care, treated with respect! You guys are doing good work for our heroes! Thanks
This review is for the Portland VA's ER, the system's only urgent care facility.
When you sign up for health care from the VA, you are assigned a primary care practitioner (PCP), likely to be a nurse. If you are sick, it usually takes at least a few days to get in to see this person, who then mostly farms you out to specialty clinics. After that, and weeks of phone tag, clinic appointments are then scheduled for several months later.
Though it is not well advertised, the emergency room downtown is the only place for "emergent/urgent care" in the VA system. Your PCP might begrudgingly refer you there for urgent or weekend care, but you can go there without the referral as long as you are in the system -- and possibly even if you are not in the system, though I do not know that for sure.
The ER is located just to the left before you enter the lobby on the ground floor of the main VA building. Inside the VA lobby itself, there are usually dozens of sickly looking, mostly elderly vets sitting on chairs and staring out at the gray concrete parking lot and buildings. By contrast, inside the ER waiting room, there is usually nobody, or maybe a handful of people, glumly watching (or ignoring) the ubiquitous Fox News Channel while wearing the annoyed and confused expression common to almost all patients in the VA system.
There are over a hundred thousand vets in the Portland metro area, and though only a fraction are in the VA health system, the inoccupancy of its only urgent care facility seems perplexing -- at first.
You sign in at the desk, where two people sit serving nobody for 98 percent of the time. For the first occurrence (out of about a hundred to come) you are asked to confirm your name and numbers. You are given a wristband to wear with this info as well. There must be a horrible history of patient mix-ups underlying this, but it grows tiresome when every person asks these questions repeatedly.
The check-in person asks you why you are there and tells you to take a seat. This is when you start waiting for long, random periods of time. It is quiet, except for the outraged babble on Fox, as you wait for a half hour to three hours for your name to be called.
You are first summoned into a small closet off the waiting room where a hostile nurse will take your vitals. Woe to you if you have not had your flu shot that year, as all ailments and injuries are then squarely on your head. The pain scale you are asked to rate yourself on makes no sense, as the description for Level 8 says you are too sick to get out of bed. Since you are here, it seems your pain level could not possibly be more than 7, unless you were wheeled in barely conscious. Regardless, you get nothing for the pain.
They may send you back to the waiting room or you might get a golden ticket to finally enter the ER bay. This is like no other ER you have ever been in. Among a handful of patients, there are a dozen or more staff talking leisurely among themselves in the dark roomy space.
You are shuffled into a curtained room for another long wait to see an actual doctor, which we all recognize as the norm of the American health care system.
If you are getting a knife wound stitched or a boil lanced, I trust them to do it competently. If you show up with an immediate life threatening condition, this process would be accelerated. If you are there for urgent care, though -- such as severe flu, pinched nerve, or due to an emerging follow-up symptom which your PCP advised you to come for -- you are treated with some degree of indifference or worse.
There will be long waits for any tests and for any prescriptions and it will be hours before you leave, having received a minimal level of care and a referral back to your PCP to begin the process all over again.
Like me, you may be getting your VA healthcare for free due to the poverty wages of working full time in our tremendous economy. However, like the military institution itself, you are a name and number and nothing more.
Primary care takes forever to get an appointment 2-3 months. No one ever returns phone calls. Getting scheduled with Veterans choice is supposed to be quicker but the paperwork takes forever.
I was in physical therapy but moved. Trying to get it set up where I live now but VA sends me to tri-west, tri-west says the authorization was already used so I have to get a new one, takes me a week to get a new one and then I call Tri-west back. They inform me it takes 2-4 days for them to receive the authorization from my primary care to even get the process started.
Cant get an orthopedic consult which I need until I do 8 weeks of physical therapy and that fails. Meanwhile I'm in pain and cant do anything.
The process for the VA is ridiculous. Make an appointment to make an appointment to get seen for what you need. There has to be a better way...
I had a collapsed lung operation on 10-15-13. I can't say enough about the professional, courteous, kind care I received from the doctors, Nurses and staff on floor 9D. They took extremely good care of me during my stay. I m very grateful to them. 5 stars in my book .Kudos to you all you re awesome! Breathing well in Spokane Jay J.
I went with my mother-in-law.The building seemed a bit outdated and old, but still taken care of. Everyone was really nice and helpful. The cafeteria was great! Bathrooms were clean. The gift shop had a big selection of things too, like a small Target. Parking was easy to find and free. Police and security were walking around too. It felt safe. Overall, a really good VA.
