Sundance Hospital Dallas

Reviews 3

TR

trina dennis

The MHTs are great! I worked with compassionate yet undervalued nurses, including myself. This is the second psychiatric hospital I have worked for in Texas, the flagrant disregard for health care quality, is very disappointing. The environment at Sundance is so punitive to the point staff are leaving on a daily basis. There isnt a disciplinary process. Merely terminations based on popularity. There is an overall loss of objectivity amongst administration due to friendships which unfortunately prevent fair and just treatment of all employees Or individuals in a position to make a difference, are self-serving and duck their head in the sand, instead of improving the department they oversee. I worked here 3 weeks without any review of policy and procedures. Granted, I am accoustomed to having nursing policies & procedures readily availailable, I should have been proactive in requesting these sooner. Each week I experienced challenges related to patient safety. Finally reaching the decision to leave after working as a floor nurse in addition to my role as House Supervisor due to poor staffing just 2 days ago. I had no plans to return. After making a judgment call based on patient safety and potential liability, I was told I violated EMTALA. I redirected officers to another facility, as the common intake area was compromised by an individual who was an imminent threat to himself and others. I was advised after the fact, I SHOULD have recommended the cafeteria or another area of the hospital for an assessment. Hindsight is always 20/20, yet at that time my thought process was the possibility of subjecting someone to danger & increased liability, the individual was in the custody of peace officers equipped to safely transport to a SAFER environment capable of meeting the patients needs. After expressing this I was told I was sitting on the desk while speaking with police officers, this was viewed as unprofessional, as well as my communication style was too direct. I have 2 sisters who are police officers. My fiancee is a Dallas Police officer, Im guilty of being very comfortable in the presence of police officers, Im guilty of honesty, as well as a firm believer in you are only as good as your word, yet, not once did my sitting position, or communication style negate my thought process of maintaining patient safety. The real issue of course wasnt EMTALA since the intake department violates EMTALA daily by denying/delaying treatment while verifying insurance. Once it is determined a patient does not have psych days, or no insurance, the requesting enity will hear"Im sorry there isnt an appropriate bed available". Another major issue with Sundance is, Sundance has formed a relationship with multiple law enforcement officials to bring individuals in for treatment, although law officials SHOULD take individuals to the NEAREST pyschiatric treatment center. Sundance has not only provided law enforcement positions on staff, Sundance has also (unofficially) formed a relationship where certain regional officers will select Sundance Garland 1st with APOWW patients. Very concerning......... I am fortunate to have experienced the environment at Sundance Garland personally, as I am now enpowered with the knowledge of what not to accept in a work environment and who not to become as I transition to the role of hospital administrator. Psychiatric patients are some of the most vulnerable patients, when individuals without integrity are involved in their care the outcome will remain the same, of no benefit for the patient and a financial target for businesses such as Sundance. I employ anyone with the means to make a difference to do so, by continuing to have conversations about psychiatric injustice. If you are reading this as an employee in any capacity of health care ask yourself this question : "Would I want someone like me to take care of me?" If your answer is yes, dont go to Sundance Garland, you will be disheartened by the lack of staff morale, and constant reminder of the financial component to health care.

CA

Cathy Tweedt-lrwin

My daughter was taken here at 4 am during a mental health crisis. She was at this facility from December 11 - 23, 2015. This facility is highly understaffed, and the staff that is working there is not qualified or properly trained. Also, there is a serious breakdown of communication. From the moment we got there, she was mishandled and neglected. Very unprofessional intake process, and due to a clerical error, my daughters meds were administered incorrectly. I in fact had to help the intake nurse fill out her paperwork because she couldnt read some of the words due to a language barrier. When I went for visitation on Saturday, she was wearing a hospital gown and the same pants she had been wearing Thursday night at 7 pm, despite the fact that I had dropped off fresh clothes for her Friday. When I asked the staff what happened, they didnt know. The nurse on staff said she would personally handle it and make sure she found her belongings I had dropped off. When I called to follow up if my daughters medication was straightened out, the nurse seemed confused. I asked for the doctor to call me, but I never received a phone call from him. At this point I tried to get my daughter moved to another facility for her safety but I was unsuccessful, due to the simple fact that there are not enough mental health facilities that accept adolescents. I was told I could check her out Against Medical Advice(AMA), but if I did, insurance wouldnt cover her stay. She had been there for 5 days at that point. While my daughter was there, on her eleventh day, the patients were not being monitored closely enough and as a result, one patient pushed another patient up against the wall, slapped another patient in the face and then went after my daughter. Also, despite asking many times for her clothes to be washed, it never happened. She only had six outfits and on day 13 when she was discharged, her clothes still had not been washed. When I asked what happened, the only excuse I got was that they were busy dealing with other patients. I could go on, but I think I have painted an accurate picture of this facility to emphasize it should be shut down.

AN

Anonymous Account

I wouldnt wish this place on my worst enemy. Sundance is basically a place where patients are warehoused and insurance companies are billed. Wrong medications were given to patients. Staff was often hostile and neglectful. Mystery meat food served daily with no attention to patient dietary requirements. The building is old and poorly maintained. Common areas were always dirty. The outdoor recreation area was filthy. It was littered with cigarette butts and spit. I saw a guy vomit outdoors one afternoon. The vomit was still there the next day. Large paper leaf bags were used as trash cans even for wet food items on carpeted floors. They couldnt keep up with patient belongings. Lots of idle time when activities were scheduled. Visitation only allowed twice a week. They could not keep supplies like patient scrubs, socks and toiletries in stock. Patients have to chase down staff for water, towels, toiletries, personal items... Keep in mind these are pepple dealing with serious issues. I checked in without an identification wrist band and checked out without discharge paperwork. The third floor, where the patients with the most serious issues are warehoused, is total chaos with several fights daily. A fellow patient canceled his health care insurance just to get an early discharge. A few good staff members, but they seemed to be the exception to the rule. They seem to have a difficult time retaining staff. Some of the staff freely admitted that Sundance is not a good environment for patients. I am posting this under an anonymous account because Id rather not let the world know I was a patient at a psychiatric hospital. Did they pay for the five star reviews here? Are they people who were happy to have a break from difficult family or did these people come from third world countries or extremely bad situations? Would only use this place as a last resort. I expect a reply with a phone number of a staff member to contact. Good luck getting that person on the phone or getting any kind of meaningful response.