WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Reviews and Complaints

Hi Good Morning..

This is regarding our visit to the Wake med Emergency Raleigh location, my son got hurt while playing in the park and suddenly we are seeing some swell on his hand and we took him to pediatrician, they said.. they don't have that equipment to do X-Ray, so they referred us to Wake Med emergency Raleigh location and we took him to there and they took all the kind of X-Rays, after lot of X-Rays .. they said he doesn't have anything in hand and gave some Anti Biotics.

We have used Antibiotics for 5 days, suddenly we are seeing lot of pus on his hand, we are trying take it out the pus by pushing his hand, on 10th day suddenly we found a match stick size splinter from his hand. We are very upset about Pediatrician & Emergency providers, he is just 6 years old poor boy.. no idea how did he bear that pain for 10 days. now we got a bill of 3000$ bugs, without having any treatment.

My Chart has taken the place of reaching out to anyone with your care team after released from the hospital. Also, when your doctor ask you to make an appointment 2 weeks after you are released from the hospital it is a major effort to make this happen because according to MyChart there are no appointments available for 1 to 3 months My Chart has made it impossible to have direct contact with your doctor or their care team without going through several individuals receiving your calls when you dial the general numbers provided and then the best you can expect is to be referred to someone that has no idea who you are and what they know is what is in your computer records. Since you generally are asking a question they will simply state they will refer you to your care team. Direct or one step communications simply does not exist within My Chart. The care I received in the hospital was excellent but communications end once you check out. You quickly become a number and do not expect to be satisfied with the response you receive which generally does not include the answer to your question because the person is not qualified so they simply state they will refer your questiion, with some luck, to someone on your physisian's care team. It is like you are taking a trip on a nice highway and all of a suddlen you come to a long detour!. During my hospital stay and my wife's two hospital stays she received excellent care with only a couple exceptions but over all, She and I were very satisfied.

In December 2022 I had surgery at WakeMed Hospital. I was billed almost 80 THOUSAND DOLLARS for the hospital stay, my insurance paid all but 275 dollars. It was a relief to think that such an expensive surgery would be all but covered. My joy, however, was short lived. A subsequent bill arrived for almost, 4500 dollars. I was surprised to learn that the bill reflected TWO separate and distinct charges for surgical placement of artificial joints. Since there was only ONE such joint replaced, I contacted PATIENT RESOURCES for an explanation. Almost immediately, they cut the bill down to 2500 dollars.

It appeared to be billing for additional doctors fees associated with my surgery. Checking the Surgical record, it was revealed that a PA, (Physician's Assistant) had ‘assisted’ with my surgery. I was unable to verify that the State of North Carolina had CERTIFIED this PA as having a ‘SPECIALTY IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY’as claimed by WakeMed Patient Services. As a matter of fact, the only Specialty listed on his state license is one for ‘ATHLETIC TRAINER’. I have since refused to pay additional monies to either the PA or the hospital, citing he is neither an MD. nor is certified as having a ‘SPECIALTY IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY’. It should be noted that the duties and responsibilities of a PA, without specialty training, do not encompass performing aspects of surgery.

An ‘Internal Investigation’ by WakeMed Patient Services denied my request to dismiss the additional billing for the PA services. Do I think this is Blatant Fraud & Abuse? That is a RESOUNDING YES! WakeMed hospital made a conscious decision to initially bill my insurance company and Medicare for a surgical procedure that was not done! Do I think they Falsified Documents? That is a RESOUNDING YES! WakeMed initially billed me for two surgical procedures when there was only one

Do I think the Blatant Fraud & Abuse and Falsified Documents constitute BILLING VIOLATIONS? That is a RESOUNDING YES! Do I think the person assisting in surgery was an Unqualified Practitioner? That is a RESOUNDING YES! I’d like to hear your thoughts – except the one identified a ‘Owner’ – who is a representative of WakeMed, who usually insists on taking the discussion offline...

