Select Specialty Care Hospital - Hospital Pontiac, Michigan

I have read the rip-off report on Select Specialty Care Hospital, reported by "Lisa" of Shelby, MI. and to my horror, our family is experiencing the same issues.

My brother (54) underwent a 5-way bi-pass surgery at Beaumont Hospital - Royal Oak in February, 2010. He entered Select in Pontiac on April 27th, 2010 for vent weening and physical therapy. Discharge from Beaumont figured 2 weeks of rehab at the most and he would be going home. Today is September 21, 2010 and he is still in Select.

The care was atrocious, as he laid in fesses with a bed sore - 2 hours to even locate his nurse. From April 27th, to the first part of July - The bed sore accelerated to stage 4, as they maintain him in a malnutrition status - refusing to feed him by mouth. They placed a feeding tube in his stomach, which did not enable the proper nutrition for healing. They kept him sedated so that he was determined to be "incompetent". The care further worsened as he developed a plethora of infections, including "Septic" - which they, of course had to fight with antibiotics. The over use of antibiotics shut his kidneys and renal down, to which he had to begin dialysis. He was not bathed and he laid filthy, to the point that he literally stunk. When family complained to the floor manager Lynn Pribish, excuses and denials were made. False accusations were then fabricated against the family members who complained about the lack of care.

The first part of July, he was taken to St. Joseph's Mercy ICU, not expected to make it through the night. The bed sore had progressed to the depth of his spine, 2 fist in size, and had 3 ulcerations from which he bled out 3 liters of blood.

St. Josephs ICU got him stable, but it took 3 weeks to get him to a "transportable" state, from the condition Select put him in. All through this time, the staff and Select Dr.'s were telling the family that we needed to make end of life decisions. How does this happen that he went in to simply ween from a vent and physical therapy, to having to make end of life decisions? Select advertises that 78% are weened in 11 days... huh, they must not have had insurance. 

We requested that he be transported to the John Dingle VA, since he is a Vet. The hospital deemed it necessary to have a "surrogate decision maker" as there was a discrepancy on the POA validity. We petitioned the court for Guardianship and Judge Daniel A. O'Brien assigned an outside Guardian - Thomas Brennen Fraser, violating Michigan and EPIC laws, as there were suitable family members to act as Guardian.

Fraser almost immediately barred the entire family and friends - isolated my brother, because we were insisting that he be transferred to the John Dingle Medical VA Hospital - to his own VA Dr.. Fraser deemed this "interfering with his authority." Select Dr.'s, (Who were also the attending Dr.'s at St. Joseph's) refused to release him to any other facility except themselves. ?? Is it possible that these DR.'s know they caused these issues and are afraid for another Dr. to see what they had done? Most definitely, since I requested consultations with my brothers own Dr.'s and I was denied - on multiple occasions.

Fraser, against my brother's and family wishes, put my brother back at Select, where he remains with a poor prognosis and the intentions to put him in a nursing home for long-term care. We are presently petitioning the court to remove Fraser for his abuse of authority, but to date, it has been since August 6th, that my brother has been without his family or friends. 

Select has a monopoly on this step-down market, which is extremely dangerous, given the fact that there is no place else to go for vent weening, in the State of Michigan. We are lucky that my brother is a vet and he can go to the VA hospital, once Fraser is removed, but "Lisa" did not have this option with her father. I hope and pray that her father survived this ordeal. 2007 she posted this report and 3 years later, Select is still practicing the same inexcusable tactics. 

I cannot help to think of how many other people are experiencing this nightmare, so that Select can reap medical havoc on their patients, to cause a "Long-Term," situation, just to scam Medicare and other insurance companies. This is a crime.

The abuse of Guardianship is another issue, that needs to be addressed. Fraser's actions are typical of the abuses that are plaguing our nation. Our little corner needs to hold our Judges responsible for the accountability of these Guardians. Watch and educate yourself on the platforms of the incumbent Judges and vote to remove those who are indolent and do not follow the law or remove the administrators who violate the rights of our incapacitated and elderly members of society. This is prevalent, not isolated, and the "Frasers" need to be removed and prosecuted for their tyranny.

As for Select Specialty Hospital, I would not allow an animal to be subjected to their care. Their disregard for life and their extents of malice are extreme. Beware!