Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital — Attraction in Creve Coeur

Worst service I have ever experienced at any business.

My relative went into the emergency room for extreme back pain hardly able to walk. They told us we would have to wait. Fine. We waited. Meanwhile my relative couldn't sit down because of the pain, couldn't lay down because they had no place for us and was forced to stand for 45 min or so. The pain grew much worse, so bad that he at 6" 4 and 290 pounds broke down weeping in the middle of the waiting room.

Still waiting for admission.

Finally he decides the pain is too much and tries to lie down in the emergency room onto the mat in front of the sliding doors (because was the only semi-soft thing possible to lay on). This immediately prompted a nurse to come by and scold him for laying on the mat, weeping, in front of the doorway.

After much more scolding, condesscending, and rude behavior the nurse finally begins taking his information. While my relative is weeping and moaning from the pain, she tells him several times to "get control of himself." She decides that treating him like a child who got a booboo started screaming is the best way to handle the situation.

Because when grown men loudly weep from pain, it's usually because they're overreacting.

Finally we get the information taken and he gets put onto a cot, its been about an hour at this point since we arrived. Finally, he can lie down and we can start figuring out what the problem is. Lying down only helps a little bit. They give him pain meds, those only help a little bit. But he's stopped moaning and calling out for God so I guess he's ok.

They continue to give him pain meds until they take him to get an MRI. Finally some answers.

They take the MRI. We get the diagnosis from the doc and he tells us essentially "There's no nerve problems its just pain. It's just bad arthritis."

"Just bad arthritis." Oh really now. Im no expert but Im pretty sure "bad arthritis" doesnt bring grown men to tears, completely immobilize them, and is virtually unaffected by painkillers.

"No nerve problems." Oh really now. Im no expert but the fact that my relative said repeatedly he was experiencing pain and numbness all the way down both legs and into his toes kinda makes it seems like theres a nerve issue.

At this point they basically told us they were going to kick us out because they "can't admit JUST for pain." We tell them we fear that taking him back home will leave him in just as bad of shape as when he came in... because they didn't actually treat his problem.

That doesn't matter. They can't keep him. So after several hours of agonizing pain and "treating" him with painkillers they give him some painkiller meds prescriptions (the same kind as the ones which already didn't help very much) and kicked him out. And he goes home sobbing and in just as bad of shape as when he went in.

Terrible, condescending, and rude service at every level from the front desk to the nurse who admitted us to the doctor who viewed the MRI. Questions annoyed them. After the "doctor" told us it was "just pain." They proceeded to make us as uncomfortable as possible until they finally kicked us out. We were not welcome.

All of us there with him were continually shocked at the repeatedly poor level of service.

We went to this hospital because we wanted to see a particular doctor who was very good with back issues. After we told them this they essentially told us, "No, you're not going to see him. You see, he's a really good doctor. He doesnt have time for people who just have pain. Here I want you to follow up with FOURTH YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS."

I would never go to this hospital again. If I was dying and in an ambulance I'd tell them to take me somewhere else. Because Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital would probably just give me horrific service, "treat" me with pain meds, and...

