St. Joseph Medical Center

I switched half way through my 3^rd pregnancy to st joes midwives and had an awesome experience. My midwife ashely was great evem though she didnt get to deliver due to an emergency c-​section but even the dr who did the procedure was awesome. Best experience i have had since my first delivery in texas. My labor and delivery nurses where just as awesome as the Dr’s. Both day and night time nurses.

They should call this hospital St. Morgue. Hospital Dr, Nurse, Nursing Supervisors awful bedside manner especially to be in the field to were the are to help people. My brother was in ICU in which the thought intensive care unit. Well he got anything but that type of care by most. After 5 days on life support and 1 ½ days of being alert and being on his own the shifted him to neuro side 6a ICU. The watched for 4 hours as myself and my sister in law begged them to help him his breathing was worsening. Mimi the head nurse was a bitch. I had a nurse tell me my brother wouldn’t recover all this on 12÷24÷15. My brother had so so many mistakes made with his care we had him taken 1÷3÷16 to Swedish where he getting excellent care. If you love your family never take them here this hospital is a Death Sentence. I bet the staff that work here would never bring their own families here. Our family isn’t done writing about this hospital. This place needs to be close down. Malpractice Malpractice malpractice.

My Mom had unscheduled surgery at St. Francis. When I went to schedule her first post op I was told she would not be seeing the physician that performed the surgery. It will be a hit or miss if she will ever get to follow up with him. The physician that she saw did not even examine her incision. We had previous surgery at another hospital and had follow up from the surgeon from start to finish.

!!!NO STAR, NO STAR!!! DONT GO… EVER!!!
It’s November 17^th 2015, and we came in at 3:00 in the f*****g morning and with 2 – 3 people, we had to wait a long, a very long 1 hour just to get in. It’s 4:22 am and this place, by God it is so bad, that I don’t even know why it is still open
So first off, the front, why do they even have jobs still, when it’s 3 am, and there’s and 2 – 3 people including us, why can’t you help someone who has an allergic reaction to food, why do me my girlfriend have to wait an hour just to get a room.
She is feeling tired, stingy and itchy eyes, puffy cheeks and itchy body. Hard to swallow and hard to breath, cold and tired. I tried to help by giving a Benadryl witching 15 minutes of her meal that might have cause it, and it didn’t help her that much and still a hour… A long a** hour…
The front people are just bad, the front «nurse» if you can even call them that are just talking and sitting down, joking around and doing literally what a kids could do, but they could do better… I could over hear them talk about other patients and socialize…
The security… Do I even see one?
There’s slightly slightly any good in this and that would be the nicer… Nicer Russian or a nation near there nurse that would help my girlfriend.
It would be nice to call this place a joke but even that is better than here… If you would rather go somewhere in Tacoma go to Allenmore… Because that are literally more better.

They need more heart felt Doctors and Doctors that listen and don’t compare your case to there own family cases and others everyone is different.

Man, when you are a «code blue» these nurses are all over it. By the time I came to and was trying to regain my consciousness, I was in a wheelchair on my way down to the ER.
I just remember the beginning of my episode, and then sitting down in the ER lobby being like «what the **** just happened?» and yelling at everyone that I was fine (which I wasn’t…).
So many nurses in and out of my room, not even sure which was my primary nurse, but I liked that so many were coming in to check on me. Thank god for the lady that held my hand during my blood draw (I’m a baby — I hate needles).
Was there for about 4 hours. They got me right in for heart tests, x-​rays, and all the other labs they decided to do on me. I don’t exactly know why they did the x-​ray on me… but whatever. Labs took awhile — she said she would give me notice as to how long they would take, but didn’t. They also had me on a IV with fluids. The ER was extremely busy while I was in there, not an open room — and it sounds like the lobby was full too.
I wish they had closed my curtain so I didn’t have to see some of the things I saw… kinda made me feel even more uneasy. Plus I overheard everything they were saying to the patient and could hear all of their personal information being talked about. Nurses were standing at the computers eating… kinda weird in a ER if you ask me.
The only other thing I really didn’t like is the girl that was my main nurse never really came to check on me. I was shaking the entire time, not sure if I was cold from the IV or shaking from what happened. Didn’t really give me a ETA of how long anything would take or what all tests they were running on me. Many, many, nurses would walk by and look at me, but never say anything. My boyfriend asked a few questions about how to get somewhere and how long it would take, and she would always forget to tell us. Asked her a few follow up questions as I was getting discharged and she didn’t really give me any answers.
Pretty decent ER. Hope I never have to come back.

