Henry Ford Hospital — Local services in Detroit

Overall some of the doctors are excellent, but..

Hospital complaints: -Pain mismanagement. Very much mismanaged my pain after surgery. The doctors apologized for underplaying how painful it was going to be (and also noticed on the operating table that my body had a reaction that indicated it would be very painful afterward), yet they didn’t do anything to manage my pain properly. They even admitted me afterward for pain, yet couldn’t give me more than .25mg delaudid every flippin 6 hours. The nurse wouldn’t even give me Tylenol, stating the reason was because of my liver, yet the next day the doctor said I could take “4,000mg a day for a couple weeks if needed” and that my liver could handle it. I was pacing in my room back and forth and punching walls because of the pain yet they couldn’t do anything. FOR DAYS. And before they discharged me, they said they would give me oxycodone, but they also discharged me at the same time and because a discharge was in progress they refused to give it to me. So by the time I got to my pharmacy afterward I was doubled over in pain. I understand that the hospital is probably cautious with opioids and pain medication, but Jesus H, that was overkill. Why bother making one sign an opiate waiver at that point? I’m grateful that the surgeons probably saved my life, but why put someone through an absolute pure tortuous hell?!

-Overall there is not great communication between doctors and nurses, either.

-The food wasn’t diabetic friendly, and it’s as if the kitchen staff doesn’t know what the term diabetic or carbohydrate even means. How did I end up consistently receiving meals that consisted mainly of sugar? Especially when I wasn’t even allowed to eat? The food I was actually able to eventually eat was low quality. It’s strange because Henry Ford Macomb’s location is a lot better as far as food goes. You’d think HF Main would be on the ball.

-HF also never reached out after my surgery to see how I was doing or to give me a survey. Even Ascension - despite having a bad reputation - reaches out.

Only giving this place a second star because the doctors are excellent (albeit not always proactive). Also not really sure why Interventional Radiology couldn’t figure out where the bleeding came from two years ago when my problem started, but were able to figure it out later on (during surgery), and I’m not sure why they didn’t insist on a surgery from the beginning. (Also, here’s another kicker: the doctors will do all they can to stop internal bleeding upon arrival, but GI will do scopes and tests ad nauseum to FIND the bleeding when the previous doctors ALREADY gave me medication to STOP the bleeding. How did they expect to ever yield a positive result?! This makes NO SENSE. I can’t tell you how many scopes and endoscopies I’ve done with nothing but negative results. What a waste of time and resources.)

Also, Interventional Radiology was consulted when my problem started two years ago, yet when I was there recently, they weren’t consulted - and the staff indicated this was due to insurance reasons. There was one point where I literally refused to be admitted another day because I was afraid I’d bleed too quickly and would have to stay even longer. I didn’t want to miss my IR appointment that was outpatient - at the SAME LOCATION. I felt like I had to unnecessarily put my life at risk (walking around with a hbg of 7 - not only is one still at a high risk of heart attack or stroke at this number, but I had a history with a stroke like incident when my hbg was above a 7!) - in order to get to a very important appointment that could save my life. Why not just make it inpatient and save all...

Up to one latest experience , I would have rated Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield 5 stars.I had been there many times in the ER and had spine surgery and would only take my family and myself to Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield.

Until something terrible traumatic happened. This is really hard to talk about but I think I finally need to. I went to the hospital having severe anxiety. I think I was having a nervous breakdown. I was extremely depressed. After arriving I was treated coldly. I never saw a doctor. They just decide to discharge me. I was on a 3 way call with my Mom and Daughter when the discharging nurse had a very horrible mean attitude and I asked her why she should be mean for no reason especially to someone feeling so much depression. I asked her why she was acting this way, if she enjoyed upsetting someone already going through emotional trauma. She replied that "Yes it does make me feel better to upset you" I was in complete shock at this point.

