I am writing to express my dismay at the lack of compassion and competence exhibited by the Mercy Regional health care organization. Compassion is supposed to be one of their core values.
My partner has been trying to get help for back pain issues related to old injuries since before Christmas. It took several primary care visits and a trip to the emergency room over almost two months to get a referral to the spine clinic at Mercy.
However, Spine Colorado accepts only two Medicaid patients per month, requiring another two-plus months to get an appointment. He tried to get spinal and cervical MRIs done before his appointment. However, he cannot sit or lie in one position for very long, so he was unable to lie still for the MRI, even a second time with painkillers and Valium.
He saw a physicians assistant at Spine Colorado who ordered MRIs with sedation, requiring another approval from Medicaid and more waiting with no treatment.
He went in for the MRIs with sedation after a confirmation call with instructions not to eat or drink anything after 5 a.m.
But he was not given sedation, only Xanax! Xanax is not sedation, but an anti-anxiety drug! Why was he given instructions for sedation but then not given it? Once again, he was sent home with nothing being done, no MRI, no treatment, no rescheduling, no follow-up.
How is this compassion?
Joyce Rundhaug
Bayfield