If I could drive them zero stars I would. Call center reps all the way up to the top medical staff is RUDE and extremely disrespectful. No regard for you as a human being whatsoever. They treat you as if you are their LAST priority and God forbid you express a concern to these people. Disorganized, disheartening and honestly a disgrace to veterans seeking healthcare. Don't join the medical field in any capacity if you lack any common human decency. I am disgusted with the VA medical staff, absolutely disgusted with the way they have treated and talked to me.
This is one of the best hospitals and doctors I have ever experienced. This VA location has treated me for the last 17 years without a single bad experience. I'm sorry I had to leave Portland. I truly miss all of the great doctors that have treated me over the years. Thank you all.
They dont care at all. Doctors and psychiatrists know im suicidal and have a laundry list of mental issues but never once have I gotten a check up call on missing appointments or for rescheduling them. I've been waiting to see how long it takes before they contact me but honestly, I think blowing my brains out in their parking lot will send a message faster .
My experience with staff yesterday was great. I really enjoy the attention which I received and the professionalism of the staff. I have always appreciated the staff and the job they do.
My experience in the waiting area on the third floor wasn't satisfactory. The smell of stale cigarettes and other offensive odors was over welling. I realize that smoking is prohibited but those who do the smell comes with them. That mixed with the smell of alcohol is nauseating. Not sure what can be done. Maybe a good cleaning and new paint. Thanks for listening
Notice after reading this that for every 1-2 star rating this VA gets, there s at least a dozen 5 star reviews that are pretty suspect of being generic. With that said... The Emergency department here is among the worst, if not the worst, you can experience at a VA. Dealing with them for just the three years I ve lived in PDX, I ve seen horrible levels of incompetence. I can honestly say that I ve only received real care there once, and that s only because the PA that I had that evening was someone I served with on my 5th combat tour. The staff is notorious for their condescending behavior and apparent disdain for anyone that comes through their doors. Expect to go there with a problem, and leave with that same problem but just highly irritated and humiliated. I can t afford health insurance like a lot of other disabled combat veterans and we were promised healthcare for our sacrifices. I survived so much, but I don t think it s possible to survive this VA.
THIS WILL PROBABLY GET DELETED. BUT I WILL TRY TO KEEP POSTING IT SO YOU ALL KNOW THE TRUTH!!
11-16-2017 My husband comes here from time to time for his appointments. So far the care is decent.
But last night his fellow Marine went in due to wounds that aren't visible. And he was not taken serious. The man that checked him in laughed and said what are you trying to do bust your rating? You are well dressed and clean cut, you don't need help. It took so much strength for a combat vet to admit to himself that he needs help. And then when he tries to get it he is laughed at and sent home.
As my husband now rushing to his brother's house in order to assure that his brother doesn't pull that trigger. I blame you! The Potland VA Hospital! The ones that say they are here for you during your time of need.
Thankfully his wife called us and my husband got there in time so that his brother didn't become a statistic. Tonight my husband saved a Marine, a Vet that could have had the help he needed if it wasn't for the Vet rep that turned him away.
Makes me proud to be an American when our government takes care of our sick veterans. prices in the cafeteria and in the store are a little high but dollar scoops of ice cream ever so often makes up for it
If i could i would give them no stars. I went in and saw a doctor who did not like veterans was rude and refused to evaluate my inner ear issues from TBI related injuries. I paid out of pocket to see a non VA Dr. who diagnosed me with a serious condition. I brought my complaint to the hospital and i was never contacted for a follow up. If i called them to follow up i would get the voicemail runaround with no calls back. This place is an embarrassment and needs to be evaluated by DC.
I tried to use the Portland VA ER last night. Be advised a female Dr.by the name of Rebecca Lucas is a attending VA ER Docter. Have had issues both times I have encountered her assistance. Please note, Female Docter is very self consumed.Plus does not display professionalism at all times. Not a positive Physician,I would recommend to anyone with medical concerns. Not someone that is VA staff professional.
We have received some pretty horrific and overwhelming new this week. But my husbands care has been amazing. These people care. They listen to everything and they try to make everything past perfect here for us.
If it were my Xhusband posting he would give the VA hospital five stars because of their ability to keep his privacy. Why that was good for him and while they would love to get five stars I don't feel the same. I feel like a life saved would be more important than privacy. But that's just the way l think. See l believe in the DUTY TO WARN. Jeffrey B, if you are an employee of the hospital and a vet l can see why you get your needs met. Maybe they can accommodate all the other vets and hire them as well so they can also get their needs met. To SM If you served our country and did so as bravely as you have said then l find so much shame in our country and the VA hospital in turning you down for such a simple need as a shower. You deserve much more. Because of good men as yourself we as Americans have the freedom to a nice hot shower in our own homes. As an American l am sorry. As a human being l would open my home to you for a shower and a hot meal and a friend. God Bless you from the bottom of my heart and all the vets in your situation. And Thank you
Takes months to get an appointment with a general doctor and then when you get one the Doc is only willing to talk about a single issue. Got multiple problems? Sucks to be you. You have to set up another appointment months away.
