Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The BBB's Opinion of Medstar Surgical
Watch your step. Even the Better Business Bureau has a low opinion of Medstar Surgical. The BBB gave Medstar a C-. See for yourself here. If you've followed this blog, no further comment is needed.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
BOYCOTT MEDSTAR SURGICAL
It’s been more than three months since Medstar Surgical delivered my wheelchair on April 11, 2011. In that time, Medstar was unable to make it useable. Today I had to give up and return it.
Medstar was told by phone, letter and a clinic meeting what needed to be done to make the chair useable. After the clinic meeting, I believed we were on our way to solving the problems and I would have a chair I could use. The most important issues were:
1- Modify ground clearance. I met with Pride Mobility’s rep. and Medstar’s salesperson on August 11, 2010. I asked a very important question- is the new chair compatible with the “easy-lok” brand lockdown device in my van? The answer was yes. I discovered that was incorrect. Pride’s rep. said it could be modified. When the chair was delivered to me July 19, 2011 no modification was made to the ground clearance and the chair is still not compatible with the lockdown device. As such I cannot transport the chair. If I cannot transport the chair, I would not be able to go to the doctor in it. After my sons and I further examined the chair this weekend, it is obvious this chair cannot be modified to work with my lockdown without removing the support for the rear wheels.
2- Install cantilever arms. The armrests delivered made transfers difficult for me, and we agreed at clinic to install cantilever armrests. Upon delivery, I discovered the chair was now too wide to get in my bedroom, which also means I can’t get to my bathroom. This renders the chair utterly useless to me, as I cannot walk or even stand.
3- Install new seat cushion. They got that right, but one out of three is still a failing grade.
I hit the roof after the chair was delivered in this unusable condition. After calling Medstar asking they make changes, I was told via email to accept the chair as-is or return it and go elsewhere.
Medicare paid for a $23,000 chair. After speaking with three different specialists at Medicare, they all agreed I should not accept a chair I can’t use in my home and that I have a reasonable expectation of using that chair to go to the doctor. Medstar doesn’t care whether I can use it or not.
Medstar needs to know they can’t treat their patients this way. BOYCOTT MEDSTAR SURGICAL AND BREATHING!
Medstar was told by phone, letter and a clinic meeting what needed to be done to make the chair useable. After the clinic meeting, I believed we were on our way to solving the problems and I would have a chair I could use. The most important issues were:
1- Modify ground clearance. I met with Pride Mobility’s rep. and Medstar’s salesperson on August 11, 2010. I asked a very important question- is the new chair compatible with the “easy-lok” brand lockdown device in my van? The answer was yes. I discovered that was incorrect. Pride’s rep. said it could be modified. When the chair was delivered to me July 19, 2011 no modification was made to the ground clearance and the chair is still not compatible with the lockdown device. As such I cannot transport the chair. If I cannot transport the chair, I would not be able to go to the doctor in it. After my sons and I further examined the chair this weekend, it is obvious this chair cannot be modified to work with my lockdown without removing the support for the rear wheels.
2- Install cantilever arms. The armrests delivered made transfers difficult for me, and we agreed at clinic to install cantilever armrests. Upon delivery, I discovered the chair was now too wide to get in my bedroom, which also means I can’t get to my bathroom. This renders the chair utterly useless to me, as I cannot walk or even stand.
3- Install new seat cushion. They got that right, but one out of three is still a failing grade.
I hit the roof after the chair was delivered in this unusable condition. After calling Medstar asking they make changes, I was told via email to accept the chair as-is or return it and go elsewhere.
Medicare paid for a $23,000 chair. After speaking with three different specialists at Medicare, they all agreed I should not accept a chair I can’t use in my home and that I have a reasonable expectation of using that chair to go to the doctor. Medstar doesn’t care whether I can use it or not.
Medstar needs to know they can’t treat their patients this way. BOYCOTT MEDSTAR SURGICAL AND BREATHING!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Medstar Surgical Abusing Medicare Patient's Rights - Again!
I delivered my wheelchair to Medstar Surgical and Breathing Corp. on May 31, 2011 so they could modify it to suit my needs (see previous post). The estimated time for repairs was about two hours of labor. After six weeks I got a call on Thursday July 7, 2011 saying it was ready but there was a Medicare problem. I called Medicare and it took me seven minutes to solve the problem.
