Mercy Hospital Jefferson — Local services in River View Township

I have had multiple bad experiences with Mercy, most of which at the Jefferson location. The first I needed their ER (2017) it was a joke. I was misdiagnosed, given treatment that did nothing and sent home with the same symptoms I came in with--the male doctor was in the room all offive minutes during the hours that I was there. He treated me like I was just another hysterical female making things up, instead of a scared patient in tremendous pain. The on-call nurse afterward was kind, compassionate and helpful...but ended up sending me back to the ER for my symptoms. The second trip that day I was seen by a female doctor's assistant...who diagnosed and treated me in a fraction of the time, her treatment working in minutes. She made sure I felt well before discharge. I had to take my daughter to the same ER in April of 2021 for a fever of 105°F. They got us in fairly quick, but then we sat in the room 35 minutes while just outside our ajar door the staff idley debated about what to order for lunch. I had to go out there and demand someone do something to help my 19-month-old before her little brain cooked itself. It took 15 minutes for them to get her ibuprofen--which I had been doing at home! There were hours where no one even came into our room. They refused to allow me a single family member for support because of Covid protocols, and one male nurse was put-out when I asked him if he could look after my daughter so I could use a bathroom real quick. Even after they finally did some tests and said she had a virus, they basically abandoned us in the room afterward. I waited well beyond an hour, then finally gave up and took my daughter home. At least they sent meds to the pharmacy, but there was no care, consideration, compassion or urgency among the staff. In April of this year, 2022, I had to go in for a simple spinal tap. Just before I could be discharged, the nurses were told of a dangerously high WBC of 163,000, tested and retested to ensure that was correct by the lab. The nurse was amazing and advocated for me, standing up to the male doctor and putting her foot down when he tried to shift blame and discharge me to send me to their horrible ER. She ensured I was admitted, but once I was given a room (after several hours) I seemed to receive no care. I had a line in me that was flushed once my entire visit. I was sent rash cream I didn't need, grilled by a woman over an unannounced video call on my mental status, then she called my family to ask if they thought I would hurt my daughter if allowed to go home--all because I answered questions honestly about my mental health, for which I receive treatment. To add insult to injury, no doctor took responsibility for my care. Some Infectious Disease doctor, a man named Chandra, popped in once, for less than five minutes, to tell me I probably don't have one (he hadn't ordered the tests yet at that point), and that he didn't know why he was there, he doubted he would ever see me again, but if I wanted to reach him here's a card. When I tried to ask questions about my care, every answer was "I don’t know. If it was me, I'd discharge you now, but I'm not your doctor. Ask your Doctor". When I asked who my doctor was, he said whoever I was admitted under. He also said Dr Alam would look at my file. When I asked when Alam might come he said I probably wouldn't see him. Then he left. Hours later the doctor in charge of my admittance finally appeared, a Benjamin Albano, and I got the same runaround. He also said "I don't know, ask your doctor". When I pointed out Chandra said it was he who was my doctor, he said my doctor was whomever ordered the spinal tap originally. When Dr Alam finally showed up, I thought I would finally get answers, then he said: I don't know, I'm not your doctor. Ask your doctor. No accountability, no answers and 3 hours later, I discharged myself. The male doctors don't seem to care about patients at all. Or maybe just...

