Mission Hospital McDowell — Local services in Marion

I am completely and totally impressed and happy with my stay here at McDowell Hospital. I will say "flawless!"

Came via ambulance with a small bowel obstruction Saturday night at 11pm. They attended to my illness and to me 100% above and beyond any of my expectations.

I have always been extremely picky about my healthcare providers. As a healthcare professional (physical therapy) I look at everything with a critical eye. I am impressed both as a peer and as a patient.

I live in Morganton and my preference for a hospital is elsewhere. Probably not the smartest move, but for our emergency needs we drive over the county line to Love's truck stop and call 911. I've been told others from Burke County do the same.

As soon as I was wheeled through the door, as always from past experiences here, there was a flurry of activity until they were sure I was smartly and correctly triaged! They attended to my needs immediately. They were equally concerned about my pain and nausea: that was dealt with quickly as well. The ED team was on top of of my medical emergency 100%. They quickly found what was wrong and I was admitted!

They had no beds at 3 in the morning, which is not unusual at any hospital. I ended up staying in the ER. My nurse, RN Jen, brought a hospital bed down so I would be more comfortable + she dragged in one of those fancy recliners for my wife.

The whole hospital team kept me up to speed throughout my treatment. In fact, they always told me what would happen several steps down the road.

Regarding major and specialty healthcare needs, my family and I travel to Duke University. I feel that McDowell Hospital is equally competent. I also will dare say that my care here is equal to Duke's, and in many thing they exceed Duke - a very bold statement!

I called the Duke on-call bariatric surgical fellow Saturday morning because of questions regarding my plan of care at a small rural hospital and maybe the need to go to Mission in Asheville. After he heard about the treatment l had received and their planned treatment path, he told me he wouldn't have done anything different and if I'm happy, he's happy for me to stay here and not transfer. A strong endorsement indeed - so I stayed. It has proven to be a good call.

Another thing that puts McDowell Hospital over the top, beside there medical acuity, is their attention to detail and the 101 million little customer service things they do, which in turn has had a positive impact on the success of their efforts in making me well.

All the staff are friendly, nice, happy, kind, courteous, competent, smart, accommodating, pro-patient, etc. Everyone, doctors to housekeeping, always asked if they could do anything and they always took care of any and all of my voiced needs. Any unvoiced needs, anticipated and fully taken care of as well.

The accommodations, calling this a hospital room would be an insult, are great! Tons of things to make an unfortunate stay comfortable. I liked the shower specific IV. covering - no Tegaderm or plastic trash bag with your arm in the air hacks. A 5 star shower! I had an awesome view - the nurses told me I was lucky as this is one of the rooms with the best view.

I say "flawless," but nothing is perfect, so I'll land on the universal hospital flaw - the coffee! The nurses have a coffee maker, the caf' has coffee and the coffee shop makes up for it. The coffee shop's cookies and cream frappe with 2 shots of espresso - wow!

I am going home whole - which is always the desired outcome of a whirlwind emergency medical event. I am happy!

So, my treatment during my stay - 100% satisfied. The competency of the medical staff - 100% satisfied. My medical care throughout my stay - 100% satisfied. The customer service (the accommodations, the attention to detail, etc) - 100% satisfied. Everything- 100% satisfied.

I know this is quite the lauditory review, but it's well desired!

Please note: I'm not a paid reviewer from Google, McDowell Hospital or Mission Health to up their reviews. This is my experience and...

I went to urgent care for some stomach issues. Around 4:30-5pm. I was taken back fairly quick, and the Dr even came in to see me not long after I was in the exam room. They decided that I needed some IV fluids, lab work, and a possible CT of my abdomen, given what I had going on. They had a nurse walk me up to the Emergency room, as they couldn’t do these things in urgent care. I’m checked in, and even triaged pretty early by some very friendly, kind, and patient staff. (Leslie the registrar, Xio one of the RN’s, I believe his name was David, whom was the Dr, and then another RN named Amanda). They were all very polite, friendly, and patient given that the ER was packed full. I was told as soon as a room was available in the back, I would be going back and they would start labs, fluids, and the scans I needed. Shortly after that, Amanda came to get me, and took me to a room. (Around 6:40ish). Here’s where things went south. I’m assuming it was shift change, which I understand, from also working in healthcare for 7 years. The next person to come see me was a RN named Rene (super nice) whom was helping get some of the work that had fallen behind, caught back to speed. Rene got the tubes of blood for my lab work, administered the IV, started the fluids. (About 7-7:15pm) the next time I saw anyone come into my room was around 10pm, when mobile xray came. They took their photos (both women were extremely nice and pleasant to work with) and left. The next time someone came into was around 9:45-10pm and a girl (Regina whom was also polite) from labs came to get another vial of blood because they were missing one. Proceed to another hour and some change around 11:15 when the Dr came in. Didn’t catch his name, but was an older man. He wore glasses, couldn’t stand still.. looked as if he had to pee really bad.. shuffling his feet and moving around. He was a PA.

