Watauga Medical Center Reviews

I had a procedure last week and the experience was so much better than I anticipated. The staff and provider were very nice and professional.

Staff were amazing, super friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

My daughter fell at a ski lodge and we brought in to make sure okay. They were all amazing!!! We were seen right away and the doctor was wonderful. Bless you all.

They have a wonderful staff at Watauga Medical. I had a great experience and was taken very well care of for my surgery.

Watauga Medical Center is one of the most expensive hospitals in North Carolina. I advise people to shop around and you will find much better prices for the same procedure and service.

Watauga Medical Center doesnt even deserve this one star. Every single time I visit this place, I have the worst experience. Please if you can avoid coming here..DO at all costs.

I have nothing but praises for the staff of this medical center. I am 76 y/0 and have been in my fair share of hospitals. . I have never received the attention I received here. Professional, efficient and friendly. Howard Esko

Been to the ER twice now for the same reason and still they refuse to treat the patient I was with. I don't understand what the disconnect is here. None of the nurses or doctors care about the patient no matter their ailment. Nurse for the patient I was with also acknowledged that they improperly fed medicine through an IV that was supposed to be an injection. This resulted in the patient visibly shaking, almost throwing up, and almost passing out. I had to call the nurse in three times and she proceeded to do absolutely nothing. I will never go back.

My best friend was admitted to this hospital for a kidney issue with bladder thickening. she was in so much pain. They suggested a need for surgery but the surgeon with a God complex kept changing his mind. They would determine a plan of care, then change it an hour later. Eventually she was transfered to Forsyth. I am praying for God's help.

Don't go to the ER unless you're literally breathing your dying breath. They don't take you seriously, leave you sitting alone for hours, and have misdiagnosed me or the person I was there with every time we've gone. I only met two staff members that weren't blatantly rude. Not to mention I was told that my insurance was accepted, but I was charged $700 for a urine analysis...

I just want to say how much I appreciate the great care that my son received while in the ER by Dr. Lucky and Michelle Dollar! You guys are awesome!

The business office and billing offices are substandard with followup with patients, and are totally unwilling to work with patients to pay money owed to the medical center. They set up a payment plan which was for a considerable amount of money for a surgery, and will not allow any payment plan to extend for longer than 24 months. After paying monthly for 6 months, they call and say that the office made a "mistake", and now will increase my payment because my account could only have a 18 month plan. It took 6 months to discover their error? When i asked why the adjustment was being made now, and what criteria is used to determine what is qualified for 18 months versus 24 months, I was told I would need to call their business office. Oh, and patient care is well below other hospitals I have been a patient at, 8 hour delay for my surgery. I will never go there for medical care again.

I went in this morning for a scheduled procedure. I just wanted to say how well I was treated by the entire staff. From the moment I checked in, until I awoke up in recovery, the care and concern shown by everyone was well beyond what I ever expected. I truly appreciate that Boone has a medical facility of this caliber. Please convey to all the folks on the second floor, surgery department, my deepest appreciation. Again , thanks for making my short visit a pleasure.

Most the staff was helpful and kind except for one nurse, Karen. By far the worst nurse I have ever seen. She needs to revisit her patient care techniques. She was overly aggressive with her patient by constantly pushing her down against the hospital bed when she was in a sickly and confused state. She was an abusive caregiver which is unacceptable in my eyes. The only reason I'm not giving a 1 star rating is because the other staff was helpful and I had an overall decent impression of the other staff and environment.

Beware of being told that your insurance will pay their bills. They will always hold you responsible, even if they are not diligent in obtaining insurance pre-approval. They will continue scheduling you for treatment, in my case rehabilitation, even knowing when insurance is declining bills. Beware, as they do not see themselves as responsible! Try and keep your wits about yourself especially if you are recovering from a stroke. Billing department has no mercy.

Took 8 hours to get four stitches in my finger. Think about that. 8 hours. A nurse also locked me out of the bathroom that leads to my room by accident. A lot of the staff seems like they re not sure what they re doing, but at least my doctor was great and smart and they helped me get a ride home at 5am. Got there at 7pm btw.

My husband had an outpatient surgery with Dr. Voglewede. Wearing off the anesthesia wasn t easy for him, but the nurses and staff went above and beyond expectations to make sure he was comfortable. During the procedure, we got calls every hour updating us on his progress! It was as wonderful as the experience could have gone.

All of the nurses were exceptionally helpful and very nice. While I waited on my husband to get out of surgery they allowed me to sit in the room and served me a wonderful lunch. I would recommend choosing them for all your surgery needs. Dr Anderson did a wonderful job on my husband's knee Said it already felt better.

