I am a retired doctor. I worked in urgent care. I was locked into our clinic while in an exam room with a patient! Everyone was gone!

One of the first things we learn as CHILDREN is to APOLOGIZE when we do something that hurts someone else. Come ON!!!

Not to mention it is a violation of the Nurse Practice act to abandon a patient.....

If you're used to waiting 4 hours in a doctor's office/waiting room, most people would not be suspicious.

Incompetence is the new standard. People just seem not to care about their jobs in so many cases now.

When people understand, you are not a patient. You are a source of revenue and income, these people don't care it's all business.

It's against the law to break IN to a building, but it's NOT against the law to throw a chair through the window to escape illegal incarceration. GO FOR IT...and don't forget to SUE!

The clinic is more afraid of liability than doing what is right by apologizing. That place should be thankful the couple isn't suing them.

Customer service has never been the same since the pandemic. I know I’m not the only one who has noticed.

Refund the copay is fine. But, they should also reverse any charges that were submitted to their insurance. The urgent care facility clearly did not provide full and competent medical care. God forbid either one of them had been there for a far more serious ailment requiring an ambulance transfer to a hospital ER. How the hell do they shut down for the night without a full sweep of the facility, checking storage/supply rooms, xray rooms, restrooms and, most importantly, each and every treatment room/cubicle. Sounds like some serious review of protocols is in order. Who knows how/where else are they falling short in patient care.

Even the lettering on the exterior business sign was deteriorating. But locking up for the night while a patient waited in a treatment room, and the subsequent neglect of the clinic to apologize-those are major flaws.

About 8 to 10 years ago in Santa Rosa CA an admitted hospital patient became disoriented in hallway and entered a stairwell. The door closed behind her, she then apparently lay down or fainted. They found her rotting corpse 2 weeks later. NO ONE, security or otherwise checked that area or noticed that they were missing a patient. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. You can look it up!

I was clinic nurse for 30 years and that would never have happened on my watch.

What about the nurse who saw them last and asked them to wait in the room? What are her comments?

Urgent care is the most useless and uncaring section of the health industry - industry bring the operative word

My Hemotologist called me to tell me everything was fine and that I was being dismissed as a patient. I looked at my blood work and I noticed my PTT clotting stuff was WAY WAY WAY high and abnormal. I called them back and pointed it out to them and they decided to do more tests but no apology for not even looking closely at my blood work. In fact the arrogance and controlling tone continues.

Bill them like they'd bill you: being alone: $470 x 2 // Being dark $166 // Needing to activate alarm $673 // After hour escape $1602

This is insane. How TF are the staff not doing a sweep of the office before they close up for the night? Back when I worked retail, that was something closing staff did every night - every room, even ones not accessible to customers, were checked before we locked up and set the alarm. This seems like basic common sense to me. Make sure all of the patient/exam room doors are open when they leave. But yeah, they messed up, so they should definitely apologize for it and make it clear that closing procedures will be handled more carefully from this point on.

Please remember that the person who came up with the idea of having an equipment checklist for surgery equipment so that they could avoid leaving instruments IN the patient is lauded as a genius who has saved countless lives...

The urgent care needs to offer a cash settlement, issue a public apology, and do room sweeps at the end of each day. Otherwise, the local news will keep digging and once state regulators hear that people were locked alone in the office with access to drugs, medical equipment, and medical records then the problem gets even bigger.

Our medical profession has declined for years. I sure hope I can stay away from them as much as possible.

And these people are supposed to be trusted healthcare professionals .

It's not funny at all. This is neglect and the clinic must be held accountable. It is sickening.

Amazing how many times a simple APOLOGY would make a big difference in a situation, but is absolutely not something people do anymore, leading to lawsuits and just general distaste for one another. When you are wrong, grow up, own it and apologize

I was forgotten in the doctor's exam room. I even asked politely, "Did you forget me?"... the receptionist said no, "he will be in soon." 2 1/2 hours later, the doctor after seeing me still in the room(the door was open) asked was I waiting for someone?... when I told him I was waiting for him, he looked stunned. But he came right in. His assistant came to the door and said yes, I told you earlier.. they both apologized over and over.

Why would any staff not do a walk through to check to see if people are still inside

Apathy ABOUNDS in America!! Medical care today is pathetic! You're lucky to get 10 minutes with a doctor that grabs for a quick diagnosis, not necessarily the right one..., then gets testy if you question them or you advocate for yourself as a patient. Fast food mentality, disregard and apathy have no place in medicine whether you're a doctor, nurse or even a receptionist!!

