Cullman Regional Medical Center — Local services in Cullman

12.01.24 Update: I spoke with Karen, in the patient arrival department 1 week before my procedure. I asked what the cash price would be and was told $150 and that with insurance, my copay would be $110. I asked her if there were any surprise charges and specifically asked about doctor fees, facility fees, etc. She told me no, that all I needed was to bring $110 on the day of the procedure, and that would cover everything. On 11.30.24, I received a bill from Birmingham Radiological Group for $103. This is a bill from a doctor, and I specifically asked Karen if there were any additional fees. I will also be receiving a bill from Cullman Regional because, per my insurance claim, $110 was not enough to cover the charges they sent. Turns out, it is $154. I paid $110, so I will owe the balance...WHEN THE CASH PRICE IS $150!!! For a procedure that I was told was $110 ONLY, it will be $257. Cullman Regional are crooks, and the staff needs to be trained better to give the patients correct information. When I receive my bill from Cullman Regional for the difference just know that you will be paid last. I will drive to Huntsville or Birmingham before I deal with this hospital again.

Original review: Gosh, I had better hopes for this hospital. After reading the reviews, I thought, surely these people are overreacting. My husband was admitted after going to the ER. He had absolutely no signs of having a stroke but was admitted under that condition. He was put on stroke watch, per one nurse, but when I asked the shift change nurse more about it, she said that it was lifted due to an error. They kept my husband in the hospital knowing that we had a 3-day minimum stay, per our insurance, and kept him there for exactly 3 days, running tests unrelated to why he came in, even stating that he would need to be transferred to UAB because they were unable to perform 1 test there. Come to find out, the next day, he was miraculously cured and discharged. He was never diagnosed with anything but they made sure to send a $42K claim to my insurance company. I was able to get set up on a payment plan for the balance that my insurance didn't pay. I have the email and phone call where this payment plan was set up. 4 months later, I started getting texts, phone calls, and mail, from a collections attorney hounding me for the balance. I called and spoke with someone in the payment department and was told that the file was noted of the payment plan and was sent to the attorney by accident. ACCIDENT, people! This had the potential to go on my credit report, and they so nonchalantly said, it was an "accident." No apologies from anyone.

These people are in no hurry whatsoever to answer the phone or even return calls for that matter. I left a voicemail after 3 attempts to reach someone to cancel an appointment. I stated in the voicemail my name, d.o.b., and that I needed to cancel my appointment with the date and time of the appointment. No one ever called me back, so in my mind, it was canceled. Nope! 7 days later, I got a no-show bill for $50. Since I never showed up for the appointment, I never signed the paperwork stating there was a no-show fee, so that was dismissed. Not to mention that you have to call to make a payment now because their website messed up during the latest update, which was months ago and they still haven't had it fixed.

If you're looking for subpar service with a backwoods feel, I highly suggest this hospital. If you want to be treated as a person and not a paycheck, stay away from here at all costs.

Shifting from the negative, I want to add that every nurse, CPA, therapist, concession, and cleaning staff that entered that room was as nice as they could be. Out of 4 doctors who saw him, the only doctor who took the time to listen to us was Dr. Adam Hensley. Everyone else just nodded to hurry us up so they could log their time for payment and then left. It's truly sad that people that dedicated their lives and took an oath to help people, only care about the money.

READ YOUR REVIEWS and then...

There is a bulletin board on AL-HWY 157 as you approach. It reads, “GOOD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH”. I could not agree more; therefore, it is beyond comprehension to me as to why a hospital with absolutely nothing that could be even remotely close to being described as “good” would choose such a quote. If I had to choose to take the chance of not surviving on my trip to UAB or experiencing this “good” treatment, I’ll take my chances of not making it to Birmingham every, single time! The following are just a few reasons:

The ambulance services to get you to Cullman Regional can be described in one word…. Abysmal! When you arrive, you may be left in the back of it for 4 hours, so you might as well take the trip to Birmingham.

The ER…(Always has that same answer!) Upside down turtles move faster!

Hospitalists take 7 hours to modify orders, which is according to the RN’s on the 3rd floor. in the West Wing. Patients are lying in beds and crying in pain, but they have to wait for him to meander through the halls as if he’s on a walking trail in his favorite park before they can get any relief.

