Kaiser Permanente review: The worst healthcare experience I have ever had

I am sharing this experience because I believe every patient deserves to be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.

I recently scheduled an appointment at Kaiser in White Marsh location which my primary physician Binu Shrestha.  I had been experiencing difficulty taking a full, deep breath for nearly three weeks. I was breathing, but something clearly felt different, and I wanted to have it evaluated before it became more serious.

After waiting about 10 minutes, the physician entered the room and immediately asked, in a dismissive tone, "What happened? Why did you come?" Before taking the time to understand my symptoms, she told me that if I couldn't breathe, I should have gone to urgent care because "we don't do anything for this."

I tried my best to explain that I *could* breathe but was having difficulty taking a deep breath. Instead of asking questions or trying to understand what I was experiencing, she repeatedly said she didn't understand what I meant and questioned why I needed to take deep breaths. At one point, she said, "How can I survive without a breath? You are breathing now." The way it was said felt mocking rather than compassionate. As someone who was genuinely concerned about my health, that comment was humiliating and deeply upsetting.

What made this even more disappointing was that we are both originally from Nepal. I had hoped that we would be able to communicate more easily and that I would be treated with empathy and understanding. Instead, I left feeling dismissed, embarrassed, and emotionally distressed.

The conversation became so uncomfortable that I struggled to hold back tears. Thankfully, my husband was with me and stepped in to explain my symptoms. Only after he advocated for me was an ECG performed.

After reviewing the ECG, she instructed us to go to another Kaiser location in Lutherville immediately. She specifically told us that she had arranged the appointment and that the staff there would be expecting us.

However, when we arrived, there was no appointment, no referral, and no documentation that we had been sent there. The receptionist searched the system and confirmed there was nothing. We were then directed to urgent care, where we were told there was no referral and that the wait time would be four to five hours. Had we been given accurate information from the beginning, we could have made an informed decision instead of spending hours traveling and waiting unnecessarily.

The greatest disappointment was not the inconvenience it was the complete lack of empathy, respectful communication, and coordination of care. Patients seek medical attention because they are worried about their health. They deserve to be listened to without being mocked, dismissed, or made to feel like their concerns are unimportant.

A few kind words, careful listening, and genuine compassion can make an enormous difference to someone who is anxious about their health. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.

I hope Kaiser Permanente takes this feedback seriously and uses it as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of patient-centered care. No patient should leave a medical appointment feeling unheard, humiliated, or unsupported. Every patient deserves to be treated with respect, empathy, and professionalism.