Virginia Mason

I have been patient at virginia mason for over 30 years. I connot get a hold of any providers or make appointments.

it is impacting my health care. hold times are forever.

!. Impossible to get appointments within 4 months; and,

2.

Forget about them responding to requests through the portal; and,

3. My provider is so overloaded, that I HAVE to do all the work of reviewing my labs.

My iron levels were so low as to be dangerous. My PCP missed this critical deficit on my annual lab work. I had to point it out.

Despite being 40 pounds overweight, my PCP, just said get a scale that measure fat percentage, you're not actually fat.

For 8 years VM doctors led me to believe I was not obese.

Now I am paying for believing them. My blood pressure if through the roof, my kidneys are failing, my joints and bones a breaking...They should all be sentenced to jail.

VM has several young and new 'ivy-leaguers' that are obvious in their despise of designated placement. I've heard and documented conversations in ER.

CHI Franciscan has not been the same since the merge with VM - less organized and compassionate care. I have too many experiences to share, but one stands out. After having a heart procedure and transport to another room in the hospital, I tripped over a wheelchair, falling to the ground and injuring my back and leg. I was told by the nurse on call, that I didn't have bruising.

You think - I didn't show bruising and experience significant pain until I was discharged the next day. The nurses were nonchalant. I've gone to several VMCH doctors but have been ignored. It didn't help that I was on blood thinners at the time which slowed healing.

So many negative experiences from 12/30/21 to 01/12/23. I continue to try to find positive and acknowledge there are nurses and doctors that do their job.

I have been a happy client of Virginia masons bailey bouche house for several years but when I needed to be sheltered at their newly established night shelter program I was being bullied and threatened by another shelter client and was treated as if my self protection was a joke and I was instead thrown out all while in a very bad health crisis that I feel was unjust and I am traumatized by their lack of concern and their policy of hate and non violence is utter garbage.garbage. b

NEW PATIENT BEWARE! I called to schedule an appointment for an annual exam (Routine Visit),100% coverage.

To keep from writing a book, I saw a doctor and had blood work completed.

I received a bill for a couple of hundred bucks about 2 weeks later and called my insurance claims department to find out why the claim was not paid. Well, to my surprise, the claim was submitted as an Office Visit Vs a Routine visit. Routine visits I have no co-pay and all lab work covered, so nothing out of my pocket.

From what I was told by Virginia Mason CSR, the doctor spent a couple (3 to 5) minutes talking to me about smoking and was also billed for that short conversation. It could have been easily corrected, but Virginia Mason refused, and the troubling part is the insurance carrier would have paid VM same amount except for the short smoking conversation.

Better know what you are getting into when you schedule an appointment at this place!!!

Repeated calls to scheduling either central line in Issaquah or seattle. Holds up to 45 min, the shortest was 6 min, dropped calls.

Schedulers appear poorly trained, condescending and inappropriate gatekeepers that lack any medical background.

I have primary care thru Issaquah. Podiatry thru Seattle. This has been going on for at least a year. Today at least five calls, 5 on hold, 2 dropped calls, one refusal to schedule then hung up, on hold again for podiatrist.

Just had call hang up.

How does this organization stay in business?? No public corp would stay in business.

A family member has been a patient for many-many years. This used to be an incredible medical service, caring, efficient, etc.

It has become a joke. It is not possible to call and actually talk to somebody who can guide you. The patient portal is down. Virtual visits were ended on September 22.

No mental health crisis line. No clinic actually answers the phone. You cannot send e-mail. King County crisis line puts you on hold.

After 15 minutes, I hung up. Only three of the only eights mental health professionals in VM are taking new patients and only one is a woman (important for this matter). It is not possible to communicate with VM personnel, and there are no services available for mental health crisis. Big let down.

VM has become a joke and it no longer is able to provide for my family member's needs. We are researching new medical providers.

I got a call about 6 weeks ago from the billing department of Virginia Mason hospital for a bill for $48 dollars. This amount, the lady discovered

as she was on the phone with me, was *supposed* to be covered

by my medical insurance.

Cue forward a month, I get a call from

a loud and rude bill collector for $48 dollars. I was astonished.

Called the billing department back, they said I would have to call

the insurance company myself and fix this.

I thought was their job. Isn't fixing a mistake their job?

Saw the bill collector called yesterday, missed the call.

Cue forward to today, I tried to pay that bill for $48 dollars at the

Virgina Mason billing department, they said I had to pay the collection department.

Why? Just.

. ..why?

Over $48 dollars??

Lito news said Amazon will be sponsoring a vaccination site across from the Amazon spears on Sunday and you must go to Your website to set up an appointment I can't find anything about it on your website

I won’t go into ultra specific details but I have tried Virginia Mason for several health problems over the years and found them to not only provide inadequate care, but also treat you poorly and milk your insurance. They make you go see a PA prior to getting a specialist even though my insurance doesn’t require that, which takes a month or two longer to get treatment.

In addition I have never felt that I received quality care from the PA’s. And they usually have you try some conservative self management that you already researched and tried, so they can get more visits out of your situation. I feel like they withhold care in order to maximize visits to increase profits, And you rarely get an actual doctor.

For example, I had deduced from researching biting pests that I had a terrible case of scabies which is very contagious and common in nursing homes which is where I work. I had to see 3 PA’s and a dermatologist just to get medicine and suffer the whole time with bugs literally crawling all over my body GROSS.

The worst part is how rude most of the providers were to me grilling me about my skin care and questioning me as if I were taking drugs. I have never tried drugs in my life. Worse yet, one of the PA’s wrote the most inaccurate report after my visit with her where I legit started crying because I couldn’t believe she would not prescribe the simple anti parasitic medicine and they know I could be passing it to my elderly patients.

Then all the following providers gave poor care, I believe because of the inaccuracies in her report. It’s embarrassing enough to realize you have Scabies and it’s a horrible nightmare to have to FIGHT AND ARGUE with medical staff to just give you the anti parasitic medication.

Yesterday 12/2/2014 I go an an emergency appointment with Dr Molly Chan at Federal. She was completely in another world.

Like a total flake. Can not believe I paid a co pay and will pay 20% of the total bill. Can not believe my health care provider will have to pay for the rest. Her assistant did my BP and looked at my throat and said it was really red with pus.

He swabbed it. Dr Chan came in and said so what are you taking for your cold and I said nothing I do not have a cold. I told her I came in a few months before with same problems Chills, Fever, weak, sleeping and no energy and I felt the same except I had a really sore throat this time. Last time they gave me great antibiotics.

She said there are hundreds of viruses and they were told they could not prescribe antibiotics. So I left with no instructions on what I should take or do. I still feel like *** and since Virginia Mason will not treat me when I am sick I will be going elsewhere. Second bad Dr I have had there and I am done.

I need care when I am sick. One time they give you meds for viral infection and them next they give you nothing or no advice for the viral Infection.

Dr. Gillette misdiagnosed my problem.

He said I had a sprained ankle ankle when I really had a fractured tibia. I have been told by other doctors that given my symptoms he should have done an xray. I asked him to do an xray and he refused. This delayed my recovery.

My fractured bone could have displaced requiring surgery - I was very lucky this did not happen. Patient relations never answered my questions and told me too bad, I should have gone to another doctor if I wanted an xray. They told me to report them to the WA state department of health.

Other doctors have told me that an xray should have been done.