Monday, July 28, 2008

OLYMPIA Medical Center it's a HELL of a Place!

I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. After spending several years of working in high-end retail and later as Vice Chairman and head of A&R at a local record company, I left in 1980 to attend UCLA’s Business School to study Real Estate. Upon completion of this education, I became a real estate appraiser and sales agent.

In 1982, I started building my Real Estate empire, obtaining licenses in Real Estate Appraisal and sales in California. A couple of years I later obtained my Nevada Appraiser’s License. Following many years of dedication and hard work, the rewards that come with such effort were beginning to come my way. In an endeavor to give back to the community, I have trained apprentice appraisers, conducted Real Estate seminars, and participated in forums. Two and a half years ago in February 2006, I went to Olympia Medical Center suffering with a pain in my left calf. The diagnosis was a blood clot. The procedure to treat this condition was called an angiogram. An angiogram is an invasive test in which a radiopaque dye is injected through a catheter inserted into the right femoral artery located in the groin. Drugs are injected through the catheter to dissolve the blood clot.
This procedure was done twice on me. The first was diagnostic and for treatment. The second was for verification that the treatment worked.
For those of you who are not aware of the procedure, let me explain it in layman terms: They start by penetrating the right groin with a probe that contains a camera that travels through the artery to my left calf. The procedure is done under local anesthesia so that pain is minimal. However, in my case, when the probe passed my left knee, the probe hit something and caused me to rise up and levitate like Linda Blair (Regan in "The Exorcist") and I screamed "OH S--T!!!".... The good news announced by my doctor is that the blood clot was dissolved and my discharge would be in two days.

This was on the Friday before Superbowl Sunday. A few visitors came to visit me and watch the game. I made my plans to go home the next day.

Things changed abruptly when around 5 o’clock next morning, I woke up with excruciating pain in my right groin. My thigh was swollen to nearly twice the size of normal. I used the patient call button to call the nurse's station to tell her about the pain and swelling. Her response was stunning, “I’m busy.” Later, a nurse came into the room to bring a Tylenol-Codeine. Because this was not a condition the medication would successfully treat, I did not take it. A few minutes I used the patient call button again and the response was "I told you I was busy!" I then paged the hospital doctor who performed the procedure, and got no response. All during that time, my leg felt as if something was exploding inside. I remembered I had my cell phone, so I called my sister who was working as a surgical nurse at Kaiser Permenate. After advising her what was happening, I asked her to contact my personal doctor.

When my doctor arrived, he took one look at my leg and he said, "Oh my God!" He immediately rushed me to surgery.
When I woke up from the surgery the next day, I thought I was dead because I was in the same room where my mother died two years earlier.
Healing has been slow and my life has changed in many ways. Whereas I walked into the hospital on my own power, now I am on a walker.... Moreover, the hospital says they did everything right, that they followed the Standard of Care. Tell me what you think.
TO BE CONTINUED

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW! You know you spend most of your life preparing and trying to figure out what's the best course for success & financial security. To have accomplished all that you have educationally, reaching goals in your career, and helping others by imparting the knowledge and know-how that you've acquired this has to be a troublesome situation to endure - not to mention inconvenient. From the accounts you've expressed, there definitely appears to be a severe case of negligence and mistreatment. Please pursue it legally. They must be held accountable. The state of dependency this has reduced you to (using a walker...imagine that), warrants investigation and compensation. Keeping you in my prayers. IPD

Anonymous said...

I have seen the result personally of what happened to G. and it is not pretty. For this hospital not to want to take responsibility for the actions or should I say non action of their nursing staff is a perfect example the inhmanity of our country today. G's life has changed dramatically...from working daily,going on vacations, out to dinner, shopping (the normal things people do)to barely being able to make Dr. appointments and having to depend on others to do the most simple tasks for him. Because why? Oh, I forgot...the nurse was too busy.

Anonymous said...

