Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Local services in Boston

On June 8, 2025, I was rushed to the ER at Beth Israel Medical Center. I was in the ER from 7am-11:30am. The medical care I received was not my issue, it was the way in which I was treated personally by the medical staff, PAs, etc. While waiting for the medical testing, there were several medical staff members sitting outside the ER bays scrolling on their phones, and having personal conversations. I asked several times for assistance to use the restroom, and wasn't acknowledged. I ended up having to find the restroom on my own. When I complained to the attending PA, instead of offering an apology, she told me that she wasn't in the room and she couldn't speak for anyone else as to why I wasn't assisted to the rest room. I asked if I could have something to eat/drink, and was told that same PA told me that she couldn't give me anything to eat/drink until all testing and treat was completed.

After all testing and treatment was completed, and the PA was preparing my discharge summary, I asked if I could have something to eat/drink and she told me that it would take 45 minutes to get my food, and I'd be better off ordering something outside the hospital once I was discharged. Once again, I asked to use the bathroom, and the PA stood up in flight attendant fashion, and instruction me with her hands and arms, to the nearest bathroom. As she walked away, I yelled out to her asking if I need to return to the ER bay. She said yes, and disappeard down the hall. When I returned, she gave me the discharge summary and release papers to sign and told me I was free to leave the ER. I asked which way to exit, and once again in flight attendant like fashion, she pointed me in the direction of the nearest exit. I thought it was odd that she didn't ask if I needed any assistance, wheelchair, etc., nor did she ask if someone was picking me up, and she didn't walk me downstairs to the ER exit.

I was so upset, I asked to speak with the patient relations manager, and was told that I could look up the name and number online. At this point, I began talking to the cameras in the foyer of the ER complaining about the terrible customer service from the PA. When I got home, I looked up the number, called patient relations and left a message. The Patient Relations nurse Manuela Rosa called, didn't let the phone ring twice, hung up and left me a message. After a few days of telephone tag, I finally spoke to nurse Manuel Rosa and she gave a brief apology, but told me that I was number 13 on the list of complaints, and she would relay my message to her manager at their next group meeting. I ended up calling the patient relations several more times, requesting to speak with the patient relations supervisor/mamager, and never received a return call. I even left an urgent voicemail message. On July 11, 2025, I finally received a letter in the mail from the Patient Relations Manuela Rose and it reads:

"I am following up to our conversation on June 16, 2025 about the care you received in the ER at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Your concerns were immediately shared with the Director of Health Care Quality and Patient Safety. A review of your medical record care was completed by the leadership of the ED. It was determined that the care you received was reasonable. We realize you were unwell. In the future, please do not hesitate to let staff know you need more assistance. The will take this opportunity to remind staff to be mindful of creating an environment for healing. BIDMC strives to provide extradorinary care, where the patiend comes first, and that this was not your experience. Itis or obligation to you as well as future patients to seek opportunities to learn from our experience. the matters you have brought forward will be used as a springboard for conversation to improve the care for those who rely on our services. Sincerely, Manuela Rosa, RN." WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!! Their patient relations SUCKS!!! I PRAY no one else has to experience what I did at the hands of BIDMC's ER medical staff!...

In my opinion, this place was nothing more than a way for the medical community to get money out of the consumer and insurance companies. The nurses were lackluster, the parade of doctors that somehow have a medical degree but cannot repeat or understand what I am saying because they are hyper focused listening for their buzzwords rather than solving the problem. They have this "Amazing" campus but when I was there for an 7-10 day inpatient admission, they somehow couldn't find the MRI disk I had brought and left there for them, at their direction, a few weeks prior. The evening doctor didn't know the policy around patients that presented with COVID so instead of following their policy of immediate discharge they had me stay overnight. When they discharged me they wanted my 75 year old father with breathing issues to come pick me up even though they had just told me I have COVID and they have an UBER service in place for these situations. I had to force the issue with some middle manager about how it is illogical and unsafe to have my dad pick me up and how they work with UBER for these situations. The middle manager kept trying to say it would be unsafe for the UBER driver if BIDMC called them for me. Again, completely lacking logic on purpose.... One way or another it was an UBER/LYFT taking me home BIDMC just didn't to pay for it. The one night overnight cost $14K and they charged me for multivitamins that I brought myself... Magically, the MRI disk that they could not find while I was there was mailed to me quickly after my discharge, wonder where it was...? On top of all of this I needed to follow up with these individuals for the results of any test I received from them. Every other medical professional has followed up with me when the results are in, not here though! My doctor wouldn't complete the documents to renew my leave of absence from work nor would he fill out the document that would let me return to work without me threatening legal action. And from what I could see he rejected my in-person request for an extension with a smirk. All this to get a really expensive nothing. I don't think I received the best care; I don't have confidence in the doctors or the medical facility; the answers I have received are unsatisfactory and contradictory to other doctors. I have a hard time believing that 2 experienced neurologists who sent me here "overcalled" my condition yet the fellow who is not able to see patients on their own somehow has better or more sound judgement. This is the same guy who can't date a form correctly or follow up with test results. They keep pushing me to deal with this lackluster fellow rather than having me work with an experienced professional who might actually be able to help me. With what I know now from this experience I will be looking anywhere else first.

