Ascension Via Christi St. Francis

I really struggled in leaving a rating this low because of the excellent care provided by the nurses and technicians (CNAs) that cared for my mother while we were there--especially Stephanie Beatrice, Jackie, Brandi, and Marina Luera. They were so dedicated to her care! They treated her with dignity and respect, and it felt like they were pulling for my mom's recovery just as hard as we were. I also loved the doctors we worked with Dr. Ojile and Dr. Abu were incredible. They were willing to have the difficult conversations and they also seemed to work hard on my mother's behalf. That being said, it was clear that St. Francis is grossly understaffed by nurses and assistance. While they remained positive throughout our stay, it was clear that these poor men and women were overworked. It's truly a tragedy because of the dedication they showed to patience and their families. The other problem on this floor was that there was NO HOT WATER!!! HOW CAN YOU OPERATE AN ONCOLOGY WING WITHOUT HOT WATER? IN ADDITION TO THIS, NOT ALL THE STAFF WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS. The thermostat was also not functioning; it never made it above 65 in the room. Were it not for the excellent nursing staff, I would have given one star only because giving 0 stars isn't possible.

So there just isn't enough room for the great things I have to say about my experience. From the check in and assessment staff. The weekend on-call doctors, the transportation staff all the way through the nursing and various medical techs, I was treated with care and dignity. But let me say it starts with me treating the staff with respect and dignity too. Food service dept. rocks! The RN on my unit was awesome! Night staffing made sure I had the attention I needed. I was in a shared room and even that went well. Two things for improvement; better direct communication from the docs to patients, and improved large testing equipment reliability to keep wait time to a minimum. Honestly though great experience overall.

1) My Dad was transferred here by the VA for tests needed that couldn't be provided by them at the time he was admitted. He is 77 years old and was very sick and weak from his condition. He was put on the 7th floor as they had an open bed. After 2 days of starving, because he was NOT put on automatic meals, I caught that he hadn't been receiving food trays because he couldn't reach the phone. Never have I heard that some trays needed ordered. Why would ANYONE put a frail 77 year old on this in the condition he was in. Meals should be automatic for ANYONE in a hospital...PERIOD. My Dad is already struggling with low weight and this episode did not help his situation. 2) After blood was drawn from him, they had gotten quite a lot of blood on his gown and on his sheets. He was made to wear the gown and sit on those sheets for at least six hours, because I was there for that long before 2 young ladies came in and changed them. I told them I would change him, but they never brought in the items to do it. 3) The nurses were less than informative anytime you asked a question, it was always " you need to talk to the Dr" but the Dr was never there. 4) I was finally there one day the Dr showed. He peeked his head in the room, asked my dad a question, and then was ready to leave. I asked him if I could talk to him and he stayed in the doorway with only his head in the room. I asked him a question with him the mumble something I couldn't ever hear and then left. So "ask the Dr" is as worthless as asking the nurses. I was so fed up with the whole mistreatment and lack of communication, that I requested for him to be returned to the VA. They refused to do that unless I signed him out against medical advice. They just wanted to be released from the liability of what was going on. They only got him out of bed 3 times his entire stay of 8 days. I ended up staying the night 4 nights just to make sure he was taken care of. This hospital was a nightmare. There was 1 Dr that did try to smooth things out but by the time he came into the picture, I was already fed it. I do want to mention that there was a small group of black women that were AWESOME. They showed care and concern but also had personalities that lightened the mood. They were pleasant and friendly. I was happy having them taking care of my Dad but we got them toward the end of his stay. I would NOT EVER recommend this hospital to anyone..I feel sorry for any elderly person that doesn't have someone to check up on them...They could be in serious danger...

I was very pleased with my experience and stay. I had prayed that I would have joyful nurses who loved their job. While I never asked them if they loved their job. it sure looked like they did. The doctors were very kind and explained every procedure to me along the way. I have no complaints. I would especially like to give a special thank you to Irene and Jacklyn.

I encountered to nicest lady when checking in at Imaging for my CAT scan. Very friendly and personable. Then the tech who did my CAT scans was the best. Do nice and friendly. He completely put me at ease. Parking was a bit of a hassle, but these two individuals more than made up for that. Great experience.