Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines

Reviews 3

BE

Becky Lol

I went into the ER around 11:50 pm on January 19th, 2015 with excruciating pain in my back that was radiating through my whole torso. I was pulled out of my vehicle by the waistband of my pants and put into a wheelchair with NO consideration of the level of misery I was enduring. I was rolled into the ER by the same woman that pulled me out of my vehicle by my pants. There was no compassion from the beginning. They took my vitals and asked me about my symptoms. Obviously in the most pain I have ever had in my life, I was told to be patient numerous times. After my vitals were taken, I was wheeled into a room in the ER. Knowing that I had to get onto the bed, but was in such agony, my husband was going to assist me, all the while the nurse was telling him NO that she needed to do it, yet didnt give me any respect in taking my time as I was in terrible distress, once again pulling at the waist of my pants to get me into the bed. At this point, the P.A., Margaret "Maggie" Siegel entered my room. She had a nurse put an IV in my arm and administer 2 different drugs to basically "knock me out". I slept for about a half hour after each medication. Eventually the pain came back full force, this is when they told me I had been discharged and had to leave. So, in the same pain that I had walked into the ER with, I was walking out with. My husband asked if they could atleast give me a medication that would help me to get home and they said ok and gave me 2 pills in my hand. I wasnt given any time to take the pills, I was just told that I had to leave, that I had been discharged. My husband asked if I could have time to take the pill and we could wait 15 minutes for it to work. They said NO, she is discharged and she has to leave. My husband said we wont leave til she takes the pill and asked them "What are you going to do? Kick us out?" They said they will call security to kick us out. So, my husband said OK call security. The nurse went to get security, as they went to call security Maggie Siegel re-entered the room and said she has been discharged and had to leave and told us that we used foul language with the nurses. My husband asked "What bad language?" The only thing he said was if your going to call security call them. At this point, I didnt want to even be there. I told my husband to help me out of here. I felt as if I were being treated like an animal, as a matter of fact, I know animals would be treated better than I was treated that night. I am a CNA and I have never in my life seen a human being treated so terribly. No compassion, NOTHING. I walk slowly out of that ER crying with all of the same pain I walked in with and my husband by my side. I will NEVER return to his hospital again in my life, frankly, I would rather die with dignity to ever be treated like that again! In my opinion, Maggie Siegel isnt qualified to be working with patients. The next morning, after dealing with the agonizing pain all night, I went to a Unity Point clinic where I live. I was there no more than 1/2 hour, and one shot later, the pain was gone! Thank you Unity Point Clinic! They did for me what Mercy couldnt do after 4 hours in the ER. I cant wait to see how much they will charge me for the misery that they added to my life, and did absolutely nothing to help me. Aside from my experience at Mercy, as I was being rolled in, there was blood on the floor all in the enteryway to the desk and there was a man mopping it up with a regular mop. I am SURE that this isnt common universal procedure for blood spills. Is it??? I believe someone from OSHA should educate this facility on proper blood spill clean-up.

CI

Cindy Edwards

My 81yr. old father was a patient there, just left today to go into skilled care for rehab. He fell and broke his femur bone in his right leg, and fractured his hip. He laid for 2.5 days before they did surgery on him. They kept telling us it would be in the afternoon and then morning and then afternoon ect. After surgery the surgeon came and talked to my sister and I and stated that Physical Therapy would be walking him the next day, they never did! But it was put on the papers from Mercy in Des Moines that was sent to the skilled care facility they had walked him from his bed to the door. They just moved him form his bed to his chair. (2 steps) The nurses at the care center knew that it was a lie. They stated they could tell that he had not been walked. When his bowls moved, he was not cleaned up good, there was blisters on his bottom end that had busted, a big scratch on his hip, and other sores on his body. They never changed his surgical bandage today before he left, after they told him they would be back in to do it and never did. No one was in to talk to him about the medicines that he takes at home for his heart ect.. The nurse has some water ran in the small blue tub for bathing him today when my sister and I arrived at his room this morning. She looked at my dad and said they are here so they can help you do it. My sister helped him with his bath. Its no wonder Methodist is rated number 1 in Des Moines! I would not give 2 cents for their physical therapy staff, surgery scheduler or some of the nurses on 5th floor!

A

A Private User

My husband was seen in the ER at Mercy after an ATV accident. We have a supplemental accident policy to cover charges for an accident. The ER doctor didnt code that the injury was an accident, so our insurance wouldnt reimburse it. Our insurance company said, if Mercy will code the procedure correctly, we will reimburse this, no problem. However, no one in the billing department would help us with this. They told us to call the doctor and get the coding problem fixed ourselves, then sent our bill to a collection agency. Not quite sure why I am the one who has to straighten out Mercys billing and coding error. Ive called the billing department multiple times trying to resolve this. They have to be one of the least helpful groups Ive ever dealt with. I havent had this type of problem with other area health care providers. However - we did get the problem resolved by complaining to management about the problem. I have to give management credit - they had the problem solved in 30 minutes. My recommendations is--if youre having a problem with Mercy billing--dont waste your time with the billing department. Make a formal complaint & you may get better service.