Update: I called 3 weeks ago and told the neurology receptionist, Diane I belive, exactly what I needed from the DR but she did not relay the message I requested. She used a generic note and hung up on me. I called again, same day, to speak with a receptionist outside of the neurology practice in hopes my true message would get to the Dr. The second lady seemed to help. The first lady needs to be fired. When the patient tells you what to ask the Dr specifically DO NOT CHANGE THEIR WORDS! It took 3 weeks to call me back at 430pm, the same time most of the office phonelines start going straight to voicemail. They have previously told me they have a 48-72 hour turnaround time to return messages received from patients. This took 3 weeks and at a time where I feel as though they could avoid the conversation. I tried calling in earlier this week but when I am transferred to the neurology department the phone rings 2x and then is cut off. I believe they have blocked my number in some form since I was connected directly to the neuro-oncology department by accident once but literally 10 calls to the neurology department and 2 rings into Nothingness. The operators did not know what a warm transfer...

Dr. Fatima Alduraibi in rheumatology is the worst. After years of unexplained everything, I was referred to be treated for seronegative AI disease by my ortho. Without doing any further testing (or even repeating testing that had previously been done), Dr. Alduraibi not only chose not to answer my questions, but refused to create a differential, telling me to “go to therapy” (which I am already doing, not that she bothered to ask) and tried to push a fibromyalgia dx on me, despite 12 doctors over the last 10 years (and my own research) telling me clearly it is NOT fibro. When I pushed, Dr. Alduraibi did not have any answers for me, and refused to do further testing. When I told her my father died of AI disease diagnosed too late, and that I didn’t want a 20 yr timer put on my life, she said “I really have to go, I’ve been here too long”. Sorry to make you miss your lunch break to do your actual job. She also told me to go to pain mgmt, saying they could help. I’ve already been to pain mgmt. Had she asked, she would’ve known that too.

I’m just so disappointed in the absolute lack of care. Meanwhile, I guess I’ll continue to suffer until something happens that’s “bad enough” in her eyes to warrant treatment or investigation. Being admitted to the hospital last weekend with a GI bleed out of nowhere wasn’t concerning for her either. What does a patient have to do to be treated like a person and worked up like a human they’re supposed to care about? Drawing an ANA when I already know I have a positive ANA only to tell me that “15% of the population CAN have a positive ANA” is trash. None of the population has a positive ACA without an AI disease, but according to Dr. Alduraibi, my ACA is “meaningless” despite lack of investigation and further testing.

This was after her office staff cancelled my appt by mistake and tried to tell me it was my fault, then couldn’t accommodate me at my appt time. Prior to that, I’d asked to be seen and didn’t get a response in a timely manner, meaning my flare was over by the time they got back to me. Come on.

I almost forgot- I initially scheduled with another rheumatologist in this practice. When I called to see if I could move my appt up earlier due to symptoms (after a 9 month wait), I was told I had made a primary care appt with them. No I did not. I have a primary. I need a rheumatologist. That’s how I ended up on Dr. Alduraibi’s schedule in the first place. I’ve said it before, and this time I’m not going to gaslight myself into “giving them a chance”: any doctor who can get you onto their schedule within the month, in this moment of medical crisis and understaffing, is likely not a great doctor. This was only proven true AGAIN by Dr. Alduraibi and her staff.

When I asked for referrals to specialists who could treat a specific AI condition I am ALREADY diagnosed with, she not only DIDN’T KNOW the AI disease (massive 🚩🚩🚩), she told me I could see “anyone” and if it was “rare, they’ll figure out how to treat you”. Funny, because in my personal experience here in Boston, NOBODY has done that. I’ve only gotten gaslit, despite having this ACTUAL autoimmune condition diagnosed in my ACTUAL medical chart for the last decade. How do you get to be a rheumatologist without knowing ALL of the autoimmune conditions? YIKES.

To top it all off, their nurse Rose says she left a message telling me my vitamin D is low and asking if I want them to prescribe… I didn’t even get a missed call, let alone a message, and Dr. Alduraibi neither brought up my vitamin d levels nor asked if I needed a script during our visit. Terrible communication and outright lying based on my phone records.

Shame on you....