I told my Mom and Daughter to hold on I was going to complain about her saying that to a patient. I did not want her to do this to anyone else. To my utter horror, the nurse went and told someone I threw the telephone I was on at her, which was a complete and awful lie. Of course she had no marks on her which she would have if I had done what she said. Something I would NEVER do in my life, How could a Nurse, Doctor, or anyone in the medical field lie and act like this. Accusing someone of such an awful thing so there were treated even worse, when they are already in a fragile emotional state.

Then a social worker came in yelling at me. I said I wanted the police called. She told me they already had called the police and I was lucky she did not want to press charges.The phone was then ripped away from me. I was told by another rude nurse I lost my phone privileges.

They wheeled my bed away into a small room that was all silver inside for at least and hour.I felt Claustrophobic and felt like I was in a horror movie. I could not believe I could be accused of such a lie and be treated that way it made my emotional state worse. I was finally let go and wheeled out to my medical transportation home by a security guard who was nice to me.

The next day, I called the West Bloomfield police department to talk to them about what happened last night and if there were called because I needed to tell my side. Well the Social worker from the Hospital lied they never called the police. No one would give me the nurse's name. She was protected for lying and victimizing me.

I am still VERY traumatized from this event. I just was going to let it go. But I feel its important to share because if this had happened to my loved one I would be furious and would warn others. Thank god I was not feeling suicidal or this event may have pushed me over the edge with makes me wonder if that is what that nurse wanted.

If your loved goes to this hospital make sure they do not go alone so your family is protected from this Nurse who clearly should not be a Nurse at all. I still have nightmares about this.

UPDATE:

I was told in a response from the hospital they were heartbroken and wanted me to leave my contact info at the link they supplied and a patient advocate. Well NOBODY called me.

They also said they were heartbroken to hear about my experience. That made me feel like they care but I see that in several replies they say the same thing.So it must be there go to auto response and it has upset...

I’m seen at Henry Ford Hospital through the Veterans Administrations Community Care program for service connected veterans who experience bad care or no care at the John dingell Va hospital in Detroit. I’m seen by internal medicine on the 15th floor. After a year and some months I finally got a Doctor ( Dr K) I was happy with and had no problems with the lab ( only other place I’ve been) I can’t get the services my government pays very good for from this hospital that accepted the contract but because no one knows how to process the insurance and refuse to learn the places my dr puts in referral for I can’t get seen because no one knows how to process the Va community care program insurance which is different from what they believe is the only kind of Va insurance.. I did their job for them and spoke to several people who would only give their first names ( which is unprofessional and strange) Told them when the Va in Detroit community care department sends Henry ford the approval, in this case internal medicine it comes with everything thing they need to refer me within the Henry ford health system. They need only give the same information in the “File” when they open my chart to where ever their referring me to and inform them that they need only copy and paste the same information that’s in my “File” into their system where it asks for the insurance information because the VA doesn’t issue a card with that information. That is for whom ever got the approval of the referral. But these people who work in the office is standing between me and my Dr because if my Doctor knew that the VA raised to train on processing the community care insurance but now we know I’m sure he would make it happen but I can’t get to him or anyone with a business sense or who is about solving problems and it’s just sad. I have canceled all upcoming appointments because why go and can’t be seen? I feel like there’s a lot that has contributed to this, one I’m a black man, two they think my quality of life has been so low why would I know anything? I was a X-Ray tech for 16 years before being a Medic in the National Guard and a Dental Assistant then Dental Hygienist for the US Army with over a 95% patient approval rating too. So I feel their what I struggle with most, incompetent people who never want to get better nor do they know anyone who strives for excellence in what they do. I like going to Henry Ford over the Detroit VA any day but if everyone is so smart they can’t learn something that will help the reason they exist, to make money, Henry Ford is in the healthcare business but how you gonna make money when you can’t process the insurance? You can’t 🤷🏾‍♂️

P.S They have really filthy cloth chairs in the waiting room on the 15th floor. I mean disgustingly dirty, like “Ughh I really don’t want to sit down” Looks like no one has cleaned those chairs since before covid. Uhh why have cloth chairs in a hospital anyway? Need something that can be wiped down and cleaned not filthy only GOD knows what’s on those...