Profoundly bad experience compounded by icy cold response from management. I would strongly warn anyone against seeking care here.
I worked with Karthik Reddy (Tiki), and Eve Langston and would not place myself in their care ever again.
Midway through the infusion, a roof generator or HVAC unit kicked on and the resulting synesthesia was terrifying. When I attempted to use the call button, no one responded.
This provoked a deep panic and sense of emergency and I had to begin asserting control and danger assessment and problem-solving thinking during the peak of the infusion. As I was clamping down the brakes on my trip, my mind was like: "Aliens? Apocalypse? Rapture? Terrorists? Guns? KUNG FU? Is the danger in the building? What will the world be like out there once I figure my way out of this chair?"
"How do i get this IV out of my arm and tied off so I can roam through the post-apocalyptic landscape with my IV stand as my game-starter improvised weapon?"
In this state of fear, when I attempted to again push the button, I knocked it out of its harness on the side table and had to sit up and grope for it on the ground.
After I reasoned out that continuing use of the call button wouldn't help, I began vocalizing loudly that I needed someone.
The nurse (not the Doc) came in, he did not perceive my distress. He took the call button out of my hand and told me the call system had to be restarted due to a problem (lied to me). He left the room.
I continued to press the call button and asked for the doctor who wasn't available for some time.
When Tiki did arrive, he was able to see that I was in distress and unable to cogently explain my state.
He left me to attend to another patient for a long time.
When Tiki came back, he thought that the effects of the ketamine had scared me, but I explained that the roof generator and the lack of call button response is what caused the problem.
He explained that the call system wasn't malfunctioning as the assistant had indicated, but that he'd forgotten to wear his pager, and I got out of there asap.
When I contacted Vitalitas' management team to ask for accountability and to make the financial situation right this was their response:
"I am sorry that you had a difficult infusion in May. Unfortunately, we do not have control over what happens in the building outside of our office regarding noise or HVAC turning on and off. I reviewed the day with the staff in Westminster and and no one heard the loud noise that you described. During a ketamine infusion, sometimes things can be very distorted to patients. I am not saying you did not experience a loud noise, but perhaps it is not something that would have bothered you if you were not getting a ketamine infusion. We are not able to refund your money or offer any discounts going forward. We are happy to continue treating you if you would like, but we understand, given the circumstances is you would prefer to try a different clinic."
Didn't even acknowledge their team's failure to respond to the call button. Gross. Totally gross. read more