Ohio State East Hospital — Attraction in Columbus

We were transferred here from OSU inpatient for my husband experiencing stroke-like symptoms. His chart was notated from the doctors at OSU inpatient that he needed several scans for these symptoms. We are not from Columbus and were unaware of just how bad our experience would be. We waited in the ED waiting room for an entire hour until I went back up to reception to ask when his scans would be. They admitted they didn’t look for any notes in his chart, even though we advised them there would be notes from the doctors sending us there when we checked him in. They thought he was there for a possible case of the flu. In fact, they spent the next 12 hours repeatedly talking to us about flu-like symptoms that he NEVER had. He had slurred speech, tingling and numbness on his left side, foggy memory, unable to perform simple tasks, etc. I still cannot wrap my head around having to repeat these symptoms to every nurse, doctor, physical therapist, etc that walked into our room and how many times they still wanted to talk about the flu. Regardless, you know what we did encounter? A naked patient on a bed in the hallway that was, admittedly from a nurse, drunk and sleeping it off. So, my husband is in the waiting room for an hour with stroke-like symptoms waiting on a bed that you’re passing out to people sleeping off a crazy night out. And several employees told me this was common of their ED and patient demographic. Fantastic for everyone that’s actually there with real medical conditions that need help. We’re sent to a room with NO call button. So, even if we wanted help we couldn’t ask for it without going to the nurse station. We meet the NP and some doctor who state he’s going to be fully admitted bc of his symptoms and he has to have an MRI and to speak to the neurology team. Then we’re left alone. For hours. When I do finally go out to the nurses station to relay my frustrations all of a sudden they have results to bloodwork they took while he was in the waiting room, urine they let sit for 2 hours in his ED room, and the CT that had been done several hours before as well. The follow up staff, other than the nurse that changed over around midnight, was incredibly rude. My husband felt extremely uncomfortable and mentioned just going home because they obviously didn’t care about what was happening to him and were upset I voiced frustration at his care. If you get upset that your patient and his family are advocating for BASIC care and COMPASSION and COMMUNICATION from their medical staff - get a different job. Or maybe you’re at the right hospital because your “normal patient demographic” for the “area you’re in” are patients dealing with “withdrawals, overdoses, and drunks”. I have never experienced such a lack of patient care at any other hospital I’ve ever been to. I’m still astounded at it. And I’m still shocked that the ED staff could possibly walk away from a patient just wanting normal care during a scary experience (bc a stroke is scary and it is severe) and be irritated that they’re voicing frustrations at your inadequacy. He finally gets admitted at 2am. And I will say that the RN’s and PAC once admitted were a world of difference. Stephen, Kelsea, and Mackenzie were our bright lights in an otherwise completely dark experience. However, he still never actually saw the neurology team in his entire 24+ hours there, even though he was told in ED the night he checked in and by the attending physician (that we saw once) that it was paramount he speak to them. We will be following up with his PCP and a neurology team elsewhere because we don’t trust anyone that hospital would even refer him to after the experience we had. If not for us advocating for ourselves I bet he’d still be sitting in the waiting room of that ED with the medical staff still talking about how he might have the flu. Oh, and it was determined he did suffer from a mini stroke. Thank god they spent so much time asking if he had felt sick lately. The ED specifically should absolutely be ashamed of themselves and the “care”...

I was admitted to OSU for myocarditis on 08/31/2022. I was dead-named the entire time I was here. My legal name was not used once and my family and friends could not find me because the staff here refused to use my legal name. They rolled their eyes when I advised them of my real name and didn't even attempt to properly use my pronouns. Only one nurse actually asked me what my pronouns were, the rest just assumed they aligned with what I was assigned at birth.

When it came to my actual diagnosis, the staff and doctors didn't seem to agree on one, though put me through every test imaginable and some were very invasive, causing me to be in even more pain than what was necessary. A lot of the time they kept me locked up in a room, telling me I wasn't allowed to leave the floor, even to get food, unless I was back within 15 minutes, otherwise they would call security. For the first 24 or more hours I was denied food, water, and sleep.. and once they finally agreed to allow me to eat, my food was thrown away while I was I trying to rush back from the cafeteria with a drink, because one was not supplied with my meal. The following day I wasn't allowed to eat due to a CT scan, but when I returned, I had to beg over the course of 7 hours to be allowed to eat even though their were no diet restrictions.

After 6 EKGs, an x-ray, a CT scan, and ultrasound, a cardiac catheter, and an MRI, there was still much confusion as to what my actual diagnosis was, if there were be any sort of treatment, or how long I would need to stay. Currently I am in my room with a nurse outside my door, guarding it as if I am a prisoner, refusing to treat me for the myocarditis, and telling me that I am not allowed to ask any questions or speak to anyone until tomorrow morning. I had to beg her for a heating pad because the pain radiates into my back, much like a heart attack, and even then she was hesitant.

After all these blood and urine tests, it's super apparent I am not a drug addict but they wouldn't even allow me to have aspirin or ibuprofen, as if I am drug-seeking. There have been plenty of tests done that show my condition, but not once since it was determined has there been any sort of treatment for it. I was offered anti-anxiety medication for pain, as if this nurse just wanted me to stop advising her that I was in pain and sleep.

There is a woman a few rooms down, crying in pain and begging for help and the nurses are laughing at her.

Yesterday night the same nurse who guards my door currently, was running down the hallway yelling and cussing about a patient that she did not want to "f*cking deal with".

I have asked to be released and told them I'd follow-up with my primary care doctor if there were no more tests or any treatments that they can offer here, and was told they would refuse to send my records to my doctor if I left without being properly discharged. So I am trapped here, otherwise I will not have a work excuse...

My 86 year old mother was brought here from BVH in Findlay, she waited 5 days before her gown was changed and she was given a bath. On her first day, she asked for ice water 5 times before something got her a glass of water She would wait 10, 15 sometimes 20 minutes after ringing for assistance to go to the bathroom She would request meals based on her diabetes and she would receive her meals (sometimes) plus the regular meal, so food was wasted almost daily. Her sugar was very high and the meals they brought had extremely high sugar contact, no thought for her condition. She was there over a week, and was only assisted once to get up and walk, no PT was ordered even after we requested that she get up and walk around so she could keep up her strength and not get bed sores. She had a previous wound on her foot that she asked to be checked on over 3 times, it was never attended to, or looked at. She developed a rash on her butt and stomach due to little movement from her bed. Her sugar was very low and on 8/9 she wasn't brought her breakfast until after 9:15 am, don't you think someone would be monitoring that? Especially after the day before she was told she could go home, my brother drove over 2 hours to get her, and they decided because her sugar was so high, she had to stay another day, so my brother had to turn around and drive 2 hours back, and then back again the next day. Staff was uncaring, except for one nurse that actually got my mom up and walked her around, 1 time We were so very hopeful when told my mother was being taken to Ohio State, thinking she would receive top notch care, and additional tests to determine what was wrong, we received horrible care, and no additional tests, and no new diagnosis. I was able to speak with her pulmonary doctor who was very nice and took time to explain everything, he stated the doctors at BVH were taking great care of her. Person at the front desk was not helpful, saw me walk the complete wrong way to visit my mom, never said a word, never offered directions, acted as if I was bothering her (young lady). First day I was there, had to wait at the front desk as the attendant (elderly lady) was talking with a co- worker away from the desk, she to was not friendly. If folks in this profession would only treat others as they would want to be treated when they are not well, or how you would want your child or parent treated, maybe things would change, so very, very disappointed in a facility with the name "OSU" on it. When you are sick, a little compassion...