Rady Children's Maternal-Fetal Medicine — Local services in San Diego

Dear Concerned Party,

I am writing to express my disappointment and concerns regarding my recent experience at Rady Children's Hospital. Normally, I would highly recommend the hospital to clients I work with, especially those who require support for various disabilities and challenges. However, my recent encounter has shed light on several issues that need to be addressed.

From a professional standpoint, it is evident that the hospital staff requires improvement. Their handling of a situation involving a client's aggressive behavior was far from satisfactory. While it is unfortunate that the client exhibited such behavior, it should not have been unexpected or handled unprofessionally, given that the staff claims to specialize in supporting individuals with disabilities.

During the incident, one staff member, accompanied by three others, aggressively demanded that the client be restrained. It is important to note that the use of restraints should always be a last resort, especially when dealing with behavioral challenges. In an effort to de-escalate the situation, the client's parent attempted to remove the individuals from the room. However, instead of responding calmly, one of the so-called professionals began shouting at the parent. This led to a heated argument where the professional arrogantly claimed to understand autism and enlisted the support of their colleagues to pressure the caregiver into restraining the client. This behavior is unacceptable and goes against professional standards.

To the professional who claimed to understand autism, it is important to recognize that having limited exposure to a few individuals, even if they are your family members, does not make you an expert on autism. In fact, proclaiming such knowledge and yelling it in a caregiver's face only demonstrates ignorance. Additionally, rushing to restrain a client without exploring alternative approaches shows a lack of understanding and awareness of the wide range of behaviors within the field.

Furthermore, utilizing peers to enforce your agenda on a client is inappropriate. As a professional, I would consider it highly irresponsible to recommend a client to your care based on this incident.

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Younoszai for their commendable behavior during the situation. They displayed empathy towards the client and understood the impact of previous interactions that contributed to the escalation. While I appreciate Dr. Younoszai's professionalism, it is unfortunate that the name of the professional who screamed at the caregiver was not provided. As a new member of the Rady team, Dr. Younoszai's positive approach was a beacon of light in that situation, and I am grateful for their demeanor.

In conclusion, I hope that Rady Children's Hospital takes these concerns seriously and implements necessary measures to address the issues observed. It is crucial for the staff to undergo further training and develop a better understanding of how to support individuals with disabilities. Only then can I confidently recommend Rady Children's Hospital to my...

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