Jefferson Abington Hospital — Attraction in Abington Township

Incredible! I'd give more than 5 stars if I could. I want to start out by saying that I have worked in Healthcare for 20+ years and have been around the block a few times. I have gone from Data Entry, to Billing to Supervisor of Radiology, to Manager of Gynecology and now to IT (I build and support Epic :)). I have worked with all kinds of doctors and staff and I thoroughly understand how the Health System works in general.

In mid-march, I went to Abington Hospital with lower left abdominal pain. I ended up getting admitted and was there for almost a week. The entire time, I was treated with such kindness and compassion.

I deal with an illness that sometimes spirals out of control and I need to be admitted for help. This was my first time going to Abington for my healthcare needs (though, I have gone to Jefferson for years previously).

From the moment I was brought back into the ER, to the moment I left, I was treated SO GOOD. When the ER doctor (Dr. Jennifer King) told me that they were going to admit me, I cried... (not because I was being admitted, but because I'm so sick of this disease...). Doctor King saw me crying and she ran and grabbed tissues and she WIPED MY TEARS. She offered me kind words and told me that things would be okay. WHEN have you ever seen an ED doctor wipe a patients tears??? Her compassion prompted me to cry more simply because I felt comforted by her kindness. She was INCREDIBLE from the moment I walked in the door until I was brought upstairs. When she talked to me, her voice was softened and she looked me right in the eyes. She would touch my arm or hand to offer empathy. She made me feel HUMAN in a space where it's so fast paced and professional. I am SO thankful for Dr. King. I adore her.

When I was brought upstairs, the escort service was SO kind as well. When I say EVERY single person was professional and kind, I mean it!! Escort showed compassion and empathy and made sure to get me set up in my room quickly.

My nurses were FANTASTIC! There were two that were exceptional. Jackie Meindi (I hope I spelled that right!) and Mary Beth Crist. My first night there, my husband brought me my cell phone charger and some personal items. It turned out that my cell phone charger was broken and my phone died. So, I tried to turn on the TV, but the picture was black (the TV was broken). So, I sat in the dark alone; feeling defeated and overwhelmed. This is the 3rd time I've been admitted to a hospital for this disease. It was like 8pm and Jackie came in and asked me why I was in the dark, I told her my cell phone died and the TV didn't work. She offered me her cell phone charger and told me I could hold it until the next day. It was SO kind of her!!! I cannot tell you how THANKFUL I am that she showed me that kindness and empathy. I fear, without her generosity and kindness, it would have been a LONG night.

Mary Beth Crist was also an amazing RN!! She was personable and friendly. She would take a few minutes out of her day to chat with me. We'd chat about how they just installed Epic (good ole Epic - again, I build and support Epic, so I understood their needs!) and we made other small talk. I know she was super busy, but she never showed it. She made me feel like I was the only patient in the hospital. On the day of discharge, she walked me down to parking log, carried my bags and it didn't phase her even a little bit that it was raining. I felt soo bad that it was raining and told her I'd take my bags and for her to go back inside, but she wouldn't let me.

There are a few other names I must call out because they were just so incredible.

Dr. Ansharah Anif Erin Little, PA Myhanh Bosse Danielle Bertozzi Mollie Baker, CRNP Vicki Allen Faith McCartney Gina Stone Linda Connors

and of course, as mentioned above

Dr. Jennifer King Jackie Meindi Mary Beth Crist

I just want to also thank even the housecleaning staff and the IT peeps for coming to install a new TV for me. (I believe Mary Beth Crist had them replace the broken TV). I tried to get all of the names I could; thank you...

UPDATE: Sadly, I have to update this review with fallout of the dangerous incompetence of the resident and his attending, Dr. Ahmad Raza at Abington hospital. After I left (see below), I immediately went to Temple (arriving in less than 30min) where they took me seriously. In fact, I was told that the resident at Abington was most likely not even reviewing my blood work (I also had described symptoms of severe anemia repeatedly) as my hemoglobin was dangerously low, requiring emergency transfusions. My vitals were unstable and I was going into septic shock. The type of infection I begged the resident and attending to consider (which they refused) was diagnosed after proper imaging. My mediastinum, right lung, and some of my left lung are severely infected, I have two pleural effusions and signs of clots forming from inflammation and Abington withholding my anticoagulation. I am grateful I trusted how I was feeling and my medical knowledge, as a doctor myself, and left Abington when I did. The doctors at Temple related that they are not sure I would have survived 24 hours longer if I had stayed at Abington and Dr. Raza had continued the grossly incorrect management of my illness while blatantly ignoring my worsening symptoms.