This place is a scheduling NIGHTMARE. What a monopoly and they charge way higher than any other area facility because they are a monopoly. It's a shame that they can even get by with this. This place doesn't deserve 1 star much less a second thought. I would never recommend this place.

I had a scary medical condition that had repeated itself several times while in Boone area on vacation. I was seen quickly and evaluated by Dr. Ed, ER physician. I can't say enough about his kindness and thoroughness in assessing my situation. He ordered numerous labs, all finished and presented to me within one hour. He offered wise counsel and I was on my way. Wish we had this facility and Dr. Ed in Sarasota.
What a community asset.

WORST HOSPITAL I HAVE EVER BEEN!. I could give them a ZERO STAR if I could. To start with, the admission nurse did not seem to ask for the medications I take. When I suggested for her to note them down, she dismissed it as unimportant. Then she showed about 10 minutes later to take my temperature; which she forgot to do as part of taking the vital signs. Sometime later the nurse practitioner, ( not a real docto) showed up and as I tell her my symptoms and give her the history of why I was there, she replies that I needed to go back when I am experiencing the symptoms. Evidently, she did not hear a word I said. Then, she checks my ear, orders a blood test panel and after getting the results she comes back and said there isn t anything wrong, just high levels of inflammation markers; which she did not even explain what could be causing it. I had to dig more information out of her in order to at least have a clue of what may be going on.IF I COULD CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND REQUEST FOR THEM NOT TO GET PAID, I WOULD!. THEY JUST TOOK MY MONEY AND DID NOTHING!!!!.
Unfortunately, I live in this community and I am stuck with that scary place!.

Longest hospital visit of my entire life. Took 6 hours to do a blood test and Ct scan

The nurses and staff and Doctors were outstanding.All were very courteous, helpful and caring. A visit to a hospital is rarely a pleasant situation, but these staff members made it more than just tolerable. I very much appreciate and thank them again.

have been dealing with pain in a certain region for a few years. pain increased this week to the point where my leg was shaking despite having been treated 3 times in the past at 3 different locations for this condition. was told the last time to seek a specialist to whom they referred me, but initially the symptoms and pain left me and so i never sought an appointment. called in this time to set up appointment for the pain i was feeling. was told that they do not do appointments but that if i am feeling pain to come to the ER. went to ER, and doctor so and so criticized me for coming to the ER and for not seeking the specialist. doctor would not listen to me trying to explain that my pain had increased recently, repeatedly interrupting me and telling me that they aren't trained for chronic pain in the ER. spoke to me like a child, though i have a STEM degree, and implied that my pain was not bad. prescribed me ibuprofen, which i have at my apartment. was handed a paper packet afterwards that defined chronic pain for me, which ironically states that if pain suddenly increases and/or causes shaking that one should seek medical attention immediately. gave me a referral and i left. i suppose this is my fault. i'm not upset about criticism i received but the care i was given was not what i would expect from health care specialists.

I'm from out of town and had to come to the ER last night. I was having an allergic reaction. The doctor and nursing staff we incredible. I am grateful for their fast acting and remarkable healthcare.
- Brandy S

It will need to be a life threatening emergency before I go back there.Worse experience I've ever had in a hospital.Wife has Final stage Alzheimer's and was there 5 hours ask for her a cup of ice water they never brought it to her.I ask if could have her put in memory home they well it's Friday I guess your not supposed to need help on Friday.Serious I would go to a vet before I go back there

Patient Beware. I have been a patient of several different physicians associated with this medical center for 5+ years. This is a for profit facility, and their billing department has no compassion. I had the misfortune of requiring a referral to Wound Care through Watauga MC. I have been a wound care patient before with a different physician, and never, ever have I encountered such an expensive and convoluted system to maximize fees charged to a patient. You begin by scheduling an appointment at the Wound Care Center. And when you walk in the door, Watauga charges you over $1,000 to attend this appointment. And they open an account number for this appointment. Every time you attend your scheduled appointment, you get another account number opened, and another charge for $1,000. I began to receive the bills almost immediately. I couldn t believe the excessive cost for attending an appointment, in a physician s office. I called my insurance company for an explanation. They told me that Watauga was charging me a facility fee , which is not illegal, but not commonly done. So every appointment at Wound Care is billed the same as going to the Emergency Room. The situation became rapidly confusing with so many different account numbers, and my out of pocket balances became unaffordable. I had to terminate my wound care treatments against medical advice, before my wounds had closed. I never saw a doctor, only a PA. He prescribed an antibiotic for a wound related infection. He transmitted the prescription to the pharmacy without identifying it to me. If he had bothered to read my list of medications that I am allergic to, he would have avoided making a medical error, which was immediately flagged by the pharmacy. The pharmacist called the PA for an order of a different antibiotic that I was not allergic to. I ended up with owing Watauga a significant amount of money even after what was covered by my insurance for the 6 appointments I attended, even with terminating my treatment against medical advice. With the help of my husband dressing the area, the wounds did heal. At the very least, Watauga should inform the patient about their very expensive facility fees at a doctor s office. Even more, staff should read patient history to avoid medical errors. In the future, I won t be seeing any physicians affiliated with Watauga. Too expensive, so cumbersome to have 6 new accounts to pay on in only a few weeks.

