UConn Health — Local services in Farmington

One of the worst institutions I’ve ever visited due to their unprofessional and incompetent administration. I wish I could give this place negative stars. I went to the ER twice this year, and while I have no complaints about my treatment from the nursing staff, I do have a lot of negative experiences with the administration.

Incompetent Billing department: Each ER visit, while IN THE MIDDLE OF TREATMENT, a billing person comes into my exam room with a computer cart to charge me for the visit. I am in my hospital gown, in pain, discussing pertinent and very private health information with the nurse/doctor while the billing person is hovering by the room waiting to charge me. As soon as the nurse/doctor steps out in between treatment, the billing person enters immediately and asks if I can pay for the service right then and there. Fine, I pay the $250 each visit. Not the best experience in my opinion, but certainly not the worse. It wasn’t until the 2nd ER visit when the billing person told me that I could fill out a waiver for the co-pay and get reimbursed for the $250/visit. I fill out the waiver and file it with my insurance. My insurance paid the co-pays for both visits immediately, so now UCONN is paid 2x for each visit, and I am now owed a refund of $500. I call UCONN billing to see when I should receive my refund, and they told me that they did not initiate a refund because I needed to call and “release the refund.” Okay...I ask them to release it (this is on 10/23), and then I asked when I should get my refund. They told me that they don’t have a timeline to give me because multiple people handle the paperwork. Okay... 2 weeks pass by, and I call UCONN billing for an update. They now tell me insurance only paid for one visit, and that since I didn’t pay the $250 co-pay for one visit, I now owe $250. Okay, what?! I told UCONN billing that I paid at the time of service at each visit and that my insurance company paid for both co-pays. They finally realized that they were incorrect, so I ask again when I should expect a refund. She tellls me again that she doesn’t know. At this point I ask to speak to a supervisor. Of course, the supervisor is out that day. I leave a voicemail with the supervisor, and have since talked to him on a weekly basis regarding this situation. I am finally credited $250 for one visit 3 weeks ago and (after going back and forth another 2 weeks) I was told I should get another refund of $250 by check yesterday. I check the mail, and guess what? I get a BILL for $250!! So instead of a check, I get a bill. I tried calling the supervisor, and of course, he is out. It has now been months, and I am still waiting for my money. Absolutely ridiculous!

Rude and unprofessional medical records department: I had to transfer my ER visit results to my doctor so I called UCONN medical records to put in a request. They tell me that I can’t get access to my files and that the doctor needs to call for them. Okay, I call my doctor and tell them to call the hospital to request my files. My doctor tells me that LEGALLY I have a right to my medical records, but they will call on my behalf anyway. My doctor calls me back and tells me UCONN told them that I need to release my records to my doctor first. I call UCONN and again, they say I can’t access my own records. Frustrated with the process, I ask to speak to a manager to determine what I need to in order to release my records. Instead of passing me to a supervisor, they pass me to a ruder co-worker. When I asked her what her name was, she refused to give me her name and admitted she was not a supervisor. I eventually had to contact patient relations in order to release my records.

RUN far away from this place! There are so many terrible experiences I’ve had with this place over the years that I could write a horror book about it. Nothing is ever easy; everything is done backwards and in the worse possible way. I’ve spoken to quite a few people about my experiences, and I understand that I’m not alone in this feeling. Would never visit this...

Update: If it weren’t for the amazing surgeons I see and love, I would never step foot in this hospital again. I’m having another procedure next week and I’m terrified that I’ll have the same PACU nurses - far more afraid of them than the actual surgery. I don’t trust them to take care of me or my health. I shouldn’t have to worry that while I’m in my most vulnerable state, the people who are supposed to be taking care of me will instead hurt me, pull and grab me without my consent, neglect my privacy, ignore my concerns, treat me differently because of my medical history, and leave me feeling traumatized by the interaction.

UCONN’s response to my complaint of the below events was, in summary, “sorry you feel that way, but no harm was done.”