I think that it is unconscionable for the hospital to take the postion that it has. They are responsible for proper training and staffing to provide the care that is expected of them. When they are unable to fulfill that resposiblity they need to take resposibility. More importantly we are not talking about a botched oil change on a car. We are talking about a human life and mor importantly my good freind. My family has had a similar experience in Atlanta with worse results and it has torn my family up. Hospitals need to step up to the plate and provide better care. It is not about percentages, return on investment, and net profits.

Anonymous said...

This makes me think about what happen in the 80's when the doctors went on strike, what was noticed is that the death toll dropped drastically. They have so much to cover up until they have to stick together. The entire industry could burst wide open if one person talks. You have to be an insider to really find out whats going on and who's running the show. Keep trugging something will break for you, stay persistant. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

It really hurts me to see how the negligence of this hospital has altered the life of my brother-friend. I miss you. I miss our travels, I miss ours dinners, I miss our celebrations, I miss our going to concerts and simply having fun, why, all because the damn nurse was busy! I lost my sister to death because of neglect in the hospital. This has got to stop! Someone needs to do something about it. I guess it needs to hit home of one of their family members or loved ones before its taken seriously. Keep your head up...don't give up.

Anonymous said...

As I drive past Olympia Midica Center I think... wow what a great job they have done giving the place a face lift. But after hearing this horror story my thoughts turn to... wow what a waste to have a medical facility in the community that you can't trust and would try to avoid all together. All to often we fine companies focusing their efforts on the external affairs of their business instead of putting their efforts where it really counts where the customers, patrons or in this case patience could benefit.

I've visited this facility on more than one occasion and each time I was glad I was not the one in need of care. I have found this hopsital to be more image conscience that patient conscience. I have found their staff to be apathetic and desentized to the needs of their patients.

I wish you well on your road to recovery.

Anonymous said...

File a complaint with the
State Health Department
The State Health Department will decide if they did everything right.

Kimberly J. Sizemore said...

I've always thought that hospitals were not the best place to be sometimes,especially when one's medical Professional is not on call.
Neglect can kill you faster than anything, and to become disabled due to someone else's lack of professionalism is unforgivable.

Rita S said...

Olympia is disgraceful! My boyfriend's mother died there too and I always thought things were not right. They're just butchers and they ought to be closed down.

Anonymous said...

NORMAN BROWN said . . .
My name is Norman Brown and I live in the area near the Olympia Hospital. I don't understand why or how a hospital can do such awful things. It used to be that hospitals were concerned with healing people, now it's all about how much money they can make. Somebody told me that Olympia charges nearly $5,000 a day for a room there, and that's more than Cedars, the good hospital, as hospitals go. I hope George's blog gets seen far and wide because people need to know and if you need to be hospitalized in Los Angeles DON'T go to Olympia.

Anonymous said...

This is totally unacceptable treatment and that medical center needs to be held accountable!!! This is what you truly call "malpractice". Please do not give in to them, because you and I both know that they will offer you pennies and expect you to be happy if anything at all, but they owe you the world, so please demand it!!! Stand your ground. And you should get the media involved and exposed them.

Anonymous said...

Never been there and will never go there. Whenever I or a family member is hospitalized another family member or friend stays with them morning and night, it is crazy and disturbing but this is what we fear - neglect can kill you as quickly as poor care. Hang in there and sue the heck out of them.

Anonymous said...

This is a disturbing story.
While never one to rush to judgment, I trust you will follow up with appropriate legal action since it certainly seems the callousness of the nurse is a basis for malpractice. And you should file a complaint against her with the state.

Anonymous said...

This is very disturbing to me, we place our trust in the medical system as well as the nurses and to here of this situation.

This is negligence on the Medical Centers behalf. not only for giving the proper care to this patient, but for and member of their staff to tell a patient in pain their too busy to address his/her concerns.

This person has lost alot and could have lost his life.

Anonymous said...

SUE THEIR GOAT SMELLING AZZES! ESPECIALLY THAT BUSY NURSE!!! HOW DARE SHE. IF SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG, SHE WOULD BE THE FIRST TO COVER EVERYTHING UP. SUE THEM UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Anonymous said...

enough said buddy malpractice lawsuit you think.dont wait to long

Anonymous said...

you talk about the 'care' you received. i'm curious about the bill. a friend went to a hospital in st louis due to anemia and one night's hospital stay and 4 pints later, she has a bill of $40,000. where is the justice?