Original Review (shortened): Abington hospital was once one of the best in the area 10-15 years ago but sadly its degraded and is not a place to take anyone you care for. A resident (sadly a 3rd year so he is concerningly close to graduating their program to practice alone) started by making so many mistakes in my admission orders that it took over 24 hours to correct them, though new ones seemed to occur rapidly. Same resident was rude, misogynistic, degrading, and called me an idiot. I reported his behavior to the attending, Dr. Raza. The attending asked him (in front of me) if he said the statements I relayed and of course he denied such (well he said "not in those exact words") and the attending did not ask what words or what he claimed to say but chose to chew me out instead. Not only was I degraded and told I was an idiot but then had another doctor berate me and say I was a liar because I dared to report the behavior. After a series of very concerning and frankly negligent medical practices/management I decided I would rather seek care at another hospital. I notified all staff involved in my care and left...but once I was in the fully crowed lobby two nurses came running after me. These people were screaming down the hall that I was leaving with an accessed port, which was not true. They then threatened to pull my permanent central line from my chest (with materials in their hands to attempt to do so). I had to prove what the line was (permanently accessed central line) and when that was not enough, I had to prove why I had it and where it was placed before they finally backed off and ceased their threats and attempts to pull at my shirt and line. They had NO right to threaten me and their inappropriate actions were due to their own ignorance and laziness with not reading my chart where all of this information is clearly and frequently communicated. Please note I contacted Patient Relations TWICE during my stay, the second time 24 hours after the first telling them I did not feel safe with the way my case was being handled medically, that medically I was feeling progressively worse, that I was concerned something more severe was happening which the doctors were not investigating. The only thing done was a "message" sent to Dr. Raza saying that I had communication concerns (I had already told the doctor I had concerns and he continued the negligent care so sending him an email was supposed to do what exactly?) When I called a second time I was told there was nothing else they were...

I want to be clear, this review is specifically about the emergency room at Jefferson Abington Hospital.

I went to the ER after my primary care doctor explicitly told me that if the medication he prescribed was not helping and my symptoms were getting worse, I needed to seek emergency care. Six days had passed with no improvement. In fact, things had worsened. I had been nearly immobile for an entire day, with numbness radiating from my lower back through my right leg and foot. That numbness continued. New symptoms included pain in my pelvic area, discomfort in the front of my leg, and difficulty passing bowel movements as I normally do.

At first, things seemed promising. Intake and triage were quick and professional. A nurse placed me on a bed in the hallway around 11:20 AM and explained there were no rooms but this would help me get seen faster. Unfortunately, that was where the professionalism ended.

From 11:20 AM to 12:37 PM, I lay in the hallway without a single acknowledgment or update. No nurse or doctor spoke to me. Finally, someone approached. I’m not sure if he was a nurse, PA, resident, or student—he rushed through his introduction and never clearly said his name or title. He was about 5’10” or 5’11”, had a short haircut, and wore bold black-framed glasses. I tried explaining my symptoms and background, but he repeatedly cut me off.

He performed a brief physical exam of my back and a quick sensory check on my calves, then said it appeared to be typical sciatica and that there wasn’t much they could do in the ER. He mentioned Toradol as an option but said they don’t do MRIs or advanced imaging for this kind of issue. I explained my primary care doctor had sent me specifically because my symptoms were worsening, the prescribed meds weren’t working, and the earliest MRI available in the Jefferson system wasn’t until late August. He replied, “It is August,” which felt dismissive. I reiterated that I was losing sensation, the pain had spread, I couldn’t go to the bathroom normally, and I was becoming immobile. I also explained how this was affecting my ability to function at work and in daily life. He simply said I needed to see an orthopedic specialist and get an MRI, then said, “Okay, let’s see what we can do.”

That was the last time I saw him.

By 1:42 PM, I was still in the hallway, no follow-up, no further communication, no updates. I asked a triage nurse if they could help me figure out who my doctor and nurse were. They said yes, but walked away without asking my name. Eventually, they returned, asked for my name, and I explained my situation. They told me my nurse’s name was Vanessa but gave no name for the doctor. They said they assumed the doctor was working on something, then asked if I just wanted to be discharged. There was still no care plan, no clarity, no real communication, and certainly no urgency. It felt like unless you were coding or an interesting case, you were invisible.

I was frustrated, distraught, and losing confidence. I walked out.

What I witnessed during a nearby code blue only made things worse. Instead of a coordinated emergency response, it looked like chaos. Over 15 staff members stood around watching. Very few seemed to be actively involved or helping. It was deeply unsettling.

It’s incredibly frustrating because this hospital is close to home and in-network with all my doctors. But after this experience, I cannot recommend Jefferson Abington Hospital’s ER to anyone. I left in the same pain—physically and emotionally—that I arrived with. I expect to be billed for the more than three hours I spent on a hallway bed with no real care and barely any acknowledgment. This experience was hurtful, dismissive, and...