Memorial Health System is considered one of the city’s treasures.
But every so often, Memorial is the source of blistering complaints.
On May 24, for example, Wendy Nauman ripped the city-owned enterprise – and one of its nurses – on Memorial’s Facebook page.
“I think it is aweful (sic) that your hospital would make a 5 year old wait from 10 pm to 6 am for 5 stitches in her hand,” Nauman wrote at 7:10 p.m.
“MEMORIAL NORTH SUCKS AND SHANNON T (is) the worst nurse I have ever met,” she wrote.
The next morning, Memorial spokesman Brian Newsome responded to Nauman’s complaint.
“Wendy, I’m so sorry to hear you had a bad experience, and thank you for letting us know about it,” Newsome wrote on Facebook.
“I would suggest calling Medical Social Work at 365-5621, where you could voice your complaint with a patient representative,” he wrote.
Newsome’s advice triggered an open-records request for “all patient complaints” filed against Memorial since January 2010. Memorial rejected the request, saying the documents are protected.
Since Memorial won’t release the complaints, it’s unknown whether patients are complaining about the cafeteria food or an incompetent surgeon.
Even though it won’t release the actual complaints, Memorial this week agreed to release the number of complaints filed with the hospital system since January 2009.
“Memorial received 2,011 complaints relative to the more than 780,000 outpatient visits and more than 50,000 inpatient stays provided,” Memorial spokeswoman Cari Davis said in an e-mail.
“Though 2,011 complaints may be small relative to the total number of patients served, Memorial treats every complaint seriously, with the ultimate goal that every patient has an excellent care experience,” Davis said in a follow-up e-mail.
Memorial received the most patient complaints – 139 – in March 2009. It received the lowest number – 77 – last month, according to documents provided by Memorial.
Here’s a link to the full report.
The one time I went to the Memorial ER, I was dismayed when a nurse who wasn’t wearing gloves (and looked like he’d rather be snowboarding) tried to draw blood from me with a needle immediately after he DROPPED IT ON THE DIRTY FLOOR! I told the young man he had better get another needle and put on some gloves, which he did with an obvious look of contempt on his face. He then spent the next 45 minutes poking and prodding for a suitable vein (of which I have many). My patience wearing thin, I requested that he find someone else to draw my blood. Next thing I know, a nursing supervisor walked into the room with a phlebotomist in tow (“the best we got,” I was assured). This well-intentioned gentleman tried for another half hour or so to find a vein, ultimately giving up. I never did get my blood drawn that night. Before leaving, I spoke with the nurse supervisor about Nurse #1′s outrageous attempt to stick me with a dirty needle. She was indifferent to my complaint and abruptly walked away. Bottom line, incompetence combined with insolence isn’t good PR. Memo needs to school its clinical staff in some basic customer service skills if it wants to reduce patient complaints.
Two Saturdays ago I took my son to the ER because he had diarrhea and was vomitting. Nothing would stay down. After a three hour wait, the doctor had him jump up and down, then said it was just bad diarrhea. After a couple of hoyrs of sleep, he was worse off and we went to the new Penrose. Ends up he had a ruptured appendix. He went into surgery right away and spent eight days in the hospital fighting the infection. Thanks Memorial.
WOW — less than 1% (approx .2%) complaints out of over 750,000? I would submise Memorial is doing an awesome, no FANTASTIC, job considering the people they “have” to deal with (i.e.,g Medicaid, uninsured, and so on).
Hey Gazette — please post Penrose’s stats as a comparison so the community that owns Memorial can see how ‘their’ treasure is doing. I think they deserve to see the numbers.
Again — I remind everyone Penrose does NOT have to see everyone especially non-insured, etc.
ALL hospitals that accept medicare or medicaid are required by law to see EVERY person that presents to the ER regardless of their ability to pay. In fact, it is AGAINST the law to ask any person who presents to the ER for treatment what their ability to pay is before treating them.
Penrose is no exceptions, MetroWest. I suggest you read up on EMTALA before you make assinine comments like you do.