My father had two surgeries in this facility in the past two years. Both surgeries were on time and went well. Nurses are very nice. They even sent my dad a get well card home. Thank you!

I can’t say enough good things about this place! Nobody likes having surgery, but the staff make it as pleasant as experience as possible. I was treated very special, not just like a number. I had a laparascopic hysterectomy on may 14. Each staff member made very clear to me exactly what would happen and introduced themselves with a smile. The nurses were gentle with me when inserting IV’s as it’s tough to stick me. I had to be intubated awake due to a small opening, so that was tough, but they managed to keep me pretty comfortable through the experience. I had to stay overnight, and each of my nurses were super nice and i especially loved Gwen, who was one of the nurses who was excited when i started walking again. She got a lounge chair for my Mom because she was spending the night and she fixed it all up for her. Prior to surgery i had a fibroid the size of a baseball pushing against a ligament in my upper leg preventing me from walking. Tynece and Linda were also awesome. Dr. Eve Cunningham was my surgeon and is EXCELLENT at her job. She is a great gyn, i highly reccomend her. I should also mention cleanliness and nurse response time was always excellent. The only thing is communication got messed up which made my discharge get pushed back until friday afternoon rather than early morning. But that’s okay because then i was able to see Gwen one last time and she gave me a hug.

This review is for the emergency department. I drove my husband to this emergency room because I believed that there was a difference in how the Franciscans treated their patients. I thought the values of compassion and caring that they profess as part of their mission would be a part of every interaction. I was wrong and the quality of care we received was appalling. These were my observations:
— staff eating and socializing in the halls, at the check-​in desk and at the nurses station. Loud re-​tellings of patient interactions eg. Nurse practitioner explaining «she was getting a little out of hand so I gave her an atavan» and laughing about it. Staff correcting an agitated patient referring to the doctor that, «he’s actually a nurse practitioner.» This only served to make him angrier.
— a lot of internet browsing/​shopping by practitioners and staff. It’s hard to hide on the huge monitors at the nurses station but no one seemed concerned that they were actually supposed to be working and caring for patients.
— no physical exam on my husband (I asked if it was a busy night and was told just average). We were there for almost five hours and saw no doctor but a nurse practitioner for a total of ten minutes.
— nurses who forget — one asked my husband for a urine sample and never came back for it although I could see her out getting food and drink at the nurses station. I had to find another nurse to help us.
— only one nurse introduced herself by name. Everyone else was impersonal and brusque. It felt like no one was communicating with us when my husband was suffering with terrible pain. I asked the nurse going over discharge instructions a question (if my husband sees a Franciscan practitioner for primary care will he have access to all of this information in the system?) and she snapped, «would you like me to go over this or would you like to just leave?» She wheeled my husband out and didn’t say goodbye to either of us.
— absolutely no privacy in the room which we shared with two other patients. We overheard the entire conversation between doctor and patient about her bacterial vaginosis and heard another patient (moments after saying he felt like he couldn’t breath) being asked if he could pay a portion of his bill.
— we were told we had to wait for a room to be cleaned. When we were shown to our room there was blood on the floor and overflowing trash.
— the nurse practitioner seemed to resist admitting my husband and suggested he use Advil at home for pain when IV narcotic and non-​narcotic pain relievers administered by his staff had barely touched the pain. I had to point out that my husband still couldn’t even walk.
— valet lingering for a tip and a sign on the valet stand suggesting tips? This just seems in poor taste.
The culture of care here is not patient– centered. It is very easy to feel like you are a problem when asking for care. My husband, the patient, described the feeling of trying to work with staff as antagonistic and demeaning. There is little kindness. Something is very wrong here.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO ST JOES VALET SERVICES!!! I left my car running, working perfectly fine, and when I came back the key wouldn’t even go into the ignition. I had to have it taken to a lock smith and they said that it looks like someone forced the wrong key into the ignition and messed it up. Had to have my lock cylinder replaced, but of course, st. Joes refuses to pay for it because they believe my ignition just went out the ONE time I left it with someone who had never driven it before. Holly Dunn, the valet supervisor, told me I could file a claim but it would likely be denied because I couldn’t prove they did anything wrong. So here I am stuck with a broken ignition due to the valet services, and there’s nothing they will do about it.
**UPDATE**
My claim with St. Joes valet for breaking my ignition cylinder on my car was denied. I got a written statement on the receipt from the locksmith who fixed my car saying it was broken due to force, not wear and tear. The valet supervisor, Holly Dunn, sent in the claim and only sent in HALF of the receipt, cutting off the bottom half that has the written statement on it. This is such BS! $ 200 out of my pocket for their stupidity.

