Center for Healthier Communities at Dignity Health - Northridge Hospital Medical Center

Feb 2024

Overall I had a good experience here. It did not start off great though, I was brought in an ambulance to the ER with extreme abdominal pain. They refused to give me any pain medication until they could verify my condition (I guess to make sure I wasn't faking). That was very hard to go through as I was in extreme pain. They finally confirmed with blood tests and I was given pain medication and admitted to the hospital for 5 days. I had a surgical procedure that went well. Besides the first few hours in the ER, my stay here was great and most everyone was nice and helpful.

Feb 2024

I have been riding and road racing motorcycles for 30 years, and in that time I have had more than my share of fractures, both minor and severe. I always dread having my blood drawn or i.v.'s administered because unfortunately I do not have a vascular system that makes their job very easy. Over the years I have seen many of my veins get blown out in failed attempts to draw my blood, and no, I am not some needle using drug addict. I am providing this testimonial because of an E.R. technician named Thomas. This guy is the most talented phlebotomist I have ever seen. The guy was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it. He focused on the vein in my wrist, studied it for a a bit from every angle, cleaned it and the went into a "zone", his eyes were hyper focused, like a laser, and with one purely confident motion, launched his butterfly needle from at least 4 inches away but absolutely nailed it to perfection. Consummate pro. I felt nothing. I willing to bet he was a king cobra in a previous life...maybe a rattlesnake? Anyway, you get the point. Training and skill can only get you so far, but true "talent" can elevate a person to a much higher level and that's what this guy Thomas has: bonafide talent. Bravo.

Jan 2024

My 92 year old mother entered the Emergency Department on 1/7/24 and was there for over 7 hours before being admitted to a room. They monitored her BP which started out at 60-64 when brought in by the paramedics, she was dehydrated due to her lack of taking in enough fluids, and she was diagnosed with Covid and a UTI. She stayed in the hospital until 1/11/24, after they determined she was well enough to be discharged and was given some medications to take over the next 5 days. She only got weaker over the next few days and is now back in the hospital at Cedars-Sinai Tarzana. She was complaining of constant pain, and was not able to get out of her bed at home to even go to the bathroom with the help of her caregiver. My next problem with this hospital is the lack of good communication between the staff and me. I have the authority to receive all information regarding her care, and they just glossed over the report, and it took several phone calls before I got any information. Staff needs better communication skills, including language skills.