Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital — Local services in Columbia

Absolutely horrible experience. I was referred here for an ultrasound for PCOS diagnosis. I had asked over the phone multiple times how much it would cost. I was told that they could not give an answer and that it would depend on my insurance. I was told there would be a copay, but that was all. The service was 15 minutes. They were unable to complete the pelvis exam, so they went directly to transvaginal. I was not aware beforehand that there would be a transvaginal exam. They did an examination. At one point it hurt and I told them that it did. The doctor corrected me and said that I was just feeling pressure. It was while they were inspecting my right ovary specifically. The whole thing was highly uncomfortable and with a lot of pressure, but this one specifically hurt, regardless of what they said. I kept asking questions, but the doctor was more interested in speaking to the med student than to me. Most of the 15 minute time was her teaching the med student how to do the procedure. While I did give consent, I really was uncomfortable with it and was really too anxious to say no. I kept saying that the right ovary hurt, but apparently I was just feeling pressure.

These 15 minutes apparently cost a whole lot more than just the copay, which was already over $100. My insurance covered thousands of dollars of the procedure, but I'm stuck with an extra $400. For 15 minutes of the most violating procedure where I kept saying that something hurt and they kept correcting me. 15 minutes where most of it was the med student learning how to do it. I called the patient advocacy line, but the message keeps saying that there is a system wide error and to come back later (quite convenient). I never would have had this procedure done if they had been honest about the cost! I asked for it and was told they did not know! At the time of this service, I was experiencing periods that led to me taking triple the recommended dose of pain medicine while still experiencing extreme stabbing pain. How do you know that but still ignore me when I am saying "Ow"?

Even scheduling this procedure was a nightmare. I ended up having to get a scheduling supervisor's number from my doctor because I could not get through the phone tree (I think the longest I was on hold was for 1.5 hours before just giving up). My doctor gave me the number for the billing department after everything happened because I should have been covered under medicaid for family planning. The billing department says that's not true. After waiting on hold, the call dropping, getting two more representatives because the phone tree directed me to the wrong one, being sent to an interpreter because I said I could not hear what someone was saying, and continually being told that I was billed correctly for this service. All of this was an absolutely horrible experience. I know of so many people that avoid going to the doctor all together. This is why! It is so difficult just to access the care that you need. I rather continue to feel like I am being stabbed to death every time I have a period than ever have to go through all of the hold times, bureaucracy, and insulting minimization just to get be banged by a med student holding a camera to my...

I am giving a one star review only because zero stars is not an option. I arrived at the ER at approximately 4:20 pm on 6/12/19. Once I got back to the room in the ER, I was assessed and waited for testing the doctor ordered. At about 8:30pm I had an IV line, blood drawn, an EKG and chest X-ray. I then asked if it would be possible to get something to eat, I had not eaten since brunch at 10:30am. I was given a turkey sandwich and bottle of water. I was then told the doctor wanted to keep me overnight for multiple blood tests to check my heart enzymes. So from midnight on I was to have nothing more to eat or drink. At around 3am I pressed the button for assistance because I needed to use the restroom. The call was answered by “ I will let someone know”. Forty-five min later I had to press the call button again because nobody came the first time. I was hooked up to a heart monitor and blood pressure cuff and pulse ox, so I could not just get up and go. Someone came and unhooked me and told me the restroom was down the hall and to the left. She then left the room. Fast forward to morning, I was told all my blood tests were negative and the doctor was going to do an Echo, and if that was good, I would be released. The Echo was done at 9 am. The doctor came in about 30 min later and was asking me about the chest pain I had when I came in. I never once told anyone I had chest pain, I had a heart attack 3 years ago and had excruciating pain in my hands and arms, never any chest pain, I came this time because I had the same symptoms. Was told again by the doctor once they looked at the Echo, if everything was good, I’d be discharged, this was about 10-10:30am. I was also told they would not be drawing any more blood because it was all negative. Not once was I ever offered anything to eat or drink. I was not even given water once the NPO order was removed. So at 12:30 I asked the nurse if there was any word on my discharge. He said he would look to see if the Echo has come back. At this point it had not. So again at 2pm I asked again. He called about it and I was told it came back and we were just waiting on the doctor to look at it, that basically it was a waiting game now. Forward to 3:30pm, my IV which has never been used since put in was hurting and I asked for it to be removed. I was told we were still waiting and they wanted to leave it in just incase... Well at 4:30 I was done playing the “waiting game” I removed the monitor leeds and no cuff and once again asked to have the IV removed. A different nurse came in and said the doctor was called and told I wanted to be discharged and they could call me at home if anything showed up. She then asked me if I wanted them to order me a tray of food because I told her in the 24 hours that I had been there all I had was a turkey sandwich and a bottle of water. I told her no, just get me discharged and I’ll go get my own food. I’m sure the only reason I was kept so long is so they could bill my insurance for 2 days. There was no reason why a test run at 9 am was not read until after 4:30 pm. I will never go back to this hospital and I strongly recommend nobody else...

*MUST READ: I have ongoing problems that require frequent trips to Emergency rooms. I've moved around the country a lot. This is by far the absolute worst hospital I have ever been to. Don't let the fancy architecture and relatively new buildings fool you. This hospital is a shell. A sham. I've been to places that were far less funded and far more busy. Palmetto Parkridge fails miserably in every aspect. Extremely rude and dismissive staff. I was brought in by ambulance. The paramedics wheeled me in and I clearly heard the lead paramedic tell the nurses I was in really bad shape. After they left, the nurses wheeled me out to the waiting room, took the wheelchair, and stuck me in the waiting room. I was in agony. I was having trouble breathing and losing consciousness. At that point, all dignity went out the window and I just laid on the floor. Crying. I'm 6'2, 210 pounds. A grown man. They obviously saw me, but pretended not to. After I started vomiting, another patient waiting to be seen helped me up and away from the puddle of puke. The guard at the desk didn't move a muscle. I swear to God a nurse stepped over me and kept going before that too. Two hours later, after constant pleading, they angrily took me back. They made it very clear that I was a burden they didn't want to deal with because they were tired. Overwhelmed. Because they aren't good nurses. At all. I know. I've been around the block with hospitals. They had the worst attitude. Very short and dismissive. They were nice to each other though. They did more socializing than nursing. I realized why after meeting their leader. The "doctor." Didn't listen to a word I said. Then diagnosed me with an illness that Michigan University Hospital had already ruled out. I tried to tell him that. He just cut me off and left. I tried to explain it to the nurse. She (very) rudely told me I was wrong. She said "yes it is. We see it all the time. Just shut up." Now, the illness they were claiming I had is very rare. It affects 1 in 100,000 people who smoke marijuana. Not the general population. Just marijuana smokers. The entire population of Irmo is 12 thousand people. How could she "see it all the time?" They hadn't given me a drug test yet. I do in fact smoke marijuana. Occasionally. When these stomach problems come up. It helps a whole lot more than anything else, and hospital visits are expensive. But I hadn't smoked any. Had they drug tested me they would have known I hadn't in at least 30 days because that's how long it stays in your system. At that point I was livid. I was rude to the rude nurse, and they kicked me out. They hadn't done anything yet. The doctor just asked a couple questions and left. No medicine. No IV. Nothing. They had a security guard carry me to the sidewalk on Lake Murray Blvd because I was dizzy and couldn't walk on my own. It's called patient dumping. After all of that? They sent me a bill!!! IF YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY, DON'T TAKE THEM HERE. IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF, DON'T GO THERE. Go to any other hospital in the area because this one is the...