Being trapped with that annoying alarm for two hours would drive me nuts.

I worked in a really large doctors office for a few years, we the staff were not allowed to leave until we had check EVERY SINGLE ROOM, any and all spaces a patient or employee could be in before locking up, we also had to call out/make noise as well, per our protocol. But look at the sign on the front of the business, that should have told you right there that quality was seriously lacking....

I once had to wait for 4 hours to see a doctor. It's ridiculous. They should receive a public apology.

This happened to my parents at their doctor’s office. They left out the door and the alarm went off, security came and detained them. They went in the next day grabbed their records and never went back.

Had this happened a few years back at large clinic where my primary dr was at. Staff member escorted me back to the waiting room and left. No one at reception or in waiting room. I was surprised when i could not get outside. No way back into exam room area so i started yelling hello in hopes someone would hear me. 15 minutes of this not a sound but me. All i could think of was if an alarm sounds will the police come and help me or think i broke in trying to get drugs. I normally leave cell locked in car but on this day it was still in my purse. Called the dr office hoping the answering service would pick up, they did and sent someone back for me. They were so apologetic. Having ptsd and mobility issues at 66 this was hard on me but it beat getting tossed in jail while they sorted it out with clinical staff the next day. I no longer accept an appointment later in afternoon, been there done that. I was seriously looking for a fire alarm to pull. Dont lock my cell in car anymore either, lesson learned.

2 hrs after the police was called? Nope I would have made my own exit.

That happened to me at an obstetrician visit in 1985. I fell asleep in the room and a janitor found me and woke me up not long after they closed.

They will NEVER apologize. It would open them up for a lawsuit. The have attorneys that will help them avoid any responsibility. If you are waiting for an apology...don't hold your breath.

That happened to me at my doctor's office also. It seems the doctor was too busy being courted by pharmaceutical Representatives. 😡😡😡🤬🤬

I can believe they didn't get an apology. People are so rude today and too proud to apologize. There have been a couple times I was owed one by a doctors office and never received one.

My daughter had a very similar experience. She had a procedure done at a day-surgery and was left in recovery. The building closed and left her asleep . She awoke to no one in the building.

I've been forgotten in doctors' offices three times in my 75 years. The first time, at age 42, I was put in an exam room that had obviously not been prepped since the previous patient, but I waited patiently forever. When things got unusually quiet I stuck my head out and got someone's attention. They were closing up and were annoyed to have to prep the room and then get the doctor to see me in a rush. No apologies; never went back. Then, after a mammography at 60, being the last patient, they all left while I was getting dressed to leave; I just walked out through the dark and abandoned building. Recently, having been put in an exam room for my annual physical and waiting a really, really long time and things got quite, I poked my head out and saw my doctor in her office next to my room, hurriedly stuffing her lunch down and reading a piece of paper. I reentered my room and closed the door rather loudly. In less than a minute, she came running in with great apologies. I was one of this doctor's very first private practice patients and she never rushes my visits, even often spending 45 to 60 minutes with me past her end of day time, so I'll forgive her.

I had a similar experience years ago. My doctor catered lunch for his staff on the day I was there. While I waited in a patient room, all got quiet as the whole office retreated to a back room to eat lunch. I opened the door and searched for the staff. The doctor was wiping his mouth with a napkin as he came out to see me. Nothing like being forgotten by your doctor and all of his staff. lol

Sue for false imprisonment.

There is nothing funny about what happened to this couple. What an unprofessional statement from that so-called journalist.

I took my 12 year old son to Clinic for a checkup. After waiting 2 hrs. For the 3 :00 appt I left him to go back to my business. We live 6 blocks from the clinic. At 7:00 I get home and wife asks where our son is. We find him locked in the clinic in an examination room! He’s a patient patient.

This almost happened to us when my kids were little at the pediatrician. Thank goodness I realized that the staff was leaving and caught them before they did. 😳

The medical field seems to not care anymore.

That almost happened to my mom once she was at the doctors office in the room, waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and everyone had left and then the nurse just happened to open the door and found her in there. She was the last in office, this is a real thing folks.😮

My grandmother was left alone at a Kaiser hospital in the ER once. Something happened and the area she was in was either evacuated or cleared out, I can’t remember the reason since it was many years ago, but they forgot about her. It took hours before they realized.

