Dignity Health – Dominican Hospital - Santa Cruz (CA)

5 /5 Tom McDonnell: I was a patient at Dominican three times for two different issues in roughly a month — from the end of September through early November. I know that the doctors, nurses and technicians saved my life twice. From the caring, skillful treatment in the ER, to the OR, to post-op recovery, everyone performed their tasks skillfully with kindness. I especially want to highlight the nurse in recovery who had to deal with my several post-op issues and got me through a few concerning moments. Almost 4 months later, I’m doing great!

1 /5 Kathy Werle: Poorest care I can imagine. Went the post fall for sciatica: I could not transfer, stand, or walk even with aids. Could hear bones I knew were broken in my sacrum rubbing together when I tried to move. Was medicated for pain in the ER and was really out of it. Waited on a gurney in a hallway where many were coughing and hacking, and was not offered a mask so I kept the blankets over my face. A CT with contrast was ordered, not the MRI I would expect for sciatica, and was told I could go home. Drugged, I figured I couldn’t be any more miserable at home than I was there. I asked for muscle relaxants because I started having spasms in both my butt and low abdomen. Two nurses had to lift me onto a w/c and commode at 7:30 am and when I got out there was another patient in my bed. I hadn’t even called to wake up the neighbor who said she could pick me up and had hoped to get at least a brief sleep before being unceremoniously dumped into a waiting room. When my neighbor arrived there was no one to assist me into the car so Claire had to lift me alone and set me down across the back seat. I had one Rx for muscle spasms, nothing for pain, no Medrol pack.I lost significant muscle mass and strength over the next two weeks so my daughter from San Diego flew me there where I finally got an MRI and Medrol pack. I am not part of the Sharp medical system yet saw three different doctors until I could stand to transfer three weeks later and walk with a walker a week after that. Was the ER unusually understaffed? Why didn’t someone divert the ambulance if there wasn’t even assess me? My discharge note said clearly that two people were required to transfer me, yet they sent me home to our trailer in the mountains to be cared for by my 80 year old, blind husband. I have fired hospital staff and dismissed nursing students for far less grievous behavior. I don’t intend to return to your hospital-ever. This visit cost me over two weeks of lying in a reclining chair with constant pain. Apparently the teledoc I saw the following week hadn’t heard of Medrol packs because when I specifically asked for prednisone to deal with the sciatica, now in both buttocks and right leg, she elected without discussion to order a 5-day lower dose course, and it didn’t work.

2 /5 Phil Neuman: We had a frustrating experience at Dominican due to multiple communication and scheduling issues. It took seven days to get necessary orders from the orthopedic doctor to interventional radiology, which was only resolved when one department manually faxed the request to another. An MRI was scheduled, but on the day of the appointment, all technicians had called in sick, so it was canceled. A kyphoplasty procedure was eventually scheduled for a week later, but the pain became so unbearable that we had to go to the ER two days before the procedure. She was admitted until they could do the procedure. The ER staff was attentive and helpful, but unfortunately, the hospitalist covering the weekend failed to hand off to the regular hospitalist. As a result, no doctor visited all day Monday while she was in short-term stay care. On the morning of the scheduled procedure, the radiologist discovered that she had been given breakfast, which should not have happened before the procedure. Only then did the new hospitalist get involved, acknowledging that she had fallen through the cracks. While some staff members were excellent, the overall lack of communication and delays made an already difficult situation much worse. Unfortunately, we are still waiting to receive the MRI. Hoping the hospital addresses these issues to prevent similar experiences for others.

4 /5 Maureen Wilks: I went to emergency by ambulance in the evening.I had x-rays and was told I broke my wrist and my patella. The doctor on duty asked if I could go home by taxi. I could not walk and was afraid to go home alone. This was around 10 or 11 at night. I laid in the hallway on a gurney For 24 hours. The ER was very busy and there was no room for me. The ladies from the x-ray department as they got off shift, checked in on me and wished me well. I pretty much was on my own all night. It seemed very busy and they were shortstaffed. The light of my experience was the next morning when a nurse came in and saw me in the hallway. She constantly checked on me all day to make sure I was comfortable. Her name was Heather And I want to thank her for being so compassionate.

4 /5 Kolleen Ledterman: Last August I went to the ER, I was unable breath. A Pulmonologist quickly put a tube to drain all the fluid that collected around my lungs. Later that day the hospitalist, Dr. Hernandez admitted me and basically followed me for the next few weeks, what a wonderful, witty doctor. He really made my stay smooth and a lot easier than past visits. I ended up in the hospital for 17 days and left there as a dialysis patient. My kidneys took stopped working. A big huge shoutout to the compassionate and kind Dr Hernandez. thank you so much!!