I then called Medstar telling them how to verify the problem was fixed that same day (Thursday). My social worker called them Friday with the same message. Monday I got no call. Tuesday I called again and had to explain it a third time. I was promised a call by the end of the day. No call came.
I called again today, Wednesday, July 13, 2011 and left a message. Still no call back. Medstar seems to shit all over patient's rights with impunity. Medstar received payment for this wheelchair three months ago. They apparently have no motivation to finally deliver the chair now that they have lined their pockets.
I then called Medstar telling them how to verify the problem was fixed that same day (Thursday). My social worker called them Friday with the same message. Monday I got no call. Tuesday I called again and had to explain it a third time. I was promised a call by the end of the day. No call came.
I called again today, Wednesday, July 13, 2011 and left a message. Still no call back. Medstar seems to shit all over patient's rights with impunity. Medstar received payment for this wheelchair three months ago. They apparently have no motivation to finally deliver the chair now that they have lined their pockets.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Why Can't Medstar Surgical Get It Right?
A month after my new wheelchair was delivered, Medstar finally got all the parts installed on my new wheelchair. Then I figured out all it's deficiencies. My letter to Medstar and St. Charles Hospital summarizes the problems below:
Marc E. Charest
256 Sebonac Road
Southampton, NY 11968
May 13, 2011
Mr. Gerry Dickerson Director of Rehab
Medstar Surgical and Breathing
15-40 128th Street
College Point, NY 11356
(and)
Ms. Laura Beck, Director of Outpatient Rehab
St. Charles Hospital
200 Belle Terre Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Re: New wheelchair.
Dear Sir & Madame,
A month after the delivery of my wheelchair, the abductor supports were finally installed Tuesday May 10. I was very eager to at last use the wheelchair. Over the next two days it’s deficiencies have become obvious.
Cushion and seat height - The cushion provided to eliminate the original seat height problem is inadequate. It does not provide any alignment support, making it difficult to stay comfortably seated. The original cushion did a very good job of providing proper alignment. The cushion change merely replaced one problem with another.
Tie downs - The tie down points protruding from the sides of the seat are perhaps the biggest problem. After several transfers in and out of the chair, I had gotten bruises on the backs of my left calf and left thigh from the tie down points. Because of this one issue, I cannot use the chair, as the risk of injury Is too great. I have owned three chairs and rented many others. The tie downs on this chair are by far the worst design I’ve ever seen, and seem to be an afterthought. My Permobil has tie downs integrated into the frame like many other chairs.
Ground clearance - During my August 11, 2010 visit to the wheelchair clinic, I specifically asked Rudy Rogers from Pride Manufacturing if the new wheelchair was compatible with the “Easy-Lock” lockdown in my van. Rudy stated it was. After trying to get the new chair in my van yesterday, Rudy was obviously wrong. The chair has insufficient ground clearance to get over the lockdown device. A quick check of the owner’s manual confirms this. Why didn’t Rudy check this before answering? If I can’t get it in my van, how can this chair be transported? I don’t have the $1200 to $1500 it would cost to remove the easy-lock and replace it with a strap-type tie down system.
The lack of ground clearance means I cannot use the chair in my yard, something I do daily. It will also mean difficulty on uneven sidewalks or going down to the beach near my home. I understand that chairs aren’t to be used on uneven surfaces, but with a ground clearance under one and a half inches, this chair will get stuck on the sidewalks in Southampton Village, something I’ve done in wheelchairs for twelve years now.
Arm rests - The arm rests on the chair are best described as flimsy. The first Jazzy power chair I had in 1999 had better arm rests than this chair has. The arm rests are too narrow, too hard and the vertical support bar requires two hands to align. Despite this vertical support the arm rests have more than an inch of “wobble”, providing poor transfer support. The broken arm rest on my six-year-old Permobil is more stable than those on the new chair.
Unnecessary options - In addition to not having the options I DO need, and failing to consider seat height, transfer safety and ground clearance, the wheelchair was provided with unnecessary options. The companion controller, lumbar bolsters and trunk support bars were not discussed at the wheelchair clinic, were never discussed with me nor do I need them. I believe they were included only to “pad the bill”.
