St. Vincents Hospital

Staff was great, all but the wild ride from post op to outpatient... Thanks Wendall. Everyone was great.

Hospital staff was nice and I did not have to wait too long in the waiting room.

The staff was excellent.

They have a special bariatric unit following surgery. I had two outstanding nurses, and everyone was pleasant and accomodating.

I had a private room as all the bariatric surgery patients had. My husband was allowed to sleep in the room and be my advocate.
I was given a Second location for the needle to go in at my waist for the pain pump after surgery,because when the first location was put in by my correct area it didn't go well. The Surgeon told my husband I may wake up in a lot of pain and I was in so much pain when I woke up I couldn't even speak. It took them double the amount of recovery room time to get me stabilized for pain. I was then wheeled up to my room by 2 gentlemen and my bed was bumped into the wall so much that I saw a huge hunk of drywall and wall paper gouged off the wall. I was in a lot of pain and the bed pusher guys were unaware that you must be careful not to add more pain to the patient on the bed being rolled to the room.
There was one night nurse who came quickly each shift and really seemed to care but basically when I needed to ring the nurse station during the 4 days I was there it took an average of 45 minutes to an hour to get anyone to come down and check on my needs. One time a team of two came to check on me and 2 beepers were going off as they did a lot. They rung the nurse station and said, this person's IV bottles are both empty and ringing I want somebody down here NOW! ( That time they got there in a hurry.) I even when walking heard a nurse looking for another to help her saying I have stuck this poor man 3 times and wonder if you will help me get the needle in right?
Personally after getting out of that hospital and seeing the staff being very lazy and an attitude of this is my job and income and will only do what I have to do and don't want to be bothered, I feel I would do most anything to never go back to St. Vincent's.
My husband and I felt that if he would not have been with me to go and get the things I needed and walk down the hall to the nurse's station what kind of care would I have had?
I was operated on Tue 7:30AM and checked out Friday 4:30PM. Is it standard for a person not even to get somebody to come in and wash your face or give you any kind of cleaning to our body? I finally had my husband go home and get us some soap, towels, and wash cloths, and when I was able to get into the bathroom he stood there and helped me so I wouldn't fall and I washed my face, arms, and stood by the sink doing all that for myself. I asked if I could use my shower but the nurse said it could be dangerous with the IV needles in my body. One nurse when changing IV wrists from having the IV go into my skin surrounding area, dropped blood on my hospital gown. I later asked if I could have a clean gown because of the blood and all that was done was bring a clean gown and lay it beside the bedside table!!!!!
Maybe all hospitals are like this but Springhill Surgical Center in North Little Rock when I had carpal tunnel surgery was pleasant, clean, nice personnel and people who genuinely seemed to care about the patient's welfare. St Vincent seemed like I was almost a prisoner or a second class citizen and the nurse's were bothered by having to WAIT on me!
My husband stayed with me and got everything I needed but the only time we asked for something had to do with pain medication being empty from the IV bottle or machines beeping, or something medically we could not do for ourselves.
My husband and I wondered about the patient's who had nobody staying with them. How did they get up out of bed without assistance of their advocate, how did they walk to the bathroom with the IV bottle, how did they reach anything if they had open RNY and were as hurting as I was? I most certainly can NOT reccomend St. Vincent unless you have an advocate stay with you every second of the hospital stay as I did.
I hate to post such a negative review but this may be a help to others before using this facility.
Take your own pillow, your own wash cloths, soap, and towel, I took my own Ice bag and used it for my pain. I did have Chanel Perfume and powder stolen from my suitcase by somebody while I was in the hospital so don't take anything valuable at all. I blame myself because I know a lot of theft always goes on in hospitals and nursing homes. Just don't take anything you aren't willing to let others steal from you.
Take care of yourself as best you can and watch everybody from IV needles and your hand swelling to beeping of the machines. This stay in the hospital was like nothing I have ever experienced. I am 59 yrs old have had 3 children, tubes tied, Bi lateral bunionectomy, and both wrists operated on for Carpal Tunnel, So I have seen hospitals.

The staff was all very kinda but over worked and they were unstaffed but my nurses were always there for me or my family could stpe into the hall and they would handle whatever I needed...Only had one physco nurse....its rather a funny story now that I am no longer in her care...Another nurse who was not my nurse seen I was taken care of os...Physco lady didn;t even know her name :)

I thought the staff at St. Vincents was great. They were helpful and kind. Bridgette was the BEST helper, walker, shower giver going! They really seemed interested in my progress and were very encouraging.

When I first came out of surgery I had 2 nurses who BOTH offered me SODA! Which is a #1 big nono for post op WLS patients ESPECIALLY with the lapband. After the second nurse asked me if I wanted some sprite or other kind of soda I asked them to please find someone who KNEW what I could have and knew what they were doing. Shortly later another nurse came by and brought me some ice chips & apple juice. SHe stayed with me most of the time until I went home. Just KNOW what you're allowed to have so these nurses dont accidently give you something that will hurt you.

St. Vincents was clean, I can only say that my night nurse Renee' was wonderful, I saw her more then I saw the daytime shift. Renee made sure my pain was controlled adequately. I never had to ask, she was always there.

Of course some nurses are better than others but the majority I had were very attentive and worked hard to meet my needs. All hospitals are understaffed and this one was no different but I still felt comfortable and did not feel neglected at any time.