Select Specialty Hospital, Phoenix, Az Rachelle Kinton, LPN, FAACM, Certified CaseManager; Linda Herbert, MSSA, Lead Case Manager; Shon Tabora, Chief Nursing Officer; Sharon Anthony, CEO Select patient waits 12 hours to be examined by medical doctor after 4+ hour sesure. family booted for complaining. Phoenix, Arizona

I come today to share a story of horror I have lived the last few hours at Select Medical located within St. Josephs medical center.

My domestic Partner/ wife of ten years met with a horrible accident a week or so ago. and was airlifted to Flagstaff trauma center. After a week of stabilization, she was airlifted to Select Medical Center in Phoenix. The kind folks in Flagstaff related to me that this was one of the best "type" of facilities for my Martha to be. Being located within St. Joes, any complications can be immediately addressed.

Well yesterday, Martha's son and I had a disagreement about her care, but both noticed a marked decline in her condition. I had the nurse summon the doctor, and consulted with the doctor through his exam. I pointed out that something was wrong with her eyes, which had started to bulge out (bug eyed like) and were seemingly not responding right. He did say that he also felt this was odd. The doctor went about his business and told me that he would write a consult.

Marthas son kept harping about her eyes; unfortunately, we have had differences over the years. I half listened, thinking a doctor would show up soon and lay everything to rest.

Several times, for my edification, I held up two fingers and asked her how many fingers I was holding up. Something the nurses do daily. She responded each time two fingers. But there was still something strange about her eyes. Finally around 8: pm I held up three fingers, she looked and looked and finally told me it was fuzzy. I told her to rest her eyes for a minute and try again.

At about 8:30 she began to weep and said everything was white and could not see. I immediately summoned the nurse and told her the doctor needed to be summoned or she needed to go to the emergency room. The doctor was called and ordered a MRI of her head.

Two hours later, she was still in her room and I was told it would be an hour, or more, longer. I told them that was unacceptable. She needed to be seen immediately by a medical doctor. The charge nurse stated she could not authorize that and the doctor could not come into the hospital. I demanded to talk to the Chief Nursing Officer, Shon Tabora. I was placed on the phone with Ms.Tabora and after a conversation she asked me what I wanted her to do. I told her to either get a medical doctor to Martha's room or get her to the emergency room. She told me a doctor would be responding.

1/2 hour later still no doctor. I again demanded to have some action from the nursing staff, which incidentally had not even looked in on Martha for over two hours, and called 911 to try to get some medical attention for my wife/partner. Little did I know, community services are not allowed to respond within medical facilities to render medical attention.

I couldnt remove Martha and they would not summon a doctor. WOW

They DID call hospital security to have me removed. Fortunately for me, the security seemed smarter than the medical staff and a representative from St.Joes showed up and found an immediate availability in a catscan room. Granted, not a MRI but at least some sort of diagnosing would at least start.

Oh before I forget, while the assigned nurse failed to even check on her for over two hours, her temp spiked over 100 degrees, which I had to discover myself by checking her temp because she felt hot. Before I go any further please read: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/health/policy/10careside.html

I think you now draw some direct patterns in this corporations attitude towards the helpless they target. This is touted as an Advanced "Bridge" between intensive care and general recovery. They willingly target the worst cases and DO NOT HAVE A ON SITE DOCTOR, something a family assumes when they are INSIDE a hospital.

In fact, tonight a "birdie" told me that several doctors were summoned, who as a condition of their Privilege to practice here, have contracts to respond, but declined to respond for this incident. This was supposed to make me feel better.

PLEASE help me. I am told that if I remove Martha from here, it will be at my expense, and further recovery could be at my expense. We have paid good money all our lives for good insurance and taking this on financially would ruin us. I will provide you with all records you need and Martha's roommate will also relate her story as she witnessed it tonight.

Robert **** on behalf of Martha **** at St. Joes This is a copy of a letter I filed with the AZ state licensing authorities the morning after the incident. A medical doctor finally examined her after 8 am the next morning, and admitted he had not read Marthas chart and was unaware of the nights activity. He spent less than five minutes with her and I have not seen him since.

I have now been restricted from seeing my partner to 6 hours a day, monday-friday (thats right no church for Martha). when I am there a nurse is in and out of the room like grand central station. She was moved to a private room (no more roommate witnesses) directly across from the charge nurses station, and when I am there, the Chief Nursing Officer and the Lead case manager position themselves at the charge nurses station and glare into Marthas room.

We are less than 1 month living in Arizona, Just purchased property and building our retirement home, (figured its time at 71 years old) and everything we own is still packed. We both have notarized living wills, power of attorneys, .... All packed somewhere. Select has blocked my four attempts to have a new POA notarized, knowing full well she will be removed as soon as it is.

Martha has very good insurance and they are paying select through the nose for Marthas care. Without the POA, no one can hire an attorney to represent Martha. Since the incident, Select has keeps Martha heavily sedated so they can justify not granting her own request for an attorney. These people are pure evil!!!

Our church ladies have gone to visit and select has denied she is even there, sending them away. She is in isolation, worse than a convicted criminal. The church ladies have witnessed her asking the staff to contact me and summon me to the room, and they have not once called me. Every right anyone thinks they have in this country is left outside the door when you file a complaint against them.

I will not be silenced; I will fight till my death to bring this abuse and dictatorship to justice. Not just for me, not just for Martha; for the rights of all.

To Be Continued: