Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Emergency Room — Local services in Los Angeles

Dear UCLA Health Leadership,

I am writing to formally request a thorough internal investigation into the events surrounding my emergency room visit on July 8, 2025, at approximately 2:00 p.m. I was transported to UCLA via 911 with severe abdominal pain and remained at your facility until approximately 9:00 p.m.

This experience was deeply distressing and raises serious concerns about the standard of care, professionalism, and treatment protocols at your emergency department.

Upon arrival in visible and escalating agony, I was left in the waiting area for several hours without triage or any meaningful medical attention. I was pleading for help while in extreme pain, and no one intervened or offered care. Other patients in the waiting area—who were clearly not in comparable distress—were sitting calmly, engaging with their phones or chatting with one another. The disparity in urgency and response was both alarming and unjustified.

Eventually, I was given several chairs to lie down on. During that time, I overheard two staff members speaking about me in a disturbing and degrading way. One said, “So because she’s fancy, she wants to get ahead of everybody. Not gonna happen on my time.” This was said within earshot, while I was lying in visible agony. Additionally, when my husband and I respectfully requested to speak with a supervising physician, a staff member became argumentative and dismissive. Despite telling her, “I feel like I’m dying. I don’t want to argue with you,” no assistance followed.

This pattern of conduct raises serious questions about:

The failure to triage and respond to a 911 emergency with the urgency required

The unprofessional and inappropriate behavior of staff in a high-stakes medical environment

The potential violation of basic patient rights and dignity

I am requesting that your office conduct a full internal investigation, including reviewing staff interactions, response timelines, and audio/video surveillance if available. I am also evaluating whether this experience may constitute a violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) or other applicable patient care statutes under California law.

I am giving UCLA Health the opportunity to address this matter appropriately and internally. However, if I do not receive a timely response and confirmation that this situation is being taken seriously, I will explore additional avenues, including engaging legal counsel and contacting public media and regulatory bodies, such as the California Department of Public Health and The Joint Commission.

P.S.

Potential Legal Grounds in California

Medical Negligence (Malpractice)

If a patient in acute pain, especially arriving via 911, was not triaged or treated appropriately, and harm resulted (physical or emotional), this could potentially qualify as medical negligence.

Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress

Staff mocking, dismissing, or humiliating a person in visible distress—while failing to provide care—can, in some cases, qualify for this if psychological damage can be shown.

Violation of EMTALA (Federal Law)

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires that hospitals must provide a medical screening exam and stabilizing treatment to anyone who comes to the ER, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Refusal to triage or delays could be a serious legal violation.

Discrimination or Retaliatory Treatment

If you were treated differently based on perceived appearance, class, or background (“fancy” comment), this might fall under implicit bias or discriminatory conduct, which California takes seriously, particularly...

Hmmm, a lot to review here. Hard to give it a straight 5 or 1 stars, but there were a lot of ups and downs, so I guess 3 stars is fair. First of all, I do not have a lot of experience with ERs. I had no choice but to take my mom here last week because she was having an altered mental state. The wait was really long, but I guess that's par for the course, unless you're a gunshot victim or are having a heart attack, you're going to wait a long time.

The other thing is that all of the doctors we encountered were residents, so they weren't the most experienced doctors. Since UCLA is a teaching hospital, I felt like sometimes it was more about the residents learning something rather than treating my mom. I wished there was an older doctor actually seeing my mom who knew what they were doing. I needed House examining her, not his 1st year residents.

That being said, some of residents were really great and gave me wonderful advice. There was one Psych resident who was so kind and empathetic who told me there was a chance my mom could revert back to her baseline and the reason he got into psychiatry was because of his mom who had dementia. I wish I could remember his name and thank him for his kindness and empathy. And also let him know my mom is doing much better and has indeed reverted back to her baseline. Also, shout out to Hannah, our nurse, who was amazing!

Here are the bad things. The room was totally disgusting. My mom wasn't in a hospital room, but in an alcove in the nurses' station. The floor was so gross. Hair and other debris all over the ground. I'm an esthetician and we have a State Board that inspects our spas and salons. If my State Board came in and my salon looked like what I saw at UCLA ER, I would get fined thousands of dollars. It's crazy that as an esthetician who just does waxing and facials, my space has to be spotless, while a hospital that does surgeries and other really invasive procedures can get away with having hair, blood and used gauze pads on the ground. I guess no wonder why so many people get sick at hospitals?

Also, I was shocked that there were so many people who were just stacked up in the hallways. I asked one of the nurses if they were waiting for a room and she said, "This is their room." These people were literally on a gurney in the hallway for days on end. With bright lights on all night. That was their hospital room. I couldn't even imagine. WTAF is wrong with our hospital/insurance system in this country? It's tragic and should be illegal. The system is broken in this country.

I only hope I will stay healthy so I don't ever have to go to an ER in this country. This was overall not a great experience for...

Male, 34, presented with lower chest pains. No prior medical history. Non-smoker. Blood pressure normal. Let’s run an EKG—again—because the first hospital already did it. Still clear. Let’s do an X-ray—again—like the last hospital did. Clear. Let’s draw blood. Three times. All clear. Let’s keep checking for… what? It’s not my heart. I’ve been saying that since I walked in.

I had to be the one to tell the doctors—you know, the ones who supposedly went to school for 10+ years—where the pain actually is: middle chest, under the heart, left pec, rib area. Ten hours later, their big diagnosis? “Non-cardiac chest pain.” No shit. I could’ve told you that at hour one—and did.

Treatment plan? None. “We don’t treat follow-up diagnoses here in the ER. You’ll have to schedule with your primary care doctor.” Translation: We don’t actually solve problems—we just babysit you while you wait to hear nothing.

Not a single person in that place had a clue. Just empty stares and autopilot routines. I almost had hope when one tall gentleman came in and actually asked questions that seemed thoughtful—like he was going to eliminate possibilities and get to the root. Nope. Couldn’t figure it out either. So he slapped on the default label and dipped.

The guy I was waiting with? Said he brings his own blanket now and eats before coming in, because he knows how useless and slow this ER is. They misdiagnosed him the first time, sent him through a 4-month nightmare of wrong doctor visits. Another hospital figured out what was wrong with him in three hours. Three. Hours. This place couldn’t find a flame in a fire.

Honestly, it’d be an insult to say these people used ChatGPT to get through med school. At least this thing knows what it’s doing.

Worst hospital experience I’ve ever had. Hands down. I don’t go to the doctor often, but this? This takes the #1 slot for sheer incompetence.

No eye contact. No empathy. No effort. Just hollow words from people sleepwalking through a job they clearly regret. Working in a place meant to save lives—and not even pretending to care.

I left work and put my trust in professionals—people who dedicated years of their lives to learn a skill that literally saves lives. And I got clowned by what felt like a circus held together with duct tape and prayers.

I've worked in sales for 12 years—six of those as a manager over multiple stores. If I ran my team the way this ER runs theirs, I’d be ashamed to walk through those doors every day. I’d be ashamed to call that place my second...