Cape Fear Valley Medical Center

“. The ER is understandably loud, but employees laughing and carrying on with each other should not be a disruption to patients. I heard a conversation about dating men; their looks were good, but their personalities were not. Also, this is a big one. Why doesn't each ER room have an IV pump? That should be standard. My son's nurse (Sam) was not warm and fuzzy, but he was extremely efficient and knows his job and does it well. I got the feeling that he sensed that I (mom) was stressed, and he wanted to leave me be until he needed me or wanted to give me information. Anyway, he had just finished one bag of medication and went to get another. He threw away the IV tubing (not to mix medications). While he was gone, someone came and took the IV pump. Sam had to go find another pump. This is not acceptable. He shouldn't have to scavenge for equipment. My only concern with Sam was that when we were discharged, he took us outside in the wheelchair and said his goodbyes, and left us outside while waiting for my husband. Now, I don't know if it is protocol, but the security guard came and stood with me until my husband came around to pick us up. The security guard also gave directions to the pharmacy. He was polite and kind. My husband came from out of town to meet us at the hospital. He was at work. They refused to let him back because I was with my son. My son has autism and is nonverbal. He is like a child. But my husband was refused entry and told he couldn't sit in the lobby. He was told that we could switch off. Now, Fayetteville is not the safest place to be at night. My husband had homeless people in the ER parking lot asking him for money while waiting for us. He felt it was unsafe for me to be in the parking lot alone at night and into the early hours, so we were not able to switch off so my husband could see him. My son has the cognitive abilities of a four-year-old. How many people can go back with a peds patient? It should be the same for people with disabilities.”

— Elizabeth Hodges

“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Dr. Scarlotta and her entire team. From the nursing staff, to the anesthesiologist, all the way to the check-in staff in Short Stay, everyone was absolutely amazing. The entire experience felt truly heavenly. I was cared for with so much kindness, professionalism, and compassion, and I am beyond grateful. Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, you truly outdid yourselves with such an exceptional team. If you’re looking for an outstanding gynecologist in the area, I highly recommend Dr. Scarlotta. You will not be disappointed. 10/10 experience. She is one of the sweetest and kindest people, and her warm personality immediately makes you feel seen, safe, and genuinely cared for.”

— Deizuria Lynch

“I came to the ER tonight by ambulance because my son was experiencing seizure-like activity. His entire body was locking up, he couldn’t speak during the episodes, only in between and it lasted for approximately 30 minutes. I even had videos showing exactly what was happening. Instead of being upfront about their limitations, we were placed in a room for hours with very little communication. The nurse who checked on my son was dismissive, cold, and made us feel like we were an inconvenience rather than a family in a medical emergency. There was no compassion, no reassurance, and no sense of urgency. After 5 hours hours of waiting, I was told that they could not help him because the hospital does not have an EEG and that he would need to see an outpatient neurologist—in 2 to 3 weeks. Hearing “everything looks fine” while actively being told no further evaluation could be done felt careless and irresponsible given the severity of what I witnessed and recorded. Once they decided to discharge us, my son was abruptly woken up, his IV/monitor was removed, and we were told to leave. I wasn’t even allowed to sit in the room for 20 minutes to wait for my fiancé to arrive. Instead, after everything we had just gone through, we were sent to the waiting room. This experience did not feel professional, compassionate, or patient-centered. If a facility lacks the resources to properly evaluate neurological emergencies, families deserve honesty, urgency, and basic human kindnessnot hours of waiting followed by a rushed dismissal.”

— Kells