As a patient, I went to the wheelchair clinic expecting to be provided with an appropriate wheelchair that fits my needs. To my disappointment, the wheelchair clinic merely provided a patient so Medstar can make a sale. The wheelchair Medstar provided is dangerous to my well-being, can’t be used in my own backyard and can’t be transported in my van.
Considering the above, this wheelchair must be replaced. It cannot be modified to fit my needs. The replacement chair will need to take into account all of the above considerations. I strongly recommend the replacement chair be a Permobil. This time I also recommend that you provide me with the specifications of the wheelchair before it is provided to me. I will not accept any chair I have not approved beforehand.
It has been eleven months since this ordeal began. In light of the past problems I have had getting anyone involved to act, I contacted Medicare today for guidance. Janet Cunningham at Medicare stated Medstar must accept the return of equipment that does not meet my needs. Your delays and mistakes will cost me again - my old chair needs another $300 in repairs to fix a broken arm rest.
I am still waiting for my medical records from both Medstar Surgical and St. Charles, as requested in my letter of February 25, 2011.
Sincerely,
Marc Charest
I have another appointment with the wheelchair clinic on May 31, 2011. That is just two weeks short of ONE YEAR since this ordeal began. According to the wheelchair clinic, if I return this useless new wheelchair to Medstar, they (Medstar) will not provide another one and I will have to go to another vendor. That will cost me another six to eight months of delays! My old wheelchair won't last that long. All I want is a wheelchair I can safely use in and around my home and transport in my lift-equipped van. The new wheelchair Medstar provided can't do any of these things, but they don't want to replace it. Medstar has me up against the wall and they know it.
Marc E. Charest
256 Sebonac Road
Southampton, NY 11968
May 13, 2011
Mr. Gerry Dickerson Director of Rehab
Medstar Surgical and Breathing
15-40 128th Street
College Point, NY 11356
(and)
Ms. Laura Beck, Director of Outpatient Rehab
St. Charles Hospital
200 Belle Terre Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Re: New wheelchair.
Dear Sir & Madame,
A month after the delivery of my wheelchair, the abductor supports were finally installed Tuesday May 10. I was very eager to at last use the wheelchair. Over the next two days it’s deficiencies have become obvious.
Cushion and seat height - The cushion provided to eliminate the original seat height problem is inadequate. It does not provide any alignment support, making it difficult to stay comfortably seated. The original cushion did a very good job of providing proper alignment. The cushion change merely replaced one problem with another.
Tie downs - The tie down points protruding from the sides of the seat are perhaps the biggest problem. After several transfers in and out of the chair, I had gotten bruises on the backs of my left calf and left thigh from the tie down points. Because of this one issue, I cannot use the chair, as the risk of injury Is too great. I have owned three chairs and rented many others. The tie downs on this chair are by far the worst design I’ve ever seen, and seem to be an afterthought. My Permobil has tie downs integrated into the frame like many other chairs.
Ground clearance - During my August 11, 2010 visit to the wheelchair clinic, I specifically asked Rudy Rogers from Pride Manufacturing if the new wheelchair was compatible with the “Easy-Lock” lockdown in my van. Rudy stated it was. After trying to get the new chair in my van yesterday, Rudy was obviously wrong. The chair has insufficient ground clearance to get over the lockdown device. A quick check of the owner’s manual confirms this. Why didn’t Rudy check this before answering? If I can’t get it in my van, how can this chair be transported? I don’t have the $1200 to $1500 it would cost to remove the easy-lock and replace it with a strap-type tie down system.
The lack of ground clearance means I cannot use the chair in my yard, something I do daily. It will also mean difficulty on uneven sidewalks or going down to the beach near my home. I understand that chairs aren’t to be used on uneven surfaces, but with a ground clearance under one and a half inches, this chair will get stuck on the sidewalks in Southampton Village, something I’ve done in wheelchairs for twelve years now.
Arm rests - The arm rests on the chair are best described as flimsy. The first Jazzy power chair I had in 1999 had better arm rests than this chair has. The arm rests are too narrow, too hard and the vertical support bar requires two hands to align. Despite this vertical support the arm rests have more than an inch of “wobble”, providing poor transfer support. The broken arm rest on my six-year-old Permobil is more stable than those on the new chair.
