Unfortunately my Mom has been a patient at the Fremont - Rideout Cancer Center for the past 6…read moremonths with 2 types of cancer.
It is sometimes a blessing and a curse being a nurse for 24 years. I know the level of care I want my Mom to receive. I know the standards of care a patient should receive. Being a past employee of Fremont-Rideout I know the standards of care they expect their staff to have. I also know the Joint Commission regulations and basic Health Department rules and regulations.
I check my Nurse role at the door, I do not share I am a Nurse, I am there as a family member.
I would accompany my Mom to many of her appointments. I have witnessed my Mother receiving top quality care from the Radiation Oncology staff. My Mom's Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Jung is a brilliant, compassionate, humble, soft spoken Doctor with an exceptional bedside manner. He sits and listens to his patients with empathy and understanding. He doesn't rush the appoint, nor talk down or use medical words you wouldn't understand. He keeps his word about following up and returning calls. Dr, Jung's wife is a breast cancer survivor so maybe Dr. Jung knows what it is like to sit on the other side of illness and death, maybe that is what makes him an incredible Doctor.
I was most impressed by Lydia, a radiology technician. She is sincere about her care for patients, compassionate, understanding of their unique needs, and you can tell she has a heart for people especially cancer patients. I never saw Lydia participate in the care of my Mom as a radiology tech, my Mom had other techs for her care. Lydia would greet my Mom as an old friend when she would arrive at the cancer center and sometimes escort my Mom down the long hallway to the radiation chamber. While I would wait for my Mom to receive her radiation Lydia would visit with me, she would comfort me with kind words and listen to me as I would cry and babble on as a helpless family member. Lydia would go above and beyond job role, Lydia would assist me with communicating with my Moms Doctors, giving them messages for me, getting the prescriptions where they need to go, calling pharmacy's about home health supplies, and following up by returning calls to me and my Mom. I can not say enough about Lydia and the impact she made on my Mom and myself during this time. I will forever appreciate and be thankful for her care.
If it wasn't for the exceptional care of Lydia and Dr. Jung I would be giving the Cancer Center a sad lonely one star.
I took my Mom last week for her final appointment with her Oncologist Dr. Harrison, While I was in the ladies room, My Mom was greeted by a barking, demanding, rude Medical assistant. Norma was rude and curt to my Mom upon check in, my 83 weak cancer ridden Mother called her out about being rude to her, the Medical assistant continued to be rude and did not own it nor apologize. Even after I showed up and was standing there her demeanor did not change. She took my mom's B/P 185/110 on the automatic machine. I asked her to recheck it the old fashion way. I could tell she ticked off by that. My Mom told her, her B/P is usually in the low 100's and 60's. Norma rechecked my Mom's B/P and she said it was 120/80. I have been a Nurse probably Norma's whole life.... In my 24 year Nursing career I have maybe had a dozen patients with perfect text book 120/80.
We were roomed in a room that wasn't cleaned from the last patient visit, dirty waded up kneenx on the floor, table paper on the floor and the uncovered garbage over flowing, I could tell they didn't wipe down the room either. We waited 35 minutes until I went out and inquired about when the Doctor was going to be in. Norma said' He hasn't already seen you?' we waited another 5 minutes, Dr. Harrison comes in, apologizes for the wait, then says he didn't know we were there. He doesn't offer any other greeting, sits down, and starts asking my Mom questions while writing down the answers with no eye contact. He than began to exam my Mom, I had to ask him to wash his hands, I could tell he gave Norma 'the look' of annoyance. Norma then said he washed his hands before coming in the room. I believe he washed his hands some time that day but it wasn't between the time he left the exam room next door and walked 2 feet into the exam room we were in. His white lab coat sleeves were filthy from rubbing up against a dirty desk, then after he examined my Mom and her oozing cancerous tumor, he never washed his hands again while in the room with us, then left onto the next patient.
I was shocked by the contrast in care at the Cancer Center. I left a note on the dry erase board in the exam room.
:-(
1. Norma - rude
2. Dirty room
3. Lacks hand washing
4. Dr. Harrison - personality of a tetanus shot.
The next day, the Nurse Manager called my Mom and apologized for her care during her appointment.