1. right off the bat was rude. Cut me off every time he would ask a question and I’d start talking.

2. continued to ask me the same question over and over as if I were lying to him (asking if I used drugs or alcohol more than 4 times)

3. made an assumption that I was “med seeking” and then gave the worst “possibility” of lab result readings, that is not true. Verified that with the nurse, and in a follow up with my primary care.

4. suggested I just go home and follow up with another dr because, and I QUOTE, “we, in the ER, can’t do anything for you. If you’re wanting a CT scan done, you’ll be waiting for another 3-4 hours, and we are full and could use the bed. Even with the CT scan, we won’t be able to admit you or help you with anything that we can’t do for you now.”

5. the man couldn’t stand still, he wouldn’t look me in my face when he was talking to me.

6. he put in my notes “should follow up with a stomach doctor”… how professional, and reassuring does that sound? All of the notes he added were written without an ounce of correct grammar, and could’ve easily been written more professionally by a fifth grader.

I only went to the ER because the urgent care Dr suggested it, and because I was dehydrated, so getting fluids was helpful. The Dr on night shift was horrible. I would’ve stayed home had I know that’s how the end of the night was going to go, or the fact that I was there for 7 hours start to finish. Literally every staff I dealt with was pleasant, except the Dr. even if they were worked thin and short staffed. I understood. The Dr was...

I am not pleased with McDowell Hospital's Birthing Policies at all. If you choose not to do a PKU test, it will be reported to the state and what hapens from there, no one knows. They require 20 minutes of intermittent doppler monitoring at a minimum even if perfectly healthy pregnancies and knowing that there are unknown risks due to lack of research of doppler on fetus and mother. They require a heplock, which is a temporary IV in the wrist which can make same birth positions rather uncomfortable and in a true emergency situation its not hat hard to get an IV, nor would they use the heplock. It was also mentioned that if my parental desires for my newborn were not in agreement with the doctor or midwive's desires that CPS could be called. I don't feel parents need to have the stress of the state and CPS being contacted hung over their heads; it doesn't make for a peaceful environment. Also, if you refuse the GBS test they require 48 hours (2 days!) of monitoring the baby even though research has proven that GBS symptoms and signs can show up 2 weeks after birth, so their 2 day monitoring makes absolutely no sense. They clearly work for their insurance company and don't care to provide evidence-based research and tell their insurance companies to give them some slack. Stressing parents out before and during labor does not make for a peaceful birth environment. If you want a peaceful birth I would recommend going elsewhere. If you are fine with the PKU test, GBS test and antibiotics, etc. then you'll have no issues. They also have a 6 hour time frame you have to stay after birth, which is fine because who doesn't enjoy a good old hospital grill cheese after birth! I am not only dissappointed my McDowell Hospital's policies, but NC birthing policies in general. NC is NOT a birth friendly state. If only insurances covered SC birthing facilities...maybe next time.

There were many birthing desires that they were okay with, like wearing gloves and masks in my room since it would be flu/vaccine season at birth (no different than what they'd have to do during a cesarean) and they do allow you to labor and birth as you please and have baths and showers accessible, though not in the room, which is a nice option. They have birthing balls and even allow you to labor on the toilet. They do not have squatting stools. They don't force vaginal exams for dilation either. Nor are vaccines, eye drops, vitamin k, etc. required.

I understand I may have very specific birthing desires, but many parents go into hospitals not as educated as I am and walk away traumatized by labor and birth because of hospital policies and practices or worse yet their baby or themselves dead.

I was told that McDoweel cesear rate dropped from 40% to 15%, but that the 15% was based on first time cesareans meaning any 2nd time cesareans were not recorded. That sounds a little fishy to me and disappointing for mothers who desire VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean). And when homebirth transfers to hospitals' cesarean rates are under 5%, 15% is triple that, so still extremely high!

I cannot speak for the other sections of the hospital, only for the hospital's labor, birthing and after...