MidState Medical Center

Reviews 3

RI

Rick Novak Pascale

I had a major back operation, a total disk antroplasty on my lumbar spine, on July 21, 2017, led by Dr. James Yue. Dr. Yue and Connecticut Orthopedic Group worked tirelessly to get approval from Blue Cross who denied my operation three times summarily. From the moment I arrived at the hospital, I was treated with the upmost respect and was provided the very best in care. I will undertake to write a much more comprehensive review as I start to feel better. What I can say, however, is I went through almost five years of pure agony, pursuing conservative care with some really great doctors, whom I respect. As it turned out, my only real option was to fix my back. I stayed in the hospital until Sunday the 23rd. The care I received from the entire surgical team was superb. Vasant Khachane, did a great job on the anterior incision, which is healing perfectly. Dr. Yue operated with the very best in surgical procedure and skill. He is undoubtedly one of the top ten back doctors in the country; certainly, he is the finest spine surgeon in the Northeast. After the three hour surgery, I was transfer to A6, where I guess the Connecticut Orthopedic Group patients go to recover. The facility was immaculate, and downright really nice. I was walking the very next day, albeit in pain, which the entire staff minimized. They made my stay a great experience. My nurse, Bill, was superb, as were all the nurses whom I would like to thank personally. My PA, Thomas Mangano, was also excellent. Even the young lady who was my dietary consultant was outstanding. Forget hospital food - once I was able to eat this was really good food, period. The entire staff was caring, genuine, gentle, understanding, kind, knowledgeable, accommodating, concerned, efficient, friendly - the list of adjectives could go on and on, but it was an outstanding distinguished experience. They took care of every single need and arranged aftercare too. I cant say enough great things about this place. To them, and to Dr. James Yue, I owe a debt of gratitude. I am walking about a mile a day - just two and a half days after discharge (I could barely move going into surgery) and can feel my leg, move the toes on my feet, and for the first time in five years feel great without intense sciatic pain that was dehabilitating and crippling. That is not to say it was an easy operation, nor will it be an easy recovery. It is to say that they did everything possible to ensure I get as well as impossible can and have placed me in a position to do so and resume living as contrasted to merely surviving on pain pills. I would also personally like to thank the RNs, Sarah S., Bill K., Ronald L., Katrina R., Jordan M. And Anna K. They are the very finest in the medical profession and true professionals. I would also like the thank the nurses aides - Ken M., Brianna S. and Phyllis G., as well as the folks at physical therapy. I came from Rhode Island to Meridan to get this operation and perhaps passed over 20 other hospitals. It was well worth the trip. If you need surgery, dont go anywhere else. If you need back surgery after exhausting your conservative care options, dont call anyone but Dr. Yue. If I could, I would give the hospital, its staff, my doctors, the nurses , the aides, the physical therapists and the dietitian ten stars out of five! Thank you for everything. I know I still have a bit to go to recover, but I couldnt have chosen a finer hospital or staff of true caring experts to get a great jump start to recovery. Thank you so very much!

DO

Donald Smith

Digestive Health Services Yes – Pain and Spine Institute No Any hospital is the sum of its parts, some good others in dire need of attention. At MidState The Digestive Center is top notch. Youll find a compassionate and highly competent time. But where the Pain and Spine Institute is concerned, my advice? If the need comes up, stay away from MidState and go find one of the men or women who still hold the value of compassion, who are on top of their field, are dedicated to reducing or eliminating pain, and who. . .will give you an appointment. As Paul Harvey would say and now the rest of the story: Stopped up in Meriden to get my medical records. The Institute had made me send information from four different physicians’ offices. I have a great team of M.D.s to turn to, and it is these professionals who recommended I see a Pain Management Specialist. Having mobility issues, in one day I wanted to a) get back the materials I had sent to the institute (it was an ordeal for me to get all that done the first time) and b) I wanted to see the notes of the Dr. at MidState who flat out refused to see me. Medical Records couldn’t find anything (not their fault, the person that helped me is terrific but nothing had been sent up to her from the Pain Institute one floor down. I went directly to the first floor and ask at the front desk for my information. I was told they cannot give me things that I had another hospital send them. I picked it up and sent it to them myself. A letter or call to the agency that manages HIPPA should resolve the issue. The second part is extremely important the M.D. at MidState supposedly evaluated all my material, his assistant told me, and then he concluded not to see me. “There’s nothing else he can do for you,” is what she said. If one of the “150 people you want to know “(CT Magazine?) cannot come up with a diagnose and treatment plan it’s hard to know who could. He didn’t even give me the courtesy of a referral. If I don’t get my medical records and the written evaluation that led to my being denied medical help, truth is I don’t even know for sure that he read those materials. Over three months the Institute did nothing to inspire confidence; their only contribution to the process what to keep me stalled, undiagnosed and in pain So, I post a Yelp review and click on the “write a review” icon for the MidState taking small satisfaction in having done something, at least until the time comes when I can get the matter thoroughly vetted. I have so many important things to do but here I am “penning” this complaint. It seems fair that I let others know, indeed something morally mandated. I gave months of my faith and time to the Institute only achieving a steady stream of frustration. Myself, I’m not an M.D. but I know what it takes to get an M.S. and PhD from two of the best schools in the nation. A person with the education and mind of the doctor who handled my case would have been able to make a decision in an hour – more likely a matter of minutes. I hope the notes show why I was such a low priority and why a man in chronic pain was met with an absolute absence of concern.

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Bonnie Koba

Because you have to select at least 1 star to leave a comment I rate this one star. But if I had the option it would have received a 0. After 5.5 hours there (1am to 6:30am) with my daughter, and STILL not having seen a doctor, we left to seek professional medical care elsewhere. Clearly, we werent going to get it there. The nurse, friendly and capable enough, came into the room about 4 times during our wait and 2 of those times were because we buzzed for her. She never offered a pillow or blanket, and never came in to ask how things were going. The floor manager who we called in to inquire about the wait was apologetic enough but couldnt help us either. Her job seems to be going room to room apologizing for the long waits and lack of care. Both explaining it is the practice of midstate to have only one physician on duty through the night, and patients often experience such long waits. When we asked at the beginning how long we could expect to be there Miss friendly and seemingly capable said she couldnt give an estimate. We should ask the doctor ( who we never saw even after 5.5 hours). When talking with the floor supervisor she informed us that MidState made it a policy not to tell patients wait times because, in essence, they were too long and too often patients were not treated within the wait time expected. We went there because it was closest to where we were. We know now that we could have driven to at least 18 other hospitals within a slightly longer drive. My advice - Google first, and choose another place for emergency care.