1 /5 Jane S.: Do NOT go to this facility for medical care. The Triage nurse goes against Drs orders to delay colonoscopies greatly increasing the likelihood you will get colon cancer and die.
Got a referral for a family members colonoscopy (from PCP). Patient has high risk for colon cancer (family members had it, he has polyps every time one is done, getting a colonoscopy and removing polyps prevents colon cancer so it is critical to get these done on time). Past colonoscopy results, based on polyps found, said do a colonoscopy every 3-4 years and one was due when the referral was done. Susan (a triage nurse) has and is refusing to move forward to get a colonoscopy, not even setting up a Drs appointment (always done first), despite the patient being a high risk colon cancer person. Excuses are flimsy and meaningless and opposite of what current Drs are saying:
Examples:
- He is getting a cardiology test (routine tests are done every year to monitor a cardiology "wait and see" condition) so we dont do them. This is not "new symptoms are happening and there is concern, this is a routine annual test.
- He might be taking blood thinners in the near future that can not be stopped so we need to wait a year (he has been on blood thinners for over 10 years with successful outpatient colonoscopies done every 3-4 years during that time, they are paused for the colonoscopy then resumed afterwards - stroke risk is very low and cardiologists supports this),
- He has heart conditions (that she could not pronounce and obviously didnt know what they were or she would have used the laypersons term) so he has to have his colonoscopy in a hospital not as an an outpatient (successful outpatient colonoscopies have been done several times already).
It is now 3 months since the referral. The interventionist (main) cardiologist told her in writing a few days ago that the colonoscopy needs to be done in the next month as they want to do a procedure at that time (new technology so there is a higher chance they can successfully correct his heart condition) but did say "if medically necessary" (he doesnt tell tell other departments how to do their work, he lets their Drs say that). Being at a high risk for colon cancer and colonoscopies preventing colon cancer sure sounds like medically necessary to use but a gastroenterology Dr needs to make that call (based on previous colonoscopies and polyp sizes found) and Susan has refused to set up that appointment (always the first step to getting a colonoscopy).
Susans response was to immediately "close" the referral "because he might be on blood thinners for a year". We called and stated clearly to her that he has been on blood thinners for 10 years [with regular colonoscopies while on blood thinners, they are temporarily stopped and started back up afterwards with the cardiologists blessing]. We stated that he likely will no longer be on blood thinners after his procedure. She then read the heart condition diagnoses [she cant pronounce it and obviously didnt know what it was or she would have used the laypersons terms] and said the colonoscopy would have to be done in a hospital not as an outpatient. The cardiologist did not say this needed to be done, he has had several outpatient procedures and surgeries in the last few months to prepare for the upcoming surgery. Again, Susan is making a decision on something she has no knowledge about instead of letting the cardiology Drs and a gastroenterologist Dr determine what should be done.
During this 3 months, we have pushed Susan saying what is the point of delaying things for cardiology to do their things [without even asking cardiology if a colonoscopy can be done] and end up with stage 4 colon cancer [and likely die]. She just continued to drag on even asking a cardiologist if it was safe to do a colonoscopy.
Find another center to do your colonoscopy rather than here. I knew someone who had colon cancer - a nasty experience with life long complications if you are lucky enough to survive. And so easily avoided.
