I'm not sure where this would be filed as I don't think it technically falls under medical malpractice but ultimately I'm posting to ask what to do next and what kind of lawyer we would possibly need down the road.
Here is the situation: I took my wife into a walk-in clinic for an x-ray because at home she was running and fell on her shoulder. The walk-in clinic took x-rays, gave her pain meds, and a sling and stated that there is no brake/fracture and recommended an MRI to determine if she has a torn ligament to which they stated we would need to go to the hospital's ER (not affiliated w/ walk-in clinic) to get an MRI. I questioned this and asked why we can't just schedule this for another day instead of getting charged ER fees. Their concern is that because my wife had numbness in her arm we should rule it out as quickly as possible.
We go to hospital's ER. At the front desk my wife told the registering nurses the situation: She had a fall, had an x-ray, was rendered care, and sent there for MRI. They told her to check in. Upon checking in, she told two "clerks" the same thing: we are here for MRI. She was sent to a minor injury room. A male nurse (Steve) came in told her to take off her shirt: My wife asked why? He stated for an MRI. A new nurse came in (Roberta) stating they would take her to x-ray.
I questioned this stating that we already had an x-ray from services rendered at walk-in clinic. She stated that before we can have an MRI they need an x-ray and they do not accept x-rays from external resources. She gets x-ray because of course this is the policy they laid out for us. Dr. comes in tells us what we already know that there is no break but then says they do not do MRIs there that we would have to schedule.
We made a complaint to the head RN stating that if we would've known this we would have made the appointment and felt like we were misled into receiving services we did not need or want and that they had plenty of opportunity in their process to state that they did not do an MRI and they should've referred us to this earlier. She made excuses stating that it is their policy that nurses do not recommend scheduling MRI's that it is their doctor that does this and that they rarely do MRI's and only in cases of stroke. Also, we find out from her that they do in fact receive X-rays externally if they are sent in the form of a disk. During four hour wait we could've had the walk-in clinic send this disk.
My concern is not with the walk-in clinic because they may have not known hospital procedures but the hospital (ER) itself knew that they do not do MRI's but they let us go through the process anyway, and again, the many staff members (even a nurse) told us that in order to have an MRI they need an x-ray.
My first step is to call my insurance company and make a complaint to them. Then, the head RN gave us a hospital complaint number. Any suggestions?
Here is the situation: I took my wife into a walk-in clinic for an x-ray because at home she was running and fell on her shoulder. The walk-in clinic took x-rays, gave her pain meds, and a sling and stated that there is no brake/fracture and recommended an MRI to determine if she has a torn ligament to which they stated we would need to go to the hospital's ER (not affiliated w/ walk-in clinic) to get an MRI. I questioned this and asked why we can't just schedule this for another day instead of getting charged ER fees. Their concern is that because my wife had numbness in her arm we should rule it out as quickly as possible.
We go to hospital's ER. At the front desk my wife told the registering nurses the situation: She had a fall, had an x-ray, was rendered care, and sent there for MRI. They told her to check in. Upon checking in, she told two "clerks" the same thing: we are here for MRI. She was sent to a minor injury room. A male nurse (Steve) came in told her to take off her shirt: My wife asked why? He stated for an MRI. A new nurse came in (Roberta) stating they would take her to x-ray.
I questioned this stating that we already had an x-ray from services rendered at walk-in clinic. She stated that before we can have an MRI they need an x-ray and they do not accept x-rays from external resources. She gets x-ray because of course this is the policy they laid out for us. Dr. comes in tells us what we already know that there is no break but then says they do not do MRIs there that we would have to schedule.
We made a complaint to the head RN stating that if we would've known this we would have made the appointment and felt like we were misled into receiving services we did not need or want and that they had plenty of opportunity in their process to state that they did not do an MRI and they should've referred us to this earlier. She made excuses stating that it is their policy that nurses do not recommend scheduling MRI's that it is their doctor that does this and that they rarely do MRI's and only in cases of stroke. Also, we find out from her that they do in fact receive X-rays externally if they are sent in the form of a disk. During four hour wait we could've had the walk-in clinic send this disk.
My concern is not with the walk-in clinic because they may have not known hospital procedures but the hospital (ER) itself knew that they do not do MRI's but they let us go through the process anyway, and again, the many staff members (even a nurse) told us that in order to have an MRI they need an x-ray.
My first step is to call my insurance company and make a complaint to them. Then, the head RN gave us a hospital complaint number. Any suggestions?