Out patient staff was caring and made my mother feel comfortable throughout her cateract surgeries. Overall a good experience.

Working for the company sucks! If a lower manager ask an higher one for help. The higher one just say it s your job figure it out. As well known that they are under staffed, want very detailed certain things to be done yet doesn t want any over time on the pay roll to complete the fast he wanted in the first place. All they care about is how much money they can make and not about their employees or patients. As well as for the ER my cousin who is a little boy broke his arm and no one in the ER gave him any pain medicine. Instead after waiting many hours the Paramedics gave them to him on the way to transporting him to another facility for surgery. Many peopel in the community would rather go to another hospital in fear if the go to yours and be further injured.

This is regarding a ER visit that we just had concerning my 6 year old daughter. She busted her mouth and had extensive damage to her teeth and a pretty badly busted up lip. First off the staff was cold and seemed totally bothered that we were there. They basically said they could do nothing for her and got us out as quickly as possible. We had to ask about a possible concussion. When we asked we were given a totally ridiculous explanation about concussions. They did not offer any relief to my 6 year old for the pain. They didn't offer any advise for the busted lip that was swelling right in front if our eyes. They were useless. I feel sorry for those parents who don't have the medical knowledge I have. I will think twice before ever taking my children back there.

I went to see a Urologist at WATAUGA MEDICAL CENTER for a condition that may be potentially dangerous or at least worth looking as to determine whether or not there's a malignancy present. Surgery was recommended as a precaution. As per usual my medical history was offered during the intake process. I presented with the condition of concern, but also with an additional chronic, well managed medical condition. I have worked very hard and have been successful at managing said condition for over 15 years. Long story short, because of this condition, I was refused treatment by two other doctors to which I was being referred. I was then referred to another hospital more than two hours away. I don't mind driving that far, however I have to question the validity of the right of these doctors to refuse service, when considerable harm can be extremely dangerous if not lethal. My question is this, I understand that the right to refuse service is legal. However I question that right being extended to doctors. I may be wrong and it's worth looking into further, but so far I've not seen anything that says a doctor has the same right. I do know however that doctors take an oath to "cause no harm", which can be used to refuse service when the physician believes the procedure would further exacerbate a medical condition. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I wonder just how valid this act taken by these doctors is morally correct. In the meantime I am now refusing treatment from the WATAUGA MEDICAL CENTER and any of it's referrals, and am going on my own to find another doctor at a better informed medical center. DO NOT GO TO WATAUGA MEDICAL CENTER if at all possible.

The care and respect shown to my mom, family and friends has been outstanding. I could not be happier with my mom's care and knowing she is in great hands when I have to leave. Dr. Meadows is an outstanding doctor and showed the entire family the courtesy and explained everything about what was going on with my mom. I can not say enough great things about this hospital. I truly feel like my questions are answered and never made to feel stupid for asking about anything. When my mom went in, she was in so much pain and now she is doing so much better. Almost like she is a new person! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

Was left in the waiting room for three hrs letting other people go that had just came in I had to leave and go to another hospital I never felt so looked over in my life I hope to never go there again

Had a stroke as I was admitted to this hospital in November of 2011, I can't begin to tell everyone how well myself and my family were treated by everyone at this facility as well as how they responded so quickly. I think it was because of their attendance and professionalism I am still enjoying a healthy life today in 2020.
Thanks to all, Harry Lee
P.S. Also would like to thank the records section for their help and fast response to my request.

Drive to a local surgical facility and avoid this hospital. As many have stated, this hospital is a for-profit business. They charged 3 times what it would have cost at Frye Regional Medical Center or Viewmont Surgery Center (both in Hickory). They have refused to work with us or lower our out of pocket, offering only to let us pay the maximum out of pocket over a 2 year time frame: how will this help us cope with future medical costs?