A lot better then any of the other VA Hospitals I have been too. Its very up to date and clean. Everyone loves my best friend (Dog) Ammo Wiley. And there is beautiful girls everywhere.
After walking around for a bit I have noticed a numerous amount of questionable service members. To All my brothers and sisters out there start putting people on blast.
This V A Facility is the WORST that I have ever been to. I drove 2 and a half hours from Newport Oregon for an appointment and sat in the waiting area for 45 minutes and was never called. I went to the desk and asked if I was checked in and was told yes that I was. Sat for 20 more minutes and still did not get called. I finally got up and walked out. I then called the Patient Advocate and told her what had happened. She told me that she would look into it. Nothing was done. I called her again and complained again. Same result as the last time. I was denied my Travel Reimbursement so I called the Patient Advocate again. Talked to a different woman this time and she told me that there was no appointment scheduled for that day. Someone had deleted it from the system. So tired of having to drive 2 and a half hours just to see a Specialist. And I agree that the Interns from OSHU Should not be allowed to touch my body.
My brother, Claude A. Fuller was admitted into the hospital due to complications of advanced C.O.P.D. I was extremely impressed with Doctor Kurt Kent. He was very good at letting me know what was going on and gave my brother excellent care! I really could not have been treated better.
The phone takes 20 minutes listing to robots to try to call them no one ever pics up or doesn'tfollow up with an appointment line they say there doing. Then when you walk in they won't hep you and tell you to call for an appointment. When i did sign up finally they didn't cover any of my hospital bills even though i got shot. The only thing they helped with was in home nurses. The va's a joke and i hope i can help younger people with knowing what it's all about before they join.
My dad is a Vietnam veteran. He would not be alive if it weren t for the excellent care he receives. He has been admitted to the hospital many times. The doctors and nurses have always been caring. We are truly blessed!
I was pleasantly surprised about the speed and quality of my care here. I just went to get a diagnosis of what I thought was a staph infection(it wasn't) and I was in and out with my prescription I'm no time.
With all the negative publicity around the VA recently I was expecting a ridiculous wait time and inept doctors. I was wrong! I only went as a last resort because my regular insurance ran out but now I'm glad I did.
my care has been spotty at best...my first Dr w/ primary care, touched me in inappropriate manner....i transferred to another Dr, and things went well for a few years..i was told the VA was on a crusade re pain meds and have been taken off hydrocodone..which did help a great deal...some invisible committee, probably wearing hoods, made this decision...at this point i have no faith in VA...my Dr's seem content to pump the 'faith healing' line of VA culture...i am really disappointed, but the culture at VA will never change...Bay Pines was much better, but had same issues...i will use VA for essential items, and things, but will never be involved w/ them for any critical meds or services....one of the staff told me i was racist because i was White...she is employed in ER staff....with the faith healing attitude of Dr's and the multicultural diversity religion of lower staff, i would advise White veterans to try other health care arrangements..the price is right, but one gives up one's dignity in process.....
The people who work here really do care. We hear it's the best in the country and we don't doubt it. Even under staffed, these folks make a difference.
The staff has always treated me well here. Dr. Turner deserves especial praise, and has gone out of his way to make sure I receive great care. I used to belong to the Orlando VA system, and wow, what a horror show. The Portland VA is night and day compared to that place. In fact, I declined to ever go back there, even when I needed them, that's how awful it was. Since I recognize both good and bad care, I can tell you from my personal experience that you should expect to be happy with Portland VA. Kudos to all there that make it happen. Incredible job. You all should be very proud of the great work you're doing.
They don t care about veterans. 22. Veterans commit suicide everyday, and from my opinion the Portland facility does not care enough to lower those numbers. My family needs housing and right away we were referred to a homeless shelter. This facility is garbage if I could give this negative five stars I definitely would.
I just got home from a total of thirteen days in the Portland V.A. hospital. I can tell you that the entire staff there treat us veterans with the utmost care and respect. They are professional, knowledgeable, and highly proficient. The doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, food service workers, sanitation. ALL OUTSTANDING! I never dreamed any hospital would or could treat patients so well. I'm impressed mightily.
