Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center — Attraction in Los Angeles

Absolutely do not recommend UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center.

My original review is too many words. To read it I have attached it as pictures labelled pages 1-5.

I am a mother of two, and my experience at this hospital was traumatic beyond words. I’ve waited almost a year to share this because it’s still painful, but other families deserve to know what happened.

On July 24, 2024, my toddler had a febrile seizure for the first time. We were taken to UCLA ER. She tested positive for COVID, and her personal neurologist (from CHLA) advised me via phone that she was safe to go home for monitoring as a provoke febrile seizure was the cause. Despite that, UCLA insisted on admitting her—and what followed was a complete nightmare.

🔻 I was threatened with CPS for trying to care for both children: I was 3 months postpartum with a COVID-positive, exclusively breastfed infant at home. I explained that I needed to breastfeed him, and he had a fever too. They refused to let me bring him in to the hospital and said that if I left to care for him and discharged my daughter, they would report me to Child Protective Services for medical neglect. I had no choice—I felt like a hostage.

🔻 No accommodations for breastfeeding or basic nutrition: I was given a breast pump, but my baby does not take bottles, and I had no way to get the milk to him. Once checked into the room, they gave me crackers and sugary cereal—no real food for my daughter or I —even though I hadn’t eaten in hours. I was not allowed to leave to get food, nor could staff bring anything from the lobby. My daughter has a gluten allergy and they had nothing for her either.

🔻 Prescribed dangerous medication: UCLA discharged my daughter with Diazepam and Keppra for epilepsy—despite no epilepsy diagnosis. Weeks later, in Australia, I used the Diazepam during another febrile seizure, and it caused respiratory distress. Emergency responders and doctors were shocked at the dosage—way too high for a toddler. My U.S. pediatrician agreed. I had to give my daughter rescue breaths for 15 minutes until help arrived. Horrifying.

🔻 Delayed discharge and conflicting communication: We were told multiple times we were being discharged. But we weren’t—staff seemed to be stalling for a full 24-hour observation period without being upfront. A nurse even admitted doctors were "lollygagging.” When I finally confronted the doctor in front of his students, we were discharged 30 minutes later. They knew this whole time I had a covid positive 3 month old at home who was not allowed in the hospital who had also not had my milk for almost a 24hour period.

🔻 Financial stress mishandled: While in emotional crisis, I was approached about insurance. Turns out my daughter’s name was misspelled, which caused the issue. After correcting it, I asked about financial assistance—none was available, and our plan had a 30% co-insurance. Just what every overwhelmed parent needs in a moment of crisis.

🔻 Ignored by Patient Experience team: I contacted the patient care department afterward. They promised to look into the counselor who threatened CPS and the medication issue. I sent emails and our $8,940 bill as requested—and was completely ghosted. No response. No accountability. I have my email thread as proof.

👎 This hospital lacks empathy, trauma-informed care, and safe medical judgment. They endangered my infant and toddler. They created emotional trauma I am still processing. They ignored my neurologist’s medical advice. They threatened a loving, competent mother with CPS. They prescribed a medication that almost killed my child.

I flew to Australia shortly after to recover from this ordeal with family support. Please, if you're a parent—think twice before putting your family in...

"The HHS regulations at 45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human subjects in research require that an investigator obtain the legally effective informed consent of the subject or the subject's legally authorized representative"

If you are in an emergency, do not go here. The staff is noncaring, rude, lied on the charts and gave meds WITHOUT INFORMED CONSENT (isn't this illegal?). I also called the nursing supervisor who agreed to meet me, that did not happen.

Came in with sister having odd symptoms. She was unable to speak for the most part. We waited 4 hours in order to get back. I understand being busy, but the front desk was completely uncaring. A woman coughing up blood and her crying daughter, they barely looked at her and just said sorry it'll be a while. Mutiple times, people crying or begging for help and they wouldn't answer or even look at them. Everywhere we went, people just ignored and refused to look at patients. Truly felt you could die on the floor and they wouldn't care.

While polite, the screening doctor Jacob Lentz listed a bunch of tests he would order but didn't (we later got them anyway). He wrote she was having a psychotic break with zero indication this was the case. He lied and wrote she was speaking and walking normally, both untrue - while waiting 4 hours, there were 10 minutes where the episode died down, and one time she went to the bathroom without a wheelchair and holding onto me. They suggested it was a migraine and told her to take meds for migraines... They were not migraine meds but antipsychotics. Giving medication and lying about the reason is NOT INFORMED CONSENT. He had no indication it was psychological other than he had no idea what it was.