Unnecessary options - In addition to not having the options I DO need, and failing to consider seat height, transfer safety and ground clearance, the wheelchair was provided with unnecessary options. The companion controller, lumbar bolsters and trunk support bars were not discussed at the wheelchair clinic, were never discussed with me nor do I need them. I believe they were included only to “pad the bill”.
As a patient, I went to the wheelchair clinic expecting to be provided with an appropriate wheelchair that fits my needs. To my disappointment, the wheelchair clinic merely provided a patient so Medstar can make a sale. The wheelchair Medstar provided is dangerous to my well-being, can’t be used in my own backyard and can’t be transported in my van.
Considering the above, this wheelchair must be replaced. It cannot be modified to fit my needs. The replacement chair will need to take into account all of the above considerations. I strongly recommend the replacement chair be a Permobil. This time I also recommend that you provide me with the specifications of the wheelchair before it is provided to me. I will not accept any chair I have not approved beforehand.
It has been eleven months since this ordeal began. In light of the past problems I have had getting anyone involved to act, I contacted Medicare today for guidance. Janet Cunningham at Medicare stated Medstar must accept the return of equipment that does not meet my needs. Your delays and mistakes will cost me again - my old chair needs another $300 in repairs to fix a broken arm rest.
I am still waiting for my medical records from both Medstar Surgical and St. Charles, as requested in my letter of February 25, 2011.
Sincerely,
Marc Charest
I have another appointment with the wheelchair clinic on May 31, 2011. That is just two weeks short of ONE YEAR since this ordeal began. According to the wheelchair clinic, if I return this useless new wheelchair to Medstar, they (Medstar) will not provide another one and I will have to go to another vendor. That will cost me another six to eight months of delays! My old wheelchair won't last that long. All I want is a wheelchair I can safely use in and around my home and transport in my lift-equipped van. The new wheelchair Medstar provided can't do any of these things, but they don't want to replace it. Medstar has me up against the wall and they know it.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Medstar Surgical and Medicare Abuse?
I was just looking for a phone number or address to file a complaint with Medicare for the deficient wheelchair Medstar Surgical provided me with and came across Medicare's definition of abuse:
Abuse occurs when doctors or suppliers don’t follow good medical practices...
Sound familiar anyone? Sounds a lot like the care I am getting from St. Charles too.
Abuse occurs when doctors or suppliers don’t follow good medical practices...
Sound familiar anyone? Sounds a lot like the care I am getting from St. Charles too.
Medstar Surgical Piloting a Ship of Fools and St. Charles Hospital is On Board!
After waiting ten months for my new wheelchair, six months longer than Medstar promised, I finally got my new wheelchair last week. Finally, I can enjoy the new chair, right? NO FUCKING WAY!
It seems nobody at Medstar or the wheelchair clinic at St. Charles Hospital bothered to consider seat height. The new chair is more than three inches higher than my old chair. Since I can't walk or even stand, I must transfer by sliding across my chair on or off the bed, toilet or recliner. An additional three inches above my existing chair might as well be on the roof!
How could this have been avoided? First, we will go with the obvious - St. Charles' wheelchair clinic did an extensive evaluation of my needs ten months ago. Surely seat height was considered. Or was it?
Medstar could have figured it out when they did a home evaluation. Unfortunately, the home evaluation amounted to measuring a few doorways. If Medstar was more concerned with patient care than pushing another $25,000 wheelchair out the door, maybe they would have measured the height of my bed and toilet.
Maybe if Gail Ferrentino-Walsh of Medstar and Rudy Rogers, Pride Manufacturing's representative, made good on the offer of a loaner chair back in the fall, I could have discovered the problem for them, months before the chair was even ordered.
Maybe if Medstar provided me with the documentation I requested, this could have been avoided. But, of course, they refused.
Or maybe it is contained in my medical records at St. Charles' wheelchair clinic? I requested my records seven weeks ago, but I have heard nothing from Laura Beck, St. Charles Director of Outpatient Rehab. Another opportunity to get it right was missed.
What facts are Medstar Surgical and St. Charles Hospital hiding? Why is it so hard to get information from them? With just a modicum of transparency, most of the problems they created could have been avoided. Or is honesty bad for business?
