Northwest Medical Center — Local services in Oro Valley

I've been dealing with Rheumatoid arthritis and an infection on my scalp for a while now, and I was afraid to go to the hospital because I knew how it would turn out.

I waited so long till I just couldn't wait any longer, and I went to Northwest hospitsl in Tucson Arizona on Friday (10/19/24). I was escorted out of the building and humiliated while they smirked in my face and treated me like trash. They lied to me and told me that they gave me medication that they did not.

It all started when they tried to prescribe me an aggressive beta-blocker (a blood pressure medication that can stop the signals to your heart), and I'm not a hypertensive. They got an erroneous blood pressure of a 188/132 and did not even think to recheck it. I was not feeling well and didn't look at the machine because I never have high blood pressure and the tech did not mention it to me.

The NP, (Laura or Laurie) didn't get any additional medical history from me or even ask if I had hypertension, for that matter. I did not have any indications, such as signs of stroke or heart attack, and she prescribed me an IV medication. If I did not have the education that I have and that nurse wasn't seasoned and was a new grad, that could have been detrimental, and I told them that. I was going to report her so that she could be reeducated because after I spoke to her, she took no accountability, did not acknowledge me, and offered no apology.

She just deflected , asking me, "Well, did the nurse give it to you?" I said no, because I told her not to. And she said, well, the hospitalist (Dr. Yager) will be taking care of you.

No accountability at all. It is dangerous for a prescriber to not exercise autonomy. I told them I just wanted her educated because it's not safe. I could have been someone's grandmother, I could have been someone who didn't know any better. Or, what if the new grad didn't want to question the doctor's orders?

They retaliated against me by withholding my medication and saying that they gave it to me. IV rocephin, when "pushed, not hung," has to be administered over 5 minutes or more when you give 2G or more at a time. That woman (RN Penelope) never stood at my bedside and administered any medication to me without me asking questions. It just didn't happen. They didn't come to my room and give a report at the end of the shift like they're supposed to per hospital policy.

When I went to the next unit at approx 0400, Margie DID come to the bedside to give report and go over my care and that's how I found out that the other nurse had signed it as administered downstairs. It was documented as given at 1723. I was awake the entire time. I did not take any medications from them to alter my mind, and she did not touch my IV again after the normal saline had run.

In fact, the sweet young man Cameron disconnected my line so that I could use the restroom.

Once I complained and tried to advocate for myself, they muscled me with some big security guy, and this nurse named Tina. She stood there and refused to do anything to help and mocked me and laughed in my face and smirked at me as if she took delight in my pain.

I serve a community of people that come into my job that have been on their feet walking for days. They come in with blisters and pus and blood from where they pick their skin. Their nails, hair, and clothes are dirty, and I still treat them like royalty. I treat them like they matter because they do. Do you want a warm blanket? Are you hungry? I know it hurts, but we'll be with you in second. You want snacks? Help yourself.

They didn't care. They just said obese black woman must be hypertensive. Prescribe the medication. Welcome to Tuscon.

I received a letter from the CEO, Ben Ridder, regarding their "investigation" and once, again, no one cares. "Sorry for the delay in your care. "...This investigation is now closed.

The care wasn't delayed it was never rendered, and now it's worse because I can't get into dermatology until next year.

Sincerely, E. Coiley, "just an LPN"

If you look like me, don't go...

