Bear Valley Community Hospital — Local services in Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Emergency Room doctors, nurses, and radiology techs saved my life.

Give the staff at Big Bear Hospital a break. They are often overwhelmed with tourists who are too inexperienced and/or drunk/high to be skiing, snowboarding, sledding, hiking, operating boats, or just plain driving stupid on winding roads regardless of the weather.

I had union-negotiated, employer-provided health insurance with Kaiser Permanente.

I had appendicitis. I asked for an x-ray and was told by Kaiser Permanente medical personnel, "we aren't allowed to order any expensive and unnecessary tests" by a doctor and a physician assistant during two separate visits after being told by an emergency room doctor (who also couldn't order "expensive and unnecessary tests") to make a primary physician appointment after the emergency room doctor denied my first request for an x-ray. The physician ASSistant had the nerve to tell me, "you freckly people are always trying to get pain meds". He also said, "you are depressed and your depression is making you think you are in pain."

Prejudices affect all skin colors. Pale people are discriminated against, too.

Both doctors and the physician assistant were males and all three told me I was experiencing menstrual cramps.

I read through my Kaiser Permanente Patient Rights and Responsibilities and learned that I had to be over 100 miles from a Kaiser facility to be seen at a non-Kaiser emergency room. I had my husband drive me to the tiny emergency room in Big Bear because it was far enough away from Kaiser for me to be seen outside of Kaiser. The Big Bear emergency room doctor listened; unlike the union-negotiated, employer-provided Kaiser Permanente insurance incompetents. The Big Bear doctor ordered my x-ray which showed a bowel obstruction, he then ordered a CT-scan which showed an abscessed appendix.

I was transported by ambulance down to Kaiser for surgery. At Kaiser they just wanted to stick a needle into the abscess and drain it. Fortunately, the CT-scan they ordered showed that my intestines had ballooned and were blocking my appendix. So, they FINALLY agreed to open me up. During surgery they discovered necrotic intestine which also had to be removed. I was septic and dying. I would be dead if they had left that necrotic bowel inside my body.

Kaiser Permanente medical personnel blamed me, my body was bloated from sepsis, they called me fat. They told me I should have come in sooner.

My first ER visit was in June 2008. The Big Bear ER doctor saved my life on September 21, 2008. My appendix had ruptured after the first ER visit and then abscessed. That abscess grew until it blocked my intestines. I was vomiting feces the day I went to the Big Bear emergency department.

I was literally ignored by Kaiser Permanente employees and sent home to die of appendicitis.

I called dozens of lawyers, including those who claim to be Kaiser Permanente specific. Since I hadn't died, they didn't care. Some of those lawyers even had the nerve to say there was no money in it for them. Not one was willing to help. Kaiser Permanente didn't even get a slap on the wrist.

Kaiser Permanente patients have no legal rights. Patients are only allowed arbitration which no lawyer actually wants to do.

Kaiser Permanente kills. If you actually survive, your body will be butchered.

Medical malpractice PTSD is crippling and never-ending.

The Big Bear doctor saved my...

If you have any injury at all, or are feeling sick -- DO NOT GO TO THIS HOSPITAL. Under any circumstance really, just don't go here. This staff is extremely unprofessional and have a real lack of education. I have never once had a good experience with this hospital.

I checked myself in one night because I was extremely sick and could not stop throwing up. The doctors were all cracking jokes saying things like, "This looked like me after the party for Thanksgiving last year, I was so wasted!" -- I explained to the doctors and nurses that I do not drink. No one believed me! They stuck a giant tube down my throat and began to drain my stomach. I then went in for an unnecessary X-Ray on my stomach. After an entire night in the emergency room the doctor came to me and said, "I am so sorry, there is NO alcohol in your blood." OMG! Really? He then proceeded to hand me about 25 different papers on descriptions of what could possibly be wrong with me and told me to go see a specialist. Comes to find, I researched it myself when I got home.. I was simply dehydrated. Thanks Big Bear Hospital!

Another time I went in for a bad stomach ache. I was given some sort of prescription for nausea, but the doctor forgot to give me my prescription paperwork along with the mess of other papers they handed to me. I had to make the trek back to the hospital and was charged for a SECOND emergency room visit in one day simply to pick up the paperwork. Dr. Mantell told me he would give me a FREE medical marijuana card for six months to make up for it - if I came down to his second office in Newport Beach. I don't smoke weed!! Thanks again Big Bear Hospital!!

Now I have two outstanding medical bills from this hospital for no apparent reason!

Not to mention, I brought in a friend who had a broken arm. She was so drugged up she could not hear what I was hearing from the doctors -- they were arguing that they did not know how to set her arm back in place and were worried as to what to do. They did what they could and sent her out the door and told her to go see an orthopedic surgeon.

No wonder anyone who falls while snowboard gets an expensive trip on a heli right out of town down to Loma Linda or any other qualified hospital.

At all costs -- AVOID THIS HOSPITAL!! Drive down the mountain, save yourself...

BEAR VALLEY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

5STARS ACROSS THE BOARD!

From the moment I called in for help BRYAN answered the phone I felt his sympathy and willingness to help me. He did my intake with ease and made me feel there was hope. I was offered a bed in the substance abuse detox area the very next day. I then met Charlene and 1 other gal (forgive me for forgetting her name) upon arrival at the ER. again compassion and care was all I received. I felt like I was in the right place at the right time. I was called back and met with Erik for vitals and I was feeling very nervous , shaky, emotional and just all over the place. But I felt like I had chosen the right path. I was admitted and sat on a waiting bed for no more than an hour before I was transferred to my room. I was explained every second on what was happening and why. My nurse lexi RN and my CNA jesseca were amazing!!!!!! They took care of me and made sure I felt safe and secure, they administered my medication and I felt like I was somewhere that people genuinely cared. I didn’t feel alone. My night RN mark was super amazing as well! He was so gentle and kept the atmosphere and energy exactly where it should be! AMAZING NURSE MARK IS! After my first night on my second day I had Candace and jesseca (again) and I was taken care of with absolutely no problems. They treated me with respect and dignity. There is another CNA that is amazing she has reddish hair and she was running around that hall like I’ve never seen any nurse do, she even took me for a walk to the cafeteria to get me off the bed!!!! (Please forgive me for forgetting her name!!!) my second night RN was CHRISTY! She was such a wonderful and caring nurse, god bless her heart!!!! She helped me with everything!!!! On my last day My RN Hannah made my life feel normal again, she is a godsend. I thank all of my nurses and cna’s for all they do. I appreciate each one of them from the bottom of my heart!!!! If you or someone you know needs help and is ready to accept the help GO HERE!!!!! I LOVE BEAR VALLEY...