★
My husband took me to the ER Dec 2024 for confusion. They wanted a urine test. I did I already sent pee. They said we will do it another way. So they catgatrized me. During the process I do not know who the tech was look it up if it may help someone else, they held me down like scraping me with a razor. I was screaming and trying to get away. I've never had that feel so horrible I'd rather have a baby. They did x rays.. The doc came in said "you have a brain Tumor". He left, so now what. Made an appt with my normal doc. I've never been in so much pain from the catch for 3 weeks, scared to death brain tumor?? Not one person did their job. It was like a horror movie. No one helped me at all. I'm now with a specialist at UVA. I worked in a military hospital in Italy at age 13 for 5 years then private doctors in the states. If I ever treated a person like this I world do all I could to help people not cause undue harm to people. Look up my name my chart Norva F Haskins... Maybe you think it's too late to fix but trauma done to patients never goes away. And they caused the emotional trauma.. I hope people will read this and seek out a better place like UVA, SENTARA. anything better than Augusta Health!!!!!!!!!
★★★★
Everyone at this hospital from the ER team to the ICU team were just wonderful. It was a very terrifying experience for my family medically but everyone that took care of my husband did an awesome job with him and with easing my worries. A big shout out to 2 wonderful ICU nurses who took care of room 257 last night and today Jimmy who come to find out is a travel nurse was awesome with my husband and Renee was omg so awesomely great with both of us. She didn't mind if I asked the same questions over and over she answered each time like it was the first time.
This was our first experience with this hospital and they absolutely made a great lasting impression. Thank you all again for the wonderful care my husband received from all of you
★★
Not sure what to post seeing the ratings and other posts. I have done mainly test like CT's and have no complaints for those but those who arrange the tests are awful and show no willingness to follow up with the physician to get the referral. One CT took me 3 months to arrange. Someone needs to take charge of this process.
★
It's worth your time, money, effort, pain and suffering to drive on over to Sentara H'burg or UVA C'ville to avoid going to this hospital. For the past twenty years, nothing has changed about going to this ER. Expect to sit in a freezing waiting room for an hour or more, then an hour in a smaller freezing room waiting on the doctor, then an hour to accomplish the doctor's order - despite, in my case, CT Scan only taking 5min. It may take another half hour for doctor follow-up - plus another half hour to get discharged. That's why I normally end up leaving (without treatment).
It's no shade on specific docs or staff, but more-so the whole system and those who run it. They're obviously churning more patients than they can handle. This generates poor service and reviews like this one. I was called twice today, which I ignored, so they can suck some more Medicaid dry with an appointment that I don't need. I walked out of the ER, not only because of the wait but because I felt like I was forgotten about altogether. What I had, was a case of Bells Palsy. But they never mentioned once, why half of my face was paralyzed and what it's called. Luckily, there's AI working at revolutionizing the industry. I already knew my condition, symptoms and treatment options before I went. Unfortunately, AI doesn't prescribe meds. One day, it will all be automated and that's when our healthcare will finally be fair, democratized, accurate and precise.
Anyway, the last straw...
I pushed the nurse button at some point and she finally answered the call TEN minutes later after I had already decided to leave. I feel bad for anyone that might have been near death on this sunny but sluggish Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't even that busy when I arrived, but it was completely full when I left - likely because of the severe backup.
I'll mention the time before this past one too. I went in after enduring 3 days of spasms and tremors in my spine and intestines. My strange illness started back in 2012, docs have NO CLUE why, they never treated me with meds, or did any specialized blood testing or CT/MRI scans. Can't count how many times I ended up there on emergency - and they never helped me with anything.
(Edit/Update: I learned October 2025 I had Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome + Alpha-gal )
Other new patients came into the ER AFTER me, but were getting called in before me. I became a little paranoid that they maybe had notes in my profile at the triage computer - as a problem patient for them. For years , I had no coverage. I was in really bad shape.
Back then, I lived in the floor with a 5gal bucket for 3wks straight - lost 60lbs and teeth. They thought I was chasing pain meds if I ever asked once. So I felt their distain for me if I ever needed to go there, and because of this... I vowed to croak before going there.
I sat there shaking in the chair, crunched over in agony. I was finally called in an hour later. The ER doctor pulled me in a dark room, it was quiet and I was wondering why so many people were waiting when there were plenty of rooms. She didn't even turn on the light - asked ME directly what I expected them/her to do for me?
At the time, I had a rare condition of Gastroparesis and I also have Type 1 Diabetes with associated neuropathy. I'm not a doctor, so I said "i don't know, whatever you do for people that come in here with these symptoms". We came to an impasse because I didn't know how to treat me. She apparently didn't know either, didn't try. I just left.
I had no choice but to leave. I went home and suffered for a few more days, ready to quit life altogether.
I'm done with this hospital. I shame them. It's unfortunate because I live here. We need better health services. Psych help hardly exists.
I did return after a long refusal - expecting years of time to have changed their practices - but NOPE, might be worse. General work ethic isn't the same anymore either.
A big part of why I have hospital insecurity and hopelessness in the health system is primarily because of Augusta Health's long-term incompetence.
★
Everybody already knows how bad services are at this hospital. Healthcare in general has gone down hill something terrible over the last 15 years. When a nurse's response to "do you enjoy your career?" Is "it pays the bills", Or when a patient rings for help to the restroom and the response is, "Don't you have a urinal?" Or "the biggest size depend we have are large, and that won't fit you" Or when the nurses and/or aides stand around giggling together while a patient is on the potty chair, I'd have to say she isn't in this field because she is passionate about caring for others. Staff needs to be trained better and held to a higher standard than sitting around on their phones or chatting at the desk. This experience was had on the second floor of the building. Unfortunately I do not have the names of the aides or nurses.
