Highline Medical Center

First off, I would put ZERO stars, but the format is not letting me.
I was taken to High– line Hospital after having a severe panic attack. I was not doing well at all. I was seen at the ER. The ER doc told me that I was ok, and that there was no reason to keep me there.
I was hyperventilating, dizzy, and afraid of the way I was feeling. I Had no where to go, as I had recently got out of a relationship, there was no one to call. It was a bad night, but got much worse.
They had the on staff Psych doctor evaluate me. Instead of being understanding, and listening to me, he threatened me, saying that if I didn’t get control of myself, that I would be going to the psych ward. Hearing that made my anxiety and panic go through the roof.
Please note, that I was never hospitalized for any prior ailments.
Then, one of the worst nights of my life occurred. I was taken to the psych floor. There was a plastic like object in the middle of the room, and nothing else. It was a bed, something one might see in a prison. I was given a blanket for a pillow, and a blanket for cover. I was locked inside the room. I heard people screaming all night.
The charge nurse, (sadly I cant recall her name, if I did I would put in a formal complaint), told me to lay down, and to pull it together, and to not come out of the room period. There were also two cameras in the room.
Trying to stay calm. I just sat on the bed. After several hours, I knocked on the door, and asked her if I could use the bathroom.
She than threatened me, saying that if I got up again, that she would put restraints on me.
I was not a violent, hostile, crazy patient, so why restrain me? After that, I went back to the bed, and ended up wetting myself. It was the longest, scariest night in my life. I literally felt like I was in prison.
The hospital staff, were the most unprofessional heath care workers
that I’ve ever had.
The nurses would roll there eyes, and talk about me, in front of me! When asked a question, both the Docs and Nurses, were very empathetic,
If I can help it, I will never step foot in another hospital again.

Had to go back to the ER recently because my son hurt his shoulder playing recreational football. Waited for 1.5hr in the lobby then they tried to call us up again to triage and claimed that we didn’t lose our place due to that. Finally after 2hr, we got to a room. RN came in a quickly gave him a gown, and we didn’t see her until discharge. Lab tech came to take x-​rays and kept pushing on his injured shoulder by accident. Brought him back, still no Dr. or nurse. Finally a PA shows up and says he has a «small fracture» on his collar bone. All the while he’s in great pain (they only gave him and Ibuprofen in the lobby). Another nurse comes in and quickly puts a sling on him and we get discharged…4.5hr later. After getting the x-​rays and going to a UW Orthopedic Dr. his collar bone isn’t just fractured, it’s snapped in half and now in a triangular shape! Horrible service, incompetent, and I’m sure I’ll get quite a bill for very little service. Never again! I’ll go across the valley to Valley MC unless I’m going to bleed out before I get there.

Don’t go to this hospital if you want to go to the emergency room this place is ridiculous there was 1 person at the front desk when I took my mom because she fell on her leg on the cement. Her leg was swollen and needed to be looked at right away and it took them 10mins to bring out the wheel chair to come take her in. I’m going to valley medical emergency from now on because Chi Franciscan is ridiculous. They need to start hiring more people in the emergency room, there should be at least 5 people working there at the front desk not 1.

Dr. Joy Zhao and her office of inefficient staff rejects patients circuitously (probably to avoid additional lawsuits). She isn’t straightforward and tries to sell you on paying for acupuncture out of your own pocket. She over promises. She claims that she can cure a neurological condition with 4 acupuncture sessions. Her office staff Sierra and the receptionist could careless about patients. Records requested were never forwarded, with continuous delays. Blood pressure wrap was so tight and sloppy and it seemed wrong.

I absolutely hate this place. I went to the emergency room and ended up waiting for 4 hours just to be seen. Then once I was seen they gave me a spinal tap and sent me home saying everything was fine. 2 days later I went to valley and was admitted into the hospital immediately for a month. They are absolutely not professional here and do not care about their patients. Will never go here again.

If you want to die, go here. No one seems to know anything. LITERALLY. If you ask someone that works here a question no one knows how to get around the hospital, no one knows how to find information about a patient there.

I work here as a midwife but I just moved here three months ago from Chicago. I can tell you that the nurses in the birth center are very experienced and compassionate. They really care about keeping babies and moms together and about breastfeeding. The doctors I work with are very patient and honor my client’s birth plans. Our patients are able to walk around the unit, labor in tubs, and eat and drink in labor. The only thing we cannot offer at this time is waterbirth. It is wonderful that families can stay in the same room from the time they are admitted to the time they take baby home. I absolutely love the midwives I work with. They are caring and extremely knowledgeable. I really like that when we midwives are attending women in labor we do not have any clients booked in the office so we can really be present and attentive to our clients. Right now any client who shows up for labor and delivery is delivered by a midwife unless she is high risk. This leads to a very low c-​section rate. I am so excited to love where I work and truly be able to say it is a great place for women and families!

