Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital — Local services in Albany

Before you read all of this I would like to say We have encountered a few nurses that have been wonderful. I can tell they are really there to help and care about their patients.

Because of malpractice and carelessness they have crippled my grandmother, almost killed one of my old high school friends and her baby and now I have had my mother in the hospital for 10 days for a kidney stone that should have been outpatient.

The first incident my grandmother was crippled because they did not put a sleeve on her leg after her surgery that helps prevent blood clots. This actually happened when I was a little girl and I brought it to the doctor's attention because I saw a commercial about how blood clots form whenever you are stationary for too long.

The second incident was a girlfriend of mine in high school. She ended up having a baby and though I do not recall all of the details I do know that it was something that is supposed to be checked commonly whenever you give birth but was not. Due to them not doing something that is standard, her and her baby were almost killed.

Currently my mother is in the hospital for a kidney stone that is bigger than any human has ever passed. When they first went in to remove the big stone and several others, they left the largest stone in. Seeing as how It's not humanly possible for her to pass the stone, of course she got worse. They put a stent in and her calcium levels are so high that calcium deposits built up around the stent. They tried to remove the stent it almost sent her into shock it was so lodged. They said the stent shouldn't be left in more than 2 days due to calcium building up around it because of her unusually high calcium levels. Then they left a standing for 10 days, and is still in. Another mistake that they made is they put her antibiotics before they did a urine culture to to figure out what kind of antibiotic they needed. She was on antibiotics for several days so because of this the bacteria are now antibiotic resistant. Her white cell count has been fluctuating up and down up and down and we can't go back in to remove the last stone because these idiots won't put her on the right antibiotics. Me and my father had to start taking notes, cussing people out, talking to supervisors, and threatening to get a social worker before they finally started moving around and running tests putting on on different medications and stopping scolding her for urinating on herself when she can't hold it. Even some of the nurses were extremely rude and shamed my mom for things that she cannot help. Another mistake that was made is One of the nurses admitted that he put in her medication but never hit enter... I could go on and on. This is literally only about half of all the things that have gone wrong with my mother. they are sincerely taking something as simple as an outpatient kidney stone and have turned it into some 10-day long ridiculous clown fiesta where my mom has been screaming in pain, almost went into shock, been scolded like a child for urinating on herself whenever she can't even hold it in her condition and doctors bluntly disregarding us. My mother even said one of the doctors walked out while she was still talking. I have never heard of a hospital this horrible and to be honest if we could move my mother we would do it in a heartbeat. Even though we physically can't afford it we are going to move mountains try to get her out of there because this experience has truly made me consider that Phoebe memorial Hospital has such a poor reputation at this point that it purposely makes its patients sicker so that it can Make more money. I know that's the most ridiculous and stupidest thing to say but I sincerely don't know what else to think at this point. I have never seen anyone have such a disregard for someone's life and family and pain. I hate you Phoebe hospital. I have watched you hurt so many people in my life over the years. How are you...

To whom it may concern,

On July 17, my aunt visited Albany Gastroenterology, Dr. Kumar’s office due to chronic diarrhea and possible CDIFF recurrence. My aunt previously suffered from a CDIFF infection and wanted to check the results of the specimen sample and to see if it had recurred. When Kristy, the PA came in asked my aunt when did she send in the specimen because there were no records of a fecal specimen on file. My aunt explained that the specimen was sent a week prior on June 10. Kristy explained to my aunt that she would need to go over to the lab at Phoebe to retrieve another specimen kit because they had no results to go by to see if there was an infection. The lab at Phoebe main had not send any results over to the doctor’s office. When I went to pick up the specimen kit, I explained to the tech that the doctor’s office had no records of my aunt completing a specimen kit. I asked what happened to the specimen and if it just disappeared into thin air. The tech looked at some paper work and explained that the sample was rejected and that the doctor’s office should have called my aunt. I explained that there was no record on file at the doctor’s office that a specimen sample had been collected. She was explaining to me why the lab would reject the sample, but I asked to speak to a supervisor because my aunt had been waiting a week for results in regards to a serious infection. When the supervisor, Carlson came, he once again explained why a sample would be rejected, I explained to him that my aunt had not been notified and the doctor’s office had no records of it. I asked him when was the sample rejected, when did they notify the doctor, and who tested it. He went back into the office to speak with one of his workers. When he came back out into the lobby where I was, he immediately began to apologize explaining that there was no documentation on file and that they dropped the ball and the doctor’s office had not been notified and it was completely their fault. I explained to him that my aunt has waited a week for results with a possible serious infection and now has to collect and send another sample to be tested before any possible treatment could occur. He apologized and stated that he understood because there were very few things as worst as CDIFF and hoped now that we could get her on the right track. He also explained that he wished the girls up front were trained to detect if a specimen would be rejected so that they can let the patient know immediately. I explained to him that the issue is that no one communicated that it had been rejected which is unacceptable and my aunt is at home anxiously waiting on results. There was another patient in the lab office listening and I asked her what her name was in case the lab supervisor tried to ever say that he did not say this information to me. This lab’s behavior was a form of incompetence and shows that the workers were very irresponsible and failed to do their jobs. This is unacceptable and this behavior must be addressed because the people’s lives of Southwest Georgia are at stake if Phoebe Putney does not improve their...

Actually I would give -5 star.

My experience, I had a bad infection, was told later they didn't think I was going to make it out of there. As I was getting better I look back now and understand that comment better. The floor nurses I must say was great. But the doctors and specialist need to be retrained in manners and their fields. To start with I am not gay, never experimented or what ever; but the doctors kept trying to get me to say I was. One Dr told another as if I wasn't there, "he's still in the closet.

Now about 10 years after all these problems started that led up to this hospital visit; it has now been determined to be Lyme disease, which I had suggested the whole time. Not one Dr, in all the visits I went to documented what I told them. I was always told you don't get Lyme in South GA. Guess they forget to tell the ticks.

While draining the infection from under my skin, the HEAD wound care nurse dropped her tools on the floor, picked them up and laid them on me. I had to tell her they where contaminated. She then tossed them and grabbed another set of sealed tools. I had to stop her again, and tell her you didn't change your gloves after you touched the floor and have contaminated those in your hands. She was not gentle and never came back to the room. I was in over a week and that was the only time they cleaned it the wound.

During this stay, people entering my room was to be in suites so not to bring in more germs take the staff infection out of the room. They did not put the required PPE outside the door until the day I left. They could have spread my staff all over the hospital.

Most of the local Dr's are affiliated with this place. After discharge was to see specialist asp, appointments were over 2 months out.

Several weeks later the infection came back, no one at any of the local Phoebe primary care would see me, said they were booked. Had a friend call and got an appointment for the next day, which just told me they didn't want to treat me anymore.

Went to Piedmont emergency room, they said I wasn't given the antibiotics long enough to get rid of the infection.

Just recently my dad went there, walked in, when he left, it was in a wheelchair. Started getting worse a week later, my mom carried him back. They waited most of the day in the ER waiting room. None of the staff never called his DR that was on call for the ER that day.

We carried him to the Thomasville hospital. When they pulled his records from Phoebe, there was a lot they did not do or tell any of us. He had a bone infection nor did they treat it when he was in the hospital earlier. His funeral was Sunday.

Phoebe is a nonprofit with nice fat bank accounts over seas, that don't give a damn about their patients. Palmyra hospital, before Phoebe took over was the better hospital. I hope Lee County gets their hospital. Phoebe has lobbied and over taken the small hospitals and primary Dr's, ruining health...