Cox North Hospital — Attraction in Springfield

If I could give zero stars, I would. My wife and I came to CoxHealth North ER on Tuesday after her long-standing gastrointestinal condition flared up again with violent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and an inability to keep food or fluids down that lasts for days sometimes. She has IBS-C and Endometriosis. This isn’t new, nor is it mild. She’s dealt with this for 5–6 years, and after being evaluated by her PCP earlier that day, we were sent to Cox North for further testing, including potential imaging.

We went to Turner Center on Sunday, where after basic blood work and fluids, Dr. Christopher Odehnal decided, without further investigation, that this had to be CHS (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome) when he asked my wife if she uses any THC products, and ended the diagnostic process right there. No imaging. No further tests. Just a quick label and out the door. The fact that she was prescribed THC years ago because of these symptoms was completely ignored. Once the CHS label was applied, every other possibility was off the table.

When we walked into CoxNorth ER, it was a cold, dismissive environment from the moment we arrived. My wife was actively vomiting and barely able to stand. I let the front desk know I needed to sit her down before checking her in, and the triage nurse snapped at me: “If she’s an adult she needs to sign for herself.” Thankfully another nurse brought over a wheelchair, but the tone had been set. Later, when my wife, still incoherent, asked for a note in her chart allowing me to speak for her during these episodes, that same nurse refused: “Yeah, I’m not putting that in your notes. You can tell them when you get back there,”

Then came Dr. Joseph Craigmyle, who walked in already decided the answer was CHS. He dismissed her condition entirely and said we’d just do fluids and anti-nausea meds “to get her on her way.” When I explained she was prescribed THC years ago because of these issues, and that this predates any cannabis use, he smirked and said, “Well, the THC isn’t helping,” and walked out.

No new tests were done, just repeat blood work and a urine sample, exactly like what had already been done days prior. Her blood sugar, despite not eating since Saturday evening, was 202, a red flag in itself. Still no imaging. No real diagnostics. Just more dismissal.

Dr. Craigmyle did eventually acknowledge “there’s probably an underlying condition” and said he’d refer us to a GI specialist, which he did. But that only proves our point: if you know there’s more going on, why not investigate now instead of kicking us out?

He also prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful antipsychotic primarily used for schizophrenia, without any discussion of side effects or alternatives. Yes, it was only a 4-day supply, but that doesn’t seem to make it safe or appropriate to prescribe a heavy psychiatric medication without informed consent, especially to someone in an already vulnerable state.

This entire experience, from the ER front desk to the doctors, screamed bias, laziness, and a total lack of patient-centered care. My wife was treated like an inconvenience, not a human being in pain. Once someone wrote “CHS” in her chart, it was game over. No curiosity, no testing, no real medical care, just a rubber-stamped diagnosis and a door. This is damage control disguised as treatment.

Maybe CHS is the cause, we’re open to that possibility. But when a patient with a long medical history walks in actively vomiting, with elevated blood sugar and known prior conditions (like gallbladder removal, IBS-C, and Endometriosis), they deserve more than a rushed dismissal, a psychiatric med, and a bad attitude. The issue isn’t the diagnosis, it’s how little effort went into reaching it.

Cox North failed my wife, clinically and ethically. If you’re looking for real care, please go elsewhere; they’re not interested in listening, helping, or...