Anonymous said...

It is disgraceful how this neglect at Olympia has caused you such pain an suffering.
What should have been a routine procedure has turned into a life changing nightmare.
Olympia should be held accountable.
Good luck to you.

Anonymous said...

First of all, the nurse should have assessed your complaint and contacted your physician when and if she evaluated you, that your leg was twice as big as when she first assessed you. you definitely had a "Change in Condition" which shouldn"t have went unnoticed. You call that negligent!! No nurse should be too busy to assess her patients complaints even if they are confused!! You need to seek legal counsel. Take care! God Bless

Anonymous said...

As a 72 year old man I have had the misfortune to be hospitalized on several occasion's. For the most part, the medical treatment and nursing care I received was what any patient should expect to receive of such a facility, competence, compassion and quality care. Anything less is appalling and intolerable. We should never allow indifference and and second rate treatment to become commonplace in our society. So my advise is to you young man is to stick to your position and don't let those responsible get away with such shameful and inhumane treatment. Sincerely, from one who cares.

Anonymous said...

Ruth Walters says . . .
First to the Google Blog system, I tried for the last 45 minutes to create an account so my post would not show up as anonymous, but it kept rejecting my entry of the "word verification." So google, you got to make it easier to join, I wanted my name to show because I got nothing to hide.
RUTH'S COMMENT:
I have witnessed this dreadful situation develop almost from the beginning, including procedures by the hospital's employees that would be illegal in the most deprived, undeveloped, Third World countries. If they were following "Standard of Care," one should never step foot in another hospital if the goal is to live.

We are given wake-up calls almost daily regarding the atrocities of our health care system, and until we take a stand to hold medical facilities accountable for substandard, life-threatening treatment there will be no change.

I hope you nail'em!!

Anonymous said...

Maxine McNeal said...
George, the day to day state of your health that I witnessed when I came to visit was uncomfortable as a visitor, so I know it was physically and emotionally draining to you. I remember you being in pain and dependent on your sister to advocate on your behalf. I don't want to imagine what would happen to the patient without a family member/advocate to be their voice. Olympia Medical Center should be closed. It is of no use to the community in which is is to serve, when the staff is too "busy" to provide care.

Anonymous said...

ELIZABETH YOUNG said . . .

Olympia Medical Center is the closest hospital to where I live on S. Clark Drive. Now that I know what happened to George, If I EVER need to go to a hospital, it will NOT be Olympia.

Anonymous said...

and I bet that "Busy Bitc! still has a job......Right.

Anonymous said...

It's unfortunate that the OUR communities are consistantly plagued with instances of disregard, negligence, abuse and more.....Our Schools are lead by unqualified instructors, Our streets are patroled by Certified Gangster thugs with guns called law enforcement, and Our Hospitals are filled with idiots that passed an on-line medical course.....They call themselves professionals. You deserve to be treated with dignity, I agree that "this warrants investigation and compensation"

Anonymous said...

KEITH said. . .

I told George not to go to that hospital cause it was wack. I am so sorry he had to learn the hard way, now he can't even work.

OLYMPIA MEDICAL CENTER is a killing machine. George, you are LUCKY to be alive.

Anonymous said...

I was there the morning George went into emergency surgury. I was at the hospital at least every other day. He looked pretty bad. I caught a glimpse of his leg. It was black and blue and very swollen. After I saw his leg I started to get nervous. He wasnt acting like someone who just got a blood clot cleared and was about to get out of the hospital. This botched procedure was supposed to take 2 days, George was in the hospital for 3 months. He didnt mention in his blog the staph infection that he got in the hospital that had to be cut out surgically. This would be the standard of care more for a morturary than a hospital, where people go to get better. Working with George for the past 5 years, knowing the George before this happend and after, I can say I do miss the jovial person that George would be. Not saying that he's not fun any more but I guess its just hard to be jocular when youre in so much pain. For all who read this and know me, please, please please, if I get into an accident near Olympic Medical Center, take me to Cedars. Its just right up the street. I'll pay you for gas. Better than paying with your life at Olympia.

