I've been here twice. First time fair, just okay. Kind of lackadaisical treatment. No diagnosis or relief. Second time.. meh. Nice front desk people. But I kept saying I was going to pass out, and they kept having me get up and down to fill out forms, pick up my card, etc.. Would have preferred to lay down as I was super dizzy, or at least have them get up and help me out a bit.
Despite the name "Immediate Care"-- be clear it is NOT Urgent Care (not that an U.C. is urgent either, but I digress). It is kind of more like a 'when we get to you.. even if you're going to pass out' sense of urgency. And honestly, when a patient walks in with what could have been heart attack symptoms for women, and the patient wrote them down on an index card because they were so dizzy, feverish, not well and just not sure how much longer they'd be vertical, you might want to bump up the sense of urgency and read the card (No one would read the card!).
The very young intake nurse (?), though sweet, was so sleepy, eyes half open, kept yawning and was just mumbling her words, was asking me questions that did not even make sense, and used such incomplete language that I could not make any form of an actual sentence or question at times.. (if I could barely hear as well, as she spoke so softly.). I was sad to see she was going to be the one who was going to take vials of blood. I just had a bad feeling. She went straight for my hands for the I.V. also, and I said "no, use these veins". She proceeded to inspect my hands, then moved to the top of my arms; again I said "no" and pointed to interior of my arm at the elbow, where typically all my I.V.s or blood have been drawn from. At this point, I was getting frustrated that clearly she did not quite know what she was doing. And, didn't listen at all. Let's just say "she was in her own zone". And, she kept asking the same questions over and over, answers I had already given. Then, she proceeded to poke the hell out of the top of my right arm, trying to get an I.V. Painful. I thought, okay, fine. She's obviously learning.. I'll cut her some slack. She still can't get the tube/needle in. Tried to put vials on and collect blood, but with minimal results. So, then she proceeds to do the same to the left arm.. clearly no clue how to do this correctly. Someone should have been supervising her I think. This hurt quite a bit. I kept saying "owwwww" this time to give her a heads up. She kept saying "it hurts?". Um, yes. "Owww" = "it hurts". Continued poking around...Eventually, after quite some time and lots of needle poking, she managed to get the tube/needle in, and draw blood. Then another gal walks in and says, "Oh, we got enough from the little bit from the first draw." (paraphrased) FML! She had not bothered to ask how much she needed, or if what she had already drawn was enough. Oddly, she kept drawing blood. Vials and vials. I still don't understand why. I felt too terrible to get further involved in the minutia.
Anyway, overall as various things were done, it was all just awkward, no sense of routine, no sense I was actually being listened to. I did sense that this was maybe not an experienced group of individuals (all very young, including physician). The physician was a lovely man though; However I did not feel at all confident with his treatment/care. Essentially, I left feeling worse than I did when I came in (and did tell this to the front desk ladies, in case it mattered... Apparently it didn't, as they sent me on my way.) Logically, wouldn't someone have, at the minimum, not left me leave in worse condition? They physician, as sweet as he was, said a few off-hand things, indicating he had already sort of written me off because he could not make a diagnosis (or treatment). And, at which point, I had written him off as a source for proper diagnosis and/or treatment. It's now several days later, and I'm worse than I was when I left Desert Regional Immediate Care. In addition, my arms now have larges bruises and also now hurt due to all the I.V. attempts. My husband was shocked at how my arms looked. Now, I'm seeking an Internal Medicine physician who can see me asap, as I don't have a physician in the area. (Which is why I had to go to an Immediate Care type of facility).
In summary, if you have a non-urgent, non-immediate, simple condition (e.g. a cold, a fever, etc..), and want a facility with nice people, maybe they would be okay. If you have anything going on beyond that scope, but is not worthy of the E.R., I would instead go to VIP Urgent Care on Fred Waring in Palm Desert (between Monterey and 111). They are also a very nice staff, but seem more competent (IMO), are more responsive, they listen, and at a previous visit I left with a diagnosis and was medicated properly in order to feel better (and I did). I should have just gone there in the first place. :( read more