PIH Health Downey Hospital — Local services in Downey

Don't go here if you can help it! My [adult] niece had surgery to replace a shunt in her head. [I'll spare you all the details as to why they waited until she had excruciating headaches to replace it]. One week after they released her, she was back in because there was an infection at the incision. So many (careless) things happened after that: they took a CT scan, but the doctor didn't check for results because no one recorded on her chart that a CT scan was even done. When the Physician's Assistant came into the room {2 days after the CT Scan was done} she looked at my niece and said, "we'll schedule a CT scan for her", the aunt said "she already had one." When the PA saw the CT results she said, "she needs to have surgery right away!" [can you imagine if the PA hadn't come in that day?] Before she went into surgery that day, the family reminded the medical team not to intibate her (put a tube in her air passageway) because her passageway is to narrow, (she was born premature and it is not fully developed); instead use an oxygen mask....which is how she always goes into surgery. Their response, "yeah...we got it." What do they do? They intibate her! And after surgery, the tube is still in her mouth because now they're afraid to remove it because they had such a difficult time putting it in...[which is why they were supposed to use an oxygen mask!], and just in case she has problems breathing....which she didn't have before the surgery. Now she can't eat because there's a tube down her throat. So they suggest that she be transported to UCLA Medical so that medical doctors there could evaluate her breathing situation. UCLA said they had no rooms available yet, but in the meantime, "remove the tube and give her a tracheotomy (which she has had before). The Ear Nose Throat specialist at Downey, refused to do that. Long story short, after one week of having that tube in her mouth...and not eating... the ENT doctor at Downey, finally removed the tube and gave her a tracheotomy [which the UCLA doctor had said to do several days prior] and sent her home...not having been moved to UCLA at all...after waiting over 1 week for that transport. When she was released from Downey hospital to go home, the very same night she was back in ER because the trache was clogged and it wouldn't clear even with the equipment they sent home with her. Turns out, they didn't give her all the right equipment to care for the trache. She spent over 3 weeks in that hospital....2 weeks of it had to do with the tube in her mouth....which had they listened to use an oxygen mask, none of that would have happened. Then to be released only to go back in the very same night because they didn't give her the right equipment! Terrible! Terrible! Hospital! Stay away! Go somewhere else. By the way, when my niece returned to the hospital that night, she went to White Memorial.....a much...

12/14/2022 at 2:00 am: I was brought to PIH by Ambulance due to fainting (tested Positive for Covid) they were going to take me to St. Francis and my husband knew I would want to go to Downey where my Primary Doctor is. Dr. Laura Ryan. The first nurse was very attentive BUT never brought me nausea meds even though three times she said she’d be back with it. After about 2 hours they isolated me in a private room because of being Covid positive. It was down hill after that. Never got the Meds for nausea, never helped me use the Bathroom, I was a fall risk, I fainted three times and arrived with my BP dropping and low heart rate. I had to unhook myself 3 times to get up and use the Bathroom. No call button and nurses rarely came in. I was in a gurney all night. My Doctor came in to see me in the am and said that she wanted me to stay there for a 24 hour evaluation. By 11:00 pm, I just couldn’t do it! I was told that if I left, I was leaving against medical advice. They said I had the “beginning of pneumonia, can they bring me breakfast!?” Breakfast? it was 11:00pm. Now they are worried about me leaving really!? My Doctor said she wanted me to get some rest!!! And be observed!!! Then I said if they have a bed ready now, I’ll stay otherwise I am going home!” I was soo tired and fatigued!!! She said I was admitted to stay but a room was not ready. She didn’t have any idea when a room would be ready! I needed to sleep. I said “I need to go home.”

I can remember leaving in fear! If I get sick again! Where would I go!? It was such a horrible uncomfortable experience I never want to go back!!!

I’m so glad Dr Ryan followed up later that day and prescribe paxlovid because I just took my last dose and I’m feeling much better!

I need to find a different hospital! PIH isn’t what it used to be! It was awful! Looking out the window in my room, I could see the nurses visiting, like I wasn’t even there. No one checked up on me for hours!!! I took care of myself, no pillow, no call button. Just left in a gurney from 2 am to 11:00 pm. Oh and after Signing papers to leave. They left me to leave on my own too!

Thank you Doctor Ryan Thank you x—Ray scan guy. Thank you first nurse.

Shame on the rest!

I Hate that the Good experiences of care for years at Downey Community Hospital will not continue with PIH. So sad. I hope my Doctor finds another place, when I am well I will be investigating!

Good Luck PIH I hope you are able to turns things around for...

This has to be the absolute worst ER I have EVER experienced! My wife was sick from pains in her lower abdomen, so we went to this place. We had previously been here when it was still Downey Regional and never was it this bad!!! We should have left when the person sitting next to us told us that he had been waiting since 8am and we got there at 3pm.

First of all, the staff was indifferent to the needs of the patients and were more then willing to engage in verbal confrontation. After several hours of utter chaos in the lobby, the security guard decided to kick everyone who was not a patient out to the street, yes it was cold outside, for no apparent reason other than because he was tired of the complaints. So the wait continued and after the shift change, people slowly started to creep back inside to seek shelter from the cold.

It is now 12:18 am and we are still waiting... please be kind to yourself and make a better choice than PIH in Downey. I can honestly say that I am now traumatized of waiting in the emergency room due to the neglect and cattle treatment by the staff of this place to its patients.

Update. 1:18am Still waiting...

Update. 2:18am More waiting...

Update 7/18/20

I look back at this review and remember what an awful night it was. Listen, I am not trying to pour it on or anything like that. And I do understand that sometimes situations can happen that are out of your control, but the way the staff was behaving that day led me to believe that it was part of their normal routine. Unacceptable!

With that said, I have to state that I do advocate change, because change is good in a lot of instances. So when google sends me updates about my reviews, I get curious and start to look over some of them. Lately I've noticed a trend of positive reviews about PIH. And I felt compelled to read for myself. Some sound genuine, some scripted/ forced, but all in all we are the tellers of truth. And as humans we can tell when something sounds a little off, my advice would be to read for yourselves and make your own judgment call. In all honesty I am rooting for positive change because we as community members deserve it. But truth also plays a very important roll here and I hope who ever reads this update understands that.

Thank...