Providence Anesthesiology Associates's Online Review Report Card

My little brother and I had to make a sudden stop at the ER today due to my sibling's severe ear pain. I used the ER before here and was delighted by the prompt and professional care, so now, when suddenly a child had trouble standing and began crying from the pain, I rushed him over, hoping he would be in good hands. How wrong I was. Almost immediately we were informed that there were "twenty ambulances" and extra people were called in, so they did not know how long the wait would be. I said "fine," and we sat for an hour. Suddenly he began to looks pale, gets glassy-eyed, and mumbles he doesn't feel so well. I asked the receptionist if he could tell me when someone could see my brother -- he looks and feels faint, and I fear him passing out. Again, the cause of the severe ear pain was unknown. The nurse who did the "first assessment" stopped by briefly and told me to get him "if he passes out." I ask if we can have a room so he can lie down -- he directs us to a bench instead. During the next three hours, I watched my little sibling essentially collapse on me, sob uncontrollably from the pain, and beg me to do something -- anything -- to help him, all the while asking, "Where are the doctors? I do not want to die!" I begged for pain medication and was refused. I asked where is there a pharmacy ("Across the street, but he would need to stay here;" hell I was leaving him alone!). I continuously asked when he would be seen and impressed upon the staff that he had severe pain and this was, indeed, an emergency. When we finally were called, the head nurse (name starts with an A) very slowly approached us with a wheelchair, had him lie in a cot placed in the hallway, and left me without any real answers to my questions and pleas for help. "The doctor would be here as soon as they can," was all she said. I asked again for pain medication and got the same answer. Another nurse approaches at least forty minutes later, bringing me a chair to sit on. Again I beg for help -- the child cannot even sit up without assistance, could not walk at all, and by then started trembling so hard I feared he was getting in shock. The sheer indifference and "how-dare-you" attitude I received from every medical personnel was chilling. It took over three hours for the same head nurse to bring him a few pills of Tylenol and even later for a nurse practitioner to finally see and diagnose him. One question to all the medical personnel saying they were doing "the best they can" while having twenty ambulances and other patients whose lives were "at risk." Why did you stand there and argue with me instead of bringing a child in pain Tylenol earlier? If all of the doctors were indeed so busy that it took an NP to see him over three hours later, then why the HELL did you not do something to ease his misery during such a long waiting time? The cause of his pain was no laughing matter. We had an emergency, too. If you have time to stand there, argue, tell me to get someone "if he passes out," promise to inquire about medication and then never have the decency to return, then the issue wasn't about being understaffed. The issue was the staff present (remember, they called "everyone in") did not give two F's about a child's well-being. Potential patients... please keep in mind that if you are a parent, a child with elderly parents, or vulnerable in anyway yourself, you are unlikely to get help unless you call 911 and arrive in an ambulance. People who cannot sit up from pain should not be ignored. Never would any parent among the medical staff sit back, content, and watch THEIR child suffer because everyone else is too busy helping others -- but not too busy to argue with you about how your child is prioritized as 'second-class' due to an influx of other patients.

Bad

Had a unexpected visit to the Er on 7/26 while visiting Boone. From the Ambulance ride to the Triage nurse Amanda and her colleagues, my care was top priority. I would highly recommend Watauga medical center, if you want caring and compassionate professionals. Look forward to meeting all of you under different circumstances.

Registering for a procedure done at Cannon on 26 could not figure out the insurance even though I kept saying I had to cards wanted to take one card out of system

The scheduling department is a disaster. My doctor sent orders for three different tests of a somewhat urgent nature following a serious medical incident. They didn’t even notice one of the requests and therefore never called me to schedule. They messed up the scheduling on another test telling me to be there at 10am. It turns out they had scheduled it for 10pm! That had to rescheduled to a much later date due to their error. If you plan on having a smooth testing experience, forget it.

