St. David's Medical Center — Local services in Austin

The St. David's North Austin NICU is the best NICU in the state of Texas!

On the night of our daughter's birth she had a breathing episode where she turned blue on her chest, lips, and cheeks. It was the scariest night full of waiting for answers and tears of wondering if she was going to be okay. We barley got any sleep that night, but the nurse came into postpartum and reassured us and allowed us to see her. She was in bed 64 for the first night and she had the best nurse which his name was Jiben. He showed her all the love and care we had wanted to show her that night and also helped teach my boyfriend the technique to swaddle. She was eventually moved to room 13 to do an EEG on her brain to see if the cause was seizure's. (Thankfully it wasn't.) On the third night I was discharged from postpartum and we did not want to leave her at the hospital as I was breastfeeding and we lived in Bastrop so driving back and forth would be a huge hassle. So the NICU staff put us on the waiting list for the Ronald McDonald room and allowed us to stay on the NICU floor in the transition room until a room opened up, it was such a blessing! We could walk down the hall and see our daughter anytime we wanted and get updates on her when we needed to know. We also went to a NICU parent support group and got to discuss how we were doing, updates on our baby, and also got to meet another Mom who also had a baby in the NICU. Once the room became available we moved to the Ronald McDonald room and chatted with one of the volunteer's about our story and our daughter's status. Everyone was so nice the entire experience and it genuinely made the NICU life feel less scary. Our daughter also had to get an MRI to see if there might be any issues inside her brain and the Doctor's did an amazing job at explaining that as well, everything was always explained so thoroughly and the questions we had were always answered immediately. Finally it was just a waiting game, Micah was taken off of oxygen and breathing room air, and hadn't had an episode for 2 days. We had to wait a full 5 days before we could get discharged. We did her first bath in the NICU, her hearing test, put her in outfits, she took her first full bottle of breast milk, skin to skin. So many of her firsts were in that hospital room and the nurses helped make it feel so special. I don't remember this nurse's name specifically but she would come to the room and tell us when she was awake so we wouldn't miss a thing, she helped with bath time, and was honestly our daughter's biggest cheerleader the days leading up to her discharge! I am forever grateful for her. We were moved out of the Ronald McDonald room and put back into the transition room for the remainder of our stay, I am telling you the NICU staff is the most kind hearted and loving staff for both the parents and ESPECIALLY the babies, they treat each one just like their own. I am so thankful for the amazing health care workers and their endless passion and love shown in their work, the devotion and selflessness is seen in everything they do and I will forever recommend having babies at North Austin Women's Center. Thank you so much to everyone in the NICU! From the Doctors, to the nurses, and to the receptionist reminding us to eat, rest, and shower. I am so grateful we have our beautiful daughter home with us and she is...

Overall, I am pleased with the time I spent at St David's. From walking into the Surgery Center until the Nurse Anesthetist administering what she referred to as the "I don't care" juice was done well and was carried out with friendly, caring, patient centered efficiency. I am glad that I was able to stay an extra night. My first night post op was not a good night for sleeping - but then being in the hospital never is. Discovery of a possibly enlarged prostate and a bladder that isn't working well was addressed and I was directed by the Hospitalist to continue the medication prescribed and seek a consult with a urologist. The discharge process was the shade on my stay. On the morning of my discharge (about 0815)I asked my nurse if I could wait to take my pain and nausea medications until I was leaving the floor to the discharge suite as I had an hour and half travel to get home. She agreed that it was possible. My wife arrived about 1030. I called the nurse after about an hour to find out when we could be discharged. I was told I could go ahead and get dressed and she would get the wheelchair. My wife helped me get dressed without supervision of hospital staff. Eventually the transportation arrived. The transporter explained to us that we would all go to the Discharge Suite and from there she could bring the truck to the driveway in front of the Discharge Suite. I DID NOT get any pain Medication prior to leaving the fourth floor. The Discharge Suite is a great idea; a central location close to the exit of the hospital. What we found when we arrived was a small, over crowded room with insufficient seating, and no privacy for discussing discharge instructions and patient concerns . The personnel working the room appeared to be struggling to keep their heads above water. I was given a seat while my wife was seemingly ignored and left to stand in front of me trying to figure out the procedure. I asked about receiving my pain medication. I was told that they do not administer medication in Discharge Suite although I had been told they would do so by my nurse on the fourth floor. The nurse who removed my IV and went over my discharge instructions with me did so in the caring, patient centered efficiency I have come to expect when I am at St David's. This was my third inpatient surgery at St David's Medical Center (SDMC) and I am certain that SDMC works diligently to ensure their standing within the top 100 small hospitals in the Nation. Thanks for reaching out and asking...

Two days prior to the procedure, I was advised by phone I needed to be at the hospital by 8:00 a.m. She took basic health information and told me to fill in the online forms via the link sent by email. She indicated I could drive myself there and back home. (The link would not let me upload my information and there was no contact number to call.) I was told someone would call the day before the procedure between 3 and 6 p.m. Unaware of where to go, where to park, when to arrive, I finally got some basic information around 4 - 4:30 the day prior to the procedure. The day prior, I was told I would have sedation and had to make arrangements for someone to drive me. The day prior to the procedure, I received an email indicating I owed them payment and hadn't even had anything done. I called, and they didn't have all of my insurance information. I was told I had to bring my original social security card to prove who I was and to get the insurance information corrected. At check in on the day of the procedure, I asked about the bill, and was told there wasn't one. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I was shown to a room, where we sat for 55 minutes before ANYONE ever came in. Now, they were scrambling, as the procedure was 10:00 a.m. and it was after 9:00 a.m. They quickly drew blood for labs and set up an IV. At 9:55, they came back in and said they didn't draw enough blood, and took 2 more vials. (One was tossed in the sharps container because they took too much.) At exactly 10:00 a.m. (5 minutes after drawing the blood for lab work), I was taken downstairs and the doctor asked why I had an IV. I told them it was for sedation to which she said, "We don't used sedation for this procedure - only a local anesthetic." Ten minutes later, I was back upstairs, dressed and released - fully able to drive myself. The second draw of blood obviously never made it to the lab and got analyzed before the procedure was over and done. Total chaos all the way around - from beginning to end. Next time, I will simply find a different facility, no matter how long it takes to get in. Lab results should have been sent by Friday (Tuesday procedure). STILL waiting, despite numerous calls, when I was told they can't tell me anything. I was advised to call my doctor and ask him to call the lab, then to call me. Not a good experience all...