Once you get back there the doctors are nice. They ran the correct tests. We realized after getting home she will need a standing MRI. However, this hospital never fully took her seriously because it was written off as psychiatric. Now other doctors are hesitant to believe her.

I get mistakes. But forcing incorrect medication, not responding to crying patients, no one cared. Not a single person in that front room cared. And then they not only lied and gave her incorrect medication without consent.

This was the nicest way I could put everything. A man who doesn't recognize something dismissed as psychiatric, thanks Jacob. The rest of the hospital was amazing, hospitable, etc. It was the emergency room here that treated everyone as though they were objects. Even a simple "I'm sorry/I understand" can go a long way, but purely ignoring patients asking a question says a lot. This wasn't just to us, but every single person in the waiting room. Furthermore, giving psychiatric drugs that could potentially cause unknown side effects without consent is truly disgusting. I'm truly disappointed in the UCLA system.

I would love to speak to a representative who can give me clarification on the legality of this

Edit (Feb 2022): We officially got a diagnosis of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome thanks to amazing doctors at Cedar Sinai. We couldn’t have done it without UCLA, who allowed a very hesitant student to try the spinal test (a very risky procedure but they thought she couldn’t hear so they allowed the student to try) which caused a SEVERE CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID LEAK. In the end, this huge f* up got her a diagnosis as she had to be rushed to an emergency room the next day. She is currently receiving treatment. Btw UCLA, in case this wasn’t clear, she wasn’t crazy or imagining any of it. Still one of the worst nights of our lives. I still think they clearly don’t care for rules or patient safety, so if you’re looking for an easy lawsuit this might be the...

I have to give one star for the way this was all handled, not only by the hospital but by the Ear Nose Throat doctor.

Aug 31, 2018 was my surgery. I was not expecting it to be so involved for a minor surgery issue to clean out some infection and correct a little scar tissue. But on the day of, while my stress level was high and increasing, they are making you fill out forms...Why wasn't this done in the doctors appointments? Why wasnt I given the side effects or danger of??

As they were hooking me up to an IV, it was taking the nurse forever looking for a vein, meanwhile, im in pain just from the holes he was making in my arm, at the same time they want me to fill forms and to advise me of the side effects or what might happen if the surgery didnt work....Hey im only having infection removed from my sinus wth? Another Nurse took over and found a vein in less than 3 mins.

I asked them, I only want the injection to knock you out, but NOTHING else....after the surgery, I discovered after the surgery and a break down of the cost, at almost $800 each, 12 different injections, one being "Unclassified" and three being pain killers....why do I need pain killers while knocked out?? The others, I have NO IDEA. The doctor told me before the surgery that she may be able to seal a hole that was made after a failed tooth extraction, left a hole into my sinuses, it is part of one of her specialties...The dentist who performed the tooth extraction years before, did not review the xray to see that the root extended into the sinus cavity! (that means, YOU DONT PULL IT) This is why I continue to have sinus infections...After the Surgery I questioned my doctor why she didnt seal the hole, the ENT doctor tells me "No, I dont that, you have to see an oral surgeon....Yet no Oral surgeon will touch it because it's a sensitive area. Another ENT doctor told me that he cant touch the sinuses until the hole had been sealed....so why did a UCLA doctor perform the surgery knowing the hole would still exist. As of today, I'm in a major crisis with a sinus infection and a huge medical bill from a failed UCLA operation and NO one is willing to help!

The infection, is behind my eye now as I am losing my eyesight on the side of my infection, as others said if it reaches the brain, I could die.....Oh well, I guess this is what they mean...Life is Short! I will never trust another Doctor or Dentist again...all they care about is the thousands of dollars they make for their multi million dollar mansion!

And of course, while you are wigged out on the stress, they let you sign the papers that say "You cant sue us if we F* you up" At least, if I do die from this infection, I wont have to pay the $12,000 medical bill...The entire bill was $120,000 just to do surgery on a minor sinus situation! The UCLA DOCTOR SHOULD NOT HAVE PERFORMED THE SURGERY KNOWING THE HOLE COULD NOT BE SEALED UP! Why have the surgery then if another infection will occur??????? I'm also losing all my teeth because of the infection and the failed Sinus surgery, so Im...