UK HealthCare

"I could write an autobiography about every horrible experience I have had at this hospital, and the PTSD it has contributed to. I have had 11 surgeries, and a chunk of those have been directly due to the conduct of physicians here. I have Spina Bifida, a lifelong disability. When I was a child, a doctor who I will not name who is no longer employed there, caused a major bowel obstruction and another major complication during surgery. He did not know how to fix it, and I was passed off to Cincinnati for actual help and more surgeries. In 2020, I had a VP shunt repair. When I started having horrific, worst pain I have ever felt headaches, I didn’t even get to see my doctor, I saw his PA. After 5 office visits and 4 CT scans, I’m told this is an issue for internal medicine. I’m passed off to them, only to be told “I don’t know”, diagnosed with chronic constipation, and given magnesium that is available over the counter. Not even a referral to someone who is better equipped to handle my condition. I am now thousands in debt with them despite multiple attempts to put in a financial aid request and dealing with their unhelpful aid office. Do your health a favor, go somewhere else."

"I have lived in many different states, gone to many different hospitals. This one is the absolute best. My sister was a drug addict for 10+ years. She was released from prison in January 2021. After being clean for months while working with me, she relapsed. She scratched a sore onto her chin. She went back to jail to await a bed in rehab. While in jail, she felt like something was wrong with her. The correction officers took her to Baptist health in Richmond. The ER doctor working that night mocked her, told her she could get treatment after rehab. My sister was turned away, after she was released from Madison county jail, she went to the Baptist health ER again, she was turned away. She had gotten so swollen and sick that she couldn’t be touched without experiencing excruciating pain. My mother rushed her to this hospital, UK. The nurses and doctors immediately rushed to help her, they knew something was terribly wrong. They realized she had contracted staph. She had sepsis all through her body. Her organs had turned to mush in their hands. They actually cared for her. They were heartbroken to see a 28 year old girl in pain, dying. They didn’t see her addiction, they saw a person. They did everything they could medically, while also offering resources for getting sober. Unfortunately, Baptist health dropped the ball, it was too late. UK hospitals nurses and doctors did EVERYTHING possible to save my sister. She passed 10 days before I gave birth to my daughter. The nurses at UK held us together like glue. I regret every single day, not taking her to UK at the first sign of trouble. If you are ill in any way, go to this hospital. Take your loved ones to UK, take your enemies to Baptist health in Richmond."

"I just spent 4 days at UKMC. I was under the care of the tauma team. I had a fall at home and ended up with broken ribs. I can't begin to say how many Drs and nurses I met during my stay. From housekeeping to dietary t o nurses and techs and doctors, has been so helpful and friendly."

"My mom was in UK Hospital between August 18th and August 31st. The communication was a nightmare with the UK staff and had the family guessing the care that was being given to our mom/grandmom. We did our best to have a family member present each day. We missed one day. There were bright moments like caregivers who took care of mom (nurses, RTs, Environmental Services). The Nero team was amazing. There was little to no communication from the rest of the doctors until the comfort care team took over. I called the Chief Nurse Executive and left a message, and I had to throw a fit over the phone to the nurse on charge in the ICU second shift. See, the family lived 90 minutes or more from Lexington; we could not be there 24/7. We couldn't get a doctor outside the Nero team to talk to us while we were at the hospital either. You would think at a hospital in the USA, you shouldn't have to be there 24/7. The day after those phone calls, we got a lot of empty promises that didn’t hold up. I grew up in Kentucky and always thought the UK hospital was the best in the state. I was wrong. There were questions asked about our mom's medicine that hadn't been answered. Think twice before entering into the UK hospital for something critical."

"I had my 2nd son in 2021 and the birth was absolutely terrible, I don’t know how I didn’t end up paralyzed and that’s just the tip of it, 2 weeks later I had pain in uterus and they found clots and more issues that they barley treated and a few days later I got the same pain and went back when I was dismissed with muscle pain then had to go back 2 days later because pain got worse, they made me sit in a bed for hours then eventually just sent me home (I was stating I had clots and they needed to look) I was ignored. That happened another 2 times until I woke up with my leg on fire and swollen one day and had to go to er where I was almost dismissed again but they finally decided to check and was immediately admitted with no word until a nurse comes in to tell me I was lucky I came back and lucky to be alive bc I had clots from my hip to my toes in left leg (some of the worst they’ve seen) I’m literally known for it now and was asked to be used as a medical teaching thing because they didn’t present as normal clots at first (truthfully they just ignored me) I went home a week later and could not walk for 2 months and to this day still struggle and was taken off my blood thinners when my clots got just small enough for blood to go through. They also found a clot in my lung and more. If I could rate my experience worse I would but this is just the quick story of what they did to me."