Arrived at 6pm in the ER with my 86 yr old father who had ulcer type pain symptoms, the 2nd time in 3 weeks. The 1st time he was there for a good portion of the night and as soon as I left late in the evening to take my mother home, I got a call that he was being discharged. Skip ahead to last nights adventure at this hospital. They gave him nausea med shot form, he got restless from the high dose, they gave him benadryl, IV fluids,.....few hours later stomach pain again, they give him hydroxide/lidocaine oral mixture.....,then they followup with ATIVAN which knocks him out completely with in 60 seconds....I was in and out of his ER room to get some air and keep myself level headed. I was just standing outside his door not bothering anyone whatsoever. This was fine for approx couple hours. Then all of a sudden one time a nurse comes by and says are you with anyone here and I say yeah this room here. She says I cannot stand outside the room. I politely ask for what reason. To which she says, so I don't hear the nurses talking about other patients, as if it is a HIPPA issue. Talk about a heaping stinking load of BS. Evidently she was on a powertrip because as I replied well how about I just wait till that patient situation comes up and then I'll go back in. To which the nurse behind her says to the 1st nurse, "Do you want me to call security" This is the kind of treatment you get here. They care not for the family members and not much for the patient as well, as the story continues. Not to mention, you can HEAR EVERYTHING they are saying from the room I was in anyway !! I finally take a break around 11pm, my father is out cold snoring, within 15 minutes of my leaving, I get a call he is getting discharged. I arrive back and they have him in a wheelchair sitting in the ER waiting room with a ziplock containing his paperwork and his underwear which he had #2 accident in. He was still majorly loopy/groggy from the ativan. I got him up for the car ride and he immediately has to go to the bathroom. We barely make it but now his shorts have accident as well. I get him home and in bed and within one minute he can't get up still to groggy and makes in the bed. I believe he was released way way way too soon for the amount of drugs they pumped in him, and I cannot believe how any stretch of the imagination he could have possibly understood what they said when discharging him and having him sign himself out. There is no way in his groggy state he was competent to do anything, and the man is losing his bowels and they decide to roll him out of there with his underwear in a ziplock. This hospital and nurse should be ashamed of themselves. I will not be returning, new building doesn't mean competent/caring staff. On top of all this I still think you keep an old man there till he can keep food down ... plain and simple.....so yes, it would have been nice to see them admit him to the hospital...he hadn't slept for 48hrs and couldn't keep anything down, so you just stabilize pain and pump him full of fluids....how about seeing if he can keep foods down for one day, one hour, one minute ? I said that to the Dr 1st thing off when he started questioning us for the details. I told them no sleep, no eating, vomiting the whole thing and I said I'd like to see you keep him here till he can...

I went to Barnes ER and was not properly treated (medically) . I was treated (verbally) as if I was wasting the PAs time. I left because I did not feel comfortable and did not want to wait more if he was going to not help me. He’s demeanor toward me made me feel as though I was being a bother. I tried to explain my situation (health and financial ) to give him a better understanding for treatment. He said “well you don’t have to do it.” I went home . Still in pain. Next morning came back…I was seen by a MD who at first wanted to brush me off. Until I told him I feel as though you are trying to brush me off. He told me “it’s a normal part of the female anatomy” except… yes we get cyst. If there’s that much pain plus other symptoms..no it’s not normal. He went to get my discharge papers. Came back and said. “Oh they can do a US do you want me to order one” so the MD that works at Barnes..doesn’t know if there’s US available? I would not sit at a hospital for seven hours as if I have nothing better to do. How did I encounter TWO male medical professionals with little to no empathy for their patient? Then I read my MEDICAL chart and he basically says in the comment section that I was fine because I was able to get a blanket I left(able to bend). the nurse did not see me pick up the blanket(I was around a corner & she did not come with me nor offer to get it) …how did you all come to this conclusion? To write that in my medical chart. So now when I go somewhere else someone might think I’m being dramatic and not take my pain seriously. I also asked for Tylenol that I did not receive until I asked the nurse at discharge. MD also told me my results with the door half open ..starts by saying “as we said you have two cysts“ when earlier he told me the PA was wrong there was only ONE cyst. So which is it Barnes one or two? This is the first time I’ve ever been to Barnes, so I’m not a frequent flyer, not looking for drugs. Didn’t even have a chart until this day. Even if I was what would give you as a medical professional that went into this career the right to mistreat me? I want my chart edited and I don’t advise any women to come here. There’s no reason to be treated like my pain is not valid. It’s unacceptable to mistreat patients based on your opinions on how I should act in pain. There’s multiple complaints on here about the staff and doctors from the ER. Had I seen it I wouldve never came here. It’s clear Barnes is doing nothing to correct the ongoing issues . Please don’t come here and allow Barnes to allow their staff to...