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Review content:
DO NOT GO HERE!! My friend got pregnant 5 weeks ago and wasn't ready to have a child. She decided to have an abortion; she went on the internet and found this place. Since this organization had so many offices throughout NJ, PA, VA and MD, she thought this would be a repeatable place to go and do the procedure. She made the appointment for 11am (which was their earliest appointment for the day) we arrived there at 10am (to make sure we were on time and to fill out any required paperwork.) When we got there, the woman at the front desk did not even look at us, she handed my friend a clipboard of forms to fill out and went back to doing what she was doing. After another hour, my friend was called into an office with a woman. We both thought that it was for counseling (on their website it says that you will be counseled first before having the procedure--"As our patient, you will receive individual options counseling, detailed information on the procedures available to you, and time to discuss your feelings. During each step of your appointment, you will be supported by our experienced, compassionate, friendly staff.") but in reality, she just wanted my friend to pay for the procedure up front. It gets worse: After filling out the form and already paid, at 12pm the woman at the front desk comes into the waiting room (of about 20 patients) to tell us all that the doctor won't be here till 2pm. "Okay- so we wait” At 2pm, the woman at the front desk comes back in and tells us that he won't be there till 3pm. "Okay-so we have to wait again". Finally 4 hours later at 3:30pm my friend (along with the other 20 women that came in at 11am, filled out paper work and paid) went in for her procedure. After about 1 hour and a half, I decided to ask about her status. The staff told me that she was done about a half hour ago (which means they didn't even have the courtesy to tell me) and that I could go upstairs to see her. When I walked upstairs, the first thing she said was that it was the worst pain she'd ever experienced. Now, my friend is one of those people that can take a lot of pain and for her to say she was in pain; it must have been really bad. After sitting and talking to her for about 1 min, the nurse in the room told me that I have to get my friend to sign a release form. I think she thought I was just going to let my friend sign it without me reading it first. So when I did, it says that with her signing this paper, she acknowledges that she is leaving the office against the nurse's request for her to stay "at least one hour". I told the nurse that I would be more comfortable if we stayed the full hour so that she can rest a bit and she agreed (but English was not her first language- so maybe she didn't understand me) and walked back to her desk. After 5 mins, she walks up to my friend, wakes her up and tells her she has to sign this form. I looked at her and said "I would rather have her stay the full hour". And since, I did that, she looked at my friend and asked her "Do you want to go home?" And groggy as she was--my friend said "Yes." So she signed the form and we left. But the worst part is still to come: When I asked her how it was, she told me it was awful (I knew it would be a negative response but I had to ask anyway.) and that when they put her in the room, they put her in there with another woman. Side by side and while the doctor was reading the charts, there was no discreteness or confidentiality. All of their information was talked about in the presence of another patient. All in all, I feel the staff was unprofessional, the facilities needed a good scrub down, and my friend had one of the worst experiences in her life. Getting an abortion is a personal choice and if anyone decides to do something that can have a psychological impact, there needs to be a group of trained professionals that can understand and relate to their patients; and to make them as comfortable as they can.
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