I hate and despise Children's National Medical Center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

The fact that parents with children with serious medical issues have to deal with an incompetent broken system is just too much. How dare you lecture another parent just because you put up with this idiocy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

The fact that parents with children with serious medical issues have to deal with an incompetent broken system is just too much. How dare you lecture another parent just because you put up with this idiocy.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP, when my child was molested, the police took us to childrens for an examination. We were there for 9 hours, maybe 6 in the waiting room and 3 being shuffled around various rooms. They had no idea what to do with us. They took her blood and told me they were testing for stds an that we should start her on prophylactic antiretrovirals. They said they would have HIV results in 3 days. I said, I didn't think they could test so soon and they assured me there were new tests I didn't know about. We made it home at 4 am.

3 days later, desperate and anxious I called for results and was told those tests would have just been baseline and that we should schedule to come in 6 weeks for an actual test. FUCK YOU childrens national. Then I got a bill in the mail for $3400 because they had never taken our insurance.

Kid is fine btw. Thank god. But I thought that story might make you all feel better. I pray to never have to return there.

Wishing you the best for your kid OP.

Wow pp. So sorry for what you went through. What an absolute hell hole Children's sounds like. I'm so glad your child is doing well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the admin person. They have rules, regulations they are given and MUST follow. I understand your frustration but it's the system and, unfortunately, we all have to learn to live with the seemingly ridiculous and stupid protocols.

All medical offices have to follow rules and regulations. Why is Children's so bad at it when others are not?

[Anonymous]

OP, I would actually mention this to the doctors next time you are in. We had lots of problems at Children's (not scheduling). One of the things that the doctor did was give us the office number of a scheduler for the department.

I'm sorry. I hope that you are confident in the medical care, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suggest that all you parents who hate Children's so much take your business elsewhere, to one of the other dedicated pediatric hospitals with an identical array of highly specialized pediatric specialists and equipment.

I posted on the other thread, but if I could still get to CHOP easily, I would go there in a heartbeat over Children's National here in DC. Night and day.

Hopkins has an excellent pediatric hospital and you can get there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the admin person. They have rules, regulations they are given and MUST follow. I understand your frustration but it's the system and, unfortunately, we all have to learn to live with the seemingly ridiculous and stupid protocols.

All medical offices have to follow rules and regulations. Why is Children's so bad at it when others are not?

Is it a rule or regulation that you have to give all of your insurance information before they say no appointments are available as the OP described? That certainly seems like blaming the admin person is appropriate.

[Anonymous]

I've also had multiple problems with Children's (urology clinic). Including one time that they scheduled me for an appointment out in Fairfax (because there was a 4 month wait in DC, and this was only a 2 month wait), saying it was essential they the child have an xray (or maybe it was an u/s) 20 minutes before exam. I took the day off work, we left the house at 6 a.m. to get out to Fairfax in time for the Xray. Guess who did not even have the xray or u/s machine? The Fairfax branch of Children's. I actually broke down and started crying. This was after the staff at the DC office had been very mean to my child and started yelling at us for sitting in the area where the doctor had told us to sit, and then told us that it was "not her problem" when we said that's where the doctor told us to wait. We ended up just wandering around, trying to figure out where we were supposed to be for the doctor to find us.
The staff at the Fairfax branch were very nice, and helped us find a nearby hospital that could do the test, and then rescheduled the appointment for later that day. But it did turn a 30 minute appointment into a full day extravaganza, which my son still talks about.

I was also astounded at the fact that the rooms at Children had absolutely no books, toys, TV's anything. Each time we went, we ended up sitting in a totally bare room for over an hour waiting for the doctor.

