Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Leandro Medical Ctr — Local services in San Leandro

I am compelled to share my family’s experience at this hospital following the death of my grandmother during what was intended to be a life-prolonging surgical procedure. My grandmother, who I considered a mother as she raised me since birth, underwent surgery at this hospital and died unexpectedly during recovery. While we understand that all medical procedures carry inherent risks, we have significant concerns about the quality of care provided by the surgical team and recovery staff. My grandmother was stepped down from ICU and died hours later, raising the question whether she was ready to be stepped down and if the communication between the two staffs was adequate. This outcome has raised serious questions about the competency and protocols in place at this hospital.

The nurse who delivered the devastating news in the middle of the night was callous and dismissive in tone, treating my shock and grief as an inconvenience rather than acknowledging our profound loss. This in turn caused a visceral reaction of further distress as I was incredibly frustrated at such a callous response. As a licensed social services professional, I was appalled by this complete absence of crisis-informed communication during the most difficult moment of my life. The nurse's approach directly contradicts crisis informed communication. Any professional working with vulnerable populations knows that dismissive or callous communication styles during traumatic moments only intensifies distress and can cause lasting psychological harm.

When I called back with concerns, a male operator repeatedly hung up on me. The medical liaison was so unprepared that I had to educate her on basic grief responses - then she provided completely false information about autopsy procedures, forcing us to waste precious emotional energy correcting Kaiser’s mistakes.

During a phone conversation with Dr. Ring regarding my grandmother's preliminary autopsy report, we observed what appeared to be discomfort and defensiveness when our family demonstrated familiarity with medical terminology. When asked what he thought the cause of death was, the surgeon said, ‘what do you think the cause of death was?” This defensive tone is not forthcoming, raising concern about his quality of care. When asked that knowing what happened (her death) is there anything he would have done differently if he could have. He did not answer the question and said I would have to wait for the detailed autopsy. I understand he doesn’t want to admit any wrongdoing, but the skittish defensive tone was more than concerning over very justified questions after dying in their care. The surgeon’s reaction to our informed questions and medical knowledge raised concerns about the communication dynamics and whether this influenced the level of care provided.

Perhaps most horrifying, after contacting Kaiser for an autopsy update, they told us to contact the Alameda County Coroner to locate my grandmother’s body. Three weeks later, the coroner had no record of her death. We finally found her at a funeral home serving as Kaiser’s overflow facility. This bureaucratic nightmare forced a grieving family to hunt down their loved one’s remains.

Every interaction felt transactional rather than compassionate. The systematic incompetence - from clinical care to basic human decency - suggests deep institutional rot. Healthcare workers should possess fundamental empathy skills, yet Kaiser’s staff demonstrated shocking indifference to families experiencing devastating loss.

This entire experience has fundamentally changed our family’s lives. We have lost not only a beloved mother, but also our primary source of support and love. Her grandchildren will grow up without her presence, and we are left sadly without a mother questioning whether this outcome could have been prevented with better care.

This isn’t just poor customer service - it’s institutional cruelty masquerading as healthcare. Kaiser needs comprehensive overhaul of its end-of-life protocols before inflicting this trauma on another...

I am writing to formally file a complaint and share my experience regarding the care I received at Kaiser Hospital’s emergency department. What I endured during my visit was not only unacceptable, but genuinely alarming on multiple levels — including extreme delays, unsanitary conditions, lack of proper medical evaluation, and a breach of patient privacy.

I waited over six hours to be seen by a doctor while experiencing severe dizziness, vision issues, and intense pain. Once I was finally taken to a room, I waited an additional hour just to receive a urine cup. After providing a sample, it sat unattended for at least 30 minutes, raising serious concerns about its viability for accurate testing.

The bathroom was filthy—tissues were all over the floor, and there was visible blood on the toilet, posing a clear health hazard to any patient. I was given only Tylenol, which did nothing to ease my pain, and then placed in another waiting area where my urine sample was left next to my chair, in full view of other patients. This is completely unacceptable.

When the doctor finally saw me, he didn’t perform a physical exam or check for injury on the back of my head, despite my fall and symptoms. He simply said it “sounded like a concussion” and seemed dismissive, suggesting a CT scan likely wouldn’t show anything. I opted for the scan, but despite wearing a fall risk (yellow) bracelet, I was forced to walk unassisted to and from the scan room. The nurse didn’t even walk beside me or check if I was okay.

While waiting again, I sat next to another patient who was discussing symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease. I could hear her full medical conversation, including personal details like her name, insurance info, and address. That is a clear HIPAA violation. After she left, her chair was not cleaned, and another patient unknowingly sat there.

To make matters worse, I was discharged without speaking to anyone. No one was at the discharge desk. The nurse who gave me my work note wrote the wrong diagnosis, and I later realized it was the exact same wording used for the patient next to me — the one with hand, foot, and mouth disease. That level of negligence is beyond disturbing.

This entire experience made me feel completely disregarded as a patient. Between the extreme wait times, lack of proper care, unsafe environment, and serious privacy breaches, Kasir Hospital failed in every aspect of basic medical responsibility. I am incredibly disappointed and genuinely concerned for other patients who may be going through similar treatment.

I urge the hospital administration to take this complaint seriously, investigate the staff involved, and make immediate changes to ensure a safer and more respectful environment...

I took my husband to SL Kaiser ER last Saturday and was quickly admitted within hours. They acted quickly and professionally, getting assurances from the nurses on my husband’s condition.

He was admitted to Telemetry floor where we couldn’t have asked for a more outstanding set of doctors, nurses and aides. Everyone was attentive, friendly, and...