Catawba Valley Medical Center

UPDATE: 9÷15÷2014.
I received a bill today from CVMC today for my three hour, same day surgical visit…$ 6500. That is nothing short of highway robbery, by unethical, uncivilized, a-​holes. My insurance company discounted $ 3000 of the charge, and CVMC agreed. What does that tell you about their initial charge being honest or correct? Sheesh! Of the $ 3000, my insurance paid $ 1000, so I am left with a $ 2000 bill for three hours in their care.
I’ve asked for an itemized bill, so that I may review the charges for authenticity. I’m not paying a dime until I receive this summary…
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I received a letter recently from my cardiology group advising me that Catawba Valley medical had discontinued their relationship.
For heart related problems… go to Frye Regional or Carolinas Medical in Charlotte.

This place is absolutely horrible. My girlfriend and I waited in that place for over six hours even took a nap and still didn’t see anyone. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to take a sick puppy to the er at this hospital, the little fellow will tilt his head to the left and die.

I would not have given this place even one star. I’ve been there three times on each occasion, I’ve been horrified. This place is completely incompetent and the employees (doctors, nurses, and all) are an incompetent bunch of fools. Here are my experiences:
1: July 25, 2007: I was attending my younger Brother’s passing. He had been treated for cancer at this incompetent place and was given crap treatment and was handed back on a platter, literally, to our parents (I can’t even get into the details; it upsets me). He was dying and only had 20 or 30 minutes and we were all there with his friends and our family. As we were crying and praying, the staff across the hall were talking loudly and laughing even louder as we were suffering. Now, I don’t expect workers to not chat with each other, but I do expect them to have some f@cking respect and tact. When you have a group of people across the open hall mourning and waiting for a loved one to die (he was only 25), keep your stupid jokes to yourself and don’t compete with the family by laughing as if you’re in a comedy club. A joke of a staff.
2. Thanksgiving Day 2011: I was visiting Hickory for the holidays and I brought my Father in after discovering a cut on his shin a month previous had grown into a huge flesh-​eating-​like sore up to his mid-​thigh and had spread to his back. We went to this place and ended up waiting FOUR hours until we were finally able to see a PA. Mind you, it was Thanksgiving Day and there was only two other people in the emergency room. I’m not joking or exaggerating.
3. March 2013: I was visiting Hickory and accompanied my older Brother for an emergency and again we headed to this emergency room. This time, we waited SIX hours in that emergency room before my Brother was seen. I feel we would have waited longer if I hadn’t had said anything at the 5 hour and 30 minute mark. I was furious and I let the attending doctor know when we saw him. I’m from NYC and I know what crowded emergency rooms look like, and the room at this place was not even close. NOT even close. This place was so unorganized. We weren’t the only people who had waited as long so we had support, but I was still shocked and horrified at the lack of organization and professionalism and competence of this place.
Why did we keep going back? Because it’s very close to us. But, needless to say, we will never go back. We will go to Frye instead and drive the extra 20 minutes. I recommend never going to this place if you want quality care or to even be seen in a somewhat normal amount of time. This place is a joke and the staff should be ashamed of themselves.