Valley Health Urgent Care - Ranson — Local services in Ranson

I will start by saying that every patient experience is a unique one, so just because I had a bad experience doesn't mean this is a bad healthcare facility. I've had previous experiences here that were fine. However, tonight was one of the worst healthcare experiences I've had in recent memory, and I hope that this review will prompt positive changes.

I called at noon to schedule an appointment. The earliest appointment was 7:30 pm, so I took it. I was called by a very friendly employee around 6:30 to confirm the details of my appointment. I showed up at 7:30 and called from the parking lot as instructed, and I was told to wait in my car and a provider would be in touch shortly. While on the phone and already in the parking lot at my scheduled time, I received a text that said they were running 20 minutes behind. That would have been more helpful to know at 7:00 before I left my home, but 20 minutes isn't an unreasonable wait time, especially at the end of the day.

At 8:00 pm, I watched nervously from my car as an employee systematically went around and closed all of the blinds. I thought perhaps I had been forgotten, but I thought I should wait a few more minutes. At 8:10 pm, 40 minutes after my scheduled appointment, a nurse called me to "start" my visit. She asked for my symptoms, and as I started to rattle them off (admittedly, probably a little fast), I was interrupted with a curt tone "You need to slow down." When I explained that I had been in the parking lot for 40 minutes, the nurse reported that I was "lucky" because they had a two hour wait time. I explained that I had called at noon and scheduled an appointment. She said I still had 5 patients in front of me, so I told her I was just going to go home. Here are the issues I had with this experience:

Do not accept appointments if you cannot honor them within a reasonable time frame.

If walk-ins begin to overwhelm your clinical staff and you cannot honor appointments, then call or text within a reasonable time so that the patient can reschedule if desired or adjust their departure time.

Please don't close the blinds while patients are still waiting in the parking lot.

If you notice specific trends where you experience higher levels of walk-ins consistently (Google indicates that 6:00 pm is very busy), then adjust the number of appointments you take during and after that timeframe.

Educate staff regularly on appropriate communication skills. Patients come to you when they are not feeling well and are vulnerable. You have the knowledge, experience, and ability to help them, which puts the power balance of the relationship in your favor. With great power comes great responsibility, and compassion goes a long way.

Provide regular training to staff on caregiver burnout and self-care. Caregiving is an incredibly challenging and stressful job, and it benefits everyone if caregivers are not feeling overwhelmed.

I'm now off to find another box of tissues, some nasal spray, and...

Avoid going to this place if you actually need proper care!

I had been seen here a few months ago, they proceeded to lose my blood samples and other samples also taken from me to provided me with a proper diagnosis. When they called to apologize for the mistake they invited me back again. It was only when I said that I felt I should be held financially responsible that they agreed. That should have been their suggestion. I reluctantly went back, had the tests re-done. It took them an unusually long time to call me back with the results. Then a few weeks later I got a bill in the mail for everything! They didn’t even submit it to my insurance first!! So I had to call and sort that out. Not to mention that when I went, they took forever!!!! Seems like this is common for everyone else that goes here too.

Today, I wanted to give them another chance. I should have known better. I took my soon to be step daughter there. They stated they needed a legal patent to give authorization for her to be seen and for me to have the information. That I could understand. We ended up having to call her Mom for that authorization, which she gave. Then they said that her Mom would be the one financially responsible for the visit? I was there with the insurance card in hand and the money for the co-pay. Which they would not accept? What? They stated it was a new “policy” that doesn’t even make sense! So, I can bring here there, have authorization, but not make the payment for her co-pay? So now, I brought home a sick child that is most likely going to miss another day of school, not to mention she’s in pain! Avoid this place at all costs! I gave them multiple tries, and wasted my time. Don’t...

Very unfortunate and potentially life-threatening experience. I went in with a muscle spasm; I had borderline hypertension at check-in and asked to have it checked again. (It wasn’t.) I shared a very detailed history of my symptoms and medications with the nurse. The nurse inputted this information, and when the physicians assistant came in to greet me, he had no understanding of what my needs were. I had to advocate for a chest x-ray to check the ribs (where the spasm occurred). The PA prescribed me three medications. As I was about to leave, I asked him if any of these interacted with my current medications. Two of the medicines he was about to prescribe me posed serious side effects when mixed with my current medication. He renigged on the scripts. I completed a phone survey about my experience, and after asking to speak with a manager, I was contacted very quickly by the customer service rep at the office. He said this was a very serious situation indeed. He explained there would be a round table meeting with the whole staff to discuss what went wrong, and that I would be contacted In 1-2 days. It’s been two weeks, and not a word from Urgent Care in Ranson. Also: they share the EPIC data base of patient information with all local hospitals, pharmacies, Urgent Care, etc. They already know ALL of your medications and procedures. What happened to HIPPA? If you know all the medications I’m on, why try to prescribe me something that could have life-threatening side...