Complaint Review: Jackson County Regional Health Center - Maquoketa Iowa

Unless you are truly ill, do not go to the Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa, IA.  My own experience in this Hospital has been truly Horrible.  I would not wish such ill treatment on anyone.

 I was in the midst of an emotional breakdown and my husband made the "mistake" of calling Hillcrest, some mental health center witht the intent of making an appointment for me with them.  Instead, they called the Police, and I  was taken to this Hospital on April 18, 2023.  I thought the doctors, in the Emergency Room, would give me some Ativan then let me go.  WRONG!  This hospital and Hillcrest completely made a Mountain Out of A Molehill.

Yes, I was given some Ativan, but the incompetant staff decided to keep me on a 48 hour hold andto find a Mental Facility to put me in.  Please understand, that this was all UNKNOWN to me at the time and no one explained to me what was happening.

Here is the horror of what happened to me, a 73 year old woman, who never took a street drug in my life and seldom used prescription drugs.

1.)  I tried to leave and was NOT allowed to leave.  In fact, 6 hospital staff members kept pushing me back into the room with latex gloved hands.  They pushed me so hard, that I almost fell onto the floor.

2.) They would not allow me to use the phone to make a phone call to a hospital administrator, head nurse, lawyer, etc.

3.) They would not allow me to call nor speak to my own husband - saying they would convey any message, which they never did convey any such message.

4.) I asked to use the bathroom, and instead some big, fat woman accomanied me to the bathroon and insisted that she needs to watch me urinate into a pan for a STREET DRUG TEST.  I told her, several times that I never took street drugs and that this is totally unnecessary and a ruse to bill Medicare and me.

She said this to me  IF YOU DO NOT PUT DOWN YOUR UNDERWEAR AND PEE INTO THIS PAN, I WILL PULL YOUR UNDERWEARN DOWN FOR YOU.

Now, I ask you dear readers, would you want to be treated in such a way?  I think not.

I only found out several days later that this large woman was a JAILER.

I did not know at the time, that the hospital called a county lawyer, who got a judge to place this 48 hour hold me on all to KEEP ME SAFE!   Safe from what?  I would have been safer, away from this hospital emergency room.

They did this, all because I wanted to leave the hospital and was insistant upon that.  For that act of insistance the morons, in this hospital treated me like I was Public Enemy # 1.  I bet that even real criminals accused of any crime get better treatment.  At least they get a phone call - something which I was denied.

5.)  Some female doctor, which large, round, plastic eye glasses with red frames, injected HALDOL in me.  I was very frightened, at that.  I told this doctor, I do not take drugs and you cannot put an unknown drug into me.  This so called, doctor, DID NOT even ask me if I was allergic to the drug nor latex.  They grabbed my arm, leaving marks on my upper arm and put this potentially dangerour drug in me anyway.

I was so upset and wondering what was going on, that it did not have much effect on me.  So, the same female doctor, decided to put, yet another injection of this HALDOL in the other arm, again forcing me against my will, and not asking nor determining if I was allergic to it.

I had a bad reaction to the Haldol, dizziness, nausea and uncoordination.  I did end up sleeping for hours and overnight.

6.) Next day, I again asked to be let go, and the same fat JAILER and hospital staff kept pushing me into the room.  This time, I managed to find the phone, in the room and began calling asking to speak to a head nurse.  I got someone named Janet, who seemed to just NOT CARE ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME.

There was a hospital male member, named Jackson, who was angry that I got hold of the phone and tried to take it away from me.  I told him that he was violating my civil rights and that I have the right to call a lawyer and sue this hospital.

7.) After that, they got the same judge to release the 48 hour hold and let me go, after my husband arrived.  Funny how, the mear mention of a lawsuit, gets people moving in the right direction.  I was released on April 19, the next afternoon.

This whole experience has been a nightmare, and I still have bad dreams about it.  I did call again to this head nurse named Janet, who just minimized and trivalized my very real concerns saying that NOTHING HAPPENED!  Nothing happened to HER alright, but it happened to me.

Next day, some girl called me to ask how I was.  I told her the horrible story, and she suggested I speak to PAIGE, the manager of the Emergency Room.  After several attempts to call her, I finally reached her, and told her the whole story.  This PAIGE also minimized and trivialized my horrible experience.  She defended her staff and would not help me.

I told her to at least not bill me nor Medicare.  But this MONEY HUNGRY woman said coldly, that they would bill Medicare and ME.  I told her, that her hospital would never see a dime from me personally and her hospital should be sued for Medical Negligence.

She did not care.  Oh, I must explain, that this is how I found out that the LARGE FAT WOMAN in the bathroom with me was my JAILER.!

I was in complete shock.  How can a 73 year old woman, having a adverse mental issue be assigned a JAILER?  I bet hardened criminals get better treatement then this.

I am now, in the process of filing complaints with Medicare, and several goverment agencies.  I tried calling lawyers, but most lawyers are lazy and only want big cases with big money - like if a doctor took out the wrong kidney for example.

This is where I am.  I highly suggest, to all those reading this report, is to TRAVELaway from Jackson County Regional Medical Center, and go to another Hospital, if you need any kind of care - even if you have to go to another county. 

Signed,

NO HOSPITAL FOR OLD WOMEN