Ken Steverson

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how the very people that you pretty much rely on with your life and intrust to be more that caring in your time of need such as this can simply treat you as a mere number with no regard to your health care (even when it may ultimately mean you life). Something has to be done as to the accountabilty of such people!

Anonymous said...

I have been a registered nurse for almost 15 years and have never ever heard of such neglect. I am repulsed by the ethics of the nurses in that hospital. I would be interested to know, had you had procedures successfully in that hospital before, was this hospital recommended to you or did you choose it because your mom had been treated there before? I am the FIRST nurse to admit that the day gets long, paperwork never ends and some patients stay on the call light but it is our responsiblity and duty to provide quality focused comprehensive health care services to each and every patient we encounter. I would never tell a patient "I am busy" because at that moment, in that patient eyes, nothing I am doing is more important that his or her need. I am sure I would feel the same way as a patient. Not to excuse the nurses' behavior but she only did as is commonly done in some hospitals because hospital workers are overworked and understaffed and the nurse to patient ratio is usually so high no one can recieved quality care. Ironically this is the very reason I quit the hospital over 11years ago and never went back, because I believe in, "nursing the patient" and the paperwork came later where as the attitude of the hospital was "treat 'em and street 'em" and as a new and very impressionable nurse, this was not the attitude I wanted. I have never regretted my decision On behalf of nurses everywhere, I apologize for the way you were treated and for the extra ordeal you have and are currently facing. And here you are a well established, well educated man, the poor sap treated there with no insurance probably doesn't stand a chance.

Anonymous said...

KITTY NICHOLSON said . . .

George, I think what happened to you at Olympia is terrible. Keep fighting them because you know they were wrong. Plus, my own mom died there when it was called Midway. Same place, new name. The place is just BAD!

Anonymous said...

This is an example of unacceptable care and not taking the responsibility for such, which, to me is unthinkable. "Too busy" is not an excuse for negligence. You have detailed descriptions of what took place during your hospitalization which is excellent. Keep fighting - the level of care at this institution MUST be improved for ALL patients!

Anonymous said...

wow,
i did'n't know some of these details and having read this i am left with a feeling of pain and the renewal of an old dissappointment. A dissappointment supreesed long ago because of my expirience in the "healthcare" profession.
the dissappointment in the hospital.
it has been said to me by more than one person that hospitals are somewhere you go to die.

i chose the section called alternative health care, because i saw how things work in the doctors offices.
i was not reassured to see how short the visits were for the patients,eventhough they would wait in the waiting rooms for sometimes hours, and how many drugs were prescribed, they had to pay for a followup visit even when they did not need one.
the list goes on.
but i was dissappointed in the apparent methodology of the doctors office.
so called alternative practices are based on prevention. prevention is the only way to go,
a healthy physical,emotional and spiritual practice is essential for health.and thank goodness for doctors and hospitals, when you need them, its nice to have them.

however, when a hospital neglects a patient, it is damaging to my desire to trust something ive been taught,to believe in;
hospitals.

the effort i have seen george give to correcting his damaged health has been that of a hero,
up against an army bent on not helping him,
physical challenges that are painfully staggering and daily challenges that would make anyone angry.
as a body therapist for 22 years and a yoga teacher for 10,
i can see clearly that george's attitude and efforts have been razor sharp focussed, or bent, if you will, on healing and getting through this,
back to health.
This hospital has the chance to rescue one of its patients,
is there anything that could help them to see how brillient it would be for them to save this patient,
telling the truth is good for the soul and improves business,
give it a shot

i truly believe george deserves to be given the recognition and recompense he needs.

his attitude toward getting through this has been paramount,
this hospital needs to rescue this patient,patient.

Anonymous said...

Edward Clark said. . .

