International District Medical and Dental Clinic (ICHS) - International Community Health Services — Local services in Seattle

i am writing this review with deep disappointment and troubling experience after our recent visit to this clinic, which occurred despite our punctuality in arriving at 9am for my two years old brother’s appointment. i have to question whether the medical staff in this clinic are fully aware of or practicing the relevant laws and regulations. this is especially concerning after the excessive blood draw from my two years old brother, which was beyond pediatric guidelines, and the lack of proper communication and informed consent. telling me that there is a significant lapse in following legal standards at the clinic. we anticipated the usual long wait times but were unprepared for the shocking and potentially harmful treatment he received. what transpired was far beyond our expectations and has left us extremely distressed. despite the fact that my brother is a toddler, medical staff proceeded to draw an excessive amount of blood from my brother—four full sized bottles. that clearly seemed like they were more than 2ml. this is not only against pediatric guidelines but also poses a significant risk to a child his age. the recommended amount for a blood culture bottle is the child’s age in milliliters, which should have been no more than 2ml for my brother. yet, the amount taken was clearly far in excess of this limit. throughout the process, the staff seemed indifferent to our concerns, showed a lack of concern and provided no justification for their actions. they never mentioned to my mom or me about my brother having draw four bottles of blood. my brother, who also suffers from amnesia, was subjected to this traumatic and dangerous procedure without any consideration for his well being. the fact that he must undergo this every three months is deeply concerning and raises questions about the long-term effects on his health. drawing such a large volume of blood repeatedly could worsen his amnesia and weaken his immune function, not to mention the trauma this will inflict on a young child. while the clinic staff did apologize and mention that they will inform us of the number of blood bottles to be drawn next time, seeking our consent, this does not fully address the concerns raised. the focus should not be on merely seeking consent for potentially excessive procedures, but rather on ensuring that the procedures themselves are medically necessary, safe, and in line with pediatric guidelines. while the clinic staff did apologize and mention that they will inform us of the number of blood bottles to be drawn next time and seek our consent, this does not fully address the concerns raised. the focus should be on ensuring that the procedures themselves are medically necessary, safe, and in line with pediatric guidelines. the clinic needs to conduct a thorough investigation to determine why the excessive blood draw occurred and review and revise their protocols to align with established pediatric standards. i don’t know why this even needs to be said, but clinic staff should receive comprehensive training on handling pediatric patients with care, sensitivity, and proper communication, prioritizing patient safety and well being. also, the nurse only informed us that the medical staff had added two blood draw orders after we questioned them why they drew four bottles of blood. (due to character limited exceeded, the rest is...

I have been going here for Dental Service for about 8 years now. I like my regular dentist here very much. I also have had good experiences with the occasional dentists I have seen when my regular dentist here is unavailable. HOWEVER there are serious problems with the front desk....and even more problems with telephone calls. I realize that this clinic is an amazing place serving immigrants, but I often have great difficulty understanding the receptionists. I know many people who use English as a second language, and they are far more understandable than some of the receptionists here. Also they seem confused about what my insurance covers at times. But this week is the worst dental experience ever. Back in February when I had my annual exam, the Dentist wrote out a referral for me to get an appt. to the University of Washington Prosthodontic Clinic because I need extensive work to fix worn down teeth. I was ecstatic for this referral and even though I know that I will have to pay out of pocket....it will permanently correct some of my underlying problems. I called and called the UW Clinic which never got back to me. Finally I checked their website and saw that one cannot do the referral themselves as a patient even though I have a piece of paper filled out Dr. Hoang (who btw was great at the appt. and very knowledgeable. The issue is not with her). The UW website says that a referral to the Prosthodontic Department must be faxed in accompanied by a cover letter by the Dental Provider, not me)....So I went to my MYCHART Online account to see what was going on. There was an entry on February 17 that said Telephone encounter. It said a receptionist from ICHS Dental called me and it said since I would be referring myself that they (ICHS) cancelled my referral (perhaps they never even faxed it to UW). This is unacceptable. First I don't remember any phone call on that day discussing my Prosthodontic Clinic referral. Second, I have never had "telephone encounters" listed on my My Chart account even though there have been other times ICHS called me re: appointment scheduling, insurance stuff etc. Now I have to get this referral process started all over again!!!!! I have looked forward to fixing some of the my dental issues for a long time and this mistake from their front desk people has cost me precious months of waiting. Some of them need serious...

ICHS is the WORST clinic ever.

First, the main problem. I notice their doctor change quite often. Some doctor maybe your primary doctor this time but she/he may not next time. So, you will have to see a different doctor. Then, different doctor will explain different things about your health. Very confusion.

Second, Their doctor is late often and never have enough time for you to finish your questions. (My personal experience: doctor came in late 20 minutes after my original appointment time, then spent 10 minutes to ask me questions. Right after, she did not give me anytime to finish my questions and was trying to leave. When I said, doctor, I have not finished my questions yet. She just said, sorry, I don’t have enough time for you and I am going to be late for next patient. WOW, she said she is going to be late for next patient. What about she is late for 20 minutes for her patient who’s is standing right in the front of her! ?

Third, most of their staffs are nice. But, some nurse/staff who’s is doing in clinic translation are not and always rude and not patience when you repeat your questions and try to understand your health problem better. Ladies who are working at WIC department is also very rude too.

Fourth, One hour lunch time at their pharmacy? Really!? Do you really have to close the door and all staffs take lunch at the same time? Why can’t you just have a lunch rotating shift, so there is at least one person to answer the phone?

Anyway, I just recently transferred all of my family to other clinic and won’t go back to ICHS. If you are reading this review, please think twice before you or your...