Anyone who had Surgery @ St. Joe East...

and had to pay out of pocket for it. I'm curious as to how you paid. Did the hospital help you set up payments or did you go through a bank to get a loan? I've been wanting to have WLS for about 2 years now. My credit history is horrible so I know no bank in their right mind would loan me $15-20k for a WLS. I'm also looking to change jobs as my current employer and I aren't seeing eye to eye on my work hours. They are not condusive to me taking care of my children in the evenings. I wonder what I can do to get started on WLS so that I can feel better about me. Mary

I had my surgery at St. Joe and i just want to say, if you have the option of going somewhere else (like Georgetown) i would. The nursing staff there were horrible to me and my family (except the one night nurse and Dr. Greenlee who are now my angels!). I am not the only one that thinks this either. The four people that were there the same time i was said that they would never have anything else done there again, all b/c of how they were treated.

Hi Allison, this is good information to know...I hope you spoke to Dr. Greenlee about this as it's important to surgeons if their patients are unhappy. Every surgeon I know is very protective about each and every one of their patients, If you have not spoken to anyone at the center about how you feel, I strongly suggest you do so, something like this is not about the hospital or the doctor, this is about YOU..as a consumer you have the right to complain, as a matter of fact you have the obligation to do as ..think of it as protecting those coming behind you.. I was trained in N. Kentucky by Dr. Sonnanstine as a patient advocate, I can tell you he would never put up with bad performance on the bariatric wing, his patients are number one to him....I have seen this first hand as I went to him direct if there was a complaint by a patient or family member..each and every time he took action immediately, that along with his skills makes him one of the best in my book.. I know the same is true about Georgetown Bariatrics ..Dr. Weiss and Dr. Oldham want the best care for their patients..Everyone working around them is sure to know it if they are not happy...The hospital staff is unfortunately a direct reflection of the surgeon ..obviously as you stated, you would not go there because of how you were treated on the floor. And the fact you felt strongly enough to post about your feelings, please let the center know this so they can correct the situation.. Brenda

Allison, when I had my bypass surgery there over three years ago, I had horrible nurses and i complained loudly and long. then I got to thinking that since I am a nurse myself that I was too hard on them. However, Dr. Steiner had me send a handwritten complaint, listing everything to karen, the program director. I did and I have been in the hospoital several times since and was treated well by everyone except the last time by one night nurse. I can assure you that the doctors do not tolerate bad behavior from the hospital nursing staff. After my complaint was filed, the manager and director of nursing on that floor called me at home. The doctors and their office staff are great. it was just the nursing staff at the hospital that I had problems with. i hope you file a complaint with karen. if you don't your problem is not likely to be resolved and you might get in trouble for defamation for posting on the message board. good luck

Oh St. Joe (St. Joe East by the way, don't think i mentioned that before) has received my complaints. And I am not sure that i would get in trouble for posting my opinion about the hospital on this site (could be wrong) but I do know they can not get me for defamation on a message board for my opinion (law student, i should know).

well i was in st.joe east last week for an obstruction,and i will have to agree with you fully!!! My nurses at night was perfect but that could of been because i was asleep lol....but when daylight came i would have to wait 10 ta 20 min to get someone to help me to the bathroom,no one would even ask me if i needed anything,i had to walk and get my popsicles when i wanted them, the iv alarm would go off 15 min before they would come in,i called then and still they would not come,but i think the prob is there lazy,i will tell Dr.Steiner about that when i see him wed.,i have not joined his program but i am doing so wed, i just hope in the future if i need emergency surgery that i have better care than last time........................vickie r.