Tampa General Hospital
reviews and complaints

After self referring myself for 2 days I tried leaving AMA from TGH i was physically and medically restrained n held against my will for 2 days. They had no legal right to hold me n when forced there against my will they never contacted my emergency contact (legally required). Also forced medication like Haldol n precedex (ketamine) while in 4 point restraint. These medications made me a zombie that couldn't think straight for over a week. Then released with no paperwork, no ride, no money n a dead cellphone. Was competent enough to figure out how to get home. Have a $52,000+ bill n another for $1,800 when it was known I don't have health insurance n don't meet qualifications for government assistance. Will never return n still have anxiety daily over traumatic experience read less

I was never a patient at Tampa General hospital, any of its clinics, USF or anywhere affiliated with this hospital but I received a letter that I was part of the data breach. How? If I never went to you as a patient how would you even have my information.

Your hospital is unethical and you’re doing something incredibly malicious and unethical if you’ve got my private information and I’ve never even been cared for you as a patient.

I’m filing a criminal complaint against you with the police because you were never given my information so someone on your company is the data breach, not Russia.

I visited my son-in-law 7/10-11/2023 late afternoon after he was admitted from the ER.

He was still in his streetclothes. Nurse said he had to ask for a gown, they don't just offer one. Also, he was never given toiletries or a urinal. He had great difficulty getting to the bathroom as he had to unplug the "tree" himself.

Filthy molding throughout the entire floor.

I worked for Tampa General Hospital in Organization Development, a part of Human Resources, for ten years. While I was initially proud and happy to be part of the organization, it’s no longer an organization I would recommend for employment or for patient care. Tampa General is not invested in people, it’s not invested in the community and it’s not invested in your health or well-being. TGH is invested in its bottom line and the current leaderships true goal is solely to make money.

In my final years working there, I observed so many patient safety issues, down to patients falling due to lack of staff to help them. Anyway that corners could be cut, they were. Go-Lives, Acquisitions and IT projects were not given adequate timelines and support creating further patient safety issues involve the Epic EMR. Because I witnessed this first hand, I will no longer recommend others to receive care there or go there for my own care.

TGH claims to be invested in their employees yet the salaries are amongst the lowest in the state and nation, so low, they can’t maintain staff and have to hire employees lacking appropriate education and experience for their roles. What lead to my own departure, another manager in my departments role was eliminated. I was expected to take on all of her duties and responsibilities as well as the East Coast Expansion in West Palm Beach, but I was given no additional compensation. Sadly, the manager they let go, had a higher level of education than me and more experience, which tells you, they eliminated her and gave me the work because I was cheaper labor.

From disabilities to gender, discrimination is common. Often, in my department , my male colleagues would ask for an increase without additional work duties. They’d be invited to the directors office to discuss their pay. When given the duties of another manager, I asked for an increase but was never given an opportunity to discuss with the director. I was told “No.” just “No”. After ten years of investing my career in TGH , that’s how I was treated. They couldn’t even be bothered to thank me for taking on the additional duties.

During the USF Merger, many USF employees were mislead and lost benefits and pay.

TGH claims to invest in their people by offering college tuition. The amount given is very low and they really encourage you to attend fast track online schools, that most organizations will not accept a degree from. For an organization claiming to be world class, You would think they would invest a world class education in their people to match their marketing lingo.

There is no direction, no common goal. We were told from the CEO to be “the best”. What is the best? How do we measure this and what is the expectation? Unfortunately, his big words further divided the organization. Without a clear common goal, everyone does their own thing and their own version of the best, instead of working together to provide the care to patients.

It’s very much a shame and I trurly regret I gave this company ten years of my career. I also regret ever receiving care there - one surgery left me with an Umbilical Hernia. During the birth of my daughter, the room I was given had urine in the floor from another patient.

TGH should be ashamed. Go to Baycare. I previously worked for Adventists and have also been a patient with them - they care. I’ve been a patient a Baycare and it was a wonderful experience.

Go back to West Palm, Couris. Tampa Bay needs leaders that care for the health and well being of this community, not for their bottom lines and pockets.

I had a walk in patient from baden ontario canada penny hopper and keith hallman and they shouldnt be in cheese farm when they are hogging the great lakes and fisheries. He takes pornos of his cousin who is age 60 and she is homeless because of him. The guy is a rental landlor crook with trw utc employee john livingstone who has brain tumour and is threatening a competition with his babe salon allegra font hill ontario. These hog riders and stunt cameras for movies etc are liars and rumour spreaders and holding this lady hostage while they vacation in florida.

