Provena Covenant Medical Family Practice

Dec 2019

On October 9, 2014, the Illinois State Police, believing me to be an imminent danger to my own safety, transported me to the Emergency Department for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation. After waiting quietly in the examination room for five hours, a crisis worker from Community Elements finally arrived. He asked me why I was there. I explained that I had threatened to kill myself, but I was no longer having suicidal thoughts nor feeling depressed. Instead of recognizing that my mood had time to stabilize, he verbally scolded me, "What you did today was unacceptable, and a waste of everyone's time!" Then he told me that I should feel ashamed of myself, even though I had been fully cooperative with all the doctors and nursing staff. About a half hour later, he returned with my bag of clothes and rudely informed me that I was being discharged. By this point I was fed up with his condescending attitude. So, after he left the room to get my discharge paperwork, I put on my clothes and proceeded to walk out of the ER. No sooner, had a nurse yelled "Stop! Stop! Stop Him!" then three other nurses ran after me, and blocked the exit. Without being physically confrontational, I informed them that I had been cleared for release and had the right to leave of my own cognizance. I asked them to move out of my way. They refused. At that point two husky security guards, both of whom were at least twice my weight, pinned me against the wall. One pulled my arms back into a lock that was so painful, my shoulder was sore for several days. Before I could even say "Okay, I'll go back!", the other one placed me into a choke hold so I couldn't breathe, moreless speak. Then they shoved me into a nurse that fell face forward into a wheelchair. The guards took that as a sign of aggression, and further strengthened their grip, interjecting "So, are you going to cooperate now?!" to which I was unable to respond due to my windpipe being blocked. Together, with a pair of nurses, they began dragging me along the floor back toward my room. I felt like I was going to pass out. I was gagging and flinching, still desperately gasping for air. I could barely see the hallway around me, as my vision began to blur and an intense vomiting reflex begin. During this entire ordeal, the crisis worker that had belittled me earlier, stood by and watched my suffering with a grin on his face. He did nothing to intervene, despite knowing that I was cleared for release and didn't pose an imminent danger to myself nor others. Then the two security guards pulled me through the doorway of my room and threw me face down onto the bed like a tattered rag doll, holding me with their fists over my forehead and jaw using every ounce of force they could muster while placing straps over my wrists so I couldn't move. As they freed the hold around my neck. I struggled to cough, finally gaining enough strength to utter "I can't br.... I can't... breathe. PLEASE stop!" Even as I was crying, begging for mercy, the guard simply shrugged, "No way! You can breathe just fine!" Later, I overheard them laughing in the hallway, "We should just let his sorry ass go!" I saw his partner shrug, nodding in agreement, "Yeah, let's get this jerk out of our hospital!" About a week later, I tried reporting the incident to the Director of Patient Relations in the hospital's Risk Management Department. However, she told me there was no misconduct. I asked if she reviewed the security video footage to make that determination. She said there was no need to do so, because she talked to the security guards and they denied any wrongdoing. She also claimed that assault and battery of a patient couldn't possibly happen, since nothing like that had ever happened before. I then asked to see the video footage for myself, but she insisted that it had already been deleted. She made no attempt to preserve the evidence, even though it would have confirmed my allegations of misconduct. When

Aug 2017

Nursing Staff is Clueless. AWFUL PLACE! Smells disgusting Looks disgusting Too small Dirty Low quality bathrooms Disgusting floors Looks like it hasn't been cleaned in 5 years Nursing staff are extremely rude

Apr 2017

Unbelievable!!! Went to ER for an uncontrollable headache and blood pressure through the roof. Admitted! Lots of pain meds and a cocktail headache kept coming back within 15-20 min. At one point desperately needed pain meds to keep headache manageable nurse Penny said she would get it. Almost an hour later, my night nurse brought it to me (didn't want to interfere with her shift change perhaps?). After plying me with another coctail, I was able to get some sleep. I woke up without a headache for the first time in 48hrs. Nurse Penny was there again and asked me how my head felt. I said great! Mind you I JUST WOKE UP! It was if she had the discharge papers ready to go. She said, "call your wife, you're being discharged." She said I'll be back with you papers and you can go. The telemetry machine was still hooked up. The IV block was still in my arm. I had to ask her if I was to take it out or if she should. She laughed and said, we don't get too many discharges at night. What it really felt like was she couldn't get rid of me fast enough! I didn't think I was an unruly patient or one that monopolized her time. Heck, anytime my wife was there, she took care of me so I am not sure what the issue is. I do know I was back at the er, 4 hrs and another $200 deductable later. Now am home blood pressure still out of wack, headache a bit more manageable now but not gone. A lady from the hospital calls and asks how my stay went. When I told her, she said well you have choices. Meaning I could have went to Champaign. Did I mention that I was projectile vomiting the mile it took to get there. Her response shows exactly the level of commitment to care this hospital has!