IU Health Arnett apologizes after being accused of disrespecting a patient
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Our top at six - an unpleasant phone call interaction now has iu health arnett apologizing.
The father of a patient suffering from a mental breakdown is claiming his daughter was disrespected.
They claim employees were mocking them after (thinking( they hung up the phone.
But the father says he heard everything.
News 18's micah upshaw shares the story.
M: the incident happened on christmas when joe-l hedrick noticed his daughter s acting differently.
J: my daughter really wasn't in her right mind as far as her thoughts and formulating her sentences and getting everything together.
And so i saidlet's just take her because she was just saying some thing's not right.
M: they headed to the urgent care in west lafayette.
As part of covid-19 safety procedures, before enteri they had to answer some questions over the phone.
Hedrick says that's when the problems arose.
J: they asked to speak to my daughter when they asked to speak to her, she was trying to talk to them and she went off line, like we were trying to tell her something wasn't right, you know, and so i grab the phone and say you see what i mean, ou see what i was talking about, you see why i was asking you the questions.
M: as hedrick was answering questions for his daughter he says he began picking up on the frustration in the nurse's voice.
He says after the conversation ended, she hung up -- or so she thought.
J: i heard them say 'yeah i was trying to talk to her and she couldn't get her sentences together and she's mumbling and saying something and then the dad grabs the phone,' (mocking voice( 'now you see what i'm talking about,' in that voice like that and then the doctor starts laughing, 'yeah this is going to be difficult to deal with.'
M: hedrick says he made them aware that he heard what they said and took his concerns to the person in charge.
J: she says 'oh everybody has a bad day, just cut them some slack.'
I said, well ma'am i could see if it was one person but we have all your other staff and the other doctor who are supposed to remain professional at all times, especially dealing with someone, you know a patient.
M: we reached out to iu health leaders for a response.
The chief medical officer wrote an apology saying quote: on behalf of iu health arnett i am sorry that this patient had such a disappointing and unsatisfactory experience.
He also mentioned they take critical feedback very seriously and are grateful that this situation was brought to their attention.
J: i can forgive you but you can't forget the experience i had so now that leaves a bad taste in my mouth and i hope that everybody our there that's seeing this, they're taking it as serious as i am.
M: reporting in west lafayette, micah upshaw news 18.
Hedrick's daughter was able to get the service she needed at franciscan health's urgent care.
He says she is recovering well.
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