I have been admitted to this hopaital 5 or 6 times for various reasons, and have also received outpatient testing. The nurses and staff are incredibly rude and can be heard in the hallway gossiping about patients, as I heard them make snarky comments about myself and my medical records. All of the medical professionals just don't seem to care. After my most recent visit, and having another terrible experience, I have made the decision that the 45 minute drive to Cannon is well worth the excellent service I recieve there. I am praying I never need an ambulance for emergency care, in which case I would be dragged back to this awful facility.

The service I received from the medical staff there was top notch!! This hospital is amazing, I went in with a horrible case of Strep Throat, they treated me like a human being and not like a walking disease, talked to me and guided me thru the medication list I need and such, even took the time to listen to me blather on about my past hospital visits!! If you need Care App is the most Fair!!!!

Every visit to the ER is different and I understand some of the frustrations of persons submitting reviews. However, there are two sides to every story and in cases where the ER is overloaded with patients, who require critical care, there are going to be wait periods. Last September 2017, I was transferred from the ER in West Jefferson to the room where my room was ready at Watauga and that part of the incident was painless. I met the nurses within minutes and stayed overnight. (I had breathing issues and W. Jefferson;s hospital was booked, so that is the reason I was sent to Watauga.) But everyone from the person cleaning my room to the doctors were exceptional. I've been in and out of hospitals for over 25 years, and believe me, I definitely know the difference.

In addition, the billing department has bent over backwards to help me with paying my bill. I'm still paying on it due to their exceptional attitude toward customer service.

Very disrespectful staff! They were super condescending while I was talking to them while I was experiencing intense Costochondritis symptoms!

Went to Harmony Health for an appointment, part of the appt required post-appt work from Pathology Assc. of Boone. NOBODY told me that there would be an additional bill for one appointment for a company I had never even heard of or spoken with. Pathology Assc. sent one letter via snail mail notifying me of a bill. I assumed this had been a bill for Harmony that was waiting for insurance to process. A month later I get a letter from a collections agency for a charge from this company (I had no idea what company this was). Called Pathology Assc. asking what is was for and why this hadn't been added to the Harmony bill or why I was NEVER contacted other than through a bill in the mail. Was told (by a really unpleasant employee) that "We don't make phone calls".
So because:

1. Watauga Medical system is so slow to progress that they can't wrap their heads around a single unified billing system
2. nobody told me I would have a 2nd bill from a company I had never heard of
3. Watauga Medical system is so behind the times they can't call or email their clients when mail fails to warrant a response

I spoke with others around town and have been told this is the status quo and that they had similar experiences

I now have to be concerned about my credit being altered. SO unprofessional. I will not be using this company or ANY under the watauga medical branch again. I'll just head down the mountain.

The absolute worst hospital on the east coast. Save a lot of head ache and go to Caldwell or cannon. I went yesterday with severe diarrhea and vomiting for 3 days includes abdominal pain severely. The doctor took blood and said everything looks good. I say how does the blood show if I have a virus or bacteria he says it doesn't. I say well then what do we look at to find out what's going on. He says we don't the blood looks fine. So I leave with no meds or discharge for why I went in. Through the night the symptoms have worsened severly and I have to go back. By the way the labs came to my mobile phone and as I looked they weren't ok the red blood was very high which meant severe dehydration but who cares the think people don't know what they talk about and are too stupid to understand. Anyway I go back today extreamly severe symptoms and very sick. The same nurse ratchet from yesterday is in triage and was still as omnipotent and rude. She says well it's the doctor's discression on what test he does so sit out in the lobby and we'll see you when we can. I say at least please get a stool sample since I've been waiting this long holding it for him to get sample. She says ok sir here you go and hands me a urine specimen cup and says " good luck with all that". Are you kidding me? This hospital everyone needs to stay away from they are horrible people and horrible facility. They play silly games with people's lives.

I m not sure what the problem is with their invoicing and billing. They should be much faster with processing. Never have I encountered a medical center who takes so long to process billing. I just moved, set up mail forwarding, have received NO bills, and yet a debt collection agency calls?! Of course I paid the balance immediately, but it signals laziness to first, not make a decent attempt at collecting yourself, and second, how can you just now be contacting me about services I received over 6 months ago?!?

Maybe a trivial opinion, but a facility should make a decent attempt at collecting a balance before sending it to a debt collection agency.

Don t deal with the inevitable headache of Watauga Medical Center. Do yourself a favor and drive off the mountain.

My daughter had her first baby here last weekend and I am very impressed! The nursing staff were all fantastic and her mid-wife was wonderful!
Special thanks to her primary nurse, Shilohe, during labor. She was excellent at explaining everything that was happening and she was very supportive and helpful.
All of the nurses were excellent in helping with nursing too. Again, very supportive and helpful.

