Teche Regional Medical Center LifePoint Hospitals careless negligent greedy Morgan City, Louisiana

On August 4, 2012 I sought treatment at Teche Regional Medical Center ER for nausea, vomiting, and what was diagnosed as cellulitis to my left lower leg.  I was given Ancef via IV and sent home with a script for Cephalexin.  I was surprised that I was not admitted or at the very least transferred to Chabert Medical Center for admission.

My first issue was the second nurse that treated me.  The nurse seemed as if she could care less.  I notified her after I returned from getting an ultrasound of my leg that I was in a lot of pain.  Part of the procedure for the ultrasound included squeezing on the leg.  She never gave me any pain medication.

Next when she went to sign me out she would not let me sign myself out.  I asked why I couldn't sign myself out.  She stated I had been given morphine and I was not able to sign myself out.  I was given 2mg morphine four hours prior.  The morphine never made me loopy, dizzy, nor affected any of my cognitive abilities.  I attempted to explain this to the nurse but she turned her back to me and had my nanny sign me out.

She asked if I needed a wheelchair.  She went to get a wheelchair.  She locked it and left it in the room.  She saw I was in excruciating pain trying to put my sock on my foot.  My leg was swollen to almost twice the size as my right left.  She never asked if I was OK or even acknowledge I was in pain.  On discharge no discharge vitals were taken.  She never even asked my pain level on discharge (nor did she ask my pain level an hour prior when I told her I was still in a lot of pain).

Finally, my nanny had to wheel me out.  After the nurse locked the wheelchair she went back to the nurses station and sat down.  Her location in proximity to my room was literally across from it.  A mere 3-5 feet away.  She saw my nanny wheel me out.  We left the wheelchair outside at the bottom of the ER entrance ramp.  To my knowledge the nurse (or medical personnel) was supposed to wheel a discharged patient out... especially one that was unable to walk.

I was given a script for cephalexin (antibiotic) and hydrocodone (pain medication).  The problem with the pain medication was that I was released at 9 P.M.  There were no pharmacies open at this time on a Saturday night.  The pharmacy department of all the local pharmacies closed at 6 P.M. on Saturdays.  No 24-hr pharmacies.. unless you feel like driving over an hour (one way) to a 24-hour Walgreens.

Two days later the cellulitis worsened.  My foot started to have a light bluish hue to it.  Seeing the treatment I had received on August 4, 2012 I was not about to waste any more time with Teche Regional Medical Center.

I was driven by my father to Chabert Medical Center ER.  The ER doctor asked me what was I given for the cellulitis.  As soon as I told him what I was given he said that would not work at all and stated I would have to be admitted to the hospital.  I was hospitalized for thirteen days in Chabert and put on a total of six different antibiotics over the course of the stay.  I was released on August 19, 2012.  I was still not able to walk normally for almost two weeks after release form Chabert.

About a week and a half after I was released I received a call from the billing department at Teche Regional.  I politely explained to the lady on the phone that I refused to pay the bill do to the careless and negligent attitude of the hospital.  I also explained what all I went through during my 13 days of hospitalization.

The lady at Teche Regional stated that she would make a note of this in the computer and proceed from there.  I notified her that if "proceed from here" meant collections then I would not hesitate to sue the hospital and the negligent ER doctor.  I stated that I was willing to accept them voiding the bill and in return I would not sue Teche Regional or the doctor.

I did not receive any further communications from the hospital.  About two weeks later I received a statement from Payment America Systems, Inc out of Nashville, TN.  Payment America Systems is a collection agency.  It seems to me that the hospital is attempting to call my bluff.

I have written a letter to Butch Frazier, CEO of Teche Regional Medical Center.  I will be sending a carbon copy of that letter to William F. Carpenter, III, CEO of LifePoint Hospitals.  LifePoint Hospitals is based out of Brentwood, TN and is the corporation that owns Teche Regional Medical Center.

In the letter I have notified them that this matter has been listed on RipOffReport.  I initially tried to amicably resolve this matter with Teche Regional.  Since Teche Regional decided to ignore my attempt to resolve this matter I feel the company does not take legal threats very seriously or they simply don't care about patients that have been treated in a negligent manner.  For this reason I decided to warn others about Teche Regional Medical Center, LifePoint Hospitals, as well as their negligent and careless attitude towards patients.