Patient
It's taken a while to leave this as I have needed some recovery time, and healing from the anger felt and experienced in our family. Dr Rodriguez was the consulted cardiologist for my mother's stay in Billings clinic hospital. At a time when my 86 year old mother was at her weakest and at her most vulnerable, he subjected her to 2 procedures, TEE and cardio version x2 without her understanding and without explanation to my 91 year old fathers understanding. He solicited signatures from my mother at a time she was confused post hypoxia event. She had no idea what the procedures were, why they were done and had zero idea of the possible outcomes. She had NO recollection of why she was brought to the hospital. As a family we came together and requested POA paperwork to in turn protect her from this type of event again while in the care of Dr Rodriguez and the Billings clinic. We CLEARLY spoke with care manager, signed POA and spoke directly with Dr Furman the hospitalist And relayed that a scheduled heart Cath be cancelled. Dr Rodriguez even WITH a POA in place, even WITH the families refusal of this invasive procedure, a SECOND time solicited a signature from my confused mother for a procedure that not only profited him but profited the Billings clinic. This time however no attempt to call family was made. We were not even made aware the procedure had taken place until it was over. When confronted, Dr Rodriguez was then caught in my mothers room "grooming" her with comments like "you remember we talked about the heart cath" "you remember you agreed to this". What is even better is the BILLINGS CLINIC defended his actual and behaviors. Their answer was that any doctor at anytime can determine a patient is coherent enough to sign consents and that "as you know people can be with it one minute and not the next". I say this as an RN with 30+ years of experience, as a cardiology specialty nurse, flight nurse and ED nurse with also 8+ years as a paramedic. I say this as a daughter whose mother is dead, whose father lost his wife of 69 years and on behalf of a family who carefully considered treatments and outcomes BEFORE speaking up, a family who went through all the legal channels to protect our elder and still this physician and Billings Clinic disregard those wishes. I speak up because I am disgusted at the lack of ethical and moral compass this doctor has and the facility in Billings Montana who obviously, actively practices this same level of morals and ethics. So buyer beware. As a nurse who worked in a cardiovascular specialty hospital that was owned by cardiologist, who had 7 practicing cardiologist, 4 thoracic surgeons and 2 vascular surgeons......never and I mean never in my wildest imagination would I think a professional would manipulate an at risk elder with an involved family and then openly lie to our faces regarding how a consent was obtained. Be diligent, more diligent than we were even. Just know that if this is the accepted practice of THIS doctor and that of the Billings Clinic, you should be looking at All of them!