Swedish Mill Creek Campus — Local services in Mill Creek

Worst er visit ever tonight. I was actually seen at this emergency department a bit over a month ago and saw a really great Dr. who spent time with me, looked at the areas I was complaining about, and seemed genuinely concerned. When I was discharged he told me that if I what I had came back to come back (he knew I had no primary care Dr) and that if I didn't find a primary Dr to come back and be seen there that's what they're there for. What a joke. The issue came back 3 days ago and has been getting worse and worse so I finally decided to go back in tonight as its unbearable. I was taken right back so I thought things might be good. Well I was first "seen" by the physician assistant who literally spent less than 60 seconds with me and didn't do any exam other than looking in my wrong ear and prescribing 2 medicines over the counter that I've already been taking that haven't been helping and a steroid (without any exam or diagnosis) and tell me that I was already seen for this and seem to be looking for drugs (I never asked for any meds) the attending physician came in said he was the attending didn't do any exam and said they'd be giving me my prescription and out I go. When the rn brought my meds I asked to leave a complaint as I was not actually seen. She sent the attending md back in. When I said I was unhappy no one even looked at me he told me that I had been seen there for the same issue not long over a month ago and they don't see people 2 times for the same issue and that I was a drug seeker (I never asked for any meds just for someone to actually look at me). Mind you the first Dr I saw there said come back anytime if the symptoms come back we're here to help you. I have never in my life had a prescription or any other drug problem. I've never been so insulted in my life. It was extremely embarrassing. And they prescribed a steroid drug and between the 2 of them saw me as a patient less than 5 mins. Most of that the attending as first physician assistant 60 seconds or less. How can you prescribe anything without actually taking the time to actually look. I am going to go see another Dr and if anything is found that the Drs here missed because I wasn't worth it as a patient I'll be looking at legal recourse. There was 0 reason for the rudeness. If you have loved ones or are sick yourself DO NOT come here ever. Also the Rn who brought me some sort of mail in paper to complain was also extremely rude. She told me the Dr I saw a month ago may have said "come back" but only if it was in a couple days. That they don't see follow ups or 2 times for the same issue. That is total bs as the Dr I saw over a month ago said quite specifically that if the same issue came back to come back in without hesitation no matter the length of time because that's what they are there for. When I explained that's what the original Dr said the nurse said I was lying. So I left angry and embarrassed and still hurting and still with not one person actually looking at me and/or listening. To them I wasn't worth being seen and was accused of being a drug seeker even though I asked for not one single medicine. Apparently though it's ok to prescribe a steroid without being looked at or have any diagnosis...

They welcomed my fiancé like any other patient in the waiting area. She had an imaging scan scheduled for August 29, 2025.

The first red flag was that they wouldn’t allow me to accompany her to help translate. Are you kidding me? She had personally requested my presence, and it was denied. I had driven all this way to sit in the waiting area.

When she emerged from the exam room, I discovered that they had caused her immense pain during the neck scan procedure. She and her virtual assistant translator were screaming in agony at the doctors and nurses to reduce the intense radiation and laser sensitivity used during the throat imaging.

This was the same scan she had undergone in the past couple months without experiencing any nausea, severe burning sensations, or pain. However, today, her legs were burning, and she almost vomited. Clearly, the procedure had been performed poorly.

The most concerning issue was the lack of attention to her well-being during the procedure. When she raised her hand in pain during it to halt everything, they continued and yelled at her to remain still.

She described her experience: “The nurse who came for me at the beginning was extremely unfriendly. I had to compliment her inside the exam room, when she was searching my veins that she had a lovely small dog on her keychain because I was afraid she would continue to treat me poorly if I complained about her missing my veins multiple times.”

To prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, it’s crucial to set clear expectations in advance and ensure that the patient understands everything.

There was no empathy from the doctor, and there were no clear expectations established before the procedure began. For instance, a peripheral IV catheter should have been disclosed in her arm to start the procedure, and optional to use. Patients should be informed about what to expect and given boundaries for pain thresholds.

My father, a retired family doctor practitioner, has made me aware that this experience is grounds for malpractice due to the improper care that my fiancé received. I am well-versed in medical terms, but I am deeply unhappy with the care given to her. There was no empathy, clear details of the procedure, or sensitivity shown to my fiancé during this traumatic experience. The throat scan should not have caused her severe pain or discomfort, and she should not have been subjected to such poor treatment of her body before and during the procedure.

The fact that I was not allowed to accompany her further exacerbates my frustration and unprofessionalism. It is unacceptable that my well-being and the well-being of my fiancé were not respected during the entire appointment.

Throughout the past year and a half, I have been to over 50 exams, appointments, and specialists at various local locations in this area. This is the first time they have refused to allow me to accompany my fiancé, and it is also the worst experience she has ever had.

How can we continue to trust our doctors and nurses if they treat us with disrespect and disregard our real needs? Isn’t that the very essence of medical care—to help patients improve, not to...

As a woman of color, the discrimination I faced at this facility nearly lead to loss of function of my right leg.

I came in with severe back pain with symptoms radiating in to my leg. I very clearly described my areas of pain, symptoms, and my concern for something serious like and impingement or disc herniation. I verbalized to Dr. Condino that my pain was so debilitating that I was hardly able to walk and had even resorted to crawling, rolling out of bed and avoiding sitting. She was extremely dismissive and she rapidly listed off a list of "solutions" such as muscle relaxers and NSAIDs which I had already tried to no avail. She seemed frustrated by the fact that I had tried everything she mentioned but did not offer any further solutions.

Ultimately, she treated me by ordering an xray and giving one dose of diazapem. I was told that I could not get an MRI because it was "Saturday night" and that my case was not "emergent" enough. By the end of the visit, she said there was nothing else that she could do for me and that she recommended massage, acupuncture and at home remedies. I was left literally sobbing in my room with no relief.

The only good thing about this visit was the incredibly kind nurse Terri who treated me with kindness and could see how much discomfort I was in. She even attempted to ask the Dr. Condino for pain medication so I could at least sleep comfortably, but Dr. Condino refused. This nurse provided exceptional care and her sympathy was greatly appreciated. ❤

After this visit, I am glad I followed my intution because if turned out I had 3 herniated discs. My L4-L5 was the worst; I had severe right lateral recess impingement upon the right L5 traversing nerve root and left lateral recess impingement. I ended up going to UW Haborview where the amazing staff treated me with kindness and understanding and I ended up having an emergency discectomy. The neurosurgeon said if I had waited another 24-48 hours, I may have lost complete functionality of my right leg

As a person who has experienced complex injuries since a work accident in 2019, I found that once the label of "chronic pain" was slapped on my file, it has been nothing but harmful to me as a it leads to a distorted view of me as a patient. I have learned to hold it together externally while internally I'm practically screaming in pain, but that does not mean I am "in no apparent discomfort " as Dr. Condino noted. I believe her bias against me as a person labeled with "chronic pain" and a woman of color (who are historically known to be ignored when it comes to pain) led to her mistreatment of me, and I hope this is something that can be addressed so no more unnecessary suffering has...