Merle West Medical Center, MWMC, MWMC KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON MERLE WEST POLICY OF PATIENTS ARE LIKE FAMILY ONLY REFERS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES Klamath Falls Oregon

December 29th, 2003

~11:30 pm

Merle West Medical Center(MWMC), Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601 Emergency Room

Reason for visit: Head, throat and neck trauma from assault crime

Attending physician's diagnosis: asthma (poor oxygen intake), neck soreness, throat bruising.

Prescribed Treatment: Take it easy, ibuprofen, prescription for mild muscle relaxant and narcotic type medication (3-day supply)

Outcome of visit: Pain medication payment form insurance (OHP) denied determined to be of prohibitive cost ($89.00).

Choice: Pay for medication out of pocket or keep taking over the counter pain medication. (I chose the latter)

Outcome of Choice: After one week I was experiencing no relief from my originally diagnosed symptoms.

Action: Returned to MWMC emergency room to obtain follow up treatment on January 6th, 2004. (Level 2 Urgency Care).

The night proceeds as follows:

I am admitted to level 2

Placed in a small room awaiting nurse

After almost 45 minutes I am finally seen and am asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

I respond that I was seen previously in (level 3) and prescribed medication that was not covered by insurance and was here to be seen so that I might obtain a prescription for pain medication that would be covered by my insurance

The nurse writes something down and says the doctor would be in to see me.

45 minutes later the doctor comes in and asks me, "So what's up?"

I respond, "I was seen the previous Saturday I am here to see if I might obtain medication for treatment of the symptoms from the assault."

The doctor said, "I don't know what you're asking for but I can give a prescription for a muscle relaxant and Motrin."

My response, I have taken Tylenol and Ibuprofen profusely and have not seen any improvements in my current condition."

Her response was, "I am not giving you a prescription for narcotics." and she walks out.

I am waiting in this room for an additional 45 minutes before the nurse passes the room and I ask what is going on.

She says that she doesn't know.

I tell her that I am upset at the way I was treated.

She asks what she can do about it.

I tell her that I suffer from an anxiety disorder and Manic Depression and that it is really bad that I am not sleeping well because of the pain. I explained that my condition requires that I try to obtain sleep or can end up cycling rapidly from happiness to depression.

She says that she will talk to the doctor and will be right back.

I overhear her telling the doctor that I was upset at being treated rudely and that I was a Bipolar' (I suffer from manic depression).

I hear the doctor tell the nurse to call security.

A couple of minutes later the doctor comes back and says I will not give you narcotics but I have some Celebrex samples. I told her that I am familiar with this medication and am also aware that for the type of pain I was suffering it would have little or know effect on the level of pain I was experiencing.

She walked out the room without even acknowledging that I was speaking.

The nurse returned immediately and I asked whom might speak to about the treatment I was receiving.

She said she would have someone return to speak with me.

Within a couple of minutes I hear the doctor talking to security and she had them stationed in front of the other patients' rooms.

I see a security guard pacing back and forth in front of my room and glaring at me.

The nurse returns and says her supervisor (Mr. Nurse) is in the lobby and will speak to me.

I walk out and several officers are stationed in front of the other rooms in Level 2.

The nurse brings me to the lobby to speak to her supervisor. In the lobby are several security officers standing about 2-3 feet from me and just staring.

My first question was why were there so many security officers.

His response was, To protect me from you.

I was floored. (What had I done to deserve this treatment.)

He told me that I was trying to obtain narcotics and that I would not be given any and was told to leave quietly with my samples of Celebrex.

I was escorted to the entrance of the emergency room. I stopped to speak to the person that checked patients into the emergency room to ask for a complaint form.

The security guard told me that I was asked to leave the building and I responded with, Actually I was never asked to leave the building and I will leave after I obtained the desired complaint form.

NOTE: While awaiting the form I was reading a plaque how everyone deserved to be treated with respect. I realized this only applies to those that do not have an opinion opposite the doctors, can shut your mouth, owe and yes have no disability.

Him and the other security personal stood behind me and then proceeded to follow me out.

I was upset at the bold and blatant discriminatory behavior of the hospital employees but I deferred this anger to try and have my complaint heard by the Emergency Room operations person.

After two weeks of submitting a complaint, my phone call was returned and I was told this type of treatment of a patient was unacceptable. I was also told that it would be looked into and the Head Emergency Room physician would follow up on the complaint. It has now been over a year and I am still awaiting a call.

Maybe they think was my disability was mental retardation and not bipolar disorder.

Victim of unprovoked Discrimination
Klamath Falls, Oregon
U.S.A.