Columbus Regional Healthcare System — Local services in Whiteville

I would give this hospital zero stars. My brother in law is currently at Columbus Regional Hospital. He has been here over a week waiting for gallbladder surgery. When his condition was so they could operate he was told they don’t do surgery on the weekend and it would be scheduled Tuesday. Well Tuesday has passed and he’s still waiting and has declined in health while waiting. Now the doctors are combating other issues as a result of meds he’s received. Needless to say the family is advocating for him to be moved to another hospital that can remove his gallbladder before he gets worse. We keep being told “waiting for a bed”. The family was given negative feedback on requests to be transferred to Duke or Pinehurt It was stated they those are teaching hospitals and they experiment on patients. It was also stated that Pinehurt would be a lateral move. The doctor made a referral for the hospital in Wilmington instead of what was requested. I guess it was too much trouble to do the request based on patient preference. On top of waiting for surgery the experience in the hospital has been so bad. The nurses sit at the nurse station chatting it up . It’s so loud on the 5th floor from all their conversations. The staff is so unprofessional and rude. A nurse snapped at my husband when he advocated for his brother to get out of the room for some fresh air. The nurse never came to the room to help with the IV. These people are no heroes like the big sign reads outside the hospital. Some of them shouldn’t even be working in a hospital because they have no compassion or empathy. The care my brother -in -law has received is unacceptable and very unprofessional for a medical facility. I’ll never ever bring anyone to this place. My brother-in-law said they don’t care “if I live or die”. How sad is that for a patient to say that about the care he’s receiving. How can these people who take the oath as medical professionals treat their patients that way? My family will be filing a formal grievance against this hospital. We have plenty of details on my brother-in-laws care that I will not put in this post. I would just say be a strong advocate for your love one, if you go to...

To the Leadership of Columbus Regional Healthcare,

This is not an attack on your entire hospital or the many hard-working staff who serve this community with care and compassion every day. I know good people work within your walls—people who want to help, people who do their best with what they’re given.

But this message is directed to hospital leadership and policy-makers—those with the authority to make changes that directly affect patients and their loved ones in life-or-death moments.

When my mama was dying in your ICU in August 2023, I wasn’t allowed to stay by her side—even when she was off the ventilator, fully awake, and begging for me to be there. A nurse told me, “If I bend the rules for him, I’ll have to bend them for everyone.” That was the last time I ever heard her voice.

I will live with that trauma for the rest of my life.

To make matters worse, when I later shared my story in a heartfelt plea for change on Facebook, your verified account reacted with multiple laughing emojis—not once, but several times in rapid succession. Notifications came in back-to-back. It wasn’t a single mistaken tap. It felt cruel and mocking, and only after the post gained traction did someone change the emoji to a thumbs-up. Still, no public apology has been made.

Your message to me claimed it “wasn’t intentional.” But the impact remains.

I’m not asking for money. I’m not seeking revenge. I’m asking for compassion-driven change.

Revisit your ICU visitor policies. Let caregivers stay when their loved ones are dying. Add basic accommodations for families in crisis. This is not about luxury—it’s about human dignity.

Please don’t sweep this under the rug. What happened to me should never happen again. I’m speaking up not just for my mama, but for every family who has suffered quietly and for every future family that deserves better.

With...

Talk about inconsistencies.... My spouse had an emergency and was transferrered here where is surgeon was. His Doctor is great but the services at the hospital was not that great. I stayed with him all six nights and I can count on one hand the real compassionate ones. Everyday, they were coming in with a different pill. I had to keep saying he doesn't take that, he is not diabetic, he doesn't have oncology problems, the list goes on.... One day the nurse came in and said, we have your insulin. I said for what, he's not diabetic. The CNA's half cleaned him with the exception of 2 of them, they were excellent. He was laying on soiled linen. Even the medical doctor was making errors. Pitiful. They took my spouse down for x-ray the morning of his surgery and said they would be back. I had to go look for him hours later only to find out he was actually in the OR having surgery! The worst ever!!!! No one contacted me, the person who took him down never returned. I have never seen anything so terrible in all my healthcare days. No, we didn't get to kiss and pray right before his surgery, we didn't get the chance to call the family for cooperate prayer, it was really C R A Z Y! People who don't care about people should not work here. Our families lives are at stake up in here! What if I had not been there, he would have had all kinds of meds in him that was already discontinued or meds that were incorrect. I even had to tell the medical doctor who works at the hopsital to stop the fluids because he was retaining too much fluid. He said "good observation." Are you kidding??? I need his check! ThanK God he came out alive but it was not contributed to the employees there, I give God all the Glory and honor for...