Now that this SNAFU has become public, I predict a significant drop in that clinic's number of patients.

This happened to me long ago. I had a dr appt, was taken to treatment room, then nothing. After 3 hours i came out and saw anurse walking out the door. I yelled and she turned shocked. Where did you come from? I said id been there for hours. She said everyone had left, she was the last one in the building. I left, placed a complaint, but nothing ever happened. They actually had the gall to send me a bill. I tore it up and mailed it back.

Went to an Urgent Care in Tacoma with grinding dust in my eye. After waiting for an hour, watching the so called doctors taking an extended coffee break, the nurse came and had me do an eye chart test. I could barely see my eyes were watering so badly. Finally I told her no and went into the doctors break room and told them coffee time is over, time to get to work. The "doctor" pulled out a plastic tool box filled with a bunch of loose junk and thought he was going to use it on my eye. I asked him if he had ever heard of Sterile Procedure and walked out the door. Stay far away from any Urgent Care type clinic, they employ the doctors that are too stupid to have their own practice.

oh I can tell you stories about the nonsense stupidity at these doc offices

It wouldn't have taken two hours for me to get out. More like five minutes and they can take all the time they want with the cleanup and repair.

First thing I’d do is call my State’s Board of Nursing and file a complaint. These Boards are responsible for overseeing all caregivers from NA’s to RN’s. The Board needs to investigate the level of care given by these people who work in this clinic. The staff is responsible for maintaining proper care and this definitely classifies as patient abandonment. Retired RN here.

Many years ago I was at a Radiologist Office for a routine mammogram. I was told to put on the paper patient gown and wait in the dressing room until they called to me. I sat there for almost two hours and then peeked out. The lights were off - no cell phone back then. They had turned off the lights, went out to lunch and “forgot” I was there. No apology at all - sadly this is nothing new. It makes one feel totally disregarded as a person.

Patient records at risk. This company should be fined

Ive been forgotten at the doctor's office, but thankfully never locked in

Totally unacceptable. Apologize!

That happens a lot actually. Happened to me at a clinic, they started turning lights out and I raised hell. Then the nurse came back saying they didn't forget about me....bs!

As a young girl I was locked up in the nurses quarters at school. I was awakened after dark by school staff and my parents.

This happened to me at urgent care well before covid. They locked up and went to lunch. There was a doctor eating lunch in the clinic and he heard me cough. He then came in and asked why I was there. I was waiting on my strep results. Which turned out positive.

My wife and I were once locked in a bank, can’t remember how long we were in there but never received an apology.

I was in a obgyn office big fat pregnant and they left and locked up.. mid 90's no cell . I banged on the door and someone heard me and helped me to get out

I’m a healthcare professional. There is NO WAY I “can see how this happened”. The state of modern medicine in America.😯

Would you seek urgent care at a place with peeling signage like that? I sure wouldn't.

Many years ago when I was 5 or 6 we lived in Savannah GA. My dad is an artist and we would often visit the Telfair Art Museum. My mom took me there one afternoon and they had a kid’s interactive area in the basement level somewhere we’re down there playing and mom knows it is almost closing time so we head back upstairs. The lights are out and none is around just as the city bell chimes the hour. They had a new security guard who forgot to check the basement and they had locked up a few minutes early thinking the place was empty. So mom takes us to the business office and calls the someone and suddenly alarms start going off. We’ve done nothing but this naturally had mom worried. Turns out a beat cop recognized my little bicycle that was chained up to the fence outside and he was trying to get to get us out. We had to wait several hours for the museum manager to drive all the way back with keys. Dad always jokes that we should have stuffed a few paintings under our shirts.

This happened to my grandson. The door was closed and if no patients, the door should have been open. They didn’t check before they left.

wouldn't a senior manager or security do a walkabout around the clinic before closing for the night?

The nurse that didn't come back failed the patient, revoke her nursing license for a year....

You're supposed to disinfect and properly clean each room before closing... so how tf.

Typically you would walk in every room to make sure that there is no one left behind as a good practice at the end of the day

It’s like children being locked in a daycare and forgot about.

There are no telephones in that place??? Just bash out a door or window, call the cops and report why you did it. Simple.

