Mayo Clinic Consumer Reviews - Page 4

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA -- I suffer with a collagen/connective tissue disease called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It has left me with a blood clot in my brain and many other debilitating symptoms. I went to the Mayo expecting quality medical care. I was told I was scheduled with the top neurologist. What a joke! First of all he was as arrogant as anyone gets and knew nothing about my disease.

Instead of referring me to someone else, he dismissed me altogether. I also suggested that I have Chiari Malformation and he insisted I didn't. I thought, how could he know? The proper MRI was never done! I am a 22 Year RN and know what tests were needed.

As it turns out I do have Chiari and need brain surgery. The same visit I saw an internal med doctor. He suggested I was depressed. Both Drs looked to be long overdue for retirement. My suggestion is to research your illness. There are great Drs all over this country. I care for people with MS and none of them were happy with Mayo. The Mayo may have been a good place when the Brothers were alive, but no more. It's a complete waste of time and money. If they can't treat you they try and convince you that it's depression or your illness doesn't exist.

WASECA, MINNESOTA -- Going to Mayo Clinic in Waseca was once again a HUGE JOKE! My 11 year old daughter suffers from asthma and weak immune system and after her being sick for 3 weeks and following all of the recommended procedures we called and they said to bring her in because she has been running a high fever and has been up several nights not being able to breathe!

Of course Shari ** REFUSED to listen to our concerns and told us that we were lying about how she has been feeling after only listening to her lungs and looking in her throat - after when we said she had asthma and asked if she was going to even listen to our concerns she was extremely rude and said "Oh yeah I heard her wheezing" and said, “Go home and rest.” From now on we will ONLY go to Mankato Pediatrics where they know how to listen and actually take care of their patients!!!

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA -- I know there are probably a lot of people struggling with infertility who are not comfortable sharing that information. I am sharing this story as a way to hopefully keep others from having the horrible experience we did with Mayo Clinic Reproductive Endocrinology...

In November 2016 I had called reproductive endocrinology and was told we could transfer outside donated embryos and use our Mayo insurance. After buying the embryos we called to make an appointment and were told we could not bring outside embryos in and were given incorrect information originally. Not having our Mayo insurance cover this procedure would have costed us thousands of dollars that could have been saved.

I asked them to investigate where this came from and they assured me they would. Thus began nearly a year process of them not calling us back. Finally figured out the person I was contacting was the one the incorrect information came from. She was undoubtedly trying to cover herself.

At one point, six months passed without a call back, when I finally wrote to patient experience. We requested they provide us proof they had educated their staff that outside embryos are not accepted so this would not happen to anyone else. Mayo Clinic Reproductive Endocrinology refused. This is the worst care I have ever received and I would not recommend them to anyone.

I'm aware I have friends who work for Mayo Clinic in some form or another or who have had a positive experience with Mayo Clinic Reproductive Endocrinology. Infertility, however, is so heartbreaking to begin with I just hope I can stop anyone else from having the same experience we did. I'm happy to share more details with anyone who wants them.

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA -- I was diagnosed with terminal cancer almost 3 years ago. I came to Mayo Clinic to see if there were treatments or clinicals that could help me. There was not. Next came the bill for several thousand dollars. I am not a wealthy person and could not immediately pay it. I have faithfully sent payments every month, have never missed a month. I have received notices from the Mayo Clinic that my bill is not paid yet. Today I received a notice that my bill has been sent to a collection agency. My bill that was originally several thousand had been whittled down to $1,025 and I had still planned on paying it off.

ROCHESTER -- Internal medicine doctor did not let me speak enough to describe my health problem, to the extent that I was not even able to tell him about a recently discovered and potentially cancerous lung nodule. Endocrinology and Allergy were great. Neurology I think ok, but my case was complicated so they found a way to give me the bums rush without any significant testing. Neuropsychology did no debriefing or follow-up. I didn't find it ethical. I had to immediately seek additional outside evaluations, and received immediate help for my problem.

Internal medicine left me with inane advice, like that I should wear a seatbelt and put on sunscreen. Thanks. I am more concerned with the serious problems I couldn't get help with, like monitoring for lung cancer. I think there are good people there, but the way they are running it is turning it into a 'mill'. They seemed to have internal medicine set up to restrict access rather than to solve cases, as they claimed. I think if they don't change that, it will ruin the reputation.

ROCHESTER, ILLINOIS -- I have to admit I'm a bit worried, considering all the negative reviews I've read here. Originally my mom called to get me in to see someone in their psych department (as Mayo is currently ranked #7 in the country in this area). The earliest they could get me in was 3 months from the date my mom called. I thought this ludicrous. Since I'm not currently working, I was advised to call as often as possible to inquire about getting into the clinic sooner.

When I called for the first time, the woman who worked with me was just wonderful. She helped me get an appointment 2 months sooner and told me everything I should do to properly prepare the doctors with my full medical history before they see me so that they can best accommodate my needs while I'm there. This included faxing medical records to their office. Not too difficult a task. So far, my experience with the 'screener' staff has been great and they were very helpful. I'm hoping (and looking forward) to prove previous reviews wrong with a positive experience at Mayo.