Man, I feel your pain. You're doing the right thing by putting out an online billboard giving folks the warning, "Olympia Medical Center" treats it's patients like shit. I'll tell everyone I know,

Anonymous said...

what awful negligence. I wish you luck in obtaining justice in this matter. Health care in this country needs help.

Anonymous said...

I have known George for over thirty years and have witnessed his successes that didn't come easy.

He is a dedicated man and works hard to be nothing but the best in his field.

To see him short changed like this is very disheartning.

I would hope some one would take the time and care to rectify this horrendous situation.

The thought of not being able to work is devistating, and now having to live on a fixed income much less than he made will take it's toll also!

Anonymous said...

Damn, this is just WRONG. The busy nurse needs to be beat within an inch of her life and then fired, but I'll defer to your attorney as I'm sure you've retained one.

Anonymous said...

I was critically ill with a life threatening illness last september, Thank God I was in New York and not California!
Geography does make a difference. One usually compares the third world with ours.

Obvioulsly within the US the variance in patient care and treatment varies as much as it does in the third world.

California does not seem to be a place where one should seek elective medical treatment.

If your having a heart attack I pray for you in california as your options for survival are limited.

Anonymous said...

anonymous said......Wow! I live near Olympia Medical Center ----but i will not visit this hospital if that what to call it. Seek legal help that is a severe case of negligence.

God Speed

Anonymous said...

IRIS CARTER said...

Here's the deal Olympia Medical Center is the PITTS and they know it. The owners need to milk that cow so they ain't gonna pay for their mistakes unless they can't get out of it. What is so insidious is that there's that select little club of hired guns who meet on the golf course and decide that they will keep the circle closed, meaning if you don't deal with one of the club all you have is a prayer. Well prayer is powerful, so never give up.

Iris Carter,
Carthay Circle, Los Angeles

Anonymous said...

Dr. Jim Farrar said...
I was critically ill with a life threatening illness last September, Thank God I was in New York and not California!
Geography does make a difference. One usually compares the third world with ours.

Obviously within the US the variance in patient care and treatment varies as much as it does in the third world.

California does not seem to be a place where one should seek elective medical treatment.

If your having a heart attack I pray for you in California as your options for survival are limited.
August 5, 2008 4:39 PM

Anonymous said...

Dr. Jim Farrar said...
I was critically ill with a life threatening illness last September, Thank God I was in New York and not California!
Geography does make a difference. One usually compares the third world with ours.

Obviously within the US the variance in patient care and treatment varies as much as it does in the third world.

California does not seem to be a place where one should seek elective medical treatment.

If your having a heart attack I pray for you in California as your options for survival are limited.
August 5, 2008 4:39 PM

Anonymous said...

just sue their ASSETS!!

Anonymous said...

Just Sue their Assets even thats not enough ucant buy good health or u another life or pay U to go through that ordeal They should Praythat theyorsomeone theyLOVE dont go throughtheOrdeal Udid

Anonymous said...

Just Sue their Assets even thats not enough ucant buy good health or u another life or pay U to go through that ordeal They should Praythat theyorsomeone theyLOVE dont go throughtheOrdeal Udid

Anonymous said...

G.- I know first hand at what your are experiencing except in my situation it was with a another classic hospital (Kaiser). My best friends mother was misdiagnosed and due to that negligence his mother passed away. It tore his family up for many years after that and even though they were compensated for their loss, no amount of money can bring your mother back. But I agree with everyone who has commented to your blog, stay tough and fight back. Not just for yourself but for so many others who are misdiagnosed daily and the impact it has not to just them but to their families as well. I fully believe that they should be held responsible for their actions. Don't EVER give up. Life may be short for all of us in the long picture but it shouldn't be cut short from an arrogant and truly nasty nurse. I know your in the walker through our talks and that is just terrible and I'm so sorry to hear about that but I still owe you a fresh can of tennis balls. Sometime in the future we'll hook up and I'll cut them out for you and attach them to the legs of your walker. J/K man. But seriously keep your head and keep on fighting. Your a good guy my man. Take care of Yourself and the ones you love
Rob