Never sent a bill. Then I saw in other reviews they don t send a bill, just send your account to collections. So I tried contacting them by phone (Several times- never got a person), email, and through our insurance company. I received absolutely no response or communication. Then it came - letter from collection agency. This poor service is inexcusable.

I went in to the E.R. as a total last resort with head and neck pain, joint pain, nausea and shortness of breath. They did EKG and chest x - ray which they said showed nothing wrong. Gave me pain meds. and nausea meds. Nothing for shortness of breath. Nothing else really matters if you can't breathe. Called back two days later after suffering terribly for an inhaler. Said I must come back in or go somewhere else. My husband is out of work and we cannot afford to do that right now and why should I have to. This is first time I have reviewed anything. Staff was nice, but I would rather them be mean and do what's necessary.

Nurses of 2West are AWESOME. My stay was not of my choice and their care and consideration (and inspiration) was a main factor in my healing. The food was great. I will always and all ways appreciate the kindness and understanding and dedication of the staff.

I would highly recommend Watauga Medical Center. Everyone was so nice and attentive to my needs. Made sure my pain was managed and I had everything I needed.

I have never been hospitalized but this review is about the cafeteria. The food is good and inexpensive. The staff are nice. You won't find lobster tail but as far as cafeteria food goes this place is not bad.

Poor quality service!!!! Brought my mother and they was a lady taking temperatures and 2 standing just talking away wasting clients/hospital/insurance money and they give you a tag as a visitor and tell you to join the patient and you go be seated and then 30 mins later they tell people the visitor can t be with the patient. Ok I am all about safety but why send people to be with the patient and sit in a waiting room then ask you to go to another waiting that s not even spaced but 4 3 apart. It would make more sense to tell patients and the visitor facts at the front not risk other patients and guests moving Why in the waiting room patients and guests are quiet the hospital staff is making large amounts of noise by talking and laughing. They also seem to love to schedule appointments at a certain time but it s strange it takes a entire hour later to get you back. With COVID 19 and all the quote concerns why have people there a hour for an appointment.

From Gaston County, visiting. I met Josh at Triage, and that entire morning shift in e.r.
Ultrasound to shift nurse who gave results, best team I've ever witnessed. Charlotte area has lost that professionalism. And personal care.
Courtesy, care, and education? You have no competition in the industry. Amazing!

Okay just let me share my thoughts right now I disagree with all the one star ratings because even though this is a medical center it has good quality and good service dislocated his knee and in his condition it was rare and they toke care of it and I am really glad that my brother was taken here because they have everything that a hospital is subsided to have

Thank you to the doctors and staff at Watauga Medical Center, and especially Dr. Meadows for taking such wonderful care of my father during his stay last week, November 8-11, 2020. My parents were on vacation in Blowing Rock, NC when my father became ill. After being rushed to the ED and a quick response from the Emergency department, my father was admitted. Dr. Meadows was thorough, took the time to speak with me and my husband by phone and explained to my parents what was happening and what course of treatment was best. The nurses and staff were helpful, knowledgeable and very kind. I cannot thank you enough.

Fantastic surgical staff. Always pleased with excellent care .

Great and very professional service. People were caring and took good care of our needs.

We were visiting the area for a wedding and our baby got sick with a fever. All we wanted to know was if he had an ear infection or something else. He had cried all day and our pediatrician recommended he be seen. The first male triage nurse went to bat for us and tried to get us seen by a doctor but when the shift changed and after waiting almost four hours we left without seeing a doctor. No one communicated with us about when or even if we might be seen. The female triage nurse was patronizing and rude when I said we were leaving without seeing a doctor. Well this is an ER you know. We didn t have any other options! It didn t feel great to have a sick infant, waste four hours of vacation, and then have a medical professional basically tell us we were morons. I m sure other people had a great experience that night at the ER but I hope we never have to return to WMC.

I visited the ER in the fall of 2013 with a piercing headache, numbness in my arm, and vision problems. Although they were unable to diagnose the problem, the service provided from the ER nurse and staff was adequate and there was only a twenty minute wait time to be seen.

Since then I have had problems with the payment center/patient account services. I moved in January and updated my address, but after two months of receiving bills they stopped coming. After sending in multiple change of address requests and not receiving any bills I called to inquire about my account and my balance. That is when I found out they had been sending bills to an incorrect address; the customer service rep I spoke with assured me that she had corrected the problem and that bills would start arriving again.

I have received one bill since then and one letter telling me to contact Patient Account Services. After speaking with someone in that department today for nearly half an hour, I am no less frustrated than I was a few months ago. I was told that my account was past due and when I asked by how much they said $180. I asked if the payment I made last week of $150 had been applied already, and they said yes. So I asked if that meant my account had been past due by almost $350 and they said "no, it is much more than that." But 180 + 150 = 330, so I am confused; their math doesn't add up and they wouldn't tell me a specific number.