My 81-year-old father was a patient at Wake Med hospital. He has since passed away, but when he was in the hospital, he was 100% bed-ridden. He could not even sit up by himself. Prior to this illness, he had never been sick before in his life. This was his first hospitalization. He was afraid, and my mother stayed with him most of the time. One morning she left the room so staff could bathe him and change his sheets. My father kept his cell phone in the bed with him at all times because he felt it was his only link to my mother, especially when she was out of the room. When my mother left my father that day, his phone was on the bedside table where the nurse had put it for his bath. When my mother returned about an hour later, my father was holding the phone cord in his hand, but the phone was gone. My mother questioned staff immediately since the phone had been in his possession less than an hour before. Staff claimed the phone must have been taken out in the sheets. Staff said they would take care of it, but they never found his phone. I filed a report with hospital police 2 days later. The phone was less than a year old, and my mother, who is on a fixed income, had to pay that phone off before AT&T would let her purchase another phone for my father. The 2 phones she bought a few months previously were not paid off, and AT&T would not allow her to buy a replacement until she paid off the missing phone. Because having the phone with him was so important to my father, my mother paid off the lost phone and bought him another phone. NOW hospital staff has backed down, told me they NEVER said they would take care of the phone (which is a lie), and said they are "not responsible for lost property." Hospital staff is 100% at fault for the phone going missing (as my father was completely bed-ridden and could NOT have placed his phone anywhere else). The nurse working on the floor that day stated she saw the phone just before my father had his bath. The phone went missing in that hour. We DID try to do the "find my phone" app, and the phone pinged in Wake Med for about an hour, then abruptly stopped pinging. Apple told us that meant someone had physically turned the phone off. It is completely unacceptable that Wake Med lost a critically-ill 81-year-old man's phone, ADMITTED they lost it, then backed down and said they never told us they were responsible. Staff at Wake Med have stonewalled both me and my mother, and they refuse to address the issue. I finally ended up writing the Better Business Bureau as well as the Attorney General's office. The Attorney General's office has sent multiple letters to Wake Med, but Wake Med has refused to respond to any of the Attorney General's correspondence. I cannot believe the unprofessionalism displayed by this hospital, and the blatant uncaring attitude their staff has shown. I do not know who is in charge at this hospital, but I have zero respect for ANYONE who can treat a family the way Wake Med staff has treated mine.

On September 2, 2022, Dr. Amantia Kennedy performed my yearly routine Pap smear. Dr. Amantia Kennedy was very rough so rough that I backed away and the device pulled out. Dr. Kennedy said she saw a polyp that needed to be removed so I let her. After removing the polyp, Dr. Kennedy told me that I would bleed. I bled for 2 weeks. I called this office to get the results on the polyp and Dr. Kennedy is claiming she never removed a polyp. Dr. Kennedy's nurse is also claiming that Dr. Kennedy didn't remove a polyp from inside me. Dr. Kennedy did not include the polyp removal in her doctor notes on my visit. I have reported this doctor to WakeMed and they are saying that Dr. Kennedy followed the law. I want this doctor to tell the truth. I have changed doctors and I now have to bring someone with me to all my doctor visits because of this experience and I now do not trust doctors. My first visit with Dr. Amantia Kennedy was on July 26, 2021 and the visit went great. During this first visit, Dr. Kennedy took time with me and answered my questions. Dr. Kennedy performed my yearly Pap smear and I was amazed because it didn't hurt at all. Normally, a Pap smear is very uncomfortable for me. Dr. Kennedy explained to me that there was a technique so the Pap smear did not hurt. Dr. Kennedy removed a polyp during this first visit and even showed me the polyp. Not to my second visit with Dr. Kennedy on September 2, 2022. Someone from Dr. Kennedy's office completed my online form in MyChart ahead of time and indicated that I was sexually active. I changed the form the night before my appointment. The person that completed the online form got everything else correct except that I was sexually active. When Dr. Kennedy came into the room, she said, "So you're sexually active." I told her that was incorrect. Dr. Kennedy proceeded to tell me that I could only have Pap smears once every 5 years. (Dr. Kennedy never said this to me during my first visit to her office.) I told Dr. Kennedy that I have had polyps removed before. Dr. Kennedy decided to perform the pap smear and she was very rough with inserting the device so rough that I backed away and it pulled out. Dr. Kennedy told me she saw a polyp that needed to be removed so I let her try again which now I wish I had not let her because I am scared she did something bad to me. Dr. Kennedy did not come back into the room to talk to me or show me the polyp like she did the previous year. During the visit, I told Dr. Kennedy that my regular doctor would not order my yearly blood work that is preventative and I asked if she could. I was scared to get this blood work because I now do not trust this doctor. I am very concerned that a doctor can mistreat a patient. I bled for 2 weeks after this visit. I am now going to have to bring someone with me during a doctor's visit to hopefully receive ethical health care. On November 23, 2022 I went to Mariah Parham Women's Care to check inside me. Dr. Beynon found a polyp inside me and asked if I wanted the polyp removed and I said I wanted it out. Dr. Beynon talked to me throughout the procedure to calm me and this doctor was very gentle with inserting the device inside me. The procedure did hurt yet I could tell Dr. Beynon cared. Dr. Beynon answered my questions. I asked Dr. Beynon if this procedure should hurt and she said because I am not sexually active and I do not use those muscles that it could hurt. I now am questioning if Dr. Amantia Kennedy even removed a polyp at my first visit on July 26, 2021 because her polyp removal procedure did not hurt at all. Pap smear procedures have always been uncomfortable to me until Dr. Amantia Kennedy performed the Pap smear and polyp removal procedure on me. For my next steps, I am going to get my doctor records from Dr. Amantia Kennedy's office and transfer them to Mariah Parham Women's Care. When I called WakeMed Obstetrics & Gynecology and talked to the clinic's practice manager, she put me on hold and went and asked Dr. Kennedy if she removed a polyp from inside me. The practice manager came back on the phone and told me that Dr. Kennedy said she did not remove a polyp from inside me. I told the practice manager to talk to Dr. Kennedy's nurse who assisted and observed the polyp removable procedure. The practice manager said the nurse was not at work that day so she could not talk to her. I have received a letter from Irina Gomez telling me that I can contact her through MyChart yet that feature is not available to me. I am quite concerned that a doctor can omit a medical procedure from their doctor notes and get away with it. I am concerned that a doctor can treat a patient roughly and get away with it. I am very concerned that WakeMed does not take my concern seriously and look into this doctor and nurse. There had to have been blood on the instrument that Dr. Kennedy used to remove the polyp because I bled for 2 weeks. This doctor needs to be watched! I do not want anyone else to have to go through what I am going through because of Dr. Amantia Kennedy. I pray Dr. Kennedy will tell the truth.