I was an Out of state patient . I was visiting my sister and brother in law in Missouri when plan didn't go as well plan I went to the ER somewhere else in Monnet, MO. The ER at this Monnet MO was really good . But, sadly I got to get transfer to Coxhealth. My experience with Coxhealth most be the worse hositpal I ever attend too. Seriously, the worse. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I understand that there was a lot of other patients who were in need just as I was in need too but, seriously, those nurses and doctors are kind people, but I feel like they are such a joke. I had a procedure supposedly to be done on Sunday morning around 9-10am but there were some last minute change so the nurse said around afternoon which I didn't mind at all. Finally, around afternoon about 2:30pm I got the news to start the procedure . I didn't get wheel down until 3:30pm. That was an hour waiting for these people to get me down to the procedure room, sad. When I finally get down there, i had to wait, AGAIN. Another hour and a half waiting for the doctor and to be wheel in. It was such a pain. Probably, one of the longest wait ever. My procedure didn't start until 7pm, smh. The whole entire time when I got there, I couldn't eat or drink due to the procedure. I basically starve for 2 and a half days. After the procedure, the daytime shift nurse was probably the worse nurse just because they took FOREVER to attend to you when you need them there. I understand that there are other patients too but I feel like they lack so much on attending to every patient as soon as possible. Don't get me wrong, they are really nice and sweet but they lack so much on attending care to their patients. I really like my night shift nurse though. It took the nurse hours for them to come back to you with something that could of been done in minutes. I had to wait hours for pain killers which i find that ridiculous. I felt so bad for the people who were in much greater than me. These nurse and doctor lack so much on time. Something they need to improve on . Also, I was talking to my roommate, a much older lady. She just got done talking to this doctor assistant which i felt like this assistant fail to attend her needs with fincianal help. She just kepts saying "okay" and nodding her head . Like, "what the heck, lady." She is crying for help and you just sit there like nothing is going on. I felt so bad for this helpless roommate of mine, I got up and start talking to her , understand her suffer and crys. It's just horriable to see this doctor assistant not finding help for this lady balling her eyes out. Smh. She didn't even offer any fincianal assistant to her too. Also, when i got discharge it took them FOREVER but, it didn't come to a susprise to me at all since I knew it will take them forever to come back. -.- But, after all the discharge paper has giving back to me , the nurse said they'll have transportation for me to be wheel down but i waited an hour for them. I finally just got up and said f-this I ain't waiting anymore (My husband and kids was waiting for me down in the main office) . It was such a painfully and slow service I ever went to. I also was told by the nurse saying that my insurance covered but turns out i have a bill. Like what else can go wrong with this hositpal . I also ask for an financial assistant help , someone i can talk to, yeah, i never got that chance instead this nurse just came up to me and said "oh Coxhealth will take care of your stays and all , you just have to pay for the prescription drugs, that's all" They lying, i got a bill. Don't waste your money on this hospital . Everything is just wrong in so many ways. Anyways, that's my story. No lies at...

On 2/29/2020 I had a 103 degree fever and a severe cough. It was after regular business hours, so I had to choose between the ER and Urgent Care. I thought Urgent Care might be better because it was usually faster and less expensive. When I arrived at Cox Urgent Care the nurse checked me in and took my insurance information. Nothing was disclosed to me at the time about any extra charge for a facility fee that would be added to my bill. I waited more than 3 hours to see a doctor. The nurse swabbed my nose and throat. When at last I saw the doctor, she told me I tested negative for both strains of the flu but since she didn't know why I was sick she was going to prescribe Tamiflu anyway. That entire exam and exchange with the doctor lasted about 5 minutes. I went home and took the Tamiflu. About 3 months later, I received a bill for the visit, which included an excessive charge of more than $500 labeled as a "facility fee." I immediately wrote to Cox via email to address the bill. I received no response. I then wrote a letter asking for an itemized bill. I never received one. I called and spoke to a representative in the patient services department. She told me that Cox doesn't provide itemized bills. She also said they won't respond in writing, only via phone. She told me that they were resubmitting my invoice to my insurance company because they coded it incorrectly. I asked then if it was possible I had the Coronavirus. She would not say. About 6 weeks later I received yet another bill for the same amount, including the undisclosed and excessive facility fee. I then wrote an email to the patient services department explaining that this amount was excessive, not disclosed to me, and completely inappropriate for the care I received. I also researched the reasonable and customary charges for an urgent care visit in my area for the services I received. I outlined my research in my email to them and explained that I would not pay such an outrageous charge. I also, again, requested an itemized invoice. I received no response. So, I called again. This time I was told that I could not get an itemized bill but would have to pay to get copies of my medical records and would have to piece together what the charges are myself. This time she told me that I owed $0, that they had, once again, coded things incorrectly, and that I owed nothing. I relied on this information and thought the issue was resolved. I just received on 9/25 a past due notice for $836, which is more than the previous invoice and includes no detail or information whatsoever. It's clear to me that Cox intends to bully me into paying an amount that is far in excess of reasonable and customary and refuses to address what's included in this total. CoxHealth has numerous complaints filed against them for predatory billing practices. They have a D- rating...