When I asked for them to send me a bill (to my correct address) they said that I needed to pay $180 to continue to be billed. I am uncomfortable giving my credit card info or access to my checking account over the phone (especially when it is to someone who can't handle simple addition or subtraction and it is a company who is so unorganized they are unable to update addresses) and asked again for a bill to be sent. Hopefully they will send it, because if my case goes to collections because they failed to send me bills I will be even more disappointed in Watauga Medical Center's spotty service.

My husband and I cannot say enough about the positive experience we had at the Birthing Center during the recent delivery of our little girl. We received top-notch care from everyone we came into contact with. They were caring, kind and very dedicated. We could tell that everyone was there for their patients and went above and beyond to make sure we all received quality care.

November was my first inpatient stay in any hospital. I had pneumonia and was taken by EMTS to Watauga ER. I would like to praise the EMTS that assisted me there. Israel, was so considerate and kind that I felt safe and less afraid. It is so important how we treat others and this made me realize how important each job is when taking care of patients. I had a career in Respiratory Care, but was never an inpatient. My experience with the nursing , and all involved was positive. The respiratory therapists were really great and would take time to explain any questions I would ask. Watauga keep up the great work.

From check-in to discharge home it was all so smooth . All were kind, helpful, caring and professional. From Dr Lionel my surgeon, Monica Hicks RN in recovery room, and Janet Blackhum,RN in Out-patient , Michele Walker,CRNA with Anesthesia, Cindy Wilcox,RN IN THE OR, to everyone in between, all were outstanding... I thank you all!

I had a pacemaker installed by Dr Hordes on November 1, 2018. Not only was his treatment the absolute best but the nurses in IMCU were top notch in every way! I would particularly like to commend Angela, Brandy, Emily and Nick. Their care was truly exceptional. We are fortunate to have such terrific medical care in Boone!

WMC charges way too much for their services. I will never come back.

Went there in the middle of the night after a horrible incident, knowing I broke my finger. They soaked it for 20min, gave me a form for a crushed finger without aftercare instructions, and didn t even bother to take an X-ray. Looked at the form when I got home, and they wrote the wrong finger on the diagnosis. Also prescribed me a high dose of pain meds without taking my weight. Only giving it 2 stars because they were open.

While we on vacation in broke my finger in beech mountain they were very professional and staff was extraordinary, all the nurse and the Dr we re very helpful thanks Watauga hospital !!

During my Thanksgiving holiday in Boone, we were up late one night and getting ready for bed. My daughter, who is a Type 1 Diabetic, realized there was a part missing to her pump supplies to refill the insulin cartridge. All we needed was one syringe, which we did not have. All pharmacies were closed as it was 12 midnight! The only place I knew that had syringes was the hospital. I called and spoke with a representative who transferred me to another representative at the pharmacy. They were both SO VERY HELPFUL and empathetic as they could hear the slight panic in my voice. I was told to come to the ER and they would give me a few syringes for my daughter. With relief I drove to the ER and they knew who I was when I walked in the door!
I was treated with respect and trust that I was telling the truth and not wanting something for illegal drugs or erroneous reasons. I would fear at any other place this may not have happened without lots of questions, paperwork, insurance and waiting for multiple hours (which would have put my daughter's health more at risk).
I feel these employees stepped up to do the right thing and my heart was filled with such appreciation! If I was not able to get those syringes, we would have spent the night at the hospital trying to get my daughter's glucose level under control.
My encounter with the employees at Watauga Medical Center made my Thanksgiving weekend much more grateful. I commend them and wished I had given more time to show how much I appreciated them for their care. Happy Holidays!
Karen Cozart Hofmann

The staff misdiagnosed me after a very simple test and let me go. I received the correct diagnosis the next day at my private doctors office from the exact same test. Watauga billed me $700 for absolutely NOTHING, after telling me they accepted my insurance.

Do not go to the ER unless you are absolutely sure you are dying, because you'll die in the process of working to pay the medical bill.

Shannon the nurse and the rest of the Tuesday late night staff are all studs! Spent about fours hours here with a friend with a UTI and they were top notch.

Waited over 7 hours in the waiting room to be seen. When I was dying sick and told the nurse I felt like I was going to pass out he told me "no you won't sit down". I am a college student at App State and wouldn't go to the ER due to my huge deductible unless I was in dying pain, which I was. When I was finally seen they forgot me in my room numerous times after pressing the buzzer, forgot to do the scans, and did not help me besides leave me with no answers and a huge medical bill. Will be driving to Mission the next time I need help. Had to drive to Asheville the next day to receive actual treatment.