I like the speed of care (compared to tacoma general emergency) but this «lady» katie, (the RN treating my boyfriend), is so very unprofessional. She cusses like a sailor. I dont mind but when youre at work… You should. She is nice though. Very sassy and keeps forgetting things like the blanket he asked for (again not a HUGE deal) Also, would have given 5 stars but i got to hear her and a co-​worker discuss a lot of patients’ information. The doctor (or nurse) outside of the curtain (because privacy is unimportant here) was recording a patient report and said the patients’ name and proceeded to say things like «i explained i cant refill his medication because i gave him 30 percoset and they were gone in 5 days». I DO believe its against the law to disclose patient information to anyone other than the patient and the members of the patients care team. Get it together St. joes! Perhaps conversations amongst co-​workers should be held when not on the floor. Might i suggest some sound-​proof doors for the patients’ rooms and a nurses station that also provides more privacy if youre going to voice record patient information. Oh, and now that he is bieng admitted… How uncomfortable is the curtain divided over crowded room… Id like to stay with my boyfriend… However, you dont offer a guest bed like Tacoma General. Perhaps Tacoma General is worth the wait.

I went to St Joseph’s to have my baby because the local hospital in Silverdale (that is pretty awful) couldn’t come to an agreement with United Healthcare. To avoid out of network costs, we chose St Joseph’s. I am so happy we did. Their amazing staff surpassed our expectations and took every opportunity to educate us (new parents) along the way. Food wasn’t bad either. Five stars.

IV department (nw specialty) is great. The ladies are so friendly and inviting makes you forget the reason for the visit

St Joseph cares about its patients. We delivered our first child there, and had a wonderful experience. The staff are competent, knowledgeable, and caring. We would never consider going anywhere else after our experiences there. Their new medical record system makes it easy for their staff and their patients to manage appointments, review history and coordinate care amongst all departments and doctors. 5 stars all day!

The security at this hospital could care less.

This place gets a one star because just calling for medical records is like pulling teeth and trying to get someone to actually do their job. And the people I speak with on the phone are always so rude. I requested multiple times for medical records months apart and this is the last time because obviously they don’t give a damn. I was out on hold and finally just hung up after having to wait over half an hour. This is ridiculous.

As hospitals and medical clinics goes, St. Joe deserves a solid three stars rating. They are competent with friendly staff, as expected.
I was an out patient from a referral to see a specialist at one of their clinics. I also had various lab work done. Had blood drawn and procedures in the Nuclear Medicine clinic. I was treated well and I left with a high degree of confidence that I received quality care.
As a retired soldier, I am forced to use the clinics at Madigan AMC for my health care. In comparison to Madigan, St Joe is a five star operation.