I had to take my husband to the ER 4 times in 2 days. They remembered us, were very nice, and professional. Each Dr. took the time to listen and offer us answers the best they could. I an very glad to have them close by my house.

The worse hospital I’ve ever dealt with in all of the states and countries in which I have lived. Zero respect and privacy with front desk staff, walls made of tissue through which I can easily hear staff vividly discussing patient test results, and a staggering array of incompetent doctors.
I went in with a bacterial infection in my left eye that needed only some antibiotic eye drops. The doctor (Dr. Daguio) came in and insisted that my eye be treated with fluorescein as she was convinced it was lacerated. She disappears for about 10 minutes looking for an eye kit with the appropriate diagnostic reagents, which included a conversation with staff questioning the sterility of one of the test components (a bottle of saline). The doctor reappeared with a dilapidated eye kit, the contents of which were mostly expired. I was eventually given a referral to an ophthalmologist, who prescribed the antibiotic eye drops that the doctor could have just as easily prescribed.
Over a month after this appointment and I had received no bill. I phone CHI Franciscan billing, hold for over 20 minutes, and finally get through to a customer service rep. She informs me the bill has been generated and was mailed out 2÷13÷16. When I tell her that is the exact problem, as a bill has yet to arrive but I’m being told it was sent, she simply replied that it was probably «somewhere in the mail» and that she could not be held responsible for the time it takes USPS to deliver the bills. I have three friends whose bills were sent to collections because Highline was mailing their bills to a completely incorrect address; I obviously do not want this to happen. But they assume zero responsibility in ensuring bills reach patients, and I was told a bill was mailed out last week and it has yet to reach me.
I’m blown away this place is allowed to continue to operate. It is the lowest rated hospital in the greater Seattle area for many reasons. It is a shame it is the only hospital in the area; it would have been hard to get to Harborview while only being able to use one eye but would have been the better choice in the end. Be warned. This place is terrible.

I’ve started going here in recent months as it’s where my GP in the area, Dr Choi, has preferred sending me. Continuing my quest of narrowing down possibilities…
So far, I’ve had an EKG, a cardiologist visit w/​Dr Gottlieb, and echo here. The sessions themselves weren’t bad; everyone at least seemed indifferent to friendly. Dr Gottlieb and his assistant, Julie, were nice folks. I just didn’t like the aloud chit chat or gossip going on at the front desk. The least they can do is step inside to some place private. That is a major pet peeve of mine and if I encounter that again, I’ll plan to find a different, similar doctor with a more courteous and professional team.
As for the facility, not bad. Signage and directions getting around could use improvement inside and outside, as well as ease of contact information in all departments on their website (why is it so difficult to get in contact with someone?).
TL:DR = C–

absolutely agree w/​Leigh F.: «‘nothing short of disappointing. The «care» was rude, judgmental, and flat out incompetent.’ «…& wait for the billing to begin ! an absolute nightmare w/​no attempts to explain by office ~ because the billing software is just that awful. have changed medical plans just to get away from EVER interacting w/​this ‘company’ again. **& what Trevor H. said: its sadly true .& not the 1^st horror story I have heard since my experience. A new resident no longer. I now have learned to choose my care; not be a victim of it.

I have absolutely nothing nice to say about this «hospital.»
As someone who works at a top ranked and nationally recognized healthcare institute, I am very familiar with the level of care and professionalism all hospitals should aim to provide.
The interactions I had with the ER staff here during my family member’s visit was nothing short of disappointing. The «care» was rude, judgmental, and flat out incompetent.
When a concerned family members asks for an update on their loved one’s status, you NEVER say you don’t have the TIME. Even if that may actually be the case, if you’re truly concerned with providing an excellent level of care and positive healthcare experience then I can tell you that there are always ways to FIND the time, and there is DEFINITELY a more polite way to defer the conversation or ask me to wait if absolutely necessary.
Seriously, if my life depended on it I absolutely would NOT come here because the «care» wouldn’t make a difference. If you can afford the time it takes to visit a different hospital, you’ll probably be better off in doing so.

THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE AVOID ALL COST
My mother had a medical emergency on a lay over flight coming into Seattle to San Diego. Her abdominal region was in so much pain she compared it to «child labor» we call an ambulance and are transported to highline. She was placed in the ER at around 2pm and was questioned about her symptoms. Many of the nurses worked on her as she cried in pain. They placed an IV in and did a terrible job putting it in. She said that it hurt where the needle was. My mom had a CT scan then an ultra sound. Between each test it took over 3 hours too quote, «look them over» you could tell the nurses didn’t really know what the heck was going on. My mom was asked about no joke 20 times «are you taking medicine for your pain?» The nurses came in took little vitals and said «well be back in 15 minutes» yeah 2 hours later not a single nurse has came. It took an hour to get my mom some water for Christ sake. She was diagnosed with a cyst in her ovaries and was so overfilled with blood it could pop and possibly kill her. Yet they said, «we don’t support your insurance» and told her they are discharging her. We have no hotel, no car, and no flight. The doctor told us that she was, «talking to group health.» It’s been 2 and a half hours since she said she was going to discharge my mom. And yet no one has come yet. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST!!! They did nothing and pretty much told my mom your screwed and made us wait for nothing. Patients are people in dire need, not some person you try to take as much money as possible before you leave. If you’re looking for help and actually need assistance trust me, please I’m trying to help whoever is reading this. Go somewhere else.

I had my second child here as well. There were no complications with the super-​fast delivery (she wanted OUT, NOW), but there were complications with the baby as she couldn’t catch her breath. She had to be taken to the nursery (they don’t have a NICU) and had some interventions to get her breathing normally. After that, we had to stay three days so that she could be monitored. Unfortunately, that meant she had to stay in the nursery the whole time, and not in-​room, which is usually the policy. But everyone was very accommodating to us. We were allowed to go in and hold her at any time, for as long as I wanted. I was brought in to nurse her as soon as she and I were stable. I was supported in nursing her, or could choose to have her formula-​fed if I wanted, no judgement passed and only support either way. Again everything was explained to me and I never felt uninformed or ignored.

Good hospital, overworked staff. They definitely need a better working attitude. They are so overworked and cocky; makes me not want to go there. Few of the doctors seem to not care about their job. They are semi quick. I’ve seen people their for wayyyy to long. They definitely seem to treat people of different race not as well as they would someone who speaks full english and has money. Lot of improvement needed. Recommend only if it’s closest hospital to you and can’t for some reason go to other hospital.

Their soda machine in the cafeteria ripped me off for 2 dollars and I wasn’t happy about it

Ambulance brought me here when I got sick in the airport (a while back). I had a great ER doctor, wish I could remember her name!
Wasn’t very impressed with the ER however. Basically a curtain between each «room»! Absolutely not privacy… So much for HIPPA!
Got to «learn» a lot about everybody’s issues, problems and sicknesses because you could hear everything. It was amusing and somewhat entertaining to me because there was no TV and I was traveling by myself, so I had no visitors. Made for a real life soup opera!
Kept me from going nuts starting at my blue curtains.

Update 8÷3÷2015
After filing a complaint with the hospital, we received a response that was dismissive and flat out false with a lot of «covering our butt» language. As we’ve learned since the original review, my wife was not a couple days from dying, she was maybe a few hours. Had we listened to the original ER doc and followed his advice, she would be dead now.
Please just go somewhere else, I sure hope they fix these problems before they actually do kill someone.
Original:
I don’t have the energy to go into details about our experience, but as some of the other reviewers have said, unless you just need a doc in the box and your life doesn’t depend on a real doctor, this place is fine, they’ll treat and street just like the best of them. But if you have a real medical need, just go somewhere else.
Long story short, my wife was sent home with no treatment and a «hope your body will fix itself», which I might add that we have literally the best insurance you can possibly get, and had it not been for me insisting she go see another doctor, it’s possible, even probable that she could have died within a couple days. Luckily the doctor she saw, actually a nurse practitioner, was shocked that they let her leave and told her to get back to the ER immediately where it was found that she was dangerously anemic and needed an transfusion.
Just don’t go here if you need an ER, take the extra few minutes and go to Swedish or Virginia Mason, at least they’ll make an effort.

Also! Just got the bill. 700 dollars and all they did was draw my blood when I begged them not to after the third attempt because the first two times they «didn’t get enough»
And never gave me water or any sort of juice or anything after they drained my arm. Even after I asked.

Avoid!!! I was in severe pain and my neck had swelled out. Went to the Emergency room on 10÷29÷14. Was sent away doped up on pain killers, and a prescription for more. When I saw my doctor 10 hours later at 11am, he was furious. Immediately hospitalized me for two days. He said they should have stuck me on antibiotics and done the same. Had to have surgery.
Now I’m fighting with Highline for their billing. They are in network with my insurance, but want me to pay $ 483 for after hours service. After copay. Highline wants me to pay for a doctor that spent 5 minutes with me. Putting me on pain meds, and not taking the time to see something was seriously wrong.
Do not go here! You maybe risking your life, and you’ll be heavily billed.