Sutter Medical Center Emergency Department

"Had a wonderful experience. Staff were kind and knowledgeable. My mom had pneumonia for about a month that was not getting better and Sutter ER took great care of her. Thank you"

"The rudest nurses I’ve ever come across in my life. I didn’t feel safe in their care. Initially SacFire was awesome, gave me some pain meds right in the buttock to attempt to help relieve pain, it didn’t help but A for effort. Upon arrival it took maybe 60seconds and the doctor that immediately saw me to try to help with my issue, did his best to get me more comfortable then sent me for blood work so he could get me some stronger pain meds and finish the job. I did not have to wait because my issue was emergent (Still laying on the ambulance gurney because yes this was a serious painful complication) The EMTs from SacFire were there to witness the doctor attempt to help me so they seemed to feel kind of bad for having me sit in the chair but I told them “I’ll be okay” and so they helped me get from gurney to waiting chair. Disclaimer* the original doctor I saw was awesome & SacFire did their best to help me on that bumpy painful ride to the ER. However… The Nurse “Heather”, who hid her badge so I’m not sure her name, was the rudest bratty personality I’ve had to deal with. she couldn’t get me a wheelchair once I got off the gurney & SacFire left yet she insisted I do a urine test. After asking for a wheelchair again so I could scoot to the bathroom, she tossed a urine cup next to me /on my side and said “just provide the sample” and walked off. Again no wheel chair lol I had so much pain that I was trying to tune out and was also trying not move to agitate the pain further, so my reaction was delayed a bit to her rude behavior. I was in disbelief for a moment that she refused a wheelchair and was expecting me to walk in the condition I was in. I asked the testing staff what her name was when he walked over to me and he claimed he didn’t know, then she popped up from I don’t even know where and started saying “I did not throw it at you I put it next to you” and she kept insisting that she didn’t toss it. She was very upset that I didn’t want a piss cup tossed at me apparently. Some more dramatics ensued that aren’t too relevant but this brought me back to fond memories of being a level 4I group home manager. I immediately called a sibling who is also an RN in my hometown and after that, called my other sibling that is studying to be a PA and was advised to leave to seek better care because they didnt feel like I was safe with this staff either. So in the worst pain I’ve had ever felt, shaking sweating, bent over, I chose to have my spouse pick me up and take me to Davis. Magically sutter nursing staff found a wheelchair when my husband was on the way. We are Sutter members so we use Sutter for my physicians & specialists in my family, never had any rude nasty people prior to this experience, it’s a darn shame that the ER has such deplorable staff because they give the entire company a bad reputation. *** I say all of that to say this: “Heather”, it’s not too late to change career fields. If you’re catching mean girl attitudes with someone that can barely move, and are offended that they stick up for themselves, I wonder how you treat meek people, or people with anxiety, or people who come in and are on the brink of self deletion or people with intellectual disabilities, etc. Your piss poor personality should be far away from vulnerable populations. Bad apples like this start to spoil the whole bunch and based on the other reviews it seems like the bunch is already rotten. Grievance has already been filed and you better believe, I have time to make sure this is followed up on."

"The location’s night staff lacks competence in general. We came in through labor and delivery for pain in the lower abdomen and throughout my mother’s legs. From L&D, we were sent to the ER to run an ultrasound and labs on her leg pain. Communication in transition from department AND inter-department staff was absolute chaos. Staff LACKS the ability to check in with their staff members of patient statuses and are preoccupied chatting for pleasure and playing on phones. No one seemed to understand how to look at my mother’s charts, when we questioned to verify what was being order— their staff responded with annoyance and anger. A urine sample was requested but, staff provided no instructions on what to do with it and forgot to collect the sample to run labs until we questioned it. Staff members need to be trained in basic communication and soft skills especially within a health professional setting. It seems technical skills are even lacking so, consider all around retraining. Edit- one of the front desk receptionist is Esperanza. She needs reviewing on communication and soft skills for her role. Her responses range between, “I don’t know, I don’t do that” and “I don’t know, it’s not up to me.” Ma’am I am FULLY understanding YOU are not capable of that task of knowing we are asking you to CHECK on the status of our check in as it’s been 4+ hours at this point. We are not looking for a “I can’t do anything to make it faster.” Also witnessed another patient get kicked out because she claimed “harassment” and had a security guard kick out that patient. She was in before my mom and I arrived. Saw her go up to ask Esperanza who said out loud, “she keeps bothering and harassing me since she’s been in.” No she wasn’t. I saw her sleeping on the plastic chairs since our arrival 4 hours ago. Lastly- Finally being seen by the ultrasound specialist Sal — whose greeting was EXTREMELY rude. He told us he had patients in front of us and our order was not submitted until 4am(current time being 6am)—that our rush was unnecessary. We are NOT the ones submitting orders in an untimely manner and as patients, we should NOT be told it is our fault for wanting a status on how much longer to wait. Again— lack of communication here is overly prominent."

"My dr sent me to the emergency room due to a bad reaction to antibiotics and Tylenol that enduced liver failure. Needless to say, I felt horrible. While the staff said that I was admitted to the hospital they forced me to wait in the lobby for 3 hours. After almost fainting and a rude nurse who made it clear she didn’t give a rat’s a$$ about how I felt, l just went home. I read the hospital discharge notes- which were inaccurate- not surprising. I couldn’t walk unassisted and almost fainted. Told the nurse I almost fainted. Yet in the notes they lied and said I was fine and able to walk on my own. They also lied and said they gave me an ETA on when I would be admitted. The reason we left is because they WOULDN’T give us a hospital admission ETA and told me that if I was going to faint I needed to lie down on their plastic chairs in the emergency room - ie I wasn’t offered a bed. Don’t bother going to the emergency room. The staff is rude and uncaring and lies about the care they provide. The medical care is subpar and they try to cover their butts by lying in the chart notes."

"Literally does nothing for you. I went in and have an abscess behind my eye and face due to a broken tooth. It is excruciating yet because I was in for a different tooth about 2+ years ago I cannot be medicated?? Dr barely looked at me or listened…excuse me the PA. My son is autistic so coming in is a hassle yet I’m told too bad your face hurts u cane I. Here years ago for a different tooth so we can’t do anything for you. I’m getting implants soon and things got bad because I’m raising a severely autistic child. I’m socially profiled as some drug seeker when all I want is the pain and swelling to go away and to ensure this infection doesn’t cause a brain infection or stroke and then I really cannot care for my son. If either happens I definitely will sue. Drs these days have zero bedside manner or the ability to actually practice medicine for the patient not the clout of the office. The pa I saw shouldn’t even be a nurse he was that rude, abrupt and uncaring."