Complaint Review: Lakewood Regional Hospital

My Girlfriend had severe nausea and vomiting, so we went to Lakewood Regional Medical Center's Emergency Room. It was 11:00pm and the waiting room was completely empty, but we still had to wait 2 hours to get a bed! Even though not ONE single ambulance arrived with any new patients. The whole time we waited, their entire staff sat behind the administation desk talking and laughing.

Finally at around 1:30am, my girlfriend got a bed in the ER. On our way to the room, I noticed that their were about 4 completely empty rooms available. I wonder why it took so long for them to see us? By this time my girlfriend and I were completely frustrated. We ended up waiting in the room for another hour, not being seen by ANYONE. Not one EMT, RN, Doctor, Phlebotomist, CNA, or anyone had bothered to walk into our room and even take my girlfriends blood pressure! We pressed the call button in the room and an EMT came immediately into the room, turned off the call button, and walked right out not saying a single word.

At around 2:30am, I looked down the hall and noticed that EVERY SINGLE doctor, nurse, etc.. were all sitting in a circle at the nurse's station eating fast food and telling jokes. I told me girlfriend what they were doing so she walked out the room very upset, stood in the middle of their circle and asked "Is anyone going to see me, or what?". Finally the doctor came inside the room and began her assessment.

I went outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air...big mistake. It took me about 10 minutes to get back inside. I walked up to the admin window where some young woman was sitting down stuffing her face with french fries while I asked her "can I get inside?" she replied in a muffled voice with her mouthfull of fries "what?". I had to repeat myself 3 times before she finally let me inside. It was about 4:00am. There were 3 workers waxing and buffing the hallway floor. All I could hear were the 3 guys telling perverted jokes and jokingly calling eachother every 4-letter word I could think of. To top off the experience, the doctor diagnosed my girlfriend with pneumonia (even though she came in with nausea). Not a very bright doctor. Even my girlfriends primary doctor laughed when he heard what the ER doctor diagnosed her with.

In conclusion: This hospital emergency room is completely unprofessional, rude, self-centered, and uneducated. If you have a medical emergency in the Lakewood, CA area, save yourself some time and either go to a different hospital, or just try to treat your symptoms yourself (Lord knows the doctors at Lakewood can't do any better)

Jason
Whittier, California
U.S.A.