On 11/21/2022- Arrived at about 8 pm with my 9 month old grandson and at 12 midnight walked out. Went through triage and was put back in the waiting rooms. They did a Covid and RSV test. This was about 8:15 pm. I know that some might have been worse off than my grandson however he was sick coughing and gagging whining and crying. He was very uncomfortable. There was people walking in and being seen and not even wait an hour and we were there 4 and never got seen. The nurse that was calling patients back had a bad attitude and the receptionist that came in for the late shift did too. Needless to say when we got my grandson home he was running a fever of 102.5. This is not acceptable. I am highly upset about the way that er is run. If the staff doesn’t want to have compassion for the sick then they need to be fired This is totally unacceptable. We now have to take him to another facility first thing in the morning. They didn’t even give us any results from his text. One frustrated nana.

It was a living Nightmare the 6th floor at Wake Med.

I was admitted to Wake Med ICU towards the Middle of Oct. At that time I was in Critical Condition with a very low Survival Rate. After 4 days in ICU I recovered and was moved to room 605. This is when the "Nightmare" begins. The first night I lay in my [censored] and piss for hours. No nurse responded to my call button. Why, the Nurse had left the patents alone and had taken off for 3 hours. During that time I kept yelling and screaming for help. Of course no one ever showed up. The next day was not much better. Again I lay in my [censored] and piss. My call button was on and no one responded. I took my food tray and threw that to get some sort of response. The nurse came in and asked why I had thrown my food tray. I told her I needed to be cleaned up as I was covered in "[censored]". The nurse turned around and walked out of the room closed the door behind her. It was another hour before I was finally cleaned "UP".

During my nightmare stay I was left alone for hours on end. I have CHF which is a life threatening condition and no CURE .It should have been imperative that a Nurse would check on me every hour. When One did happen to stop in it was for a minute or two at most. Never did the Nurses help me make my bed and I was always cold and shriving from lack of blankets. They had run out of blankets and pillows.

Then I was punished by one of the Doctors for refusing a test. I was not allowed to have any water for over 3 days and nights until I had the test completed. By that time I was ready to give up the treatment was so "BAD".

The following nights the treatment got worse until the Hospital hired a visiting nurse to take care of me. He was outstanding and I never had to worry about laying in my [censored] and piss. I pressed the call button and he was there within minutes.

It's hard for me to believe that a Hospital would allow such horrible treatment and care. If I wasn't able to speak for myself who knows what the outcome would have been. I feel sorry for the Older Patients that can't speak for themselves and don't have family.

