Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids

Reviews 8

CA

Carol Kean

"The patient must combat the disease along with the physician," Hippocrates said -- more than 2,000 years ago. Still true. If you have a correct diagnosis and need a procedure, youll likely be fine at any of our local medical centers. The challenge is getting the right Dx and the right Rx. The money is in procedures. Too many invasive, expensive, but unnecessary procedures are prescribed, and not just in Iowa. Too many doctors "practice" medicine, all right (patients are guinea pigs). Since 1985 *misdiagnosis* of gluten intolerance plagued me as much as the "wheat hangover" (headache, flu-like "comatose" malaise) that defied explanation, so my "disorder" was dismissed as "psychological" - until a nurse over the telephone a thousand miles away suggested the first thing ever that worked: a gluten-free diet. The Hipppocratic "first, do no harm" may be most abused by psychiatrists. After one almost killed me with lithium (Dr. Penningroth has since retired), I vowed "never again," but Mercy Care family practitioners recently put a freeze on all my Rx refills unless I saw a shrink to assess my Adderall/etc. (Yes, they referred me to the youngest and most ineffectual one in the building on 701 10th St). Dr. M-- needs to read "ADHD Nation." Any sensible mother knows how to ask questions to get answers, but this doctor appears to be clueless. He bills $350 an hour and the first visit costs $350 even if it lasts only half an hour. Thanks to Mercy "Care" on Blairs Ferry, it cost me almost $1,000 to keep my current cocktail of pills that barely work, but my request for a referral to Mayo Clinic (in hopes of finding a Dr. House) is always denied. Ive had some good experiences with Mercy, and some that would have me filing medical malpractice suits, if I werent so opposed to lawyers. In 1995, not one but TWO Mercy walk-in-clinic doctors misdiagnosed my pneumonia (same thing that killed my moms mother when mom was an infant in 1937). Two doctors told me I was wrong; I had allergies, or no, a virus, but not pneumonia, until my OB doctor ordered chest X-rays (at Mercy). Holistic and Alternative treatments look less ludicrous to me all the time, after all the misdiagnoses. It would take a book to even begin my assorted tales of near-fatal Dx and Rx experiments doctors in this town have tried on me, and even I wouldnt want to read something so frustrating and futile. You can try Mercy or UnityPoint, Iowa City or Mayo, and good luck. "Health care" has not come as far as we like to think, since the ancient Greeks.

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Robyn Aaron

We already attend a MercyCare location for our general practitioner. So, when we needed emergency care last weekend, it was an easy choice to head over to Mercy. We had an excellent experience with the ER staff on call that evening. The registrant was friendly when we walked in and greeted us immediately with her computer in tow. We had to wait about 5 minutes, but that was better than we had expected. The triage nurse was friendly and competent before showing us to our room. Our main nurse that evening, Elise, was incredibly friendly and comforting - very attentive. We needed some blood-work, and the gentleman taking blood was one of the best Ive ever had take my blood - friendly, quick, competent. No one likes giving blood, and I especially dont! So, it was extra helpful to have him taking the blood, when I was already stressed about our situation in being there. The practitioner was also very nice, explained things well, and answered all of our questions with solid, helpful answers. All in all, the emergency room could have been a scarier situation, and it was a pleasant one. Were grateful for the care received! Thank you to the staff that evening.

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Tom Porter

Im not going back to Mercy due to problems with their billing. I had a procedure performed in June 2013. In late Oct 2013 I received a bill for my share which was not covered by insurance, and I paid this amount in full within 11 days. And then in June 2014 (8 months later) I received another bill for still an additional amount for the same procedure that was performed almost a year earlier. Somebody there cant seem to get their billing straight, and they told me its related to "system processing" (learned after many phone calls to AvadyneHealth and my insurance company). Fix the system, or am going to get still another bill to see if they can milk some more from me?

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Amythest Warrington

Although I received excellent care at this facility I will never return. I will not give them more business. I called in twice with my bills in hand to pay and they told me not to pay because I had overpaid and received a refund check.They had looked up on the computer system and everything was good. Then all of a sudden debt collectors were after me. I am still dealing with this half a year later and have a black mark on my credit score. So not worth my two stitches. If the staff cannot manage the billing effectively I have no confidence in them over all.

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Julie davis

I had total knee done at Mercy and everyone was fantastic. My only complaint would be that there never seemed to be cold ice packs to put on my knee. It was crazy. Once nurse said to me that since there was so many that use the ice packs none of them really stayed in the freezer long. So does this mean that all the ice packs are being used by others thus, sharing ice packs? Geeeesh that kinda creeps me out. I dont want someone elses icepack on me. I never got a straight answer but when I have my other knee I may buy my own machine and use that.

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Sarek Simpson

Wife went in for back pain. Er only had nurses see her. They just gave her a pill, asked if it worked. She said no so they gave her a shot. Then they sent her off. No xray or research. She had to be carried in and out. They prescribed her pills to knock her out. I took her to a real doctor and he was shocked on how she was treated, found the issue and he prescribed the right pills she needed to heal. Mercy is terrible and the person running the show didnt care. If you want to heal go somewhere where there compitant.

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Josh Earel

My wife has a variety of health problems that present in strange ways. We have had to go to the Mercy ER several times for assorted problems. Every time we have gone she has presented with a significant number of symptoms that could help lead to the root of the problem, but each time the doctors there have just taken a small subset of symptoms and said that they were being caused by some extremely common problem that obviously isnt the actual problem, completely ignoring the rest of the symptoms.

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Edward Szczuc

They were going to admit me for my Lymphedema to put me on antibiotics and I asked them if I could leave my room to get some fresh air. They said no. Hospital rules/policy says the patient must stay in the room at all times. I looked at them and said, does it look like I have prisoner written across my forehead? Man, I bet their psychiatric ward is doing a booming business with rules like that. Told them not staying. You can give me a prescription for antibiotics cause Im going home.

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