DMH Home Health Svc

Pros

• Dr. Alexander in the ER was amazing with the patient's mom.
• The ICU was described as the only truly clean area.
• A couple praised DeKalb Health Center, noting the facility and staff were wonderful and expressing appreciation for their professional attention and quality care.
• The nurses were described as very nice, and the staff as pleasant, informed, and helpful.
• The doctors, nurses, and admins at DeKalb Health Center were wonderful, with one patient noting exceptional care after a total knee replacement.

Cons

• They describe the ER as horrible, with the EMS also horrible and only the ICU being clean.
• They note that most ER nurses do not wear gloves.
• They say communication is terrible and patients aren't told what's going on or what medications are for.
• They advise against Parkview in Auburn, calling it awful and not recommended.
• They report long waits for discharge papers and minimal testing during visits.
• They describe ER staff as rude or condescending, treating patients like a bother.
• They claim amoxicillin or other needed meds were unavailable or not given, with staff saying they didn't have any.
• They recount waiting hours for lab results or diagnoses, sometimes without a clear explanation.
• They recount misdiagnoses, such as a vomiting child being dismissed as acid reflux.
• They state the hospital deserves zero or negative stars and would not recommend it.

Review

The collection of remarks paints a strikingly inconsistent picture of DeKalb Health's ER and related services. A large portion of reviewers describe the emergency department (ER) and EMS as harrowing experiences, with the ICU standing out as the one area that consistently earns praise. Several readers note that the hospital's overall environment feels chaotic or hurried, and they point to a sense that the ER is overwhelmed or under-resourced in ways that affect patient care. The recurring sentiment is frustration and disappointment, interspersed with a few positive notes about specific staff members or departments.

Hygiene and safety emerge as a pointed concern in multiple accounts. One recurring accusation is that many ER nurses do not wear gloves, which some commenters interpret as a lack of basic infection control. By contrast, reviewers often describe the ICU as the cleanest and most professional part of the facility. This dichotomy contributes to a broader impression of uneven standards across different areas of the hospital, with the ICU offering a higher level of perceived care compared to the ER and other hospital wings.

Communication, or the perceived lack of it, is another dominant thread. Several reviewers complain that hospital staff fail to explain what is happening, what medications are for, or how a patient's overall condition is evolving. The sense conveyed is that information is guarded or not clearly explained, leaving patients and families to guess about diagnoses and treatment plans. This sentiment appears across adult and pediatric reviews, intensifying the frustration for those navigating urgent health concerns.

There are a number of specific, troubling anecdotes that illustrate these broader themes. One teenager's experience at Parkview in Auburn involved only a chest X-ray, with no ear or throat examination, and a discharge note that listed "headache" as the reason for visit despite a constellation of symptoms including nausea, chest pain, congestion, and sore throat. The patient recounted that no tests beyond the X-ray were performed and that the staff's follow-up information seemed misaligned with the actual symptoms. Another family recounts a situation where a sick child was told there was no amoxicillin in the hospital, a claim they contrasted with their experience at another facility. In several stories, patients waited lengthy periods for discharge paperwork or for test results, underscoring a perception of inefficiency and inconsistent care.

Pediatric cases are particularly salient in the narratives. A parent describes waiting for hours with a feverish, dehydrated child, with minimal intervention beyond Tylenol and Motrin, and a discharge with little diagnostic clarity. In another instance, a child with a high fever and vomiting blood was not believed by the ER staff and was sent home with a questionable diagnosis, prompting the family to seek care elsewhere. The contrast between what was necessary - IV fluids, closer monitoring, and more thorough testing - and what was provided reinforces the impression that ER visits here can feel rushed and insufficiently thorough, especially when dealing with children.

Despite the prevailing wave of negative experiences, there are lines of praise that complicate the overall impression. A few reviewers single out Dr. Alexander in the ER as exceptionally helpful or comforting, describing him as "amazing with my mom" or "the only doctor worth anything in the ER." Beyond individual physicians, some long-term patients express loyalty to the facility, noting that the center serves as their go-to place for medical needs and praising the staff's dedication, professionalism, and kindness on balance. A reviewer who had a total knee replacement praises the doctors, nurses, and admins for their excellence, even as other aspects of the experience were criticized. There are also comments that, while acknowledging flaws, recognize the ER as a necessary option given its proximity to some patients' homes.

In sum, the feedback depicts a hospital system with pronounced variability in care quality. Some patients encounter attentive, capable staff, efficient processes, and clean facilities - especially within the ICU or during specific staff interactions. At the same time, many patients report long waits, insufficient diagnostic exploration, poor communication, and dismissive or inconsistent bedside manner in the ER, with several stories of potentially dangerous gaps in pediatric care or antibiotic management. The recurring themes suggest a need for stronger standardization of ER protocols, more transparent patient communication, and careful attention to infection control practices to rebuild trust and ensure that urgent care consistently matches patient needs.

Hospitals

• DeKalb Health (0 miles)
• Auburn Birthing Center (0.4 miles)
• Orthopaedics Northeast (12.9 miles)
• Parkview Heart Institute (12.9 miles)
• Prmc Surgery (13 miles)

Physicians

• Allergy & Asthma Center (0 miles)
• Parkview Physicians Group - Sleep Medicine (0 miles)
• Parkview Physicians Group - Podiatry (0.1 miles)
• Auburn Ob Gyn (0.1 miles)
• Community Open Mri Of Auburn (0.2 miles)
• Dekalb Medical Services-Garrett (5.4 miles)
• Parkview Physicians Group - Family Medicine (9.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Auburn Home Medical (0 miles)
• DeKalb Health PharmaCare (0.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (8.8 miles)
• Fischer Pharmacare Avilla (10.1 miles)
• CVS Speciality (10.7 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (11.1 miles)

Parks

• Auburn Dog Park (0.9 miles)
• Memorial Park (1.6 miles)
• National History Musuem Sport Complex (3.8 miles)
• Ocker Park (5.6 miles)
• Jordan Wetland Park (5.8 miles)
• Riverside Gardens Park (10.3 miles)
• Kendallville Park & Recreation (11.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Auburn Baptist (1 miles)
• Cornerstone World Outreach (1.3 miles)
• Norris Chapel United Methodist Church (3.7 miles)
• United Methodist Church of Waterloo (4.3 miles)
• Church of the Nazarene (4.5 miles)
• First Church of Christ (5.2 miles)
• SeaBreeze Ministries (8.9 miles)

Cafes

• Busy Brush Cafe (1.1 miles)
• Cranberry Cottage Cafe & Tea Room (1.2 miles)
• Five Lakes Coffee (2.1 miles)
• H Souder & Sons Genera (11.5 miles)

Restaurants

• The Brown House (1.3 miles)
• Richards Restaurant (1.9 miles)
• KFC (2.1 miles)
• Burger King (2.1 miles)
• McDonald's (2.1 miles)
• Culver's (2.3 miles)
• Paradise Buffet (2.5 miles)

Transportation

• Century Aviation (4.4 miles)
• Amtrak-Wti (4.4 miles)
• Csx Garrett Yard (5.3 miles)
• Train Tracks SR 1 & County Line (8.5 miles)
• Tracks 101 & Nucor (10.4 miles)

Theaters

• Auburn Garrett Drive In (5.7 miles)
• Strand Theatre (12.9 miles)