Virginia Mason Medical Center

“I’ve been a Virginia Mason patient for 50 years. Their care givers are great…merger with Franciscan? Horrible and Incompetent management. This review is about Franciscan management choices impacting the patient experience. This is the 30 minute line to check in. This is almost two months after the disastrous implementation. No added check in staff to ease patients pain. Julie Manas the President sent an apology but has not responded by actually adding staff. There are now far fewer check in staff during this disasterois takeover. They cancelled standing appointments already in the system, poorly executed the rollout, have not addressed additional staffing to ease the pain. This is months after the rollout. Sheer incompetence. And on top of it all it appears they may be planning to rename the long standing institution St. Anne? There were confusing St. Anne signs everywhere. Really? How tone deaf. Again this is not a reflection of the care givers and Doctors and Nurses. It is a comment on a very incompetent merger management. We don’t need an apology we need solutions Julie Manas.”

“This was not my first colonoscopy. This experience was so different from previous experiences I must commend Dr. Vedamurthy and the team for the care I received. I have never felt more cared for and considered in any medical experience. I felt seen not solely as a patient, but more importantly, as a person. I appreciated the candor when I expressed my concerns. I was concerned about the prep, the possible discovery of cancer and death. I need not have worried. The nurses and technicians never left me alone as I waited. I appreciated their relaxed demeanor. They were all professional, knowledgeable, and kind. I appreciated Dr. Marko and his part of the procedure. Previously, general anesthesia has left me feeling awful. I felt fine when I returned home. Though my procedure was late Friday afternoon everyone felt fresh rather than tired at the end of the week. Excellent communication and teamwork made me feel safe. Thank you for the care and consideration I received.”

“​I am writing this review because my recent post-surgical stay at this hospital was an absolute nightmare, and I felt completely neglected and mistreated by the staff. ​Immediately following my surgery, I was wheeled into my room and forced to struggle into my hospital bed completely on my own without any physical assistance from the staff. To make matters worse, my room's restroom had zero basic toiletries provided. ​The nursing care was dangerously slow and punitive. When I used my call light, it took forever for anyone to respond. When I was in severe pain (a 7/10) and asked for my prescribed pain medication, the nurse refused to give it to me until she checked my blood pressure. She explicitly told me that she would only give me the medication if my blood pressure went up to "prove" I was in pain. This is an completely outdated, cruel, and incorrect way to manage a post-op patient's suffering. ​Communication from the medical team was non-existent. My doctor, Dr. Kyle A. Williams-Brown, came to see me the next day but provided absolutely no important information about my surgery or condition. Later, when I requested to speak with him again to get actual answers about my health, I literally heard Dr. Williams-Brown standing right outside my door talking to the nurse, stating that he "couldn't see me." ​I felt completely abandoned, unsafe, and dehumanized. The only thing I wanted to do was leave. Nobody should be treated this way after undergoing surgery. I highly advise avoiding this facility if you expect competent, compassionate care.”

“I was in town for work training and ended up dislocating my right shoulder. I was in excruciating pain. But first, I need to praise my very compassionate EMTs that brought me to the ER, Marcus & Eden, thank you for delivering me safely and quickly as possible. Thank you for your gentleness, patience and kindness. Now to ER staff. Ashley, Tine, Dr. Simons the young tech who helped me dress, and my XRay tech (sorry for not retaining your name info), you all were an absolutely amazing team. I just want you to know, from a home healthcare worker to professional healthcare workers, please know that you are seen and deeply appreciated. Each of you were right where you needed to be for me that evening, and I know I was blessed to have you all. Deepest regards- Deborah Bennett; Billings, MT”