The lady at the front check in desk was lovely Very friendly and inviting! Got called back by the nurse, she was kinda blah..def not friendly at all and didnt seem like I was being taken seriously. Got into my room and met the nurse who was on for the night, she was really sweet and seemed like she was actually listening to what I was saying ! The wait for the doctor was really quick to so that was nice but... the doctor wasn't what I was expecting. He literally did nothing but write down what I was saying and left. Giving why I came in I would have thought at least check my lympth nodes maybe blood work just to be safe but I got absolutely NOTHING ! In general I have always had good past experiences with this hospital as a whole they are great. Like most people if I come to the emergency room then I probably have a legit reason, it would have been nice to been taken seriously.

My mom was in the ER and choking and they never came in until we had been there for right at an hour. They need help they should be 2 doctors working and keeping things moving smooth.

My son, who is a student in Boone, went in to the ER for an inhaler on the weekend. Clearly not the right decision, but he is a kid. He was offered treatment but refused and ultimately left with an inhaler.
We never received an invoice from the hospital, but yesterday received a call from a collection agency. After contacting the hospitals billing department, we discovered they had sent the bill to the wrong address. They did promptly send the invoice, and this is how we were billed.
The hospital billed us $796.40. $334 of that was for the $65 inhaler. The balance of the money was for medicine and administering the medicine in the hospital, which are events that never happened. Looks like I will have a huge time suck dealing with this mess.

Not much urgency in the emergency room. Came with my friend who was puking blood. Took 4 hours to get a room (that still had trash from the last person in it). And even longer to get a much needed IV. My friend was puking in the waiting room and still had to wait hours to get any medical attention. Even WORSE the nurse left my friends used bloody needle in the bed. If it wasn t for her noticing it someone could ve been easily pricked. I can tell there are some hardworking honest people here but obviously understaffed and exhausted.

I am more than happy to say there has been remarkable improvement in patient care when walking into the hospital. It has improved significantly. Thank God! They have always had above par doctors and nurses at this hospital, iis community. I know some of them and can t speak highly enough about them. I hope this recent improvement isn t just because of COVID-19 hoping they also maintain this appropriate and considerate care which actually starts when a potential patient walks in the door.

I'm not sure anyone actually works here. I've been here an 1 1/2 and not one person in this lobby has been taken back. The staff continues to say they are short handed, but that seems a bit like poor planning on their part considering it's a holiday weekend and a Friday night at that.

To whom it may concern,

I visited the Emergency Department in your facility late on the evening of December 30th 2019. I was greeted by a pleasant patient registration liaison who kept it light, sweet and to the point. Exactly what I wanted. After a short wait I was escorted to my room where I met my nurse, JC. JC was professional in every aspect and his attention to detail in everything from administering meds, to explaining the process of my visit was perfectly executed. My doc, Dr. Nelson, was great as well. Not only did she take 10/10 care of me, but she made sure I understood the condition I was diagnosed with and truly made me feel cared for. Working in Emergency Medicine myself, the ER was the last place I wanted to visit after leaving work for vacation. The whole facility was great and I would recommend the Emergency Department to anyone because of the quality care I received.

Thank you for a positive experience.

Administrative and medical staff were extremely helpful and courteous upon our arrival with a 5 year old who suffered a head laceration after a fall on Thanksgiving morning. We were seen within 5 minutes of check in and placed into a room shortly after that where our doctor examined our son's cut with precision. A plan was put in place and the staff was extremely patient with my son who was terrified of stitches. Special thanks to our nurse, Bridgette, for singing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse during the stitch procedure to keep him calm. Our wait time was minimal and we were in constant communication with the medical staff up until the time we left. Excellent service and care, thank you!

Worst hospital I've ever been to. Worst shape coming out than when I went in.

Horrible ER visits. Staff doesn't care about your problems just try to discharge you as fast as possible. And the doctors have no idea of what to do.

Worst place ever! After having to go to the ER once for myself spraining my ankle and then for my son having a 105 fever then being sent home, undiagnosed, WITH E.COLI, I will NEVER go here again if I can help it. With my sprained ankle, we waited 2 hours, with my 5 month old and my anlle is still jacked. With my son, took him in when his fever had been bad all week and it finally got up to 105, when we got there it was down to 103. We had him exposed in just a diaper to try to get his fever down. While there the 5 HOURS, his fever went back down. No fluods were given, just a bottle of Pedialyte of which he drank only half. His fever went down to 99 then they sent us home. Finally found out a few days later that he has had E.Coli!!!! This hospital is a joke! DO NOT EVER GO HERE IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!!!

