SSM Health DePaul Hospital

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I am homeless. Destitute. I went without food for days to get enough money to pay for a $4 antibiotic prescription for my abscessed tooth; A potentially serious infection and enormous pain. I walked to the hospital ER. I waited for more than 4 hours to be seen. Don't get me wrong, I know there were people there much sicker than me. They waited, just like I did.



After getting out of the waiting room, I received a visit from a young man who took my information (after more than 5 hours waiting) I was informed that, since I was uninsured, they would charge me 600 for the pleasure of being there plus costs. In addition, I would be charged by the doctors, who don't work for the hospital, and by other entities unnamed.



After that I saw two CNP and someone who put in my IV. I said to everyone that I saw, including the girls at the front desk who checked me in, that I need a CHEAP, GENERIC, ANTIBIOTIC. $4 list or free list. Thats it. Easy.



I got an antibiotic IV and a piece of paper to take to the pharmacy. No one ever examined me in any way, not even to look in my mouth. No temperature taken, nothing. They could have sent a CNP to the waiting room with a piece of paper and saved everyone a bunch of time and money.



Turns out, after telling everyone I needed a CHEAP prescription on the $4 list, they gave me a prescription that is $41 plus tax. I called multiple pharmacies to get price quotes and was told that they won't even call DePaul for a substitution because they never receive a call back.



So, I spent hours waiting, probably more than $1000, and a lot of unheard communication to get a prescription that I can't fill.



Dysfunctional ER. Dysfunctional system. If I had been really sick, I could have died in that waiting room and no one would have known the difference. If I could give a negative star, I would.

If I could of picked a negative rating I would of. Dirty waiting rooms and bathrooms, rude nurses, and it took almost 9 hours to get a severely dehydrated patient with the flu a iv because they "discharged patients late" (said the manager when she came down to apologize to a standing room only waiting area.

Everybody tat helped me through my total knee replacement, were the the sweetest people,The place was spotless..Thank you you so much, for helping walk again..