My most recent letter to Medstar and St. Charles follows:
Marc E. Charest
256 Sebonac Road
Southampton, NY 11968
April 18, 2011
Mr. Gerry Dickerson Director of Rehab
Medstar Surgical and Breathing
15-40 128th Street
College Point, NY 11356
(and)
Ms. Laura Beck, Director of Outpatient Rehab
St. Charles Hospital
200 Belle Terre Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Re: New wheelchair.
Dear Sir & Madame,
Six months after it’s expected arrival, I finally got my wheelchair at the St. Charles wheelchair clinic on April 11. Upon arriving home, I was shocked to realize this new chair was unusable - it is more than three inches higher than my existing chair. FYI- my current chair, a Permobil, has all the same power functions as the new chair, so a suitable power chair can be built. The new chair also lacks the removable abductor bolsters discussed at my evaluation.
After Pride Manufacturing’s rep Rudy tried lowering my chair Friday April 15, I decided to give it another chance over the weekend. Rudy was only able to lower it about three-quarters of an inch.
The excessive height of the new chair makes it impossible for me to transfer from the toilet to the chair. Sunday morning, while home alone, it took me 15 minutes to get into the wheelchair from the toilet. In the process I pulled a muscle in my lower back. My toilet is two and a half inches higher than a standard toilet already, and it would have to be raised an additional three inches to make transfers safe.
Transferring from my bed to the chair is marginally easier, but I expect that would also be a source of pulled muscles in the future. Raising my bed or toilet enough to match the chair’s height would make them too high for my feet to reach the ground comfortably. That would also make it impossible for me to get dressed or do exercises and physical therapy at my bed.
Compared with all the detailed information collected during my evaluation at the wheelchair clinic, the cursory home evaluation done by Medstar involved measuring door widths only. The person doing the home evaluation had a tape measure. What would have been the difficulty in doing a comprehensive home evaluation?
Both of your corporations failed to consider the elemental issue of seating height. After waiting an incredible ten months, six months past Medstar’s salesperson’s estimate of October 2010, I am now no closer to a useable power chair than I was in June 2010 when this comedy of errors began. How much longer will it take before I get the chair I need? When will someone, anyone, step up and make this right?
Mr. Dickerson- no more emails. I expect you to respond with a phone call or in writing. Please stop hiding behind “policy” and blaming Medstar’s continuing failures on “difficulties with Medicare”.
Ms. Beck- On February 28 I received a call from you promising help. After I wrote another letter and left two messages for you, I have still not heard from you.
One or both of your organizations created a problem that could easily have been avoided. I recommend you confer with each other before responding. In your response, I need to know how you will expeditiously provide me with an adequate wheelchair that finally meets my needs. I am unwilling to waste an untold number of months waiting due to your mistakes.
Sincerely,
Marc Charest
c.c.
US Rep. Timothy Bishop
Ms. Kim Smith, Attorney
Pride Manufacturing
It seems nobody at Medstar or the wheelchair clinic at St. Charles Hospital bothered to consider seat height. The new chair is more than three inches higher than my old chair. Since I can't walk or even stand, I must transfer by sliding across my chair on or off the bed, toilet or recliner. An additional three inches above my existing chair might as well be on the roof!
How could this have been avoided? First, we will go with the obvious - St. Charles' wheelchair clinic did an extensive evaluation of my needs ten months ago. Surely seat height was considered. Or was it?
Medstar could have figured it out when they did a home evaluation. Unfortunately, the home evaluation amounted to measuring a few doorways. If Medstar was more concerned with patient care than pushing another $25,000 wheelchair out the door, maybe they would have measured the height of my bed and toilet.
Maybe if Gail Ferrentino-Walsh of Medstar and Rudy Rogers, Pride Manufacturing's representative, made good on the offer of a loaner chair back in the fall, I could have discovered the problem for them, months before the chair was even ordered.
Maybe if Medstar provided me with the documentation I requested, this could have been avoided. But, of course, they refused.
Or maybe it is contained in my medical records at St. Charles' wheelchair clinic? I requested my records seven weeks ago, but I have heard nothing from Laura Beck, St. Charles Director of Outpatient Rehab. Another opportunity to get it right was missed.
