Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center

Reviews 4

LI

Lisa Mackenzie

Hello, I was just in at St. Joes for right total knee replacement surgery with Dr. Stelmach. My surgery went fine, food was exceptional, and nursing staff and my student nurse, Lee Ann from RACC was extremely kind, caring and attentive. My biggest concern with this hospitalization was the lack of pain meds to manage my excruciating pain. I was aware that St. Joes no longer carried or used PCA pumps but then, I thought that I would just get pain meds automatically around the clock for the first few days and then go to an As needed treatment. But, no. I was allowed oxycodone q 4 hours. If it went of the 4 hours, if I slept through that time frame, or was with PT in another area…or something else occurred, I would miss my window and then go sometime without pain meds for 8 or more hours. I just feel that is appalling. I have chronic pain, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme induced Fibromyalgia, paresthesia, trocanteric bursitis, raynauds and a lot of osteoarthritis and pain now related to this knee replacement. I did not rehab as well when my pain was off the chart but feel that my recovery could have even been better and farther along had I been getting automatic pain relief for the first 24-48 or maybe 72 hours post op. When you have a lot of chronic pain, trying to feel well can be a double edged sword. I know that I have to work hard with PT, etc. to get better but there will be pain to deal with. Less Pt work is accomplished when pain thresholds are not met or tolerated. I am not sure if this is just a criteria for St. Joes Hospital and/or if Reading Hospital is doing this as well, but I will tell any and all people about this lack of automatic pain management (i.e. as there was with PCA pumps). There is just too much at stake when pain and recovery are involved. I know that there are high incidences of overdose in this area but for people in the hospital to have surgery and who are NOT addicts, I think this is unusual and cruel treatment. I learned to make sure I asked for my meds every four hours (even if that fell at 3am) just to make my morning ADLs and PT, more bearable. I hope that this letter can help others suffer less than I did while at this hospital. PS. I tried putting this into your website and it did not work.

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dorothy MSW

disorganized cant seem to get my blood test results to the right doctor in a timely manner or at all. off and on trouble for years with this. but the personnel in the blood lab are very good and personable. get my blood every time and i am a hard stick. it has something to do with who ever sends things out to doctors. had a poor experience with the emergency room where the admitting person was scolding me because my doctor was in phoenixville and i chose to continue with him after being his patient for 35 years. had a poor experience with house doctors who were rude and wouldnt discuss treatment with me when i was admitted from the ER. had a good experience when my own doctor admitted me and ordered tests and treatment. had a terrible experience in the recovery room after surgery with the nurse on duty who was rude and uncaring and unresponsive as i lay there having difficulty with breathing. when she found out that i was a poet who read in pubic and that i was going to crawl down to the bottom of the gurney and get up so i could breathe she notified respiratory who came down and gave me a treatment and i could breathe again. when i was in patient the nurses and support staff were very kind and supportive but i did not like the arrogance of the house doctors i encountered. had a wonderful experience in surgery with supportive doctors and nurses when i was frightened. so you see my experience has be very mixed. i continue to go to st. joes because at reading hospital when i gave them my cards before surgery as requested they all were stolen. my soc sec, medicare, supplemental insurance and drivers licsense picture id. they never did anything to help me replace these and did not seem interested in this occurrence.

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TA

Tabitha B.

If I could give this hospital zero stars I would. I came in with extreme back spasms to my lower back. I was vomiting. I couldnt stand, sit or lay down... While they tried to make me comfortable in the waiting room with a vomit bag and a reclining chair, I quickly realized they thought I was a "pill seeker"... They put me in a room for over an hour and no one checked on me as I cramped and had severe spasms. A Physicians Assistant finally came in when I actually called the hospital and complained. She told me I couldnt be in that much pain because I was visibly upset and moving. Those are called "spasms"... Perhaps you should go back for your M.D. After giving me a urine test which I am assuming was to test me for opiates which of course came out clean since NOT everyone living in the surrounding Reading area is on heroin or pain killers, I was finally given (2) two injections and sent on my way. Oh.. and because my parents came the P.A. asked why I had so many people in the room... Is that really any of her business? However, first they were taken to an empty room by security and told that was my room... I guess thats what happens when you ignore your patients. My mom is a nurse and told me shes NEVER heard that asked in ER. Furthermore, I actually have a bulged disc in my back which I have not taken pain killers and will not take them. Seriously, St. Joes I am the furthest thing from a "pill seeker" youre going to find. Next time I will go to Reading. You really should stop making self assessments of people when they walk in the door based on how the person looks. Its called profiling.. Not EVERYONE IS A "PILL SEEKER"...

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XM

XM Management

My mother had an emergency that involved heavy bleeding and when she made her way to the ER, a Dr. Chun stuck my mother so hard in the arms with a needle (my mother has thin veins) that she hurt my mother. My mother asked her to be gentle but she didnt care. There was an air of arrogance on Dr. Chuns part because perhaps she didnt think my mother knew what assault and battery was. She spoke down to my mother and did not take my mothers health concern seriously. When I contacted a patient advocate on behalf of my mother (who is very sweet) the head of the ER called me a week later with a cold call pretending to care what happened to my mom and being bias about Dr. Chun. He said there was a "miscommunication" though he was not there to assess the situation. He seemed to be Dr. Chuns cheerleader and downplayed my mothers health as "some vaginal bleeding." I dont think the community of Reading can avoid this one and out of two hospitals because you would think hospitals were about your well being and your patients rights. These are oaths and swears doctors give before taking on the task of treating people. I cant speak for every doctor and nurse because thats generalizing but St. Joes is sweeping things under the rug. And my mothers health is one of them. Hopefully, my mother will move near me to a better state and city for her well being. No mother and no person should have to deal with this. A patient should never feel like they are less than or lying. If you have a concern or a complaint, please do so. Dont be silent or they will think its okay to keep doing it. Speak up.

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