Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans — Local services in Metairie

I arrived in the early am hours and my wife tried to drop me at the ER door but of course I’m like “it’s ok, I’ll walk”. Long story short, I passed out in the parking lot giving my wife the scare of her life. A stranger that came out to the parking lot tried with my wife to get me up and that wasn’t happening. He ran for help and the ER crew peeled me off the sidewalk and got me to triage. It was quite the entrance.

ER DOCS & STAFF They quickly assessed me to make sure it wasn’t a stroke or heart attack. There were so many bodies around me on a stretcher in the hallway and I remember an emergency room doc coming up saying “I was really sick, but he had me“. My ER doc was Dr. Scott Sulik.

SURGICAL TEAM There are doctors you choose and some you just get in your time of need. I can’t say enough about my surgical team led by Dr. Jeffanne Millien. Her and her staff of Residents were amazing. Dr. Mitchell & Dr. Sean Robinson were the only two names I remember, but the whole team was great.

Being in the SICU (Surgical Intensive Care unit) its just non-stop, is brutal, it’s a 24-hour machine that doesn’t stop, but I can’t say enough about the level of my care from the surgical team.

Next I want to talk about the Surgical ICU NURSING TEAM where I spent 6 days:

First was Lindsy. I was in really rough shape and had two sterile procedures done in the room. I only had her for one shift, but it was when I was in the worse shape and I appreciate her so much.

Next was Bria and I had her every night. She is an amazing caretaker, there for me every night of my stay as I tried to get comfortable which is a losing battle in the SICU.

Next was Sarah, I think I only had her for one day but was there when I came back from surgery. When I was discharged, she’s was at the door to greet me with fist bumps as I was being rolled out of my room.

Next is William, What a great young man fresh out of nursing school, I think the future of nursing is in good hands with him. Unfortunately for him, he had the task of removing my NG tube, my catheter, and the central line in my neck. He performed all those tasks professionally and compassionately. I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with this young man.

Lastly, Dennis. We didn’t get to spend too much time together, but he was in charge of discharging me. By the time he came on at 7am Monday I was dressed and in a chair, watching the news, because I was going home, one way or another that day. He went through all my discharge info with my wife & I.

I think ANY of the RNs who are part of the SICU team are exceptional.

Walking into Oschner, I had no idea the level of care that I would receive. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am to have had the caretakers that I had during my stay. I’m so glad we drove by other hospitals to get to the Oschner...

Dear [Hospital Administration/Patient Relations],

My name is Tasia Williams, and I am a patient with sickle cell disease who has received care at your hospital multiple times. On several occasions, I have been fortunate to receive excellent care from compassionate and knowledgeable nurses and doctors. Unfortunately, during my most recent visits to the Continuing Health Department, I did not feel the same level of empathy or understanding.

As someone living with sickle cell, I know firsthand how severe and debilitating a pain crisis can be. When I come to the hospital, it is never for convenience — it is because the pain has become unbearable and cannot be managed at home. What is difficult to understand is why some staff assume that I, or other sickle cell patients, come at 3 a.m. to seek drugs. This assumption is deeply hurtful. I want to be clear: I have an entire cabinet of prescribed pain medications at home that I often avoid taking unless absolutely necessary. I only seek hospital care when I am truly in crisis.

During this recent visit, I was treated with IV Dilaudid, a strong medication that causes severe itching as a side effect for me. I was given only one oral Benadryl, which did not provide enough relief. I explained this to a new nurse, who was very kind and understanding. However, I overheard another nurse, Erin (with ginger hair), making a comment that patients “just want the Benadryl because it makes them higher.” Hearing this was extremely discouraging. In reality, when I am admitted, I feel as though I am on the verge of collapse. To hear staff imply that sickle cell patients are only seeking medications for non-medical reasons is not only offensive, but it adds unnecessary emotional stress to an already painful situation.

Additionally, I have had doctors look me directly in the eye and say they “just can’t” provide IV medication — despite the fact that physicians experienced in treating sickle cell patients know IV therapy is often appropriate and necessary. When care is withheld because of a provider’s assumption of drug-seeking behavior, it puts patients like me at risk.

I am sharing this feedback in the hope that it will lead to greater awareness, education, and compassion in the care of patients with sickle cell disease. We depend on our healthcare providers not only for treatment, but also for dignity, empathy, and respect in our most vulnerable moments.

Thank you for taking the time to hear my concerns. I truly believe this hospital has the ability to set the standard for excellent sickle cell care, and I hope my feedback contributes to positive change.

Sincerely, Tasia Williams

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YT PPL SAYING SICKLE CELL PATIENTS ARE SEEKING DRUGS I AM IN THIS PLACE BECAUSE I WENT...

Good and bad. I was admitted to Ochsner for a scheduled surgery some time ago. The surgeon, Dr. Strollo, and his staff were excellent and communicated regularly and empathetically with my family during the operation. The surgery went off exactly as was planned and explained to us. Thanks Doc!

The nursing staff was extremely kind and polite. They definitely made me feel at home but the pre-op and post-op area were filthy... after watching a family of roaches trying to escape an LED ceiling light fixture for a good 30 minutes, the roaches succeeded and began to drop through the moldy ceiling tiles into my room and around my stretcher while I was being prepped. The kind nurses proceeded to stomp them and grab them by hand with paper towels before returning to my IV. "They're just everywhere, nothing you can do about it" she reminded me.

The post-doc surgical assistant fielded 5 of my questions before walking out. These questions included 'How long might I be under' and 'Are there any potential complications'. Her answer to all of them was to roll her eyes and say 'I don't know, I'm just the post-doc.' She was so rude and dismissive that the nurse in the room remarked 'Well.. somebody definitely woke up on the wrong side today am I right?' as soon as she left the room.

The anesthesiologist basically begged me to just skip to the end of his pre-op checklist in the interest of saving time. "We can go down this line per line but the surgeon is ready so what'd ya say we just skip to the end and get you ready" was the message.

After the surgery, which involved heavy anesthesia, I basically had to remind the nurses of my right to stay in post-op until I knew that I could successfully pass fluids and the drugs and confirm that my GI functions weren't compromised. To this one nurse replied 'that's not a bad idea'.

Edit:

I'd like to make it known that I have visited Ochsner ER & Medical Center several times since this review and I have not had another encounter like this one. The service has since been fast, respectful, and...