Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center — Attraction in Los Angeles

I have been with Kaiser for 6 years and have had positive experiences UNTIL I got pregnant. I am 44 years old and clearly high-risk. They treated me no differently than a healthy 25 year-old. I took a blood test ( 8-26-19) at the walk-in clinic to confirm my pregnancy. I took initiative to call and make my first prenatal appointment. Nothing noteworthy happened at the appointment (9- 9- 19). They didn't even take my blood-pressure. I filled out a questionnaire, the LVN went over some pamphlets, ordered lab work and sent me home. I was assigned no specialist, and no special recommendations were made to ensure healthy implantation of the embryo due to my advanced age.

They made me another appointment for 10-21-19. Two days ago, Oct. 7, I was spotting and went to urgent care in Downey. The doctor there was sensitive, did a pelvic exam, noticed clots and ordered an ultrasound. Later she returned to report there was no heartbeat. She gave me the option of going home and letting it pass naturally, having a D & C, or taking a pill. I had no idea what to choose. I was hysterical with grief. She advised I just go home and let it pass because I was cramping.

The following day, Oct. 8 (9:30 am) I called the appointment line from my husband's phone for an OB follow-up. She recorded his phone number and left a message with the nurse at OB to call me back. At 11:00 I was bleeding so profusely that I just stayed in my empty bathtub. I called the appointment line again. She reported that the OB nurse had called me back and left a message, but she hadn't. She must have called the wrong number. My phone number on file is current, but coincidentally my phone broke. It doesn't turn on, so I was hoping they weren't calling that number by mistake. I called OB myself and left another message with my husband's phone number, then called the nurse advice line. I waited on hold for 30 minutes. After hearing my story, the advice nurse told me to call an ambulance, or get a ride immediately to the ER.

At the ER in Harbor City, they did another ultrasound. While I was waiting for a bed, I started going into shock, because I was still bleeding through pads and onto towels that I had placed beneath myself. My husband ran and got a nurse and they finally laid me down in a bed. The doctor came and said he would do a pelvic exam and that he was going to order me Rhogam. I questioned him because my blood type is Rh+ and Rhogam is used for mothers who are Rh-. He returned and said that he had misread my blood type. I was in disbelief.

The doctor did a pelvic exam and took a large specimen from my uterus and placed it in a jar for the lab. It was never sent. I was given a bag of IV fluid, sent to the pharmacy to get medication to help my uterus clamp down and stop bleeding, and sent home.

The gestational age of my fetus was never confirmed. My last menstrual period was July 25, so by that, it would be 11 weeks. But my periods are irregular and I had felt pregnant long before my first blood test. I never saw my ultrasound from my first visit to Downey, or my second visit to Harbor City. I never saw an OB practitioner, period. I was treated like a number and not a person.

I had a miscarriage before in 1995. I was given a D & C and was able to return to daily life within 48 hours. I was 20 years old. I am sad and disgusted that at age 44 I was not important enough to even receive a call back from the OB department. The nurse's desk never called. I am here at home, my products of conception never analyzed, my ultrasounds unseen, and myself unseen by the OB department at Kaiser.

I am leaving this establishment as soon as the open-enrollment window for my insurance is available through my workplace.

If you are a high risk pregnancy, and with...

Dear Kaiser Southbay emergency medical center,

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction and concern regarding the care I received during my visit to your emergency room on December 18, 2024. I believe it’s essential to bring this matter to your attention to ensure that no other patient experiences what I endured.

My family has been battling a stomach bug for almost two weeks, affecting my three children (two of whom became ill twice) and myself. In the early morning hours of December 18th, my symptoms began: diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, cold sweats, and hot flashes. After over 14 hours of vomiting and being unable to keep anything down, my symptoms escalated to numbness in my hands and legs, to the point where I could not walk. My husband called urgent care, and the advice nurse recommended we go to the emergency room immediately.

Upon arrival around 5 PM, I was in extreme distress, vomiting into a trash can, moaning in pain, and barely able to function. Despite clearly displaying symptoms of an emergency, I was made to wait in line for approximately 10 minutes and told we’ll be right with you, with over 50 people ahead of me in the lobby. My condition deteriorated further, and I collapsed on the floor due to unbearable pain and exhaustion.

