UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center - Grinnell, Iowa

Crazy K. O. M. C. K. O. M.

Saw Abby Flanagan for perimenopause symptoms. I had hoped that with her being around my age that she would understand & want to help. Not the case. She didn't listen to a word I said, proceeded to tell me that I was fine, that 'no self-respecting clinic would prescribe HRT', then proceeded to send me home with what she considered good options. They included 2 ted talks on the origins of sex, books for both my husband & I to read...his was geared towards the idea that clearly he was doing something wrong, mine were all suggesting that because I have no libido & am exhausted all the time, clearly that means I'm planning to have an affair 🙄. She stated everything was fine with my blood work (it wasn't), she also said that HRT would cause increase risks of heart attack or stroke. When I brought up that every birth control & prescription I've ever been given carried the same risks, she didn't have much to say. Her nurses were equally horrible. Don't waste you time or your money on her. She doesn't listen or care about this stage of your life. Drs need to get with the program.

Savannah W.

I was transferred to Allen from Grinnell Regional hospital as they didn't have gastroenterology and I needed a procedure they could not provide at Grinnell. I was treated with kindness and respect by ALL the staff despise my alcoholism. Doctors, Nurses, and techs were respectful and kind. I am a nurse myself and know I would not have gotten this treatment in Des Moines or Iowa City. Very grateful for the care I got and the tranfer to a higher level of care for the services they could not safely provide. Keep up the great work. I am an alcoholic and my detox needs were met beyond expectations and my addiction did not cause me to have poor care that I have experienced elsewhere. I am very grateful for Grinnell Regional and the excellent care they provided me and my significant other. Happy to have quality and CARING care.close to home.

Kaiden G.

The OBGYN department and emergency department are a joke. They make you feel like you are a bother and that you should praise them for even being able to be seen by them. If you are pregnant or going to be pregnant do not come to this “hospital”

Lorena

This facility offers bare basics in care and lacks the ability to perform many needed tests thereby resulting in referrals to other better equipped and modern facilities…might as well go to these other facilities in the first place.

Justice D.

I had my 3rd baby at Grinnell Hospital. I have to say, it was one of the greatest experiences I had, by far, out of all 3 of my pregnancies. I was a little nervous switching doctors, as I went to ames mcfarland obgyn for my first 2, (had my 1st at the marshalltown hospital due to early labor, but was seen in ames the whole time), but didn't have that option this time around. Ames told me they didn't have anyone accepting patients that would be able to do a 3rd c-section. I was super disappointed and frustrated as that meant having to call around everywhere to find someone or someplace I was comfortable with. I wanted a female and didn't want somewhere that sometimes made you see a male doctor, and Grinnell only has female OB doctors, so I decided to go with that. Abby and Josie were the 2 I saw everytime, and they were beyond amazing. Their attitude was always upbeat and they actually cared to listen, which was nice because I didn't have that in ames. I didn't feel listened to in ames and it was so frustrating. I had even asked for a new doctor in ames and they told me no one was accepting new patients and I would need to just deal with it or be seen elsewhere. Grinnell made me feel so comfortable and allowed me to talk about my concerns without making me feel stupid. It was such a relief. My second c-section, I found out I had a bicornuate uterus, but no explanation to which side was functioning, they gave me absolutely no answers. Abby and Josie knew of this, and even though the ultrasound techs kept saying i had a normal uterus, abby and josie stayed with what was told during my last c-section, because it was actually seen in person, which i was grateful for, because it meant they cared enough to still continue to treat it as a high risk pregnancy. During this last c-section, Abby saw i actually did have a bicornuate uterus. She gave me my answers this time. She actually put in the reports, in the myunitypoint, explaining everything about my uterus and about my fallopian tubes that they removed. No one else did that. I finally had answers and was so thankful to know that if I would've tried to have a 4th baby, my uterus would've ruptured. The anesthesiologist was also amazing, she had a meeting with me to go over my concerns for the day of my c-section since i get extremely sick after surgeries. She put in for a few different medications to make sure i was completely comfortable and wouldnt get sick after surgery. The stay after my c-section was also incredibly wonderful. They had a special meal for the parents just for having a new baby, we chose steaks, baked potatoes, and they even gave you sparkling juice with it. The nurses went above and beyond, answering all my questions and concerns. They even took pictures of our baby, (with consent), to post on social media and gave us a flash drive to take home, no extra cost. The room was pretty small, and there was no shower, so we had to use a shower in another room, which was kind of inconvenient, but otherwise, everything was absolutely amazing. I wish I would've chosen them with my last 2, but am so incredibly grateful I did with my last. They made my last experience unforgettable.