I was sent to Northwest ER by my primary care physician because of a bad infection on my toes and foot. After an extremely long wait, I was diagnosed with cellulitis, prescribed two antibiotics, and cautioned that if I was to get worse… I was to return. In the early hour of the next day, it was very apparent it was necessary to return as the doctor requested. After arriving someone came from the triage area whom I just assumed was a nurse (male) who rolled my wheelchair into a very dark small cubicle, closed the curtain behind my wife and I, never pulled up my pajama pant leg to examine, left me seated in the wheel chair, and never turned on the overhead light. Then grilling began. He asks why are you here…you were discharged earlier. He takes out a pen light and in standing position shines it briefly (seconds) down at my toes and immediately puts the light back in his pocket. Never taking vitals…no temp…no blood pressure reading. To my knowledge he never looked at my chart to research his health history… comorbidities, etc. He then continues to lecture…Do you realize there are people here in this facility more serious than you. Telling us they were short staffed and there are no rooms. Saying patients with cellulitis are treated at home with antibiotics. Which I know is not always the case as this infection, if bad enough, can result in sepsis. He then gave me two choices… to go home and continue antibiotics or stay emphasizing I will wait for many hours and ultimately be admitted for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a possible nursing home stay after discharge. The only reason I could not walk is because I was in extreme pain. This triage nurse demeanor was very unprofessional and it was obvious he was doing everything possible to discourage me from seeking care. I informed that the doctor I had seen a few hours earlier had warned that I should come back if my symptoms got worse. I told him my swelling had increased, I couldn’t stand to walk due to severe pain , and I was now having trouble urinating. I came back as requested. So the nurse said it’s up to you. It was my perception that he was telling me every miserable scenario to encourage me to leave. I had no other choice than to stay because I wanted to feel better. At this the nurse rolled me out of the dark cubicle into the light. My wife was now at a side angle to my body and able to see what was now a fiery red cellulitis infection that had quickly spread within a few short hours from my foot up to the back of my ankle. She pulled up my pant leg and now could see a beat red infection all the way up my calf just short of the bend of my knee. She was taken aback knowing the nurse had not seen this and brought it to his attention. She informed that this was not there the previous afternoon. The nurse never would have noticed if my wife hadn’t seen it for herself and said something. So the nurse now commented, he saw it, which was far from the truth, as he continued to roll me out in the waiting room. We stayed in that waiting area for about 12 hours before I was called back to a room to receive IV antibiotics and care. By this time, my infection had progressed to above the back of my knee because of the dismissiveness and lack of care. In retrospect, it was imperative that I was admitted for four days on IV antibiotics. Thinking back, all in all, I spent over 24 hours in your ER with my two visits seeking care. This used to be our go to hospital for care for years. I definitely feel I will go elsewhere if I need an ER…if I have a say about it. My wife has since shared our concerns with you days ago in an email without response. Your hospital has gone downhill. So it is obvious to me you care as much as your triage nurse, who definitely needs a reprimand. I was treated well on the floor once admitted but I would not recommend this hospital to anyone due to my experience in your ER. If I could give no star I would. The photo below is on the day I was discharged from my...

I am writing to express some significant concerns regarding my recent emergency room visit for an AFib episode that began late Monday evening. I am incredibly grateful to the very kind RN who provided excellent care and successfully normalized my heart rhythm by Tuesday morning. The echocardiogram was also performed promptly, which I appreciate. However, my experience beyond that initial care was quite perplexing. Despite an 18-hour stay in the emergency department, my interactions were predominantly with interns. While I understand the role of a teaching hospital, I was not asked for my consent to participate in a scenario that felt more like a training exercise, rather than focused patient care. A cardiologist came in early in the day along with an intern to say “ hi” and told me he was not from my heart group. Really???? Just to say Hi!!! The extent of the 'grilling' by multiple interns, and one even taking notes on a crumpled, soiled business envelope, struck me as highly unprofessional and certainly not what I would expect from a medical facility of this caliber. If I had sought care at a teaching-focused institution like Banner, I would have made that choice explicitly. My first opportunity to speak with a cardiologist only occurred approximately 18 hours into my visit. Regrettably, this conversation was cut short by transport to an inpatient room, and he did not conduct an examination. I was left with no opportunity to ask questions or discuss my condition, lab results (including elevated TSH), or the strong possibility of a UTI. I was then informed I could go home as I was being carted down the hall to an inpatient room, essentially discharged without receiving any inpatient services or a proper discussion. If I ever interrupted a doctor in my years working within the hospital setting, I would have been reprimanded in a big way. How rude! Furthermore, as a retired clinical lab assistant, I was particularly taken aback by the lack of proper protocol during urine sample collection. The nurse did not offer a disinfectant packet for a clean catch, and when I questioned this, she hesitated and then dismissed my concern. This oversight is deeply unprofessional and, combined with the hospital's refusal to treat my suspected UTI due to their suggested 'no symptoms,' led to my visit with my primary care physician confirming a severe UTI today (Thursday). A clean catch by the way! While I truly appreciate the swift and effective care provided by the ER nursing staff in managing my AFib, the overall experience left me without answers or a comprehensive understanding of my health. It is concerning to me why a hospital would not address a patient's health holistically. This experience, unfortunately, mirrors a past negative encounter my husband had here, and it has caused me to reflect on my choice of facility for future care. I was sent home with a new medication prescription that warranted a thorough discussion with my cardiologist, which never occurred. Thank you to Judy, patient advocate, for listening to me on Wednesday. You may not be able to help me, but I hope this complaint prevents this nonsense from happening to...