Typing this review with one hand after seperating the ligaments in my arm. Sat on a hospital bed for 1.5 hours with a bike tube wrapped around my neck in attempt to support my limp arm. I was able to leave only after I hit the help button next to my gurney. Doc was kind of short with me, and gave me an extra large sling that I absolutely did not fit in, and he should have known I wouldnt have. Spent the next day trying to make the sling work and had to go back and fix his poor fit. I got a new sling 2 sizes down and was fitted by a nice fella named Adam. Adam redeemed my experience from terrible to neu.tral

My issue is with COST of CARE, way too high! I asked of a reduction on the bill, they made me fill out a financial application, now they are asking for additional bank statements, and tax return information, what does my tax return or bank statement have to do with them charging too much, I am aware of the cost difference because I had two CT Scan done within 60 days, one doctor sent me to Sycamore Shoals Hospital, the other to Watauga Medical Center the cost difference was staggering, I have re-check pricing using CPT code 74177 at both Sycamore Shoals-Elizabethton, and at Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge-Morganton cost for the same CT Scan $2700 at these hospitals, Watauga Medical Center Charged me $4990.
I am a local businessman going 24 years in the Boone area, I want to do business locally and encourage others to do the same but not at the prices they charge, just got off the phone with them and got the song and dance we are a small rural hospital was the excuse, then why is the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System is moving forward with a $90 MILLION dollar planned expansion to the Watauga Medical Center? I'm not looking for them to become an insolvent rural hospital, which they are not, just asking for fair pricing that keeps me under local care!

I received a bill from our non profit hospital on September 9, 2020 for services that were performed in May of this year. When I called to ask for an explanation for the delay and an itemization for the bill, the highly unprofessional young lady said take care of this. You don t want it sent to collections . She repeated herself twice. Please don t be intimidated by this hospital. They are all about money while they give the impression to the public of their high quality care and concern. Their salaries and the number of administrators reflect otherwise. Their salaries are public knowledge and their non profit status was given to them for being charitable I m assuming since they are not a research or teaching institution.

Exceptional care during my surgery at Watauga Medical Center, from registration, nurses, anesthesia, and physicians. No one was to busy to take time to explain everything along the way. I felt like the only patient in the building. Thank you s are not enough.

I just received a call from Watauga Medical Center. I called back, and the receptionist said that she couldn't trace who called me. She hung up immediately without waiting for a response or at least trying to help. They do not seem to be client-focused.

Received excellent care by pre-op, OR, and recovery recently! THANK YOU to these teams for being exceptionally kind and attentive.

I m a 15 year acute care nurse and Charge Nurse. Just moved here a year ago. Completely impressed with the level of care provided by a small town hospital. WMC is up to par with the 600 bed hospital I came from. The teamwork is amazing, everyone works together for the patient, the Nurses genuinely care about their patients, both physically and emotionally. I myself was a patient here for the first time ever, hopefully the last for awhile, and was treated with the same care every patient gets. Sure if you need a major surgery or procedure or something beyond their scope you ll get flown to WS or Charlotte, rightfully so, but I ve been completely impressed with WMC s capabilities. I would, and have myself, been admitted here. I d have any of my family admitted here. I have full trust in their staff and the Doctors here.

They dropped the it may be cancer bomb and refused to do any further care in the emergency room. Told me to just follow up with my primary care - who had told me to go to the ER.

Outstanding service all the way around. Knee fixed, life is good.

Do not come here unless you re dying. Save your time and money.

My mom went in after falling down a flight of stairs. She was in terrible shape, the nurses and doctor didn t take her seriously and seemed like she was bothering them. One nurse put a blood pressure cup right on top of her IV and when my mom struggled to say how bad it hurt he said oh it happens all the time . She was there for so many hours waiting before they even did anything. For clarity, she was laying on a stretcher with a neckbrace on and couldn t move half her body the pain was so intense. They couldn t even do a MRI and just told her to go to her primary care doctor. Now after a couple weeks of having to worry that she could have bleeding in her brain or other serious underlying concerns she just now was able to get an MRI. Do not go here. Go to Cannon or anywhere else unless your dying because that s the best you ll get at Watauga Medical Center. You will get better treatment and quality of care literally anywhere else.

All the staff here has been amazing! The nurses are all so wonderful, and this has been my best hospital experience ever.

I was recently in the ER due a severe panic attack. I was seen promptly and given the medication I needed. So my visit was good. However if you are in pain, I do know this hospital does believe in or use opioid narcotic medication. However they are Benzodiazepine friendly.