UCI Health — Los Alamitos Emergency Department — Attraction in Los Alamitos

Not a very good experience at all. I went last night for severe back pain. Finding the entrance was a challenge with all the barriers and signs in place. I can appreciate that for indivuals that work there, they understand how to navigate all of that, but for first timers it looks blocked off. Finally was able to get there, and security came and thankfully with a wheelchair to help me check in. I just wanted help but was floored when saw personal information of/and with patients discussed so openly. I said to at least three staff members that I have been to Los Alamitos medical portion before so my records should be there. No one listened or cared so in 2022 I received a paper script. Perhaps because I work in insurance I realize how rare that is. Fast forward to this am. Now I need my medication filled but unfortunately still having difficulty driving. Was attempting to have the staff send the script electronically so I can have the med delivered. The individual that answered the phone in ER, I had to go into great detail letting her know why I couldn't drive. Mind you, I logged onto my portal and saw the visit from this morning and RX right there. But apparently I had to work for the help and dig the RX out and give it to her? AGAIN IM STILL IN A LOT OF PAIN. But they know if I get frustrated and hang up (like sadly so many people do) I AM ONLY HURTING MYSELF)so provided what was needed. As I was rushed off the phone (which I can appreciate in some ways) I asked what the turn around was for that to be called over and was told to give it an hour.I gave it an hour and a half and called the pharmacy to see if it was there and guess what? I went through all of that for nothing. And still was in a lot of pain. I get being busy but that is no excuse to treat people as though their expendable or their health issues don't matter. There seems to be something off with both centers. Awful. And in trying to get filled where I didn't have to drive instead of THE PHARMACY on file, I wanted to make sure it didn't look like I was "shopping prescriptions" which is a demeaning feeling. I hear this at work all day. Your in a place of extreme pain for something that wasn't even your fault and your treated like nothing. I really thought medical care couldn't possibly be worse than Florida. I was...

UPDATE 9/7/25

To whom it may concern,

I want to start by saying that I’ve been to your facility several times throughout the year, and up until now, I’ve always been treated with kindness, respect, and compassion. I understand the ER is a high-pressure environment and that sometimes there are long wait times or urgent cases that require immediate attention. I have never taken issue with that, and I truly appreciate the difficult work your staff does every day.

However, during my most recent visit, I left feeling unheard, dismissed, and inadequately treated—something I’ve never experienced at your hospital before.

As someone who lives with chronic pain conditions, including lupus and neuropathy, my pain baseline is already quite high. When I came in with a significant increase in abdominal pain, it was because something felt truly wrong and unmanageable. I tried to clearly explain that I had already taken my prescribed Norco at home and that a small dose of morphine wouldn’t be sufficient given my tolerance. I wasn’t trying to seek drugs—I was seeking relief, support, and a deeper evaluation of what was causing this escalation in pain.

Instead, I felt that I was quickly judged and my concerns were minimized. A comment made by the nurse implying “this is the ER, so unless you’re dying…” made me feel like I was being pushed out to make space, rather than treated as a patient in distress. While I understand beds are limited, pain is subjective, and chronic illness doesn’t always present in ways that are outwardly visible.

I’m now honestly afraid to return to the ER for fear of being labeled or “red-flagged,” even if I’m truly in a medical crisis. That should never be the takeaway for any patient seeking help.

Please understand that patients with complex conditions like mine live in a constant state of managing pain, flares, and complications. When we come to the ER, it’s because we’ve exhausted all other options at home and are genuinely in need of care—not because we’re overreacting or drug-seeking.

I hope you can share this with your staff as a reminder that compassion, listening, and a more individualized approach are essential, especially for those of us with invisible illnesses. I’m more than happy to speak further about my experience if it helps improve future care for others in...

I NEVER post bad reviews but this place I felt the need to. I've come here multiple times for various reasons as well as a family member of mine and a friend as well. Every single time I've come in (probably around 3 or 4 times) I have never once gotten a bed or a room in back. I've just had to sit in the waiting room with everyone else waiting to be seen. And the wait times are insane. I mean, I get it, it's an emergency room and the wait times for those are usually pretty long but I have never waited as long in an emergency room as I have here. Plus, after a good 3-5 hour wait, I've only ever been sent into a small little office-like room on the side of the waiting room and told my diagnosis. Now, the doctors and nurses her aren't bad at all, they're actually pretty nice and kind but everyone else, yeah, not so much. They only ever really talk to you when you first come in and then at the very end of your visit right before you leave or they admit you to the hospital. We took my brother came to this ER after he had been constantly lethargic and not eating and losing weight rapidly and they said it was just constipation. Well days later and he's gotten a lot worse we took him to his physician and turns out he had type 1 diabetes. They just took one look at him, took and X-ray and sent us home after telling us that they had determined it was just constipation. Didn't think to do blood work, didn't think to check for any other possible conditions or illnesses, they just diagnosed him with the easiest thing they could think of. Another time our elderly neighbor needed a ride to and from the emergency room here and she was not happy. She thought she was having a heart attack or possibly a stroke and they kept this 80 something year old lady waiting, in pain, for almost 7 hours before simply telling her to just take some pain meds and sent her a prescription for some other kind of medication. If you need to go to an emergency room, I suggest just going to an urgent care or the emergency room at like OrangeCoast memorial or MemorialCare hospital in Long Beach....