When I was finally brought back to a room, the nurse assigned to me displayed a shocking lack of compassion and professionalism. Some specific issues include: Lack of Urgency: The nurse took her time pushing me to my room, engaging in casual conversation with coworkers, despite my obvious distress. When I expressed that I felt like I was going to throw up, her response was, “Then throw up,” spoken in a dismissive and rude tone. Disrespectful Behavior: While adjusting my legs on the bed, the nurse accused me of “kicking her,” a baseless and offensive accusation. Failure to Address Symptoms: Despite my severe pain and numbness (which extended to my face), my symptoms were dismissed and attributed to “breathing too fast.” This delayed the administration of appropriate care and medication. Delays in Treatment: It took nearly two hours for me to receive pain medication via IV, despite my inability to swallow or keep anything down.

Once I was finally given IV-administered medication, my symptoms improved significantly, and I was able to speak, smile, and feel relief. This proved that my symptoms were real and severe, yet I was made to feel as though I was exaggerating or lying.

This experience has left me deeply shaken and distrustful of the care provided at your facility. As a mother of three, I rarely seek medical attention unless absolutely necessary, and this was my first-ever visit to an emergency room. Unfortunately, instead of receiving compassionate care, I was met with indifference and hostility.

I urge you to review the conduct of the nurses involved in my care on the evening of December 18th. Patients who seek emergency care should be treated with empathy and urgency, regardless of how “stable” their vitals may appear.

For reference, my last name is Lopilato, and I arrived at the emergency room around 5 PM on 12/18/24. I sincerely hope you take this feedback seriously and address these concerns appropriately.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

P.S. I’ve attached a photo to hopefully educate the nurse so she doesn’t make the same...

This is the worst hospital ever. My cousin was admitted there via ambulance. Later that afternoon I checked in talk to the doctor in charge and gave my contact information and all pertinent information concerning his medications and physical disabilities. His insurance, and, phone number. My cousin is a stroke victim and on dialysis. I shared what I felt I believed was wrong with him based on my 12 years of being his roommate and 10 years of that his caregiver. So I have a pretty good idea of what it is. And they acted like they weren't concerned and walked away no feedback nothing. The next morning I found him tied upto his bed by the wrists, bloodied and he could barely look at me let alone speak. I asked the female sitting on him, that was too busy playing on her phone to notice I was even there. "what happened to him?" She said "He kept scratching his nose and wouldn't stop pulling his 02 out until he made it bleed." I saw dried blood streaks from his forehead and nothing from his nose. Anyway, He didn't even recognize me. That ain't the way I left him! On the third day his doctor in charge finally asked me what medications he's on. and , I told her" I told you all that information on the first day." "Why are you asking me again",? "I thought you already had that information." After she confirmed what medications I told her that I provided he was on earlier, She ordered a third dialysis to remove the toxins from those medications that his kidneys would not filter. So he suffered for 3 days not knowing where he was at. confused and scared. Lethargic at best. Couldn't even recognize me. I was scared these people at Kaiser Permanente would call me at any moment to let me know he was dead. Today he was discharged. Just 4 days later. He still can't talk much. And when he does I can't understand him. Still can't walk well. I feel like I need to constantly check on him. to make sure he's really ok. My cousin has Medical because he's a stroke victim and is on a fixed income. I work hard at a part time job, just so I can pay bills. Because I need time to be there for him as a caregiver not only for him. But, I could never forgive myself if something happened to someone I care about and I wasn't able to make sure I did my best in the eyes of God. I was told he would have his 3 very important life preserving medications ready in an hour from discharge. So after I spent money for a taxi to get him home, that was outside my budget, I had to take the bus back to Kaiser pharmacy across the street to pick them up. They told me I needed to pay this insane copay amount and when I couldn't they said " Next" I almost cried! If everyone had a choice of hospitals to have the ambulance take people they love to. I'm almost positive this place would have to close it's...