I've been forgotten in several doctors offices in the past- sure leaves a person feeling like they "matter" (and they had the nerve to ask me to return the next day to be seen again- no thanks!)

I have never been locked inside a Drs office,but i was once left waiting for almost 4hrs in an emergency room,just to have a nurse tell me my hand was broke. She gave me a hand brace and a follow up. That was it. But i can only imagine what this couple went through for the 2hrs of waiting to be let out of a medical facility. Id sue for mental stress. I'm diabetic and if i was left in an exam room for 2hrs,and i got low blood sugar, it could be harmful to myself or anyo else with this condition.

I can see how that would happen. I was forgotten about for quite a while until the Dr walked by and saw me and I reminded her what she was going to do.

This is why we check buses each time we get off, it's easy to miss people. I know it's not quite the same but shit happens and you need to be careful and try to avoid it.

The Medical Industrial Complex is expanding its reach.

I died Christmas Eve 2021 from Covid and was in intubation for 3 months 18 days when I I came back to the World was upside down I lost my Mother a month after I got home... Prices doubled and people are out to lunch and never to return....😮 what I say to this young couple..... LAWYER UP..........

That is my fear every time I’m left alone in a patient room. 😂

I had that happen in a court room......they told me to wait in this room and time went by I finally got up the guts to open the door and everyone was gone...thanks for the bad day Van Nuys Court room in Cali.

An apology would mean the company is admitting to doing wrong - something that could be used against them if the couple sues. So they will never apologize. Ending is okay here but what if the patient's condition turned out to be serious. What if there was a fire and the couple couldnt get out.

Years ago in the 1980s one of our local doctors wife went the OB/GYN for a check up was the last patient and they forgot she was in a room, locked up the office for the night. The Doctor's wife called her husband, he called the doctor at home and told him his wife was locked in his office. The doctor was so upset that his staff did this. So this isn't the first time this has happened to someone, probably won't be the last.

This is why you have the person closing check every single room before they leave. This *almost* happened where I worked at a very busy clinic. The doctor did leave, but we were able to get him back. We found the patient because we did check every room. Sometimes people working very long shifts make a simple mistake that can be rectified quickly if you have a system in place.

A quick room check should be standard closing procedure at a place like that, especially if doors are closed. If no patient is in the room, the doors could be left open overnight.

This same thing has happened to a loved one of mine! but it happened during a sleep study at the Sleep clinic. The patient got up to use the restroom and used the wrong door. The patient was locked inside the Medical Facility Front Office. The Medical Staff doing the sleep study forgot him! The patient finally found a landline in some office and called the police.

I worked at a bank and when the fire department inspected they found an exit door that could only be opened with a key. That’s a fire hazard. Anyone trapped in a building for any reason has to have the ability to exit quickly

My sister and I were just talking about how healthcare stinks now. Doctors don't seem to listen to people and are self-absorbed. I remember when they at least pretended to care.

You would think that there would be a fire exit that they could leave from.😊

If he had step throat he needed antibiotics! If course, he got no care at all. This story is just insane!

I have had 4 heart attacks, a stroke, and now open heart double bypass and a new aortic valve. I have spent months in the hospital, i can tell you that the only nice medical care people are the ones that have been in the medical field less than 3 years, after that, you are nothing to them but a pay check.

How could the care center not be bending over backwards to apologize.

This borders on malpractice. Strep is not something to fool around with. Wonder how long it took him to actually get his prescription. That fact that no one called to apologize to them is unacceptable. I would never go there again. A sincere apology and honest attempt to make things right when something goes wrong is what should happen. People make mistakes. Most people are forgiving IF someone attempts to make it right. They should have gotten a call from the clinic management. No co pay, free medicine and a 100.00 gift card for dinner and a sincere apology. That’s all it would have taken. Someone who is unwilling to do the basic things to make this right should be punished by the public by not using their facility.

People need to be accountable we lost that in service

So who's getting fired?

Geez, that tops my getting forgotten in the exam room while the doctors office took their lunch story. I too figured it out because i needed the restroom and there was no one around.

I’ve been left in a medical office twice in my life. Any one else?

Why did they just sit there and not come out the room and say something??

that urgent care center already looks shady

Just the condition of the sign out front, I would have never walked in the front door. Disgusting!

I start to get panic attacks about being forgotten, when I’ve waited more than 20 minutes in a room. Seems I’m not necessarily wrong to be in fear of this!!!