Jefferson Memorial Hospital Crystal City MO ER services

Jefferson Memorial Hospital

1400 US Highway 61 South

PO Box 350

Crystal City, MO 63019

I am not sure if I am writing the correct person or place, but I have a complaint against JMH in Crystal City, MO. Last night my grandmother called my home complaining of heart palpitations. I am a nurse so I asked about her symptoms and just to be sure my mother and I took her to the er to get checked out. I did my own physical assessment on her before we got to the hospital. We were immediately triaged and sent to an examining room. That was the only thing they did do right. It took the nurse about 30-45 minutes to arrive to the examining room after we arrived. When she did come in she looked disheveled and had an attitude that she didn't really care. For example she was slouchy, her scrub pants were hanging on her exposing her panties, the bottom of her scrub pants were dirty, and she did not annunciate her words when she spoke. At that time she did no physical exam on my grandmother, she didn't even come in the room with a stethoscope. The physician then came in after the nurse. He asked a couple of health questions and then asked about anxiety and depression. He then decided that since she had had some history of anxiety of depression 4 years ago when her husband died she must be having an anxiety attack. He ordered an EKG and labs. And he ordered a one time dose of Ativan. Which is a very strong anti-anxiety medicine. Never did he do a physical assessment on my grandmother. He did not listen to her heart or her lungs. Nor did he assess anything else. Of course my grandma refused the Ativan. She was perfectly calm at the time. Her vital signs were stable. She was resting comfortably in the bed. It really makes me angry that a physician would stereotype someone because of a history of anxiety and depression. Isn't that a normal reaction to the death of a husband of 53 years? The nurse never did do a physical assessment. Neither did the doctor, but at least he had a stethoscope. The nurse never came in the room with a stethoscope. She obviously charted some kind of assessment though. Which would be a lie. The only time she touched my grandmother was to start and IV. Then when we were discharged she never went over instructions with us. I am very concerned for patients who come to this hospital. If I had no medical background I wouldn't know the difference. What if the carelessness would have caused my grandmother to die? If there is anywhere else I need to write to get the message out, please let me know who to write to.

Thank You, Sarah Patton