WAYZATA, MINNESOTA -- Is very unfortunate Mayo become a corporation, a business that treats patients according to the size of the wallet. Their polices and whole vision, mission and standards has changed. Services are terrible except, if you look Middle Eastern Oily $$$ cashing, cashing. Then you are able to have an appointment with a REAL Doctor. Other ways for a regular insurance, if you are lucky you can have a 24 years old nurse that looks 16. Taking care of your health needs and concerns. With all my respect to great nurses and their jobs, out there. I always prefer to consult to a doctor who has at least 16 years of studying and some more of practicing.

PLEASE, I'M PAYING TO GET THE SERVICE, THIS IS NOT CHEAP AND NOT FREE MEDICINE FOR SURE. America where are we going? The word "quality" in this country it doesn't have a meaning anymore. China became the standard of quality here. So sad.

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA -- Mayo clinic changes medical records and doesn't have to be accountable to the truth, facts, nor evidence as it is all fabricated. They are hacking everyone computers and stealing evidence to avoid malpractice. They are run by wallstreet and congress since politics is more important than science. Staff is overpaid, arrogant, and snobs. That explains the entire rochester area. They hate locals and use them as ginea pigs so they can change the records later and claim they came up with all kinds of cures. They can't even cure curable diseases like many infections and only treat symtoms with BS diagnosis like IBS or chronic fatigue.

They are gaming the system and to root cause on why the US has out of control health costs and not very good health outcomes compared to other industrialized countries. This will likely continue until the economy crashes so they can continue blaming patients as much as possible as if they haven't killed without remorse enough.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA -- I was misdiagnosed and abandoned at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida after three (3) plus years as a patient there. I was denied treatment and follow-up care for two types of cancer after I was finally, correctly diagnosed. I have a family. I am a mother of four. I am a wife. I believe in God and Heaven and I have a lot to live for. I love my life and I want to live to see my youngest children grow up.

My ordeal with illness and Mayo Clinic has been crushing but has not completely crushed me. I feel like a tiny ant under the heel of Goliath. I feel that my life had no value to some at Mayo Clinic and I was thrown away like a piece of garbage. But, I am blessed to have found the best of medical care and the utmost compassion from the doctors and staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY which restored my faith that there are medical professionals who have maintained their humanity and have good hearts.

I want to warn others about Mayo Jacksonville's administration's pervasive culture of defensiveness, lack of compassion for me and their blatant, harassing collections protocol and denial of care to me. I know other patients that had very similar experiences but they need to speak up for themselves. There is an obvious, prevalent, pompous attitude with the administration and the financial services department.

The physicians, whose attempts to provide patient care and treatment, are ruled with an iron fist by Mayo's administration and financial services department. My oncologist, a sarcoma specialist, was forced to abandon me by the administration at Mayo Clinic.

This is my story: I was diagnosed with GIST Sarcoma (gastrointestinal stromal tumor), a rare, orphan cancer that does not respond to traditional chemotherapy nor radiation. I also was diagnosed with the common form of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma but with the rare, aggressive Columnar Cell Variant.

I was repeatedly dismissed and denied tests & care for the thyroid lumps that I asked Mayo to ultrasound and provide an endocrinologist for. I had an ulcerated, bleeding, cancerous tumor that hemorrhaged for five (5) years and nearly killed me a few times (My hemoglobin went up the day after my GIST tumor was removed & has remained normal & the highest it's ever been).

I was under the very nose of a Mayo hematologist and oncologist for more than 3 years and had two undiagnosed serious cancers and he misdiagnosed me. Then he abandoned me and did not see me anymore. I would be seen by a different doctor or a Physician's Asst. each time I went to Mayo. I never knew who I would see and was prescribed IV iron infusions in chemotherapy and they did not really know why I could not keep my blood counts up or really why they were administering infusions or why I was bleeding internally.

I was hospitalized in Mayo with active GI bleeding proven by tests in the ER and in hospital and Mayo missed my bleeding tumor every time. The region of bleeding could be seen on a test but Mayo's hospital doctors missed it. I went through countless endoscopies, colonoscopies, camera pill studies, nuclear medicine scans, angiogram with catheter, and many other procedures when a simple CT Scan revealed the tumor in my small intestine. It was right there the whole time. This entire experience was extremely stressful, frightening, humiliating and racked up needless debt.

Note I was also hospitalized with hemorrhages in another local hospital several times over two years prior to being a patient at Mayo Clinic. I had a CT Scan there in 2007 and I may have a CT Scan at Mayo in 2009. I had countless types of scans at Mayo. I was in absolute fear that I would one day die from hemorrhaging. I was in fact advised by my gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic that “we have to find out where you are bleeding from. You might not make it the next time you hemorrhage. We could lose you”. I had in fact almost died in another hospital prior to being a patient at Mayo Clinic from two separate massive hemorrhages.