Wake Med is a living Nightmare and something needs to be done to correct a terrible injustice to the patients.

I was admitted to Wake med ER on Sept. 25th. During my stay in Intense Care I don't have any complaints. What comes later is a Total Nightmare.

I was transferred from Intense Care to the 6th Floor Room 605. At this point all seemed well. Then it began, the first night left for over two hours laying in my [censored]. No matter how many times I rang the buzzer no one showed up. When someone did respond they shut my door and left me for another hour. After a total of 3hours laying in my [censored] I was finally cleaned up. The next day I thought I would see a Nurse. no such luck. I was alone for hours with No Nursing Care, again laying in my [censored]. The day dragged on with very little care from the Nursing Staff. That night was a Horror Movie. For over 3 hours I screamed to get cleaned up. This time there was no one present on the Nursing Floor. They up and left the Patients. If I had tried to get out of bed I would have fallen as I could not WALK. Finally at shift change nurses did start to appear. But by God I was left alone for hours, no nursing care. This went on like this during my entire stay and never got better only worse.

The stay at the Wake Med was a Living Nightmare.

This recent visit to the hospital began on Wednesday the 19 night at 10:00. I hate coming here but unfortunately I don't have any other options. I have a cyclic vomiting syndrome among other GI issues. My issue is whenever I come here I'm being judged based off of how I look maybe my tattoos or the fact that I'm young or that I've been here multiple times. But I can't trust you all to care for me. I have a plan of care in my contract or folder and it's like y'all aren't following it or just looking at that and not listening. I tried to cooperate even taking pills by mouth knowing I can't swallow. It's only making the issue worse and I tell them that and they don't care. This is torturous. It feels like my pain is your pleasure at this point. If I keep telling you I'm in pain or struggling why can't they give me the recommended dose versus something that's not working. I'm individual I'm not a piece of paper you can ask that piece of folder how I feel all day and it won't do anything for you I thought our nurses were supposed to be here to protect us I feel like I'm literally being neglected have people rolling their eyes at me saying under their breath when I ask for medication that makes me feel like crap on top of the fact that I'm already sick and have been here for the past 3 days and will stay three more days if they can't get my medication under control. I haven't been able to sleep for the past 2 days because I'm in so much pain my anxiety is through the roof and no one cares. I feel like I'm in isolation this dark room is doing wonders for my depression not to mention the lack of care from your staff. I'm not even disappointed I'm heartbroken I put my health in your hands and it's been taken as a joke hopefully I won't pass away from this. Also no one has come by to clean my room or change my sheets I've done it myself at least twice.

Might as well treat yourself. Worst experience EVER! Was in Emergency Room (Wake med Cary) lobby for 5 1/2 hours after my primary doctor had me rush to this emergency room thinking I possibly could be having a heart attack after just visiting her across the street. Only thing they did was same ECO test as my doctor 15 min's prior to arrival. They took blood and had me set in waiting area with all the other people for 5 1/2 hours later, never checked on me, never updated me when I'd be seen. I finally got so frustrated I went to desk to ask when could I be seen. No one but a security guard at desk. He said he didn't know when I'd be seen. Told him I was leaving. He says ok... I left with no doctor ever seeing me. As I sat there overheard many people say they had been waiting much longer than me and saw many upset people walk out without being seen because of the wait.

One poor elderly lady 8 1/2 hours and spitting up blood. Tops 10 people in waiting room when I arrived and that included a family member with patient. Do NOT go here. They have zero sense of urgenance. None... I could have had a heart attack although I went there to prevent one. And I still don't know if I have heart issues. I'm sure if I didn't I do now with the stress I endured waiting to be seen and then told me that no heart doctor was available in the emergency room right now. Are you kidding me? What a terrible so called health care facility. Sure I'll be billed full cost of emergency room although had zero care. Zero compassion...