First a little background… I am a recipient of a pancreas transplant. When I experienced a bout of Pacreatitis (knew what it was because I’ve been down that road before, and I’m a doctor) I chose St Joe’s because my Dr. is affiliated with them.
After siting in the ER for three hours in excruciating pain, being asked several times to «be quiet because I was upsetting other patients» I was admitted. At first everything seemed great. Room was clean, nurses were attentive. Until day 2. I was still experiencing severe pain and pushed the nurse call button for nearly 2 hours, screaming in agony. I was told very matter of fact by a Nursing Assistant that «they can’t administer pain meds because the nurses are in the middle of a shift change»
After being evaluated by several jackasses from Gastroenterology to General surgery, I was informed that, «they didn’t know what it was and I’d be having exploratory surgery to figure it out»… UM, no thank you… Read the manual on pancreatitis and pancreas post-​transplant care. They refused to listen to my self-​diagnosis of pancreatitis mainly because the pain was «in the wrong place»… Again, read the manual, my pancreas is in the wrong place dip-​wad! The ‘hospitalists’ never once consulted my Dr. whose office is across the street.
I demanded to be transferred to UWmed center and they refused saying, We can handle it. They ‘handled’ it by dosing me with morphine until I was vomiting and became septic (massive internal infection). I guess when I became septic they finally decided that they could NOT in fact «handle it» and I was transferred to UW. I don’t remember much about the next 10 days due to the infection and pancreatitis but I will NEVER GO TO ST JOSEPH again, not even in a casket.
It’s a shame, my Dr. is part of that hospital system. I’ve had several outpatient procedures at that hospital but on this date, the medical care was SUB-​STANDARD even by third world standards.

People get sick. People die. I rate a healthcare facility on how I’m treated and risk factors that I see. Since I have spent my entire life in healthcare, I know what to look for. I have always had very good service and very attentive nurses and doctors. I don’t feel rushed and everyone listens. While I have never been here in an extremely serious stressful situation, I’m sure I’ll be treated right.
I can understand some of the low star reviews. When someone you love is hurting or dying, nothing anyone can say is going to make things better. My mother is getting treated for cancer and her cancer group didn’t like her doctor because she was blunt. I asked my mom if she wanted a doctor that was blunt and did a good job or a doctor that kissed her ass and only did an okay job. She chose the blunt doctor. Never make emotional healthcare decisions, you are there to get healed.

I gave this place a halfie, because I am not done with them yet. They have done well and not so well. Giving birth there will be the true test. Trying to schedule for a tour of the delivery hall was a nightmare. The women who schedule the tours WILL lie to you. They did to me. I called from outside one day to see if they had availability. They told me no, not again til after I was due to give birth two months from then. That’s bull. My midwife made it sound like I should just walk over and see the place. I called another number she gave me and the girl suggested I schedule a private tour the same day, but when transferred back to Miss Scheduler, she says, «I just told you no.» Oh… okay. So I switched to this hospital, but can’t see the delivery rooms unless I am popping a kid out? Not gonna happen.
So I waited a few weeks and called from home. The girl tells me the procedure is actually to call an hour in advance and see if a room is open. So I call the next day, an hour in advance and she tells me no, that it’s very busy up there with births. Oh? I mention this to my ultrasound tech. She says, just like my midwife had before, to just go up there. I felt rude doing it, like I was going to be in the way. But my husband urged me to so I would have less anxiety about the big day to come.
We get up there and the nurses are just huddled around chit chatting and such. Hmmm… one asks us if she can help and I say I wanted to see the delivery room, but was told they were too busy. I didn’t want to be in the way, I just wanted to know my way up at the very least so my husband and I weren’t doing laps around a big hospital in the wrong direction while I was in labor. She totally understood, said they WERE NOT BUSY, IT WAS A SLOW DAY and gave me the best tour immediately. She was so nice. The rooms were SO NICE. This is what made me go with a halfie. She and the room were a saving grace to what was about to be a horrible review of the chick who schedules the tours.
I don’t appreciate being lied to or blown off, but because of how sweet the nurse was that gave me the tour and how super incredibly nice the rooms are, I am planning to deliver there and hopefully give an even better review at that time.