NOTE: this Mayo gastroenterologist is an excellent, caring, good doctor. He was my only true advocate at Mayo Clinic and he wanted to help me. He stated “I don't think the way you are being treated here is right; I am going to discuss your case with the board at our next meeting”. This would not be the first time a Mayo physician with good values and a good heart would sit in front of me and apologize to me. After I was diagnosed with GIST Sarcoma, I was assigned to a new sarcoma specialist.

He stated he was “sorry for what I had been through and he would be sure I had better care, that he wished he had met me three years prior as he would have suspected and looked for GIST Sarcoma, that I had every symptom of GIST Sarcoma”. If this isn't telling, I don't know what is. Damage control - terminating patients' care & treatment: MY CARE AT MAYO CLINIC JACKSONVILLE, FL WAS COMPLETELY TERMINATED after I was diagnosed with the two cancers.

I believe Mayo Clinic's administration went into damage control and got rid of me to avoid potential legal repercussions. They know mistakes were made and they worked to get rid of me. My own oncologist, a sarcoma specialist, who was newly assigned to me in my last months at Mayo Clinic phoned me himself to “warn me that he had been approached by the administration that they were going to terminate my care due to a lack of mutual trust and my bill”.

He stated “I want to be your doctor. I think it is wrong what they are doing. There is not a sarcoma specialist in this region but I will help monitor your CT scans for you if you like and I know a couple of oncologist in the area that I will call and talk with for you. I will ask the administration to reconsider.”

I never heard from my doctor again. I was heartbroken, terrified and crushed that a healthcare organization would treat a patient like this. I had expected that Mayo Clinic would own their mistakes and ensure that I received better care which my new sarcoma doctor wanted to do. The ethical course of action for Mayo Clinic's administration to have taken for me would have been to APOLOGIZE in addition to financial services working with me to reduce the bill rather than kick me to the curb knowing fully well I had an UNTREATED cancer of the thyroid that would require surgery and radiation therapy and possible other therapies afterward.

I am still undergoing treatment for the thyroid cancer for which I was denied by Mayo. SPEAK UP FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE IF YOU ARE A MAYO PATIENT and experienced similar circumstances know that you have rights as a patient. SPEAK UP! Do not allow Mayo Clinic to bully you. You deserve respect, COMPASSION and proper medical diagnosis and care. If you cannot pay your bill, you have the right to apply for financial assistance. These are things Mayo Clinic did not provide to me.

MAYO CLINIC's PATIENT LIAISONS I phoned patient liaisons several times while a patient at Mayo Jacksonville. I expressed my fears and concerns that I was not getting better. I shared my humiliating experience with a very rude, abrasive, pompous doctor in their gynecology department who misdiagnosed me and recommended a needless procedure and/or surgery.

I also complained about the harassment I experienced with financial services. I also asked to speak with the President William ** at Mayo Jacksonville who ignored me. Patient Liaisons did nothing to help me and did not advocate for me in any way that I am aware of. I believe that the Patient Liaisons served only to accumulate information and complaints from me which launched Mayo into defense mode and damage control then terminated my care.

A few weeks ago I requested an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I filled out a detailed appointment request online, and subsequently had a long discussion over the phone with someone from Mayo Clinic with regards to all of the tests that I'd had done, my medical history, etc. For approximately four years I have struggled with spinal issues that are growing increasingly less manageable. I had surgery towards the end of 2009, and I have felt physically worse and worse since December.

The neurosurgeon who performed the surgery is recommending another more invasive spinal surgery. I went to the Mayo Clinic seeking a second opinion, as they are world-renowned and I want to make sure that I am comfortable with my treatment plan prior to agreeing to any further surgical intervention. They told me they would look over my information and contact me back with appointment information. This was over two weeks ago. I called them back and discovered some very disappointing information.

First, they had referred my appointment request to the orthopedic clinic. My condition is spinal, and therefore should have been reviewed by a neurosurgeon, not an orthopedic surgeon. Second, I was informed that they would not be scheduling me an appointment at the Mayo Clinic. I was advised that I would be receiving a letter, but it would not contain any details as to why I have been "denied" treatment. When I asked why over the phone I was told that the doctor (again an orthopedic doctor, not really the appropriate specialist in my opinion) had a long waiting list.

What this doctor's waiting list has to do with whether or not I can receive treatment is beyond me. The Mayo Clinic does not have any way to file a complaint, request detailed information as to why they would choose not to treat you, or for a potential patient who has been denied a consult to request that the review be done by the appropriate specialty. It is very disappointing to say the least.

I am seeking the opinion of one of the best respected medical groups in the country, and they won't help me. It just makes me absolutely sick that they can have someone look at the most basic of information (not even my medical records!) and decide that I don't deserve to receive treatment. Just beware of putting too much hope into the Mayo Clinic, at least until they actually decide you are worth the time it takes to schedule an appointment. It is a horribly disappointing feeling to be told that they won't treat you, and that they will not tell you why you can't get the best treatment out there.

I was so optimistic that they would at the very least be able to make some recommendations or concur with my neurosurgeon so I could be confident going into this surgery, but they are simply not interested in helping me. I feel like others should be aware that this occurs, so as not to experience the crushing disappointment I have as a result of their policies.