I've had many visits to this ER due to a condition that I have that causes chronic pain. I have been a member at Kaiser for 23 years of my life. They have my entire medical history. This is by no means my opinion of the entire hospital because after advocating for myself I have found a wonderful team of doctors who have helped me tremendously

I have no knowledge of Dr. Liao's background but he seems fairly green. He tried very hard to intimidate and demonize me in a professional way but would obviously lose his temper and overreach to make his point. He came in with every intention of bulldozing me in an attempt to get me out as fast as he can. He also must have mentioned something to the nurse assigned to that section because she did not even come in to introduce herself and I waited for at least an hour and a half without her even entering the room .

Yes, this was my second visit to the ER that day/night but only because I had a complication with a procedure (injection) that was supposed to relieve some of my pain (this was NOT just a trip for my normal chronic pain, but no one seemed to care or understand that), and while the doctor I saw that afternoon was kind and gave me an IM dose of dilaudid and ativan (which he told me was just to relax my muscles..) and sent me home with only Valium (which might I add, when I did see my physician the next day he could not understand why he'd even prescribe me that medication) by evening time (11pm) I was once again in unbearable pain.

I was already scared to go back but I called member services and Kaiser's advice nurse. Both women were polite, professional and ensured me that as long as I explained myself (that I was an established chronic pain patient with a formal diagnosis. I was being treated by the pain clinic, go to PT regularly and consult with a specialist..etc) it should not be a problem and it was their mistake for not sending me home with something proper to hold me over to the next day when I could see my physician. They saw absolutely no reason I should suffer so long.

Dr. Liao belittled me, threatened me, and flat out exaggerated notes written in my chart. He started off by telling me it was "funny" that I "refused" an appointment at pain clinic that day but found the time to come into the ER twice. I had a telephone appointment with one of the doctors. That doctor offered to order blood tests to ensure I did not have an infection because I was supposed to see my primary care physician that day late in the afternoon (I could not make it that long and had to cancel that appointment.) A morning appointment was never offered or scheduled at the pain clinic for the day he was referring to. The next day when I went in, I checked. I asked nurses and my doctor. They both told me that was untrue.

He then proceeded to call me an irresponsible person for waiting so long on an Xray ordered the month prior - the last day of the month when I have had doctor's appointment every other day for nearly two weeks and I can only stand for so long, not including the 3 day period where I really could not move after I received the problematic back injection. This was the 13th of the following month.

He also told me that the hospital treats many other chronic paint patients that do not "bother" the ER. That the ER does not deal with that sort of thing and the next time I come in they "might not" even see me and I would have to "figure something else out". Mind you, the ER is not a trauma ER. It is "for basic emergency medical need" and I just do not understand where else I was supposed to go at 1am (by the the time he acknowledged me). He also very rudely informed me that my pain medication refills were my responsibility. I needed to notify someone 72 hours before running out (He is not wrong about that but failed to let me explain that I would of had enough pain pills but when I first called the hospital after my bad reaction they told me to give it until Monday and told me to take my pain pills every 4 hours instead of every 8 and they understood I would run out but by 72 hours the pain should be more "manageable" but that I could come in Monday for not only my refill but in case it wasn't)

If all of that wasn't bad enough, he very rudely looked at me and asked me "So what exactly do you want from me? Do you want a shot or do you want your pills?" Yes, even though I had been crying and curled into a ball for an hour in a triage center completely ignored he gave me an that ultimatum. He knew full and well I'd need my prescription filled first and foremost. Thankfully my mother had taken me or I would of been forced to drive to CVS in excruciating pain for a couple pain pills to hold me over until the following afternoon. Unbelievable.

When I did finally get home (around 2am) I once again called member services to inform them that everything that I had feared would happen when I first called them just a few hours ago, did. At least it all got documented.

Submitted Oct. 17, 2014