I had issue with billing department. They submitted wrong claim as GI when I visited primary care. Made me go though unnecessary hassel. Than they bill me for a copay I paid at office. They take it off and again bill me saying it was a copay for previous visit, I tried looking back when I visited the specialist. I do not see any labs or any patient notes made for that day. I found I was pregnant and had miscarriage in few weeks before I saw a provider. I do not remember seeing anyone but still was billed. If I had seen a provider for miscarriage I should have got at least a pregnancy test which I do not see in the records and no patient notes for the visit. I am a nurse so I know how it works. I have no complaints against hospital, care I received or providers. They are exceptionally great. However billing department sends my 75 dollars copay to agency before I even get chance to find out from the obgyn clinic about the visit. I paid them right away and called the collection about it. This is not good. When you bill something wrong, they need to go back and find out rather than patient handling this mess. Unfortunately my insurance pays for Wakemed and Duke. I will be going to Duke now because of their stupid mistake to send my copay or unsure service to collection. You all need to learn to provide better service when you al mess up with billings. I am a nurse so I atleast know we do not charge for the service that was not given to the patient. Paying 75 copay will not make me poor but sure makes me understand that billing department needs to better. Hope patients will be served better and not sent to collection when they are questioning.

I was lied to about being able to have a blanket...I was told I couldn't have a blanket because the blankets have been coming up missing but other people had one and I don't understand why I couldn't have one . I was waiting on my ride after being seen by the doctor and it was very cold Some please give me a call I really feel like this was done because they did not want to go and get it! My number is [protected]

I have had 2 bad experiences during birth at wakemed, 4 yrs ago I labored for almost 3 days (was induced on wednesday night and the c section was done on friday around 5pm) this prolonged labor caused a brain damage to my daughter which has caused development delay till today, then I went back 4 months ago nervous but hoping they had improved and the worst happened, it was a planned c_section and few days after I was discharged I got very bad infection which sent me back to theater for opening and cleaning, and I went home with a wound vac, I went through hell at wakemed and this made me decide not to have another baby again. My kids suffered alot since I don't have any family here in state except my husband. I will never recommend wakemed to anyone.

I dislocated a finger on a Saturday afternoon. I went to the WakeMed Urgent care. After taking all my insurance and personal information the Dr. entered the room. All she said was "we can't help you here, you need to go to the Emergency Dept." I left Urgent care, and went to the ED. I was billed for an office visit from Urgent Care.

I went to the WakeMed ED, after 3 hours of waiting I was given an X-Ray. Two hours later the Physician's Assistant gave me buticane, and relocated my finger. I waited another hour before being allowed to leave.

I am being billed an exorbitant amount of money for a dislocated finger. When I questioned Wakemed about the bill, and asked for itemized bill- I received a new, higher bill, with no itemization at all - simply stated ' Outpatient Service". I have written and complained, only to be told the matter is closed. The lack of transparency in billing is unacceptable. I have the right to an itemized bill.

I went to the emergency room to see my husband and found him in wheelchair in bad situation and can't communicate with nurse that she yelled at him and push him with aggressive attitude and hit his foot with the door. When I yelled at her for wrong doing to my husband she called security guard and he uses Excessive application of force against me, he didn't talk to me at all. He came and hold my arm and twisted like I am a criminal. He has no right to touch me at all. He can't treat an incent women like a criminal. I can't comprehend what happend to me that day. Why the nurse or the guard talk to me nicely and not use their hand on me. It was wrong and beyond respect a humainbeen. I hope it will not happen to anyone else. This incident happend on Thursday, April 4th evening around 7pm. Shame on the nurse that she yelled and be rude and aggressive on my husband and me, and shame on the guard who used force on me.

Dr. Tapan Godiwala's Office: [protected] Ext:371
Called Drugco Pharmarcy [protected]-18) 5:32pm
Called [protected] Ext:371on 10-12-18 at 10:34am
WakeMed MyChart Desk: [protected]-18)3:18pm

I needed to have a prescription filled by Drugco Pharmacy, Roanoke Rapids, NC. and was told a doctor had to request a refill. I called my cardiologist because my primary care physician had a stroke and closed his practice. I am seeking a new primary care physician, but my appointment is not until Nov. 8, 2018. I also have an appointment the same day to follow up with my cardiologist (Dr. Godiwala).
In the meantime, I sent a request online using the WakeMed MyChart app. This was fine until I followed up again using a new iMac computer I purchased and couldn't remember the password that was saved on my previous computer. As a result of keying in the wrong password too many times, I was locked out by the administrator.
I have since tried unsuccessfully to contact the administrator but to no avail.
After being transferred several times by the help desk to the administrator's number, I was hung up on before anyone would answer.
My question is "What is the purpose of having online support for the app in order to restore services, if you can't get help using or restoring it?
Dr. Godiwala did eventually sign for me to get a refill, but I am still not able to communicate online on the Wakemed MyChart Website because it has been disabled by the administrator's office who will not answer the phone.