Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital — Local services in Town of Amherst

I had my first child here in 2015. It was awful. I was not updated about my progress through labor. I was admitted around 11 AM. There nurses assured me I'd be there into the night since it was my first. Since they were the professionals, I trusted them. They told me after a couple of hours I was 5 cm dilated. Since they never updated me, I assumed that's where I was when around 5:15 I started having the worst pain I've ever felt in my life.

"Oh my God!" I thought. "If this is the pain I'm feeling at 5 cm, I'm going to die at 10!" I requested an epidural. I was shocked when an anesthesiologist was shooting my up within a minute of me asking. As he was finishing up, he ask me why I'd waited until 9 cm to request it. I replied confusedly that I was only 5 cm, and he didn't seem to know what to say. Sure enough, as he was packing up I grabbed the nurses arm because I had the uncontrollable urge to push. I was forced to labor on my back (which is literally the worst position for a laboring mother, but the most common in the US because it's easier for the doctor). I requested to squat with a birthing bar (as they promised they offered in the tour) but was declined. They also "did not have any ice" or hot packs. My daughter was born at 5:32 pm. My epidural kicked in about 20 minutes after she was born. She had breathing problems so was immediately whisked away. I didn't know if she was okay, or what gender she was for several minutes after. No one talked to me to explain what was going on with my child. She ended up being fine, but those were the most unreal and terrifying minutes of my life.

After she was born, I complained repeatedly to anyone who would listen about the stabbing pain I felt at the base of my back/butt. I was sure I had torn and they'd missed it. They completely ignored me and said I "look" fine. 6 months later after the pain had not improved at all, I found out my tailbone had been dislocated. I can't imagine being a medical professional and having zero regard for your patient's concerns. I tolerated excruciating pain and developed sculiosis as a result of the weird posture I had to assume to compensate for my tailbone. I thought it was in my head because that's how the nurses treated me.

Aside from the tailbone issue: the lactation experts were awful. I got about 10 mintues with one who promised she'd be back. I never saw her again. They did not have breast shields, nipple shields, or even nipple cream. It's a materinty ward! You KNOW those supplies are going to be needed. My daughter had an awful latch, but I didn't know what a "good" latch felt like. My nipples were bleeding and scabbed over by the time I left. I ended up exclusively pumping because of the lack of support in breastfeeding.

With my second child, I went to Sister's. It was amazing! I was informed at every step of the process after my daughter was born. There was no guessing if she would survive or not. I was allowed to birth on my side. I was given a hand pump to take home. I got as much time as we needed with a real lactation consultant, who gave me a nipple shield, breast shield and cream. My daughter had an excellent latch by the time we left, because the lactation consultant let me know when she latched on poorly.

I will never be able to re-gain the year of my life that I lost out on due to their incompetence regarding my tailbone. It took six months before a doctor finally helped me find out what happened (I knew it happened due to childbirth, but wasn't sure WHAT had happened- you never know you have a tailbone until you break it). It took another 6 months before I could stand the pain of sitting. Now 4 years post partum I am still in pain, but it is getting better. I have to wonder what my pain level would be like if Suburban had acted as it should have and if I was informed of the cause of my pain when I asked about it.

I've never been back since then and never will. If they were the only hospital near me, I'd rather have a future...