Sara G.

This review is in regard to a stay my mother had recently due to extremely high blood sugar. On the first trip to the hospital, my mother's blood sugar hit somewhere in the 500s. The hospital discharged her 3 (or so) hours later with blood sugar in the 300s because she refused to stay. Two days later, she took another trip to the ER for blood sugar back in the 500s. The hospital wanted to keep her overnight. Had they sent her home, she would've ended up back at the hospital in short order. Mom wasn't happy about it, but she agreed to stay.

The biggest issue with her stay and the reason for the 2-star review is this:

The nursing staff, per hospital protocol, made it so my mother couldn't get up from the bed or a chair without setting off an extremely loud alarm. (I heard it, it's obnoxious.) Mom desperately needed to move her body in order to deal with her discomfort. Also, she constantly worried about setting off the alarm at night because of the other patients. She didn't want to wake them. She was told that if she wanted to leave the bed or the chair, she needed to push the call button and wait for a nurse to come assist her. At first, she did this, following their protocol. However, she felt some of the nursing staff were surly about providing the assistance, acting as if she was being a bother. So, instead of calling for a nurse or just getting up and having the obnoxious alarm go off, she lay there highly uncomfortable (aching and freezing because of the air conditioning vent blowing directly on her), annoyed, and stewing over her clear loss of freedom. (I fully agree with her assessment of the situation.)

On top of that, Mom's room was on the side of the employee parking lot and had a window facing that lot. The blinds were open. People were coming and going from the lot. When Mom needed to use the toilet (open to the room because the divider was kept open), she asked the nurse to close the blinds. The nurse refused, stating there was no one in the parking lot.

When Mom decided that she'd had enough and requested to be released early (just a few hours early, the same day she was already going to be released), the nursing staff told her that she could not be discharged without a ride home. (Hospital protocol.) I had arrived in Grinnell the night before and had planned to return to the hospital the next morning, but I got the call at 5:45 am that I needed to come get her. Before I was able to get to the hospital, Mom had tried to leave, telling the nursing staff that she needed to get home to her own bed as she hadn't slept the entire time she was at the hospital due to the alarm and being freezing cold. The nursing staff wouldn't let her leave, and one of the staff members went so far as to physically restrain her, telling her that if she didn't sit down on her own, she would make her sit down. I believe this occurred because my mother is not one for lying, and when I showed up, I could see her trying to pass two of the nurses who were actively blocking her exit from her room. I waved at her and asked her to sit down and wait for me, that I'd be there in a moment.

It's apparent to me that the nursing staff at Grinnell Regional Medical Center need training in how to be more compassionate in their dealing with their senior patients. Also, the nurse who put hands on my mother when trying to restrain her from leaving should be disciplined, if not fired. My mother had the right to leave of her own accord. Being treated that way scared her. She truly thought the staff was treating her as if she were crazy and had no rights.

We spoke with the Patient Experience person and she will be doing an investigation and sending my mother a letter. I will say that if I'm not satisfied with the way this is handled, I very likely will be pursuing this matter further.

Update: My mother received a letter from the hospital stating that a review had been done and that none of the video footage (no audio, just visual) supported Mom's claim.

Karen C.

I took my friend in to the emergency room, and from the moment we arrived the treatment we received was amazing! As soon as they found out we were out-of-state RAGBRAI participants, they went above and beyond to make both of us comfortable (even though I wasn’t a patient). I’ve been a visitor at many hospitals and have never seen anything like this. Kudos to everyone in the emergency room and on the patient floor. You were a wonderful example of “Iowa Nice”.

Darci C.

I had my third baby here. So much difference between the care here and the care you receive from bigger hospitals. The nurses were all so attentive and caring. They never made me feel like a burden and never hesitated to go above and beyond for me, making sure I always had water, heating pads, and whatever else I may need. So friendly. This experience was far better than my other two deliveries at another hospital. I could not recommend their OB department more. If you are looking for a place to have a baby, you will definitely be in good hands here. So happy with my stay. Thank you!