I went to the ER for SEVERE back pain and a bad case of celluloid. I was wheeled in in a wheelchair, asked at the front desk how long of a wait it would be..was told noone is waiting over an hour. I thought I can fight the pain that long. Waited over an hour for TRIAGE. Told the triage nurse my back injury had just happened and there was a LOUD crack. I was informed it would be alright go to the waiting room. 3 hours later 4 hours waiting and screaming and crying in pain i am taken to a room, being curious i asked why so long of a wait tonight? Im informed "if you didnt want to wait you could have gone outside and called an ambulance to take you to another hospital!" The nurse comes in places 2 I Vs in odd places...I am STILL crying. Did I mention due to pain I can not walk? I ask him about Tylenol or any type of pain relief....told I have to wait do the doctor. How long? Well hes the only doctor so could be a bit and out he goes. The doctor FINALLY comes in an hour and 15 minutes later and is WONDERFUL. He orders CT for back and informs me he wants to admit me. Ok im fine with that...i finally get pain medication 6 hours after arriving...for the herniated disk. So far besides the wait time and overworked staff everyone was great. The blood work shows I have sepsis. So IV started and am now just waiting to go to the floor! SHIFT CHANGE new nurse comes in no hi how ya doing...my greeting is "so I see your here for pain meds!" excuse me? Lol I ask if she knows when I will be moving? Her response..."when someone comes and gets you, do you want your drugs now?" As I have antibiotics going im slightly confused and tell her these aren't done yet...I am informed "I figured you would want a pick me up" and out the door she went. About an hour later I asked her to unlock the door so I could use the bathroom directly across the hall (which I had been using do the last 12 hours). She informs me she will not unlock the door I can use the bathroom at the end of the hall or hold it! And out she goes again. 20 minutes later I use the call button for the first time and ask for a wheelchair to get to the bathroom...im informed "I dont have time for this nonsense" and she leaves again. By this time I REALLY have to go, so I struggle to stand with my daughters help and pee all overmyself. I push the call button for the second time...she comes in and SMILES! I politely totil her I was leaving, can another nurse come remove my I Vs? She says "NO, im the one assigned to you I do it or you do it yourself" I removed BOTH of my IVs myself with other patients and family members watching from the hallway. I was made to sign an AMA before she would close the door so i could dress. Her parting remark as she left was "sepsis is deadly!" My daughter got a wheelchair from out front and we left. I SERIOUSLY hope anyone else going to this ER(which I have been to MANY times over the years) never has to suffer the abuse aand humiliation I had to suffer at this nurses hands while suffering life...

Please be advised if you are pregnant, this hospital is not baby friendly and many of their OB policies are outdated, not considered best practice and/or differ greatly from other Mercy facilities. Treatment plans are not created on a case by case basis, but instead are one policy---treat every pregnant woman like she's going to need an emergency c section (even if she's not presenting for labor) and the anesthesiologist is from 1940 (when the policy for not eating in labor was created).

You will be denied second opinions and will need to beg to physically speak to the OB who is determining your care plan (and when you do, she will cut you off, tell you to leave and then write in your chart that you're demanding).They will not offer options nor work with you to create a care plan. They will also refuse to work with your current care team. If you ask questions, nurses will tell you your only option is to do what is said or leave AMA.

I went in for dehydration and after an hour of monitoring they said I wasn't in labor and that baby looked great. I was also rehydrated. Nurses said I had to stay another 5 hours for additional monitoring. When I asked to speak to the OB, nurses said the Dr. Wouldn't change her opinion. I asked for a second opinion, nurses said I couldn't have one. I asked if care could be transferred over to my midwife and nurses said no. If I wanted to see another dr., I would have to leave AMA. I asked if could eat, and nurses said no. I asked why, and they said it was the anesthesiologist's policy. Note, this was after 1. telling me numerous times I wasn't in labor 2. I hadn't come in for labor 3. I was initially dehydrated and now was also starving and getting fatigued. 4. it's no longer considered best practice to deny a laboring woman food, even I had needed a c section, the risk of asphyxiation is very low.

I was told to continue wearing a contraction monitor even though I wasn't contracting. The belt itself was very uncomfortable, and I wasn't able to move to get comfortable to sleep without a nurse coming in to readjust it (since I'd be there all night). I finally took the belt off and asked if I could put it back on if I felt a contraction but was told that was against policy and brought an AMA form. After begging in tears to speak to the OB, the nurse called her on her cellphone and had my husband and I talk to her on speaker. At this point, the OB cut us off and told us to "just leave. Didn't you hear me? You can go."

All in all, one of the most physically and emotionally draining nights. I left feeling worse then when I came (so hungry I was in pain and exhausted from lack of sleep and from having to beg staff to be listened to).

If you can, please go...