February 24,2021

4/13/21

6/29/22

7/12/2022

350 characters are not near enough to tell you how I’ve had a parasitic infection Dating as far back as 2020. The initial diagnosis by Meghan M Harris MD was unsubstantiated with no evidence of Morgellons Disease and Improper Protocal and degree to diagnose Delusions of infestation. Initial diagnosis was made by sitting 12 feet away, sitting down with NO physical examination, she made NO order for a stool test, no order for labs no nasal swab, tape test, woods lamp. Not one attempt was made to actually investigate my claims. With all this lack of information she was able to give me a diagnosis that reportedly only 200,000 people in the world has. This misdiagnosis traveled with me, making it impossible to be taken seriously, or my symptoms treated the innumerable amount times i begged for help from multiple hospitals. Her neglect to seek the truth, defamation of my character, slander, and incompetence in dealing with a parasitic infection is directly related to the position i am in today. I have a parasitic brain infection with objective MRI Results to verify. USF Dermatology DR. Cohen has tried to help me in this endeavor but we are all at the mercy of Neurosurgery. Dr. Van Loveren told me verbatim on my initial visit “ Im sorry Mr.Hoffmann, you’re suffering from a psychotic break” I didn’t know that his medical license was in psychology or psychiatry. I asked hime questions on numerous anomalies in my MRI results and he said verbatim “ I don’t know, and I can’t answer that” After he told me he had suspicions of the lesion being parasitic. No one at you hospital has went over my MRI results with me and answered my questions. Dr. Van Loveren told me he was concerned what they have already done to it but instead of making a plan i told me to go see psychiatrist. Made it mandatory that i see one before any intervention on the lesion. As if having been neglected and suffering for 2years plus hasn’t been long enough, or having an lesion in my brain that could rupture any minute wasn’t scary enough, He tossed me off without a care for my psychical help. I couldn’t get in to see a psychiatrist until October 18th. Another month of enduring this insufferable infection. The thing is i was telling every doctor this for 3 years total, THE MRI’s proves me right. I attached a few, have a look for yourself. By the way my friend Jennifer is now infected with the same thing and we are not sure exactly when. She too is scared and looking for answers on what to do

My husband was admitted after a car accident on June 20th. I was allowed to sleep in his room first 10days.i left for work the morning of 6/28 called after and no information was available. Told nobody by this name,told couldn't help me,I was passed from dept to dept.no help.was told as his wife I had no rights I would need to contact family? Day 5 still no help no info.

I worked as a supervisor at TGH until November of 2021 as an Epic Training Supervisor. While there, I worked with another supervisor who discriminated and fired another employee for having a disability. There is an active lawsuit but while employed there I never went forward with the information I have and what I witnessed. I would like to see Tampa General stop discriminating against disabled individuals, particularly since, it was a nurse who discriminated and should have understood the disability this individual had as well as the laws that protected him.

While This case did not directly impact me, I never went forward due to fear of being retaliated against, and I now regret it. I wish I had done the right thing. This discrimination case did aide in my decision to leave the organization after ten years. I couldn’t feel proud working for a company that defended and promoted employees that discriminate.

Starting on 9/10/2021 - 10/4/2021, via the TGH-USF MY CHART internet system, I left 3 refill requests for the medication Provigil/ Modafinil which is a federally controlled medication that I've been taking for years due to sleep disorder issues related to a 1991 TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

I never received a response from my doctor's office or an automated note from the system instructing me to directly contact the prescribing doctor by phone. Of course, I became a very irate client who called the main phone line on 10/11/21 to leave a message for my doctor.

The next day, doctor kindly explained to me in person that when the USF "My Chart" system declines requests for a refill, no message is then forwarded to the appropriate physician of record.

My question: Why aren't ALL refill requests forwarded to the prescribing doctor's office or at the very least, why isn't there an automatic notification that the patient needs to call the doctor, directly.

On 10/12/21 I received an email from TGH Patient relations regarding a concern of my father, John Poulos who is a patient. Ms. Nancy Considine stated on her 10:49am ET email that my father was away getting a procedure done and I was present for it. I contacted my dad who told me that all that occurred that he was given blood. He was never away nor was I present. TGH staff is providing false information regarding my fathers care. This is quite concerning as my father expects his care to be provided faithfully and within a trusted environment. Currently that is not the case.

