Saint Francis Memorial Hospital

Edit: changed from 5 (great treatment) to 2 (bad billing practices) My corporate travel insurance, unbeknownst to me, denied the claim for my treatment due to some hiccup between them and my company. The hospital / its billing department didn't contact me (they had my address, phone number, email etc.) to inquire or resolve the situation amicably, instead they forwarded the claim to an international debt collection agency, which sent me a letter 8 months after the original claim was denied. That was the first time I heard the insurance denied to pay. A scorpion is a scorpion so I won't fault the collection agency for their pushy communication and demands, I am however pretty pissed that I had to sort this out under additional pressure when one call or email after the claim was originally denied could have started the process of finding the issue so much sooner and done so without upsetting or stressing so many people. I really hope I was an outlier and it isn't official process to just forward denied travel insurance claims to debt collectors without even checking with the patient directly. The claim is now paid of course (by the insurance) but it took hours upon hours of my time and losing sleep over it because of other coincidal circumstances. All of which could have avoided by just reaching out to me directly instead of sending the hounds. Original review: I was probably one of the more boring ER cases in the early hours of the 29th of August but I felt very well taken care of for the whole duration of my short(ish) stay that morning. Dr. Sean Tiret was calming, reassuring and perfectly pleasant to interact with, he didn't fast track me through the motions despite presenting a fairly standard case (I assume). At times it felt like too much was being done but I understand it is better to be safe than sorry and I'd probably be thinking differently about it if any of the tests would have brought up something concerning. I didn't catch the names of the nurses that morning (nor could I find them in the release documentation) but I am grateful for their care that day too of course! My care wasn't really what impressed me though, it was the handling of the other cases I witnessed that morning, they were what you expect a bit north of the Tenderloin on an early Monday morning. I would have assumed that something like compassion fatigue would have to hit front line medical staff exposed to the same recurring issues but there was nothing of that sort, every patient, whether they noticed or not, was treated with the utmost respect and empathy. The staff working there are clearly competent but they are even better people. The only minor negative remark would be that there was the (not unexpected) "fill in your insurance information before being admitted" part which feels a bit odd coming from an European country but I was waved in after a minute or two of filling in the pages and again, I understand that this is how it works in the States. One thing to note, I haven't had to deal with any bureaucracy after providing my business / travel insurance information. While I hope I never have to visit the ER in SF again, if I have to and am in the position to choose, I'd definitely got back to the Saint Francis Memorial.

The hospital staff was very attentive. My issue was taken care of very quickly and I was in and out of the doors within an hour, very surprised at the level of care I received after hearing on "the street" reviews. Don't always listen to negative reviews of places like the hospital, it really is a case by case type of thing, I really did receive top notch care from emergency room Dr. Henry Curtis and. His nurse. Even after these 2 had been working 16 hours they treatede with kindness, urgency and made me feel much better. Thank you guys!

A Disastrous Experience at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital On October 11th, amidst what was supposed to be an incredible trip with my wife and brother-in-law, we found ourselves in a medical emergency. Struggling with vomiting and diarrhea, we attempted home remedies to no avail. We contacted our AIG insurance, purchased specifically for emergencies like this during travel. However, their procedures took a minimum of 6 hours to recommend a facility and cover expenses. We opted to rush to a hospital they recommended, pay out of pocket, and later seek reimbursement through insurance. The insurance directed us to the dreadful Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, and naively, we hoped for humane treatment. At reception, we were efficiently served by courteous ladies who swiftly prepared our forms. However, this marked the end of decent treatment. My wife, not fluent in English, needed me as a translator. I requested they call her first as she was severely ill. Despite the hospital being nearly empty at 1:30 am, we waited nearly 30 minutes for the nurse. Nurse Guido called my wife. I stood up to accompany her for translation, but he ignored me completely. He asked me to sit down and allowed her into a screening room alone. From a distance, I heard him questioning her, causing confusion due to her language barrier. Impatiently, he summoned me rudely. The room was cramped, disorganized, uncomfortable, and the nurse lacked patience. I explained our symptoms and mentioned my brother-in-law had experienced similar symptoms and had been diagnosed and medicated via injection, specifying the medicines he had taken. After some basic tests on my wife and me, the doctor arrived. Initially attentive, she dismissed my brother-in-law's symptoms as unlike ours, despite their similarity. The interaction with the doctor lasted a mere 1 minute and 30 seconds. We were left with Guido, who, without much explanation, said he would prescribe two medications for us to take at home. He started searching for open pharmacies online (it was nearly 2 am, and no pharmacies would be open). I told Guido we needed medication there; we couldn't drive home in our condition. We were exhausted, continuously vomiting, and experiencing diarrhea. One pill wouldn't address our urgent need for medical attention. Ignoring my pleas, Guido continued searching until he eventually gave up. We were handed two pills and sent home to rest. Upon leaving, we were presented with a bill for an incredibly basic and, frankly, inhumane service: approximately $3,000. As I was finalizing the payment, my wife, who hadn't received proper care, nearly fainted. She turned pale, began trembling, and I caused a scene at the hospital, demanding she be treated properly. Only then, after my wife almost passed out, did she receive proper care and was taken inside for a thorough analysis. What struck me the most was the contrasting treatment a Native American patient received while we were enduring a terrible experience. In less than 10 minutes, the American patient was treated, taken deeper into the emergency room (not left in screening like we were), and while my wife suffered at the entrance, she was already being discharged and sent home. I wonder why the disparate treatment: because we're not Americans, or because we're self-pay patients? I have more details to share, but I prefer to communicate directly with the hospital. My summary here on Google is this: if you're a foreigner and a self-pay patient, avoid this hospital. You won't receive decent treatment, and you'll be burdened with a hefty bill upon departure.

I just spent 11 days in your facility. I want to thank the nurses and support staff on the 10th floor. I was treated with professionalism and true compassion and at no time did I have an issue with how I was being treated. Those who cared for me were true hero's to me. They made a difficult a situation a little better. Please pass along my sincere thanks to the entire staff. Thank you, Frank C Davis