A family member of mine was recently cared for in the ED while seeking treatment for alcoholism. While the crisis team was superb, attentive and timely, the nursing staff left something to be desired. It took a long time to convince him that there was help if he asked for it, and that he would not suffer unduly during withdrawal if he sought medical care to detox. The first nurse he came in contact with stated "We'll help you some with the withdrawals, but you're going to have to suffer a little bit, or it won't stick." This was the first alarm bell for me. I understand that there is a stigma attached to addiction, and that caring for patients with addiction issues can be very taxing and there is some amount of compassion fatigue. But surely, in this day and age, the understanding is widely known that addiction is a physical illness, and not something to be punished, especially in a place where patients should be able to trust the people who are providing care, where they come for help while in crisis. Addicts should be treated with as much respect as someone with another more "acceptable" illness, and offered timely symptom management, no matter the cause. I did not find that timely symptom management was provided. As I witnessed the progression of his withdrawal, as he started to tremor so badly that he couldn't hold a cup of water, and started to hallucinate, and as I called the nurse in for the 3rd time with concerns that he was obviously getting more symptomatic, and had been treated minimially with oral medications, she was not open to hearing my concerns. She stated, "Because his vital signs haven't been affected, he does not qualify for more medication." She stated that she had scored him only moderately on the CIWA scale (which I found interesting, given she hadn't actually conducted a full CiWA scale assessment on her shift, or a physical assessment for that matter) and that he simply did not qualify for additional intervention. As I watch my gentle and kind and sick family member tremor and shift endlessly in the tiny ER stretcher, hallucinate shadowy figures, and complain of a severe headache, develop nausea and diarrhea, he did not "qualify for additional medication." It's as if he would have to become medically unstable, or mentally incompetent, to qualify for more frequent assessment and increased medication intervals. We were not looking for him to get high, certainly not, nor were we expecting a luxury stay. We came with the understanding that he'd probably be in a very basic ER room, possibly for several days, attached to continuous monitors and treated appropriately and safely for his withdrawal symptoms. His night was truly miserable, and I know that a lot of that suffering could have been mitigated. Perhaps you can tell, but I have some healthcare experience of my own, so I was watching closely. The only time this nurse touched him was to give him an injection of medication 1.5 hours after my third attempt to get her to escalate his care, 7 hours into her shift. And while she did intermittently ask about his symptoms, there was infrequent and certainly not thorough assessment of his condition or needs. Yes, his vital signs remained stable, and for that I am grateful. I shudder to think of what other patients experience without someone to advocate for them. The nurse that cared for him prior to his discharge was fantastic (1 of the 3 that he encountered during his stay). They actually assessed him, administered medication appropriately, and facilitated discharge quickly and safely. Overall, it was not a favorable experience, and I hope that this review can help someone else, should they need similar care.

I'm a recently retired RN and ended up in the ED a few weeks ago. ED staff, from the MDs to transport were fantastic! I was admitted for 2 nights and was very pleased with the care! Everyone was fantastic! I would especially like to praise my nurses, but can't remember their names. I'm from Boston and doubt I would have received better care there. 5 Stars!

No one wants to go to the ER but the staff here was wonderful and so kind. We brought in our almost 2 year old with the stomach bug. They were quick with getting us a room, being seen by the dr and getting everything started. Thank you!

Worst ED experience ever. Tiny waiting area with two check-in "bays" that are merely a tall counter with some thick glass. Everyone's information is shouted due to the glass partition and the hospital representative sitting well below the level of those checking in, who must stand- in an ED wheee patients see in need of emergency care. Private information and reason for visit are broadcast for all to hear. Regardless of ED traffic or capacity, patients who are waiting are also here for an emergency medical need and just as important as those brought in on a bus. Expecting them to get up multiple times only to return to the small waiting area with others who are injured and sick is poor practice. I had to go back first for an EKG in a room whose gurney had a sheet that had probably been used by multiple patients. I was offered no assistance in laying down or getting up. In tears from pain, I was then told to walk to another room where an unpleasant employee took my vitals. She was less than gentle and had the attitude of not wanting to be at work. I was then taken back to the waiting area. Next, after waiting for quite some time, I was taken back for lab work and told I would be called back soon. Again, I had to return to the waiting area. Then, I was called back after another lengthy wait to do a chest x-ray in the hallway just inside the doors leading back to the waiting room!! I had to sit in a random chair beside a bathroom and had to remove any items with metal in the bathroom. Only a tiny napkin sized drape was placed in my lap where I held my belongings as I didn't want to place them on a filthy floor. After putting the items I had to remove back on, I was taken back to the waiting area where I waited for an incredible length of time watching people go in and out of the ED with refreshments and meals. This was an absolute disappointment and makes me quite hesitant of any type of procedure being done at Watauga Medical Center. Their last of cleanliness, professionalism, and patient care is some of the worst I've ever experienced.

We are from out of town and had to make an unexpected visit to the ER yesterday. Upon entering, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean everything was. We were checked in with ease and had barely sat down before we were called into triage and then were in a room. Just a few moments later, the doctor was there checking my daughter out. About 20 minutes later, XRay was actually brought to us and done in the comfort of the hospital room. We were there just a little under 2 hours. The sections of the hospital that I visited were very clean and everyone was super friendly. I am very happy with the care my daughter received.