Sentara Albemarle Medical Center

Reviews 5

RA

ray mccormick

Went in to the ER for extreme pain in my gut only to be diagnosed with acid re-flux. My wife and I insisted this was not the case and had to insist they do a CT scan. The CT scan showed several gallstones as we had feared. Doctor told us to just get the prescription for acid re-flux as he was sure that was the problem. The next day we went to a general surgeon who said I had to get immediate surgery for a severe case of an infected gallbladder. he actually had to move other scheduled patients to get me in for surgery. So, first strike, misdiagnosis by ER doctor. Flash forward to bills coming in. Waterway Physicians sends the standard "this is not a bill" statement for my insurance and then eventually I get an actual bill. As I was doing with the other half dozen bills associated with my surgery, I sent them an aggressive payment towards the total. Little did I know that Waterway Physicians doesnt accept a "payment plan" and that the bill must be paid in full or you go into collections! How did I find out? When I got the call that I was in collections and needed to pay the balance in full! So I paid the last $1000 dollars on the bill emptying my HSA account to do it. I also took a 140 point drop on my credit score because of this! Still waiting on the letter from collections that my debt is satisfied. Strike Two. Finally, when making my agreed to payments for my other bills, the clerk suggested i speak to a counselor about what happened. So i did. Come to find out, we may just qualify for a reduction in charges. I asked why they had not given me that option 6 months ago. She replied that they are not allowed to tell patients about that in NC, but in VA they let you know! What the hell?! Also found out that if I had come to the counselor FIRST I could have included Waterway Physicians in a payment plan!!! Strike three. I will take the chance on the drive to Chesapeake to get real care from here on out. This is sad because I live 1 mile from Albemarle Hospital.

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MA

Marianne Creef

Goodness. Where do I start? I read the reviews contained here and just had to shake my head. One of the most accurate reviews stated the staff is extremely overworked. That is absolutely true. 2 or 3 of them were completely bogus and obviously made up by people with nothing better to do than slander the reputation of our only major medical facility. What most people dont take into consideration is the sheer volume of people that move through the ER each and every day. ER stands for EMERGENCY ROOM. However, it is not being used by people with emergencies. People go there for sunburns, or after 3 months they decide the toe that hurts needs to be looked at that day, or someone has cramps and comes in on an ambulance. Because of our healthcare system the majority of people in the ER are using it as their primary physician, NOT an emergency medical facility. So before you throw stones please consider that 100s of people are going to come through that ER in ONE day, 99% of them will not be emergencies. But guess what people? They ALL have to be assessed, seen by nurses who are worked to death, and then treated. So if you are there for something like a sunburn or you have an upset stomach GO TO A DOCTORS OFFICE or the walk-in clinic and quit clogging up the ER. That is the only way that wait times are going to be shortened. And to the person who wants the personnel to come out and tell you WHY youre having to wait so long, I just listed it for you. Because the person who came in with the heart attack, or the automobile accident, or the stabbing, is being worked on by people trying to save their life and the other rooms are full of people with stubbed toes, the flu and sunburns. Let the people with the real life and death situations be taken care of the way they need to be taken care of and go to the places that are for the non-urgent issues.

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JU

Julie Greene

I typically do not write reviews for anyone or any institution. However, with the treatment my sister received while undergoing care at Sentara Albemarle Medical Center calls for attention. To preserve her privacy and integrity, I will not disclose details. What I will say is that the physician treating her did not abide by the "commitments" Sentara advertises. The physician did not treat her with "dignity, respect, and compassion." Rather, he treated her as less than a person, dismissive and judgmental in acknowledging her health history, and made very little effort to provide comfort. Unfortunately, this facility is the only hospital available to many, so it is my hope that administration begins to heed dreadful reviews. I certainly hope this physician did not treat other patients in the same manner in which he treated my sister. NO PATIENT SHOULD EVER FEEL LESS THAN A PERSON AND MADE TO CRY AS A RESULT, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE CARE OF A MEDICAL INSTITUTION! I will say the nurse that provided her care was stellar; therefore, this review receives 2 stars. The nurse receives 5 stars. This particular doctor could use some of the nurses advise on bedside manner and proper treatment of patients.

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JO

John Chappell016

Sentara HR: During a phone call 2017-07-11, Isis, the Charge Nurse in the ER, was hostile, belligerent, rude, combative, & threatening. She interrupted me throughout the entire conversation, among many other things, before threatening "2 press charges" b/c I asked 4 her name & its spelling--both of which she was quite reluctant 2 give, only so b/c of my insistence due 2 the appalling encounter. I can tell shes passionate abt. her work & cares 4 the rules & procedures of Sentara Albemarle; in that vein, however, she does not exemplify ur mission nor is her temperment seemingly suitable in a patient care setting--especially 1.) 1 requiring the level-headedness needed in the ER, & 2.) where Isiss influence in a supervisory role may negatively effect the staff &/or overall ER Environment. My hope is that this opportunity to improve her performance will be used 2 its fullest advantage. Isiss manner is starkly out of character when compared 2 others @ Sentara w/ whom Ive worked, met, or become acquainted. Please consider these concerns, & do your best to help Isis rise to her potential. Best, JCC

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SE

Sean Parker

I had severe joint pain all over my body with high blood pressure, nausea, weight loss, a fever and increased heart rate for months at a time. Sounds like an emergency to me. Well, the NP who saw me just wanted to make sure I didnt have meningitis. I thought that was an extremely random way to get me out of there so I could go home and be in pain for a few more months. Made me not want to be a nurse anymore. I want to thank the bald triage dude who wouldnt win any peronsality contests, the tech who blew my vain, the "more experienced tech" who pressured and immasculated him the whole time he was trying to install my IV, those responsible for the toxins in my food and environment who have made me sick, and the United States government for making it impossible for single, low-income households to afford halfway decent healthcare, if that. Im looking forward to all of the sharp pains in my abdomen and my dhiarrea today.

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