FirstHealth of the Carolinas

"Worst experience ever. I believe my husband was racially profiled by staff that was racist and projected their racism onto him. I was pleading for my husband to be in my room with me because he is my advocate, they said he couldn’t come in the room with me because he said a racial slur to a staff member also a black woman…….We are Black ppl. I have never heard my husband utter a swear word the entire 8yrs of marriage and he hates those words even when used endearingly I know this for a fact, No sooner as he tells them no for covid test on my behalf now all kind of lies are conjured up by the ER charge Nurse Kate saying that he was using this racial slur to triage personnel Tracy in an attempt to keep him out and leave me without an advocate. My husband called the lady whom he spoke to in order to enquire why she would say such things and she (Tracy) said she does not know what he is talking about totally oblivious to the allegations. My children were there when he spoke with Tracy and I was on the phone and my husband said nothing out of the way to her as he attempted to find my room and comfort me. I believe Kate and whoever my charge nurse was (dont know her name dont care) worked in tandem to keep my spouse out the room so they can treat me as they wish. After the denial of swab test by my husband on my behalf for medical reasons they would not answer my call bell, took over an hour just to get a cup of water to drink and would not listen to me when I said I couldn’t breathe because the pulse oximeter sat me at 91% and she said i was fine, it took another lady passing by my room to see my distress and told my nurse and then she gave me oxygen then shut my door so noone else can see me or advocate for me. They even tried to forcibly remove my husband from my room while I was fighting for my breath so much anxiety they caused so much trauma. I eventually signed an AMA and left with my husband to a hospital 46hrs away (Cape Fear ) where we were dignified and respected. An my nurse even tried to deny me a wheelchair upon my exit because i signed an AMA. Wicked women pretending to be nurses. Thank God for Barbara my respiratory therapist who showed genuine care for me while i was forced to be alone. May God bless her and reprove those evil women who falsely accused my husband without proof or evidence."

"My first time going to the emergency room and it was pure hell. I consider myself a senior and a black women. I stayed up front forever in pain with a blood clot, and pneumonia, I had 3 things done to me before they could even find out what was wrong, and only administered medication up until it was time for them to throw me out the door, I was stuck with needles about 9 times before they could fine a vein. Then the medication direction was confusing as hell, when I called to find out it still was wrong. I hope in the name of Jesus that I never have to go back there. I felt mistreated as a black person with what I as wrong with me."

"My husband was admitted through the ER I was amazed by the drs,nurses and pharmacy. They were waiting on him when he was wheeled into room 15 they immediately started assessment and treated him for stroke and seizures they treated him and me with the upmost dignity and kept reassuring me. The worst time of my life. He's home and improving every day thanks to everyone first health pinehurst nc for all the help Mary and Jose Lerma west end nc"

"My recent visit to FirstHealth last week was vastly different to the one I had years before. It seems now they're trying to do more with less, which obviously means the patients quality of care suffers by definition. They were so short staffed that the nurse call audio alert at the nurses station was going off more than it wasn't, due to lack of staff to even answer each call. Every time it went off for an extended period of time, I prayed the patient who pressed the call button wasn't in life altering distress and needed immediate care. It seems to be management based care now, which means the bottom line takes precedence over quality of patient care. I traveled over an hour by ambulance to go to this hospital when I live only a few blocks from Cape Fear Valley Hospital because Cape Fear had long crossed that line in patient care. It seems one is the same as the other now. I won't make that mistake again. Despite my poor experience, there was one major bright spot, a young nurse named Meghan Bryant. Despite being constantly pulled in 50 different directions, she managed to attend to my needs remarkably. I doubt she even had a break or lunch though as she was so completely overwhelmed. Shame on FirstHealth for abusing their employees and by proxy their patients to such a degree."