What facts are Medstar Surgical and St. Charles Hospital hiding? Why is it so hard to get information from them? With just a modicum of transparency, most of the problems they created could have been avoided. Or is honesty bad for business?
My most recent letter to Medstar and St. Charles follows:
Marc E. Charest
256 Sebonac Road
Southampton, NY 11968
April 18, 2011
Mr. Gerry Dickerson Director of Rehab
Medstar Surgical and Breathing
15-40 128th Street
College Point, NY 11356
(and)
Ms. Laura Beck, Director of Outpatient Rehab
St. Charles Hospital
200 Belle Terre Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Re: New wheelchair.
Dear Sir & Madame,
Six months after it’s expected arrival, I finally got my wheelchair at the St. Charles wheelchair clinic on April 11. Upon arriving home, I was shocked to realize this new chair was unusable - it is more than three inches higher than my existing chair. FYI- my current chair, a Permobil, has all the same power functions as the new chair, so a suitable power chair can be built. The new chair also lacks the removable abductor bolsters discussed at my evaluation.
After Pride Manufacturing’s rep Rudy tried lowering my chair Friday April 15, I decided to give it another chance over the weekend. Rudy was only able to lower it about three-quarters of an inch.
The excessive height of the new chair makes it impossible for me to transfer from the toilet to the chair. Sunday morning, while home alone, it took me 15 minutes to get into the wheelchair from the toilet. In the process I pulled a muscle in my lower back. My toilet is two and a half inches higher than a standard toilet already, and it would have to be raised an additional three inches to make transfers safe.
Transferring from my bed to the chair is marginally easier, but I expect that would also be a source of pulled muscles in the future. Raising my bed or toilet enough to match the chair’s height would make them too high for my feet to reach the ground comfortably. That would also make it impossible for me to get dressed or do exercises and physical therapy at my bed.
Compared with all the detailed information collected during my evaluation at the wheelchair clinic, the cursory home evaluation done by Medstar involved measuring door widths only. The person doing the home evaluation had a tape measure. What would have been the difficulty in doing a comprehensive home evaluation?
Both of your corporations failed to consider the elemental issue of seating height. After waiting an incredible ten months, six months past Medstar’s salesperson’s estimate of October 2010, I am now no closer to a useable power chair than I was in June 2010 when this comedy of errors began. How much longer will it take before I get the chair I need? When will someone, anyone, step up and make this right?
Mr. Dickerson- no more emails. I expect you to respond with a phone call or in writing. Please stop hiding behind “policy” and blaming Medstar’s continuing failures on “difficulties with Medicare”.
Ms. Beck- On February 28 I received a call from you promising help. After I wrote another letter and left two messages for you, I have still not heard from you.
One or both of your organizations created a problem that could easily have been avoided. I recommend you confer with each other before responding. In your response, I need to know how you will expeditiously provide me with an adequate wheelchair that finally meets my needs. I am unwilling to waste an untold number of months waiting due to your mistakes.
Sincerely,
Marc Charest
c.c.
US Rep. Timothy Bishop
Ms. Kim Smith, Attorney
Pride Manufacturing
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
What Medstar Surgical Fails to Acknowledge
Gerry, your attempts to explain the overwhelming problems with documentation issues with Medicare are not in vain. I understand them. The "small delay" you identified spanned more than five months! Gail Ferrentino-Walsh said the chair would be ready by October 2010. The lies began in September, as Gail's assistant, Janine Radice, told me on numerous occasions application had been made to Medicare. THE TRUTH IS, YOUR EMPLOYEES LIED REPEATEDLY OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS! It was only after I threatened legal action while on the phone with Janine was any action taken. You took Gail and Janine off my case because even you could not trust them to act. How on earth is that the fault of Medicare issues?
Is there anyone at Medstar Surgical honest enough to take responsibility for the mistakes your company has made? Or are you callous enough to ignore the fact a disabled man has to bear the burden of your misdeeds?
Still no further word from St. Charles Hospital.
Is there anyone at Medstar Surgical honest enough to take responsibility for the mistakes your company has made? Or are you callous enough to ignore the fact a disabled man has to bear the burden of your misdeeds?
Still no further word from St. Charles Hospital.
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