George Washington University Hospital

I have been a client of the neurology clinic for a coupe years. It took so long because I had a problem with the first doctor who REFUSED to order an X-ray of my head to corroborate/verify the strange feature in the left occipital area of my skull that was shown on an X-ray from the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore that I visited ten years ago when I was living in Boulder Colorado.

I had to spend a great deal of struggle to get a change of doctor to deal with the cause of my chronic headache, and was finally assigned a neurologist named Amanda Tinsley, who claimed to be the DIRECTOR of the "headache division" though it is Dr. Roth rock who is the vice-chairman of the Neurology Department and it did not make sense that being in the SAME division as I was told they were that HE would be UNDER HER supervision.

Anyway, without making a LONG story unnecessarily longer, I will confine my experience to her. Other than switching the medication I had been prescribed for chronic headaches and migraines called Sunaptripan which she told me is known to cause cardiac problems DESPITE being Dr. Rothrock's PREFERRED medication for headaches and ordering an EEG in which she claimed she found nothing wrong, the only other thing she did was order a set of X-rays (after the previous doctor had ordered an MRI and a Catscan and found nothing) to determine if the cause of the problem I was complaining of could be found.

This was done in the radiology clinic of the GWU Medical Center. Because the discomfort is ONLY on the LEFT side of my head and based in the rear lower LEFT area from which it radiates through the LEFT hemisphere, there were NO right side views made; only A/P, P/A, and a rear three-quarter left lateral image.

It was the last perspective X-ray image that showed a disturbingly strange erosion or disintegration of the skull bone in the lower LEFT base of the skull! It looked as I described it to Dr. Tinsley like someone had LITERALLY taken a bite out of my skull and chewed up the pieces leaving crumbs or remnants in the otherwise empty area!

Even what resembled the shape of teeth marks along the outer edge could be seen!! Of course I did not have someone take a bit out of my skull BUT the area of the anomaly, the origin or nature of which Dr. Tinsley either could not OR would not explain to me, was EXACTLY in the spot of the origin of the chronic neuralgic ache and unpleasant vibration I have been experiencing for the past decade and that incapacitates me to the extent I need to be on Social Security Disability Compensation. I have both a photocopy of a NORMAL skull X-ray of exactly the SAME perspective and side of a skull taken from a medical textbook and a printout of my computer-generated X-ray and the photocopy of excellent clarity looks NOTHING like mine because the rear of the textbook photo skull is solidly intact.

I have also seen other X-rays of NORMAL skulls WITHOUT any technological OR physiological defect in either image or skull and they also look the same and DIFFERENT from mine!!

I had never had a skull X-ray made of my head when I didn't have a head problem because of course there would be no reason to do so so I can't claim I didn't have the strange defect in the past PRIOR to the onset of the neuralgic problem, BUT, when I requested Dr. Tinsley to order a RIGHT three-quarter (oblique) lateral image made for corroboration of whether this was an abnormal effect of whatever was causing the bad sensations or just a bizarrely natural feature of my skull, she expressed a peculiar reluctance to do so, stating it was not protocol for just one X-ray to be done without doing a series of them. When I convinced her of the difference in the two comparative skull images I had, she agreed to confer with the chief radiologist about making an exception. The next time I saw her at the clinic she told me she had ORDERED the requested X-ray view, BUT, when I went down to the radiology department to have it done, I found it ODD that THIS time (unlike the first) there was a senior radiology staff member present who was NOT acting like one of the technicians and so who I assumed was the chief radiologist supervising the procedure.

But THAT was only the FIRST ODDITY of the entire incident.

The radiologists proceeded to make X-rays of EVERY OTHER angle of my head EXCEPT of course the LEFT rear oblique view which had already been done satisfactorily, an UNnecessary direct left lateral view, AND the RIGHT rear oblique view that I had requested and been PROMISED by the attending neurologist Amanda Tinsley she had ordered!! They did a DIRECT RIGHT LATERAL view instead and then attempted to DECEIVE me that THAT was the right rear oblique view which from the details of the mid-line cranial ridge and the ocular socket I could clearly see it was NOT, and THEN CONTRADICTORILY claiming there was NOT an order in the protocol for the image I had been PROMISED would be made!! Either "Dr." Tinsley had LIED to me OR the radiologists were LYING to me UNless they were BOTH LYING as part of some "COVER-UP".

The next appointment I had with Tinsley she did the SAME thing they had done, CONTRADICTING herself with the VERY SAME excuses and when those didn't "work", brazenly stating that she "WOULD NOT order it because it was UNnecessary" and she "didn't want" me "exposed to EXCESS radiation"!! AS IF I would have been exposed to any more radiation than I would have had getting a set of dental X-rays made AND notwithstanding the FACT that I HAD BEEN exposed to EXCESS radiation by getting X-rays done of MORE perspectives than the SINGLE ONE I had requested for corroboration of the prior one!

If THIS isn't perposeful DUPLICITY (literally!) then it is downright "professional" INCOMPETENCE of a magnitude I have NEVER encountered anywhere before with doctors!!

I expressed my profound disappointment with Tinsley as far as I could without "insultingly"(?) and bluntly calling her an OUTRIGHT LIAR and responded by requesting a change of neurologist (again). I was told by staff this was "impossible" without HER permission which was ridiculously UNlikely, so I then attempted to speak with the director of the neurology department. I first met with Chiezda Washington, the "executive coordinator" as she described herself, who promised she would speak with the department chairmen and could arrange the change through them. She NEVER did!!