Original: This review is only for the two female nurses in the post-anesthesia recovery room after my surgery 7/27/23 in the evening. Everyone else - my doctors, their teams, even the receptionist of the building - was incredible. The nasty, unprofessional “nurses” (they don’t deserve that title) wanted me to leave “before I started screaming in pain again.” I wasn’t asking for meds at that point, but I had asked my doctor specifically if I would be rushed home, and she said never. Because if I’m going to scream somewhere, where better than the hospital if my pain gets out of control after a major surgery? This was my first moment conscious again after the procedure, besides the times waking up screaming that I thankfully was not conscious for, and these two nurses yanked me out of bed like a rag doll - I don’t say that lightly either, my arm still hurts at the elbow joint from them pulling - because they decided I needed to pee so they could send me home. I literally begged them to leave me alone and stop touching me, because they were hurting me. They sat me on the toilet and with the door and curtain to the hallway open, stood over me to watch so I wouldn’t fall, and I asked if I could have some privacy - my fiancé was in the room and could have helped/watched me. Finally they backed up a bit rather than standing and staring asking “did you go yet??” and I asked my fiancé to hand me my purse. One nurse said “There better not be any drugs in there!!!” My medical history includes a PAST drug addiction - and clearly they don’t ask that of every patient, but UCONN says it’s not discrimination. Right. I responded that I was retrieving my phone so that I could update my family and have something to focus on and relax. I still couldn’t pee, because of the pain and meds, and when they brought me out of the bathroom they had TAKEN THE BED. They put some hard blue chair there so I would be forced to sit up and not fall asleep - their words. I had just gotten my uterus/tubes/cervix and tons of endo scraped out, it hurt to sit up! I asked “why are you doing this?” and again mentioned that the doctor said I would not be rushed out. They repeated about getting me home “before I start screaming again.” At this point, I asked to be catheterized because my bladder felt full to burst, which added to the pain. They said no, they would give me two hours to pee on my own before they’ll catheterize me. Then suddenly they left without a word, and we didn’t realize until we noticed the change of shift that they were gone for the night! No goodbye, and more than that - why were you so concerned with rushing me to pee and go home if you were about to leave?? My fiancé asked the male nurse to please help me, my bladder was clearly hurting everything more. Thankfully that sweet angel of a man agreed. He removed 600ml of urine from me. A quick google search will show you that the average woman’s max capacity is 500ml. So, my bladder literally WAS full to burst, and they wanted to wait two more hours. I have never felt so disrespected by anyone in a medical profession. From the other negative reviews, clearly there are huge problems - yet nothing is being done. Why are you allowing patients to be treated this way with no...

Even if I am critically ill or dying, I will NOT be a patient at this ‘hospital’ again

I am EXTREMELY grateful, since this final medical experience has SOLIDIFIED the importance + GREATER EFFICACY of CONSISTENT SELF CARE and OPTIONS in terms of health care - related measures; in MOST cases!

I will NOT be back!

Details:

On Tuesday 08.04.2020, Due to a sensitivity to some chemicals in most perfume fragrances, I was taken by ambulance to UConn after an outside physical therapist, wore an unethical amount of fragrance while visiting her elderly patient and I was present.

On 08.04.2020, The last place I desired to be, was at a hospital. I did not want to go to the hospital. Due to the severity of the reactions I was having; it was recommended, by well intentioned health care professionals; that I go immediately to the hospital.

The vibe (behavior + spirit of employees) was weird from the very beginning, which didn’t surprise me. As is usually the case with ambulance rides and hospitals. My blood pressure was checked inside the ambulance (what felt like 30 times) + my blood sugar was taken though I verbally expressed that am not diabetic. I was told it was standard procedure in transporting critical care patients.

Upon arrival (+prior to arrival) the hospital, staff on the emergency unit had been made aware that I was entering the hospital, due to a sensitivity to chemicals in most fragrances. Despite that, some of the staff took pleasure in dousing themselves in fragrance and creating reasons to continuously walk by me; on multiple occasions (while I was inside and waiting outside of the hospital). I believe I was the only patient on the emergency unit on this occasions.. I didn’t see any other patients on the ER unit on this day.

One UCONN emergency unit, staff member, (the one in the picture) entered the room to take my blood pressure. Left the room, then re-entered the room, Freshly doused in an odorous cologne + a smirk on hi face; attempting to re-take my blood pressure. I ordered him to leave the room, as it wasn’t difficult to see his intentions were to intensify the reactions I was having. Average height male, pale, blonde with blue eyes.

Overall experience:

.Staff Dousing himself in unpleasant cologne and frequently inventing tasks in order to re- enter my hospital room. I believe I was intentionally given unsanitary water to drink with medications by an emergency room employee. Short male with dark hair. Despite being cordial with staff , SOME emergency room personnel gave off the impression that they were most invested in antagonizing patients (me); as opposed to working towards healing people. 4.The same male who provided the unsanitary drink, stalled and hesitated to provide me with a copy of the discharge document I signed; with the time and date on it. He hoped I would leave with the B L A N K copy of the discharge paper work I specifically requested (absent of critical information! Like my signature, and the date I was seen!). NOT all the emergency room staff were so blatantly unethical/unprofessional but this behavior occurred because any potentially poor previous behaviors are CONDONED. I documented my visit.

For the those who did not participate in such behavior, thank...