Speaking of the most slothful group of individuals in the entire hospital, the 3rd floor, West Wing RN’s… When you exit the elevator and head to the west wing, the doors will open, and you’ll be greeted with a visual of the RN’s working so hard at staring without blinking at a screen that doesn’t change, or they’ll be gossiping with one another. Regardless of how they’re wasting time, it’ll be on their behinds in that office area as you enter. These are some of the most inattentive people. Four hours may pass before you see or hear from them. They are beyond apathetic, and they are quite possibly the most ill-prepared group of wannabe professionals I’ve witnessed! They love to claim how they are always so “busy”. If gossiping is considered working, then they are some of the hardest workers. If walking into a patient’s room to witness their conditions and treatments when there are ZERO reasons to qualify as a person with a medical need to know before continuing their gossiping again is encouraged by HIPAA, then they’re confidentiality experts! I have to have a family code, but a random nurse just walks in as if she’s family! Maybe she can help the assigned nurse remember what the doctor’s orders state because they NEVER remember nor follow them! I would go to the Head of Nursing for the area; however, I know nothing but lip service would be provided. This group of low achievers certainly didn’t organize themselves! A nurse will quickly speak of how there’s a shortage of nurses. There’s not a shortage of warm bodies. There’s a shortage of intelligent, experienced nurses. HUGE difference! If someone stated that a degree was earned outside of a junior college by this group, I would need to see the evidence to believe it. The favorite answer given more than any other is, “I don’t know.” Well, I don’t know why someone who is assigned to a leadership position would think anything about this group is “good”?! But, I heard, “I don’t know..”, one too many times! I’ll submit the names of the worst ones to the State of Alabama Licensing Board for review. When they see their careers are being investigated for determination of revoking a license, I wonder if they’ll know more then?! One thing is for sure, they’ll know if they’ll be able to be a RN...

Crickett Angelo they did nothing I'm going to Birmingham as soon as he gets off work at 230 unless I get worse from now until then I've never been treated with so little respect like I was last night this morning I've going on 8 years clean in September and 3 years sober June 30 2023 and yes I did use to shoot up when I was using but since I was so dehydrated and I'm such a hard stick to begin with she likes you got alot of scar tissue you been in the hospital alot or you got a history no comment about me being almost 8 years clean from meth her whole demeanor changed my iv kept blowing my arms are so swelled from fluid the dr told me to let them know if the meds weren't working so I did she came in all smart elect and wad like we don't have a Picc line team here right now and no one is gonna do a central line on you for one dose of pain meds and fluids I never even got fluids the plastic tube was half hanging out of my arm I kept telling them it hurt it burns and my arm was swelling finally the CT Scan people came and tried to do it with contrast and couldn't get it to flush they drew a lot of blood and even cultures which is big bottles of blood because I was such a hard stick I was like that even before I was shooting up or using drugs the dr told me congrats on 3 years sober ive been taking nyquil to help me sleep because of the insomnia I thought it was Pancreatitis when I was drinking I had it 3 or 4 times or colitis stomach infection that I was hospitalized for 5 days and in the er 3 times for I was sweating bullets and chills and I've had a headache and diarrhea and throwing up going on 4 days now they said all my stomach pain is due to my tubes going from my kidney to my bladder ate inflamed I don't think that causes the pain I'm having now she was like well we don't have an iv to get you meds so they finally came in and gave me a Dilaudid shot but it was a different nurse she came in and took my half iv and monitoring stuff off because I had to go to the bathroom William had to be at work at 630 so I drove and was just gonna call him if I needed a driver because I was pretty sure I was gonna get admitted she got smart with me and was like where is your ride I'm like he's 15 minutes away they never came in and told me what my results or paperwork said or anything she just told me you need to call him and get him here now or you have to stay it hasn't even touched my pain level I took my klonopin and Bentyl for stomach cramps when I got home like I've been doing for the past 3 days alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen and it's done more than the shot did I cab normally taste morphine and Zofran iv but I didn't and this had been my most horrible experience except for when they were accusing my mom of being on drugs when she had serotonin syndrome when I wad pregnant with Kyndall 10 years ago they never came and asked me about my med list or history or anything other than surgery of my belly o have had the worst migraine since Tuesday night they normally check and do a CT scan of my head first then. Whatever other problem area it had my arrival time on my work excuse but no departure time they even got prissy when I asked for them to document what day I wad supposed to go...