I went back after not getting any response from her for a week or two and THIS time she displayed a VERY different attitude, as if she didn't know what I was talking about and had never promised to contact me. INSTEAD, she now told me it "WAS NOT" HER "area of responsibility" and so she referred me to Marcus Christian, the "practice manager" in the Department of NEUROSURGERY Office! I (again) explained the entire situation and stated that IF I was going to continue as a neurology client with GWU medical center it was NOT going to be with Tinsley. He too ACTED very concerned and told me the SAME thing--- he would discuss the matter with the two chairpersons to arrange the switch and contact me the following week.

AGAIN, it did NOT happen, and I was beginning to get suspicious whether it was THIS difficult for every patient to get such a request granted even after they were "treated" in the manner I had been!

The next time I went to the medical center Mr. Christian wasn't available so I met with Adrien Saks, the "practice group administrator", who claimed to be Christian's superior. I didn't bother telling him the whole story but summed it up as BREACH OF TRUST by doctor. He told he would check with Christian to find out more as well as speak with the chairmen about the change request.

It took several weeks and several visits to find out from him that "it was NOT the policy of THAT particular clinic to switch doctors for clients due to there being only two headache specialists and since they cooperated with each other dealing with one was basically the same as dealing with the other, and when I requested meeting with the director of the medical center itself he claimed it DIDN'T HAVE ONE and all the departments acted autonomously!!

I had NEVER heard of a medical center operating THIS way before! He even went so far as to suggest I go to a DIFFERENT one, which of course after the patient advocacy experience I will describe I AM GOING TO!

Is it normal practice for you to call customers and offer a one time plan to cut balance due in half?

I just received a telephone call from a very nice man named Justin to offered this to me via I had it paid off by June 30, 2019.

Daugter bought in by ambulance with a gunshot wound. Nurse never changed blood soaked linen even after a shift change.

I asked for linen to be changed and the nurse gave me Mom the linen. Daughters monitor machine beeped for 2hrs and 20 minutes, i asked for help after witnessing 4 staff members leisurely discuss non related work topics at the desk.

Nurses disappaear because maybe they are over worked and under staffed, while i sit with my wounded daughter and just wait. Horrible ER experience.

Completely incompentent. Inside of two weeks the called 5 times reschudling my arrival time and time of surgrey. Starting on June 6 to report to the hospital at 7AM and catherization at 9AM all the way to report at 2PM and catherization at 4PM. The 5th call came and they said they would be busy and could I come in an hour earlier no later than 1PM. I arricved at 12:27 and registered at the desk I was then told to go upstairs and sign in again. After registering at waiting I was caled and they took my insurance cards etc. I was told to have a seat and I would be escorted to the heart Catherization Unit and admitted. I signaled to Nurse Mary that I was ready at 1PM. She hollored at me that my Patient Indentication Bracelet should have been put on 6 hours by the front desk and was very agiated at me for their incompentence.

Almost 6 hours later I was still waiting for the procedure to be done. I was wheeled into and placed in a large machine. A female nurse?? came over and opened my gown and placed her one hand on my naked body and with an electric razor shaved my groin. I asked her what she was doing as the Dr. & I had decided that the procedure would be done thru my wrist. She informed me that this procedure would be done thru my groin wheather I liked it or not and that she refused to prepare my wrist. I said no and she in turn ran ro the machine and turned it on whirs ago by the front deskch caused the lg box camera to almost hit me in the face.

She also held my legs down to prevent me from getting off the surgical table. I was forced to lay naked thru out the whole procedure. Having artheritis the cold caused my joints to lock up. The 3 nurses also pointed to my naked body and laughed and asked if I was potty trained.

After being humilated by being asked why couldn't I *** *** and was my small *** *** the reason for my inability to urinate.

I exploded and told them that I was an adult and that I had a *** not a *** *** and that the cylinder was a foley cather. She got mad at me and grabbed me and shoved the cather up my *** without lubricating it. I was sore for 3 weeks afterwards.

When I got to the ICU Unit the Supervisor of the Unit came running in and said to my nurse that I understand that you have a new patient from the heart catherization unit and as usual the Catherization Nasties have intimadated, cocerced, humilated & degraded ALL MALE Patients and is his anger at being violated turning to rage and do I need to call for renforcements to subdue, tie down and put him in isolation. Later that night my nurse said that I do a lot of community service work and don't let the catherization nasties make u a bitter and angry man. They treat all male patients that way even though its against the law.

They had to wrap me in 3 blanked to try and get me warm and unlock my joints. Whenm i was ready to be discharged I slipped out of bed and landed naked on the floor unable to move. By pulling on the bed rails I was able to get my joints to unlock. My joints locked up 3 times after that. I filed a complaint. The supervisor of the Heart Catherization Unit (Joel Sandler) called on the phone & said that they didnot follow standard medical procedures, she should have covered my *** with a cloth before shaving me and I should have been covered with blankets to prevent my getting cold and exposed. Also laughing, pointing to my naked body, and holloring at me and asking if I was potty trained & pressing on my bladder to force to urinate was completely unacceptable

I can understand now why your Consumer Reports Medical did NOT list GW hospital Heart Cartherization Unit as a place to go. You listed Washington Hospital Center and NIH at Surban as the top 2 hospitals for heart health and catherization.