Alaska Native Medical Center — Attraction in Alaska

Shocking treatment of patients by their resident dental surgeon, Dr. Macey.

The nursing and intake staff are polite and kind. Dr. Wannett was also incredibly kind and I have no complaints about him.

The first words I heard from Dr. Macey were "What did you do to your teeth?" As somebody who had poor teeth due to extremely traumatic circumstances, this was a particularly difficult way to start off a very scary treatment plan. I warned him that I had intense anxiety, I was in a lot of pain and as such I was hyper emotional, that I may cry but it was just because I was scared and nervous.

After that, it only got worse. Dr. Macey was condescending, rude, unempathetic, with horrible bedside manner, lied about treatment options for over a year, didn't tell the patient that they needed to sign quotes for treatment the patient wanted so when patient came back to make a payment, the price shot up by thousands of dollars, and then patient was told that treatment wasn't even an option for them after Macey said it would be, he made racist comments about "you natives all have problems with alcohol and tobacco", refused to believe the patient when they said they didn't smoke or drink, tried to force patient (who does not smoke) to take a year long tobacco quitting class for a year before even considering treatment.

Overall my treatment by senior staff members made me feel almost suicidal. As a medical provider, as a hospital, and as a doctor who took the Hippocratic oath, this should be more than alarming. Somebody seeking help should not be made to feel worse, and whether or not Macey is good at surgery, he has absolutely no sympathy or empathy towards patients and their care plan. I get being a doctor, you probably have to learn to turn your emotions off and think clinically, however there needs to be at least a modicum of decorum and sensitivity, especially when dealing with adults on the autism spectrum.

Obviously I wouldn't be seeking beneficiary care from the Native Hospital if I had enough money to afford the treatment I need out of pocket. That doesn't mean I deserve to be treated as sub-par. I was made to feel less than human, less than worthy of having the luxury of teeth, insecure, judged, and terrified that this man would be doing very delicate surgery on my face with no regard to me as a human.

I'm sure he's great at surgery, because there's no way he's on staff for his bedside manner, or honesty.

Maybe some sensitivity...

WORST PLACE EVER!! I had major surgery and started having the worst calf pain. I was told it takes a couple of days for a blood clot to form the first day they checked in ER. The next day it was worse, so I went back to the surgery clinic. I was told by a Sr. Surgeon, “It was just a coincidence my leg would hurt like that after major surgery. Go home and take IBU, I’d be surprised what it would do for me.” Apparently, I just wanted pain medicine. The next day worse! Went to my Dr. to be told I was maybe having a muscle spasm or cramp. But she couldn’t do anything for me because it was a surgery issue. The next day, I couldn’t walk, my calf was swollen, I massaged it for hours, bawling my eyes out and finally went to the ER. Again, I was treated like a drug addict, but I was persistent and they drew my blood to, “make me happy” and lo and behold my blood coagulation was doubled the normal amount. I was told that is a sign of a blood clot to go home since ultrasound left for the night and watch for signs of the blood clot passing through my body, “since it can cause death.” I was first in line the next morning, since I showed up early. I was told to wait in the lobby. She came out 10 minutes later and said I needed to go directly to the ER to start treatment for a blood clot. I have never been in there asking for a pain pill. I almost died because they’re medical staff were too busy putting a stereotype on someone cause they said the word pain. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PLACE!!!! IF YOU CAN GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND...

I want to start by expressing my sincere appreciation for the Emergency Department staff—they were outstanding in every way. Their professionalism, compassion, and efficiency deserve a full five stars.

However, our experience in the ICU was deeply disappointing and concerning. My partner was admitted for pneumonia and spent several days in the ICU, during which time we noticed serious lapses in patient care and professionalism.

Staff rarely checked on her regularly unless family members were present. When she needed assistance with basic needs, such as using a portable commode, it often seemed to inconvenience the staff. On multiple occasions, she felt forced to unhook herself from monitoring equipment to use the restroom—something that should never happen in an intensive care setting.

Adding to our concern, a physician made an inappropriate comment, telling her she was “too young to be on 8 liters of oxygen.” Such a statement was not only unprofessional but also deeply insensitive. Patients come to the ICU for treatment and support, not judgment.

We will be reaching out to hospital administration and the Joint Commission regarding this incident, as the issues we witnessed reflect systemic problems in ICU bedside manner, patient respect, and follow-up care.

We urge the hospital to review these concerns seriously and take corrective action—through staff training, patient care audits, and accountability measures—to ensure no other patient experiences the same neglect...