[Anonymous]

Similar experience. I had an urgent issue with a baby that needed immediate attention and was treated terribly. They would not schedule an appointment, and also made me go through endless prescreening questions and wait time before finally telling me it wouldn't be possible. And when I would relay that the doctor said it was urgent and needed to happen ASAP and asked for advice for how to move forward or who to talk with they never offered anything and just said they didn't know. I was in tears on multiple occasions (and I am really not a crier). I never heard about the advocate there until I saw it on the previous thread. The only way we ever saw doctors was through my pediatrician calling the doctor directly to schedule. It was a harrowing experience given the stakes, having a sick baby, and the utter incompetence and uncaring nature of the admins. I understand that there are systems, I actually deal with overseas governments for a living, so I'm familiar with red tape and very used to dealing with it. But what I experienced at Children's was appalling and should be investigated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've also had multiple problems with Children's (urology clinic). Including one time that they scheduled me for an appointment out in Fairfax (because there was a 4 month wait in DC, and this was only a 2 month wait), saying it was essential they the child have an xray (or maybe it was an u/s) 20 minutes before exam. I took the day off work, we left the house at 6 a.m. to get out to Fairfax in time for the Xray. Guess who did not even have the xray or u/s machine? The Fairfax branch of Children's. I actually broke down and started crying. This was after the staff at the DC office had been very mean to my child and started yelling at us for sitting in the area where the doctor had told us to sit, and then told us that it was "not her problem" when we said that's where the doctor told us to wait. We ended up just wandering around, trying to figure out where we were supposed to be for the doctor to find us.
The staff at the Fairfax branch were very nice, and helped us find a nearby hospital that could do the test, and then rescheduled the appointment for later that day. But it did turn a 30 minute appointment into a full day extravaganza, which my son still talks about.

I was also astounded at the fact that the rooms at Children had absolutely no books, toys, TV's anything. Each time we went, we ended up sitting in a totally bare room for over an hour waiting for the doctor.

OK, the staff member is terrible, no question. But you need to grow a spine. If that had happened to me, I'd have ripped her a new one, told her to go get her supervisor and bring her to me, and then ripped the supervisor a new one. And I'd have kept my ass planted there until the doctor came back.

[Anonymous]

In contrast, the cardiac clinic has been great (in my experience). It's been 5 years since surgery and constant follow-ups, but we never had problems like this (and still don't at annual follow-ups).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've also had multiple problems with Children's (urology clinic). Including one time that they scheduled me for an appointment out in Fairfax (because there was a 4 month wait in DC, and this was only a 2 month wait), saying it was essential they the child have an xray (or maybe it was an u/s) 20 minutes before exam. I took the day off work, we left the house at 6 a.m. to get out to Fairfax in time for the Xray. Guess who did not even have the xray or u/s machine? The Fairfax branch of Children's. I actually broke down and started crying. This was after the staff at the DC office had been very mean to my child and started yelling at us for sitting in the area where the doctor had told us to sit, and then told us that it was "not her problem" when we said that's where the doctor told us to wait. We ended up just wandering around, trying to figure out where we were supposed to be for the doctor to find us.
The staff at the Fairfax branch were very nice, and helped us find a nearby hospital that could do the test, and then rescheduled the appointment for later that day. But it did turn a 30 minute appointment into a full day extravaganza, which my son still talks about.

I was also astounded at the fact that the rooms at Children had absolutely no books, toys, TV's anything. Each time we went, we ended up sitting in a totally bare room for over an hour waiting for the doctor.

OK, the staff member is terrible, no question. But you need to grow a spine. If that had happened to me, I'd have ripped her a new one, told her to go get her supervisor and bring her to me, and then ripped the supervisor a new one. And I'd have kept my ass planted there until the doctor came back.

Easy (and highly judgmental) for you to say. I'm not PP when you are at a facility's mercy, you try not to antagonize them so you can get the attention you need. Ripping her a new one might have felt good but it would probably have led to more waiting, more abuse. Who has the power in this relationship?

I'm not saying being nice works either. There's a time for both. But its really difficult to know when to take what approach with people who work in an institution you need for your child's health. Try not to be so judgy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

You are a miserable bitch.

I also have a child with a serious condition and my child gets the best care because I'm agressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

Wow, what is wrong with you?

Sorry, OP. I don't have a sick kid, but I can imagine that is so obnoxious on top of the stress you're experiencing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suggest that all you parents who hate Children's so much take your business elsewhere, to one of the other dedicated pediatric hospitals with an identical array of highly specialized pediatric specialists and equipment.

I posted on the other thread, but if I could still get to CHOP easily, I would go there in a heartbeat over Children's National here in DC. Night and day.

This.

Since CHOP is not convenient, I let my frustration with Children's led me to Georgetown, where we have had an easier time in every way AND have been extremely happy with the pediatric specialists.