This was the worst experience ever the nurses and doctors in er are rude and don't care that you're sick I've been here from 2 pm until 9 p.m. and have not been seen by a doctor they don't care that your sick and in pain here worst nurses and doctors ever

My husband entered TGH on three occasions. the last occasion resulted in his death. I have numerous e-mails complaining that my husband was under nourished (staff did not feed him), he was over medicated, the reason he entered the hospital was never properly treated, he fell in the hospital, I was with my husband for 20 days in the hospital and then the hospital staff moved him to ICU and refused to allow me to continue to stay. My husband aspirated while in the ICU and died. I requested doctors call me. I received NO updates while my husband was in the ICU unless it was a doctor requesting permission for a treatment although I called multiple time per day to speak with him. I was not permitted to speak to my husband when he was moved to the ICU and the nurse told me the phone in the room was not functional. My husband died due to neglect by this hospital's staff. He did not have covid. I did not have covid. If I had been allowed to stay my husband might have lived. Also I believe that the medical records indicate my husband had a bowl blockage. He began vomiting on July 5th. I requested a physical be called and no one showed up until his AFIB condition worsened. He was vomiting a green fluid when I asked for the physician. There are many inaccurate comments in my husband's medical records by some of the physicians on this case. I requested an autopsy but due to them saying he did from a fall the coroner would not preform one. I am told this precludes me from filing a malpractice lawsuit. I find this convenient. I could not afford a private autopsy at the time of his death. I have my husband's medical records. These doctors predetermined my husband had cancer and therefore decided he was going to die. His biopsy was benign. I am very frustrated. I hope you will pursue this case for achieve justice for my husband. I have photos of my husband's condition. After 8 days in this hospital my husband had lost 20 pounds, his dominant hand was atrophied and he was severely dehydrated. Is this standard of care?

I have been to Tampa General 4 times now with severe pelvic pain on my left side. Hemoraging blood. Peeing blood. The first time they said we have been watching toucans you seem fine so we are sending you home. So I guess that means because I don't scream and yell and pit on a show when I'm in pain I'm not really in pain. Second time they said they were doing tests and said nothing was wrong. Come to find out when my records were looked up they didn't even do the tests they said they did. They lied. They did a cat scan said they can find nothing. Third time I went O started pouring out blood in the emergency room. They took me back did labs and same tests as before. The doctor comes in says we'll your blood is low and even lower than when you came in before. Now mind you they never told me my blood was low the last time the just said nothing is wrong. The doctor says my blood shows I'm losing blood every day but they refused to do a transfusion and just sent me home. Now as I speak I am in severe pain in the same area. No one can find what's wrong. I have trouble breathing and I'm so sick I can barely sit up for two hours. I'm not even bothering to go to the hospital. If I die I die cause they just gonna say we can't find anything. So I just have to lay in my bed feeling like I'm dying in severe pain cause they won't really LOOK for what is wrong. I can barely walk any distance anymore because of the pain. For a year my health is steadily declining. The pain is getting worse and worse. I can't work anymore and not even my doctors will look for what the problem is. Very bad service. Not everyone screams and puts on a show when they are hurting. Some people.suck it up.

