Piedmont Athens Regional Sleep Disorders Center's Online Review Report Card

If you plan to use ARMC Don't go late on your payments due I was paying my balance due down from over $3000 down to $359 and got behind tried to pay a three day late payment and they wouldn't take my monies turned me into a collection agency over a three day late of $340 balance. Down from a $3000 bill. They over charge and double charge so you need to look at you bill, and when you go to ask about they won't send it to you due to so hepa law. From what I have obscured is they want your money and will do anything to get, the bad thing is they bite their face to save a hand and their collection petitioner are  laughing at them. If you want more info please PM grmeyers@grmeyers.com

I love this hospital they are good nurses and staffs that work there they take good care of you when you sick and give you good care that's why I love to go to this hospital when I'm sick when I went to Athens Regional Medical Center and I had an allergic reaction they gave me some predisone and it help me they have good cafeteria food I will choose this hospital anytime and any day they are extremely better than St. Mary's Health Care System Athens Regional Medical Center care for their patients

ARMC's new motto: Money first, patient experience last. Athens Regional Medical Center does not care about the experience of the patient, they just care about the money they will be receiving from their insurance company, as well as the patient. On February 2, 2015, I was scheduled to have an elective surgery to biopsy the Sural nerve in my left ankle by Dr Kimberly Walpert. I signed a consent form the week before but revoked consent the day of the procedure. When I was taken to a "room" that my spouse was not allowed to go to with me before going to the operating room, I told everyone I saw that I had a bad feeling and did not want the surgery done. I revoked consent of the procedure over and over. There was no way I could get off the stretcher while being attached to machines and having an IV in my arm. If I knew how to take an IV out, I would have done it myself. I was taken into the Operating Room and told Dr Walpert, her PA, the nurse anesthetist, and the anesthesiologist that I did not want the surgery done and that I was revoking consent. The next thing I knew, the anesthesiologist was giving me drugs to put me to sleep. I was completely ignored. After I came out of surgery, I discovered they had used a breathing tube during the procedure. I never consented to that. The previous week, I had agreed to a spinal block and sedation because of my concern of having a breathing tube possibly damaging my vocal cords. I was told before surgery that I would be able to walk afterwards. I ended up being on crutches for 2 months. I believe I have damage to my vocal cords, which is of major concern to me because I sing. My voice is now raspy and I am finding it difficult to sing and that is extremely upsetting. I also have an awful scar on my left ankle that is not fading. I have thousands of dollars in medical bills due to the hospital doing this surgery without my consent. If they had listened to me and not done the surgery like I insisted they not do and had respected the fact that I revoked consent, I would not have the thousands of dollars in medical bills, damaged vocal cords, a horrible scar, and tons of mental anguish that I've had to go through due to their negligence. I have spoken with them and written a letter to them asking them to cover the medical bills I now have. I also want them to cover any expenses incurred in regards to getting my vocal cords thoroughly checked out, as well as scar reduction treatment. I believe that the reason the hospital separates you from your family before going to the Operating Room is that if you revoke consent, they can force you to have surgery so they can receive money from you as well as your insurance company. If they really cared about your patient experience, they would respect your wishes and not just think about how much they are going to be paid.

Please do not go to this hospital if you are elderly. I personally know several elderly patients who went for non-emergency or minor situations, but they died a few days or weeks later. Minor situations with no prior health issues, and the elderly die soon. Harvey P's review is completely correct, they have no regard for human life.  It's extremely frightening with what they are doing and the people that die there, when there was no reason for them to die, except they are old.  It seems that this hospital (or someone "in charge" there) decides that certain or most elderly people should die. As I said, I personally know several situations in which the staff immediately started talking to family about stopping medications, and encouraging family to agree to stop nutrition and hydration, because it's "part of the process, and the patient will never get better."  I have seen this happen with elderly people who are not ready to die, and have no reason to die because they were admitted for non emergency situations.  I have personally had this experience with 2 elderly relatives. ARMC has had several people on a board of directors for a seminar in which they've taught other health professionals about "AND," which stands for "a natural death," and how to overcome the obstacles of family members who don't agree with those beliefs. "A natural death" that they teach about is NOT at all a "natural death."  Instead, it is starving and dehydrating a patient by not allowing them to eat or drink. In situations that I've seen, they don't even explain to the family "why" they are not giving the patient hydration or nutrition.   Sedation drugs, such as lorazepam and  Ativan,from my studies, are drugs that actually slow the body processes down and then organs slow and even stop functioning as they should. Then the hospital can say, "The patients organs are shutting down."  And then they will be sent to "rehab," which is not rehab at all, instead it's a place just to get them out of the hospital. If not "rehab," then they are sent to hospice.  Sometimes the hospital even gives a recommendation of either rehab or hospice. Rehab or hospice?? Aren't those opposite things?  It doesn't matter to them, they just want to get rid of the patient. Often, the family members aren't very well educated,and can't "argue" with the hospital plan to starve and dehydrate their loved one,  or they feel intimidated and feel that they can't speak up.  This "seminar: that I previously mentioned also teaches "creative" ways to discharge patients because of the large number of uninsured. Look it up yourself.  Google "ARMC + Death panel"  "ARMC +8th AnnualGeorgia Chapter Case Management Conference July 27, 2013 Cobb Galleria Centre Atlanta, GA  acmaweb.org/ga "    "ARMC + terminal sedation."  Also, be aware when they come in to talk to you about "Palative care" because that means they have decided (without talking to the family) that the patient is going to die and they are done with any effort. I've tried to research the number of elderly deaths there compared to other hospitals, but I haven't been able to find that info. Please be aware before going to this place the has no respect for lives of the elderly. I could go on and on about mistakes on non-elderly: lost xrays, wrong meds given that are given that are clearly marked on patient charts NOT to give that could've resulted in death, and almost did result in death because of blatant careless errors. This hospital is horrible and I honestly don't understand how they've not been shut down. When I see advertisements about them being #1 in Athens, I shutter with fear of how many lives have been lost unnecessarily.  People can argue with me if they think this hospital is wonderful (which would be staff members whose careers depend on the good reputation of this hospital), but I'm telling you first hand experience.

I went to preop yesterday (6/8/2015) for surgery on Friday (6/12/2015). I saw four people during that visit  who asked me the same health related questions. When i asked what time my surgery was, I was told that I had to call between 2pm-4pm the day before my surgery to get the time. So now I have to schedule childcare at the last minute. Instead of having four people ask me the same questions, why can't one do it and use the other three to figure out what time my surgery will be so I can plan accordingly. Cable TV providers are constantly slammed for providing poor customer service and they do a better job than you.

This place sucks!! I've never seen before such disregard for human life and dignity!! Don't go here!!!! I would not give them one star....they don't deserve it!

I came to the ER with a friend and while we were in the waiting room we saw a nurse aggressively shake and yell at a clearly unconscious woman to try to wake her. At this point everyone else in the crowded waiting room was uncomfortably silent and watching as this nurse harassed the unconscious woman. She then tried to get the woman to stand and walk to the treatment room rather than offering her a wheelchair. This is not only unprofessional, it's dangerous.