Torrance Memorial Medical Center — Attraction in Torrance

PLEASE READ! Might save your life. My wife had gone into this hospital 3 times over the course of two weeks. It started out as a really bad sore throat. They did an X-Ray then sent her home telling her to buy some over the counter cough medicine. 6 days later she had to go back in because she was coughing up blood and could barely speak. She told them the over the counter stuff did not work and she hopes this time she'll get properly treated. The nurse told her she was being rude and tried to get into an argument over their "limitations" of what they can and can't do for patients.

So what did they do this time? Drew blood then sent her home with Amoxicillin and Tylenol. She didn't want to leave so they gave her a number to a Nose, Throat specialist doctor with Torrance Memorial network. All she did was give her more Amoxicillin. Later that night she was coughing up blood again and in complete agony. I took her to Little Company of Mary ER (Providence Torrance).

After a mere hour at the ER they immediately got her into a room and finally we found out what it was... it was Sepsis. It's a form of extreme infection that can easily cause organ failure and death. 2 hours after being in our new room her blood pressure dropped to a dangerously low number, she said she felt dizzy and blacked out. They got her into the ICU and she was stable again. She spent 4 days in the hospital. They had to pump so much antibiotics into her that her veins would no longer receive fluid after a day and they'd have to move the IV. She almost needed surgery to remove the infection but luckily the Vasopressors and antibiotics did the trick. We're finally home, I'm so grateful to have Little Company in Torrance. Their staff is extremely nice, the nurses come to check on patients very often and the doctors are very experienced. Two nights before she went home she was feeling better and wanted a bath (the wipe with soap and non-rinse shampoo thing) the nurses overheard saying she has sensitive skin and she would love to have a shower but she didn't ask them for one, yet the nurses called the doctor to authorize that they could take off the heart monitoring things and the IV just so she could have a shower, then attached everything back on. It's little things like that I really appreciate.

The worst part was, she had been in that state while she went to Torrance Memorial. If they said, they caught it just as it got worse or something I wouldn't post this review. But because it was in her throat, this was actually a rare case where Sepsis would be easy to find. At Little Company they the contrast CT scan and put a camera down her nose where they could see how bad the infection was.

This isn't a "revenge review" or anything of the sort. This is exactly what happened and I'm putting this story up because Torrance Hospital should be your last resort. It's the kind of hospital that tries to ask you for the $100 co-pay first before they do barely anything...

I first visited the E.R in extreme near black out pain, and my abdominal condition required me to be admitted right away to the Hospital for a 5 day stay. The E.R was busy with limited seating but moved efficiently. The E.R Doctor. Dr. Brett Lorber was upbeat and ready to help. We both had a basic understanding of my issue and we placed a friendly wager on what the tests would reveal. He had my E.R nurse Dennis install an NG tube in me next. For those of you who have not had this done it is an extremely difficult process that you will never want to go through in your life. If I have to ever do that again I will travel any distance just to have Dennis do it. He really helped me get through it, and motivated me in a dark moment to pull through and get it done. Once this was complete I was admitted to the Hospital. My first Doctor in transition was Dr Kim Nguyen. She comforted me and helped manage my expectations and debriefed me on what was coming next, and then she got me into a make shift shared room. This was very cramped but I was loaded on Morphine which helped me get through the makeshift surroundings. My first 2 nights were difficult and I was a terror on the Morphine. My night nurse Myra recognized this and took me under her wing. She was instrumental in getting my head straight over the next 2 nights. I must apologize deeply to the nurses I lashed out at in pain in my Morphined altered personality. Eventually Myra got me my own room and I started my comeback. My Day nurses Shermel, Jule, & Dania, worked hard with my two Hospital staff Doctor's, Dr Mak, and my surgeon Dr. Jim Camel to get me to the finish line. Dr. Mak is a highly capable Doctor who commands the room as good as anyone. Dr. Camel is a local legend and his presence alone gave you confidence that you were getting the best strategy and processes possible. In the end I was able to get out a day early which was a huge relief of stress. If I forgot any other names of the people who helped, just know I am thankful. I have read many reviews on the hospital and they are always so polarizing. I would say step back and breathe before you throw out a negative review once your head clears from the heat of battle. In the end great people are doing their best to get you back up to full strength and cooler heads prevail. I know at times I was miserable and thought the worst. In the end however the Torrance Memorial staff were responsible for my comeback and helped me to help them to help me. If I have one complaint it can only be the constant loud noise of the large doors to various supply rooms etc closing all day and night. Sleep without meds was difficult because of this. I would also like to mention the Xray dept was great and I was there a lot. There is no doubt that Torrance Memorial is the best in LA county, and its not even close. Again thank you to all and I will be forever grateful for the care you provided me and...

I was on the 3rd floor I am writing to formally express my concerns regarding the treatment I received during my recent stay at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. I was left in bed with feces on me, and when I needed to go to the restroom, I called for the nurse. She did not respond. After waiting for a long time, I decided to get up on my own despite feeling dizzy. While trying to make my way to the bathroom, I fell inside the bathroom and landed on my left knee. When I told the nurse I was feeling dizzy, she appeared unconcerned and did not provide the care I needed. Also, they injected me so badly that they bruised my arm badly. Unfortunately, the quality of care I received from certain staff members, particularly the main RN and Dr. Patel, was unacceptable and left me feeling neglected and disregarded. Dr. Patel, suggested I leave if I was unhappy with my care, without addressing my concerns. I informed him that I wished to wait until 3:00 PM for results, but he insisted that I could leave immediately.

The head nurse dismissed my concerns by stating that since I was able to walk, I should manage things like making my bed, repositioning pillows, and using the bathroom on my own, knowing I had low blood pressure and was dizzy.

Due to the lack of proper care and the indifference I experienced, I decided to discharge myself. No one explained the risks of leaving the hospital, I made a note on the forms stating that neither Dr. Patel nor the nurse informed me of potential risks.

While some staff members, such as night nurses, were kind, the main RN and Dr. Patel displayed unprofessional behavior and a lack of empathy for my well-being. If any complications arise as a result of their neglect, I hold them accountable for their failure to provide proper care. The Patel said, he would have released me but did not know why Dr Needed more tests. Very rude, they do not care about the patient. I contacted the Grevience dept and Susan and while explaining my concern, Susan said she was sorry but had another patient which she needed to assist. I called her and left her a message but have not responded and no call back either. Very bad experience. Although the night shift nurses were so kind and responsive. However the daytime ones were a nightmare. Neglect...