My beautiful 85 year old Mama was admitted to Tampa General Hospital for shortness of breath. After several weeks of diagnosing and indecision on the family's (my brother, my Mom and I) part she agreed to have her mitral valve replaced on August 22, 2016 by Dr. Christiano Caldeira. Her condition never really significantly improved. After 1 and a half months and several Tee's and echo-cardiograms it was determined that some of the stitching had come loose from the valve's annulus or base (about 10%- 15% I was told by the doctors) causing a significant paravalvular leak coming from the base of my mom's supposedly professionally replaced mitral valve. I was then told she was a candidate for and would require a trans-catheder delivered device called an Amplatzer Plug 4 (also known as a PDA closure). After one unsuccessful attempt the cardiologist (Dr. John T. Sullebarger) said he would try a different approach in a couple of days from the bottom this time (whatever that means- same destination, different approach. The doctor came out to greet the family after several hours and said he was unsuccessful once again but said she was "stable" and we could see my beautiful mother in a few minutes. This was now Thursday October 13, 2016. In the meantime we hear a code blue over the intercom and did not realize what was going on. We were corralled into a small room where we were told that her heart rate had jumped to a critical level (close to 200 I thought I heard). Dr. Sullebarger said they were attempting to revive her but I heard Dr. Xavier Prida (for whom I have the utmost respect) mention the word "perforated" saying he hoped that wasn't what happened. He then looked me straight in the eye and used the words "I'm not sure she's going to make it". My Mama passed away a few minutes later. Needless to say I am devastated without her as I was told this was a "routine" procedure (Dr. Sullebarger said he has done "thousands") and supposedly TGH is the "heart valve center" in Florida or so they say. I want this to be a warning to all about this type of procedure. All I have left of my mom is grief counseling sessions . I would like to thank the nurses and staff at TGH for their kindness and how well my mom was treated by them. I would also like to thank 99% of the doctors including Dr. Myint, Dr. Douglas McFadden, Dr. Dooshup Shin, Dr. Ruiz Ramon, Dr. Abuzaid and Dr. Robert Hooker. I would also like to thank Dr. Chae, Dr. Thacker and Dr. Pierce who tried to talk us out of the surgery originally. In hindsight I wish we had listened to them! Most of all I want to thank the greatest cardio-thoracic surgeon I will ever know - Dr. Cedric Sheffield who back in 2008 replaced my mom's aortic valve (with no leaks by the way) and gave her all these years of life since then. This man has the patience to explain a procedure without ever talking down to you. He sat on the edge of my mom's hospital bed like a real man and spoke to her and made her feel comfortable with him. His bedside manner is unparalled - unlike his former partner Dr. Caldeira- a cold, unfeeling man with apparently very little emotion or perhaps does not know how to show it. I thought highly of this man at first - thinking that's just the way he is but now I'm not so sure. He never fully explained what went wrong with my mom's mitral valve replacement either to my mom, my brother or myself. He was quick to wash his hands of the matter and defer the valve repair to someone else. But I do truly believe Dr. Sheffield was heaven sent- perhaps an angel! In my Mom and I's book he certainly was on that day in the year 2008 so long ago. My brother Marc who is no longer with us and can now be with Mom in heaven got to meet this man. I should have taken my mom to see him at The Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida where he has distanced himself from Tampa General Hospital. I have the feeling she would be alive today if I had done so. My brother Nelson and myself are all that is left now of our family. I can no longer ask my mom a question or hold her hand or hear her lovely voice. I can no longer hold her hand or give her a kiss. I can only weep tears of sadness as I type these words. If I can save just one person's life it will have been worth it to write this post.

I have a family member who has been in the hospital for over 2 weeks now. While most of the staff is Polite and attentive you have more than a few who act like they do not like their jobs and are just there for a check. In the weeks that my family member has been a patient there have been quite a few incidents. First of all, Environmental services was non existent the first week my family member was in Rehab. After complaining numerous times to nurses and finally the Environmental manager we were finally able to get someone to clean (bare minimum) the room. The next incident: My family member is paralyzed from the chest down so he needs assistance with everything he does. So on this particular day they gave him a shower then wheeled him into the hallway and covered him with 2 blankets, while the room was cleaned because we complained. They left him in the hallway for 1 hour while he was freezing cold and shivering. Due to his injury his body doesnt regulate his temperature and because he doesnt have use of his hands he could not adjust or even attempt to warm himself. While laying in a bath bed covered with 2 blankets he felt he had to use the bathroom so they placed towels under him and he urinated all over himself after he was just bathed. Once he was put int the room and on his bed the PCT covered him again with a blanket and advised him she would return to put a brief on him and dress him. Two hours went by and he had to have someone else do it for him because she was no where to be found. The following incident occurred a few days later when the PCT came into the room to tell my family member he would be coming back to get him ready for a shower. A few hours had past and the tech never returned. We looked in the hall and called the first tech we were able to see and he came in and changed my family member, even though he was not his patient. He was siting in a urine and feces soaked brief. We were told the reason he wasnt changed was because he was supposed to be taking a shower and they were going to do it then. The final situation was a few hours after this situation. We called the PCT because my family member needed to be changed. Not only was my call not answered, which we waited for 10 min, but I had to go search for a Tech because no one was around. When the tech finally arrived he was unprepared and made my family member wait another 30 mins while he went to get the supplies needed. Needless to say we got tired of waiting. I found yet another Tech and had her come help me change him. There is absolutely no reason that we need to keep explain to the staff that he is a Paraplegia and needs to be assisted with everything he does. I advise anyone going to the NUMBER 1 Trauma center in Tampa if you have a loved one going to this hospital please make sure you are able to have a loved one there with them at all times. It seems as though the staff drops the ball when the patient is alone quite often.