Never going back here again because of BETHANY LACHENEY, ANP. Healthcare has completely lost its value. I came here to get my gallbladder removed because it was impacting my physical health. I was nauseous and in extreme pain. I couldn't work, sleep, or get up in the morning without crying out in pain. My first issue was the fact that the entire clinic was packed. It's usual in these places. Everyone in the waiting room got to know each other because we all were in there for 5+ hours. While I was getting an ultrasound at the clinic, they discharged me because they called out my name, and there was no answer. I was told by other people in the waiting room. During the ultrasound the woman was a tad bit rude to me. I let it go because I don't know how long she's been there that day. She made it seem like I was unintelligent. You'd think that when someone is in the hospital, they're not 100% their best. I went up to the front desk lady, and she apologized about the situation. They had it handled, and they never informed me about whether or not the situation was fixed. I had to go up to the desk about 20 minutes later to ask, only to be told they had a room for me. What I'm going to point out during my time there was that I saw some staff watching TV while we all sat here in agony. So the comments about them watching TV were right. The place smelled terrible. The scent of bodily matter oozed around the place. Some of the staff were friendly, and others weren't. My doctor was an absolute nightmare. I was given anti-nausea medication and a pain medicine through my IV. The nurses were nice and working their hardest. Some could be a little cranky, but they still hoped for the best out of your situation. except my doctor, BETHANY LACHENEY, ANP. She was horrible. She fat-shamed me and looked at me with literal disgust when she came to meet me for the first time and when it was time to discharge me. She made me feel inferior and disgusting. She made me look stupid as if I wasn't feeling well. No one is at their best when they aren't feeling well; that's why they could sound like they're not speaking normally. She told me there was no infection, so there was no reason for surgery, which I could accept; however, she decided that I should go home without care. She couldn't believe that I was asking for something to help with the abdominal pain and nausea. She raised her voice at me and kept repeating that I shouldn't eat greasy or fatty foods. Basically, my weight was the reasoning for my gallstones. She ignored the fact that I take medication that causes weight gain and that I took hormonal medication. She ignored my mental health, which could also cause weight gain. I told her I ate healthy and exercised. That this issue started in August, and I've stayed away from greasy foods ever since. She ignored me and restated the same information again. I knew a lot about gallstones, and she decided that my diet and weight were the cause of my gallstones. She completely ruined my experience and made me feel terrible. Mind you, you chose Healthcare BETHANY. Have some manners and respect. I still spoke to you with respect because I knew you probably had a long day, but that doesn't give you the right to dismiss me. Clearly she didn't take PR training. I will NEVER go here again because I don't want to ever risk seeing her again. She is the reason why people choose to not go to clinics or ERs anymore for help. She is a clear example of the healthcare system. Ridiculing you and making you feel inferior. She basically said weight loss will get rid of the gallstones, which is absolutely incorrect. Dietary changes and exercise can reduce the chances, but there are other factors that can reduce the symptoms. She told me my issue was not serious and that I had to deal with the pain until I could finally get a consultation with a surgeon...

I developed a small lump on my chin and got a referral to remove it.

I called the office ahead of time to know the cost, so I could decide if I could afford the procedure or just live with it. The secretary was rude to me and would not give me the price. She kept trying to dismiss my question and get me to worry about it later. Eventually she connected me with a corporate number where I could get the pricing.

This person understood my question immediately, put me on a brief hold, and then notified me that it would cost $200-400, so I went through with it. We were billed around this amount, we paid the bill.

A few weeks later they sent another $2200 bill for using the facility. I called and disputed this ambush charge and told them how I asked ahead of time for the costs and they never disclosed these fees. I was in there for less than 30 minutes. Local anesthesia, a small incision, I drove myself home.

When I called the person told me they put the account in dispute. They then resolved in their own favor and sold my debt to a debt collector without so much as a phone call to tell me they resolved the dispute.

I called to put it in dispute again, but I have no hope that this will be resolved. The person you can talk to on the phone has no authority to do anything. They supposedly write down your problem and pass it along to the deciders, but the deciders will never call you, let you call them, nothing. They just rule for themselves and insulate their offices from the rightfully angry public.

Truly an embarrassment of a resolution policy and disgusting business practices. If there's any humanity left in the American health care industry, you certainly won't find it here.

EDIT: After writing this review, the PR manager of the hospital reached out to me. This was a personable and nice individual, who listened to my story and empathized with what happened, but again, had no authority to help me. After months of nothing, I called back and she connected me to someone in billing with authority.

This person was the worst person I have spoken to yet. She was boldy terrible.

She continually interrupted me as I explained my story, just to be argumentative. She pretended several times to not understand what I meant by saying I called and "put the charge in dispute".

She literally told me I should not have believed them when they told me the cost would only be $200-$400. She said I should've just known it would be more, and I guess expect them to lie to me.

As for selling my bill to a debt collector without letting me know they resolved the dispute in their favor, she argued that they sent me statements. I received a statement before I put it in dispute, then I called to put it in dispute, and I continued receiving statements. She's trying to make it sound like that is notifying me before selling it to collections, but I got no letter regarding the dispute or saying what they decided. They could have called me. They could have emailed me. I was getting the statements, but waiting to hear how my dispute was resolved.

She ultimately made it clear that their position was that the price quoted to me was only for the doctor, and that the facility is within their rights to ambush me with a $2200 fee after the fact, even though I asked for a good faith estimate ahead of time and they did not disclose this to me.

I never once got the impression from anyone at this company that they care about what is right or wrong and that last person seemed like an unbothered sociopath about it. Terrible people serving profit accumulation for even worse people by holding the health care of our citizens hostage. Disgusting experience all around. I'll die before subjecting myself to this...