Abbott Northwestern – WestHealth Emergency Room & Urgent Care

"This place held back information from me about the nature of ASL interpreters availability. Two times I went to their urgent/emergency room, they held back information from me that they have access to Minnesota Hospital Consortium with four on-call ASL interpreters. They told me on-site ASL interpreters weren’t available and made me use their crappy Virtual Relay Interpreting that was glitching, delaying and ultimately malfunctioning. I had the right to know and decide to go to their competitor hospitals that value patient care and provide on-site ASL interpreters. They held back information about Minnesota Hospital Consortium so they can make money off me despite my sub-standard medical care experience. Because they lied to me two times before I went to their urgent/emergency room, I called interpreter agencies to give them heads up that I will be going to their urgent care and need an interpreter ASAP. I arrived to their urgent care, they never made a request for on-site interpreter and they didn’t make requests two times before I went there. They decided to use an interpreter from the MHC system after I told them an on-site interpreter is available and ready to come. And the VRI, of course, malfunctioned. It’s clear to me they were trying to cover up their unethical practices. They told me if I wanted to use the interpreter I did the work of arranging (because they lied to me twice before), I’d have to pay for it. They waited until the situation got worse before actually utilizing the communication access service I need and that’s not the care I want. I have rights as a patient to avoid all that and go elsewhere. It does not matter if they technically or barely meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Law. I decide what medical care is best for myself, not them. They certainly did not have me in their best interests. I’m a healthcare provider, I am soon to be University of Minnesota graduate. This is how they treated me. They treated me like a sub-human and they were worried about their profits. They actually paused my medical treatment to argue with me about the whole situation. I deserve the best medical care and they prevented me from seeking it elsewhere due to their fraudulent and unethical practices. I’m attaching a picture of the malfunctioned VRI. I’ve reported this hospital to proper agencies for negligence and misuse of charitable assets. Allina Health doesn’t deserve the tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit status as they prioritize profits over patients. They can start paying taxes on money they make from patient exploitation. My taxpayer money has a better use for the real nonprofits serving the public. So if you find yourself in a similar situation, report to: Minnesota Department of Human Rights Minnesota Office of Attorney General"

"After being told at another Urgent Care that it would be a 4 hour wait, we decided to try WestHealth. We got in immediately, and every staff member we encountered smiled and was so pleasant. Dr. Ran was amazing with my 8 year old daughter. He was so kind and gentle with her. When we left, my daughter exclaimed that we should come there more often! I told her that hopefully we don’t need urgent care that often, but if we do, we will definitely choose WestHealth."

"I took my sick 6 month old in at 9:00 pm on a Saturday. I was worried it would be packed and I would be there a long time. We were checked in right away. Staff was kind, patient and helpful. We then got moved immediately to a room. It was very helpful to not have to wait with an infant in the waiting area. We were kept informed of the progress of our visit in real time via text message. We even knew how long it would be before we would see the doctor. The wait times were accurate. We got Covid and influenza test results as we waited. The doctors and nurses were kind, patient, and thorough. I got in and out of urgent care in about 65 minutes. I've never had a trip to urgent care go so smoothly and quickly. And my baby is feeling better."

"Had a bad experience at this Emergency/Urgent Care back in August. I suffered a back injury at work and was told to go to the ER, I was in so much pain it hurt to walk or stand. After waiting I was told they were going to “fast track” my care - this meant they were going to bring me into a hallway, sit me down in a hard chair, and put a curtain around me and do some more waiting while I was in severe pain. I was seen in this hallway for maybe ten minutes, no imaging was done, and they sent me home with a note that gave me two days off work. Fast forward to now, I have disc injuries and SI joint injuries from that day. I am still suffering from the injuries I sustained. I would hope that no one coming through their doors gets overlooked like I did that day."

"Every single nurse, doctor, x-ray technician, pharmacist that I interacted with did nothing but a phenomenal job! They were all very caring, kind, and welcoming. They gave me the treatment I needed in a quick and efficient manner and I left the urgent care in better shape than when I had arrived . I discovered I had bronchitis but I left the facility smiling because of the great service and treatment I had from everyone ( which is rare when you feel like I do right now). I've been coming this facility for 20 plus years and will continue to go there the rest of my life. Thank you to everyone that gave you such good care."