Providence Regional Medical Center

Reviews 3

SA

Sarah Osterhaug

I am giving Providence one star because I received good medical care there. But the overwhelmingly bad experiences of friends and family, along with the INSANE billing problems I have had with them, knock the other potential stars off. In April of 2014, I had surgery at Providence Hospital. I was never informed (and if I was, the paperwork showing this is absent from my files) that the hospital will bill for services and then you will get a separate bill for anesthesia. I was in my 20s, had never been through anything more complicated than a root canal, and there was no way I could have known the bills would come separately. I also have no EOB for the anesthesia, just one from the hospital which I assumed covered everything. I went back and forth initially for several months with Providence hospital, because they had billed me for the surgery when my EOBs stated there should be no charge. It turned out there was a mix up with my claim, and I was told it was all going to be fixed. Then I received a bill from Providence for over $8,000. Several more months of going back and forth and getting calls from the "high dollar department" wondering when I was going to pay my $8,000 "copay" and I finally got a call from Providence saying that my account was clear and I had a zero balance. Only 17 months after surgery!!! Last week I got a call from a collections agency that Providence Anesthesia Group was sending me to a debt collector for a bill I never paid. I explained that I never got a bill, despite the fact that I lived at my residence for four months after surgery and THEN had my mail forwarded for a year after that. The debt collector was rude and refused to give me any information about who was billing me other than the name, they even said they didnt have the phone number for the anesthesia group (REALLY?!) and that the anesthesia group "didnt want to talk to me anyway" because I dont pay my bills. I finally got the number by calling Providence Hospital. The anesthesia group sent me an itemized bill and after a week of calling around I finally found out they had been billing the insurance incorrectly and my account appears to be stuck in a black hole. Meanwhile, I live under the threat that my credit, which I have worked VERY HARD to maintain, could be messed up by an $1,800 charge that I most certainly do not owe and have no control over. My husband has had issues with their emergency room, where a dog bite was covered with a Band-Aid by an orderly (never washed out, and he never saw a doctor), yet he was billed for seeing a doctor. My sister was seen for shortness of breath and other issues and told she may just have a psychological condition and sent home (she is now being seen at Virginia Mason, where they are actually doing tests and monitoring). My brother was charged incorrectly for a trip to the emergency room. A friends brother was said to be "faking it" after having a seizure, and was eventually diagnosed with encephalitis and meningitis, and spent a month in the ICU. I have more stories. The only way you could convince me to go back to Providence is if I had no other option. And even t hen, I would go in armed with the knowledge that I absolutely can NOT trust their billing systems and will need to take it upon myself to tirelessly follow up and basically do their jobs for them until I know I dont owe insurance anything. I know I sound like a crotchety old complainer. But Im not. Im just a person who doesnt have $10,000 to spend on fake bills, and I hope anybody who reads this knows to be very, very careful with this group.

TA

Tamara D W Leupold

I am very disturbed and disappointed in the care my son received on Sat. 3/26/2016. He was seen for a broken bone in his hand. Imagine how scary it would have been if this had been a more serious issue. There were numerous red flags, but I’m choosing to focus on these. There was no communication between the Dr. and the Nurse. She was prepping him for general anesthesia, and the Dr. did not plan that. There were other less critical examples of her not knowing what the plan was. She was not prepared to collect blood appropriately and let it collect on the floor while she gathered the necessary tubes. I have pictures of the blood on the floor. He was told on arrival around 6PM, that he should not eat or drink. We waited over 4 hours to be seen, and at least another hour for any PLAN of treatment…which was followed by a lot of the Dr. saying he’d be right back and more hours of waiting for actual treatment. We explained that he gets anxious and vomits with Oxy, Vicodin…etc. They gave it to him anyway….knowing he had not eaten…and yes…he got sick. After doubling the anti-nausea meds and giving him a sandwich it was decided that they would write RX for something else. After being passed off for discharge around 1:30 AM, a non-medical person, waltzed in, DID NOT WEAR GLOVES OR WASH, removed my son’s IV, and tossed it in the REGULAR trash can. He gave him a paper RX, told us the hospital pharmacy was closed, the nearest were in Smokey Pt and Lynwwod, and there was no Dr available to give him anything before we left. Then, the man went back to a computer at the desk, WITHOUT washing his hands! We understand a Sat PM is a busy time, and there were many more serious needs than his. I guessed generously with the times…I think our waits were actually longer. THE ISSUES HERE ARE NOT REALLY AS MUCH ABOUT WAITING (we were there over 7 hours) AS MUCH AS THE LOW QUALITY AND HIGH RISK CARE HE RECEIVED. The medical staff was pleasant and kind, just OVER EXTENDED and NOT COMMUNICATING CLEARLY with one another. I don’t believe the man that discharged him was a medical professional (Large African American man…blue fleece vest, originally took some info from us in the glass door room off the waiting area). I think he was trying to help? The rushed circumstances, over extended staff, lack of communication, and ignored glove and hazardous waste protocol….are all very disturbing and high risk factors. And I cant wait to see the charges for this experience. Sincerely, Tamara Leupold

AJ

AJ Johnson

The nursing staff was okay-and I briefly thought medial care would take place. Apparently the paramedic assessment was of, as has been the lab work that I have had ABNORMAL for OVER NINE MONTHS-and as I am admitted this morning SOMEWHERE ELSE or a feeding tube, I am sorely disappointed at the hugely falling standard of (or lack of) care: a patient has 3 visits for acute dehyration, inability to keep in food or fluids, and is criticized by the MD for VERY MUCH OLD issues that have not been, given one label when barely uttering a word-and never so much as asking for a thing-other than objectivity? Well, if you have a rare disorder-and expect to be believed-I wish you the best. EVEN when their own testing CONFIRMED it: the focus on one thing-same as the white house labeling anyone-whether the take the gabrage or not: with something that never applied in the first place. The best way to survive this ER? Stay home, see your doc in the morning-if you dont have one? CHC, but wherever you go if you expect healthcare-or even a doc with compassion? Online you can pay for better care. There one month later due to inability to perform job, yet the "fun" continues. I got MRSA at another hospital (different city, but firmly established history. Teated as usual (a child or garbage), and "Non-human attitude. Too bad Snohomish County lacks any decent health care that I have yet to find. Tonight? That took the boat. An antibiotic that my doc will have to rewrite in the morning: But with the abscess my guess? Direct admission: Just this time....I will roll over and die before I go to a place where someone approaches you and speaks to you like you are 2 (42), and that does irritate me: a great deal. Filing grievance but agains the individuals. Trust me: this hospital doesnt care about staff mistakes-I am resistant, well documented to what I got-and offered medication I am allergic to and literally via testing? Cannot process.it. Or one LIKE it. So this is what I get? When my own calls off sick? I am waiting it out-NEVER again!