Disgusted with Northwestern's After Care
I am upset with the gastric program. Dr. Hungness and Dr. Martin are nice, dont get me wrong. But the nurses and support staff in the program are horrible. How can the doctor's not know that their patients are being treated so bad? How does a doctor not have any openings for patients for a month or two when you call? And the attitudes of the nurses in the program are unbelievable. I dont care much for the hospital either. One of the nurses in the ER yelled at me because I couldnt drink the contrast for the CT Scan and I keep telling her i was going to vomit, she told me to quit being a baby, so I threw up all over her. They just dont listen and make you feel like you are crazy and the pain is all in your head. The last time I was in the hospital, I laid in my room for 2 days without a doctor even checking on me. They just kept giving me pain meds ( which make me violently ill) and told me to sleep it off. No one is listening to me. No one.
Lisa,
I am sorry to hear about all the problems you have had. I am also a Northwestern patient. Dr. Nagle was my surgeon and I haven't had the same trouble you have had. I know that the nurse practitioner in that practice is on maternity leave. The substitute nurse was definitely not as helpful, but I am pushy and usually get what I want.
Do you attend the support group at Northwestern? That might be a good place to bring this up. Lori facilitates the group and there are lots of patients of both doctors there. The next meeting is Thursday, February 17 at 6:15. My suggestion is for you to show up at 5:30. That is when people show up to be on the panel to discuss their surgery with the prospective patients at the seminar. Either Hungness or Nagle will be presenting. It would be a good time to catch one of them and let them know what is going on and see if they can fit you in.
Northwestern, like most hospitals, has a complaint organization. If you are dissatisfied, contact them and try to get a resolution. http://www.northwesternmedicalcenter.org/hospital-complaint-process
Best of luck, Alan
I am sorry to hear about all the problems you have had. I am also a Northwestern patient. Dr. Nagle was my surgeon and I haven't had the same trouble you have had. I know that the nurse practitioner in that practice is on maternity leave. The substitute nurse was definitely not as helpful, but I am pushy and usually get what I want.
Do you attend the support group at Northwestern? That might be a good place to bring this up. Lori facilitates the group and there are lots of patients of both doctors there. The next meeting is Thursday, February 17 at 6:15. My suggestion is for you to show up at 5:30. That is when people show up to be on the panel to discuss their surgery with the prospective patients at the seminar. Either Hungness or Nagle will be presenting. It would be a good time to catch one of them and let them know what is going on and see if they can fit you in.
Northwestern, like most hospitals, has a complaint organization. If you are dissatisfied, contact them and try to get a resolution. http://www.northwesternmedicalcenter.org/hospital-complaint-process
Best of luck, Alan
Every dinner needs a side dish, on a slightly smaller plate. - Book of Mormon (The Musical)
Starting weight: 354 Surgery weight: 322 Current weight: 183
Your very lucky then. I STILL havent got a phone call back from the nurse and it has been a week. She was suppose to talk to Dr. Hungness and get back to me , which didnt happen. As for the support group, I go to one at St. Joseph's Hospital. And all the group members are from Nothwestern. They also had alot of problems with the program there, so it isnt just me. I am going to submit a formal complaint against the program. This is just unacceptable. They treat you so good pre op, but once they bill the insurance and get paid, your on your own.
I will not go to a support group there. Just like the prior one I attended, its all about how "great" the program is. They dont let people know what is really going on. Maybe they pick and choose who they will take care of post op. All I know is that is isnt me. My stomach is still bothering me. I am just dealing with the pain. I dont even want to go there anymore. I am glad you are doing good.
I will not go to a support group there. Just like the prior one I attended, its all about how "great" the program is. They dont let people know what is really going on. Maybe they pick and choose who they will take care of post op. All I know is that is isnt me. My stomach is still bothering me. I am just dealing with the pain. I dont even want to go there anymore. I am glad you are doing good.
Lisa,
I'm so sorry that you're having such a rough time. I'm also a Northwestern patient - Dr. Nagle is my surgeon - and have had a really wonderful experience thus far (which the exception of Laurie, the nutritionist, whom I think is a total crackpot). For full disclosure, however, I am also emplyed by an NMH affiliate, and spend a lot of my workday at NMH, so I know the system pretty well.
Do you have a primary care physician? They can do much, much more for you that the ER can. It's very important to involve them in your follow up care, as that is not the bulk of what surgeons do. Yes, some aftercare is required of them, but there may be many things that your primary care physician can help you with and keep a closer eye on.
If you need a referral to a primary care physician that has experience with bariatric patients, please let me know. My primary care physician is loosely affiliated with NMH and located near the hospital, and she's amazing. She doesn't fool around - If I have something going on, she will see me that day or the next, and she is wonderful about personally calling me to talk things over.
As someone else mentioned, you should definitely give your feedback and to the hospital. In my department all patient complaints are taken very seriously and measures are always taken to resolve issues quickly and address any patient concerns.
I wish you the best of luck and hope that your pain eases soon. Please let me know if you need any info or any referrals.
I'm so sorry that you're having such a rough time. I'm also a Northwestern patient - Dr. Nagle is my surgeon - and have had a really wonderful experience thus far (which the exception of Laurie, the nutritionist, whom I think is a total crackpot). For full disclosure, however, I am also emplyed by an NMH affiliate, and spend a lot of my workday at NMH, so I know the system pretty well.
Do you have a primary care physician? They can do much, much more for you that the ER can. It's very important to involve them in your follow up care, as that is not the bulk of what surgeons do. Yes, some aftercare is required of them, but there may be many things that your primary care physician can help you with and keep a closer eye on.
If you need a referral to a primary care physician that has experience with bariatric patients, please let me know. My primary care physician is loosely affiliated with NMH and located near the hospital, and she's amazing. She doesn't fool around - If I have something going on, she will see me that day or the next, and she is wonderful about personally calling me to talk things over.
As someone else mentioned, you should definitely give your feedback and to the hospital. In my department all patient complaints are taken very seriously and measures are always taken to resolve issues quickly and address any patient concerns.
I wish you the best of luck and hope that your pain eases soon. Please let me know if you need any info or any referrals.
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