Denver Health Emergency Department

Rilee Shipley 2 months ago

I was in the Emergency Department yesterday during an anaphylactic allergic reaction. I self administered my EpiPen and my partner drove me to the ER, which may have been a mistake, as the first question from intake staff was "you didn't call an ambulance?" as if everyone can afford that. First off, we had to shout across the waiting room for help as my throat was closing and I was passing out in line waiting to check in. Intake staff kept asking questions like what my middle name is and if I could list my many medications, as the wheezing in my chest and throat got louder with literally every breath, but my primary care doctor is part of the Denver Health umbrella and they have all of that information. I was finally whisked away to a room when I snapped at them, "Can we please go over this later?" after several minutes of trying to shout answers across a desk four feet away, in a waiting room full of people, while I literally couldn't breathe. I'm going to be charged for an X-ray and a breathing treatment I wouldn't have needed if staff had been willing to act, and set aside their paperwork for a moment. When I finally was being treated in the back, I was gaslit by staff and made to feel as though my allergic reaction was due to my drinking an energy drink and my lack of nutrition, and not due to the allergen contamination within the drink itself. It seems very much as if this emergency department is here for convenience and not to actually save lives. in fact, nearly every 1-star review of this dept is from someone experiencing severe symptoms and being gaslit about what's happening to them, only to find out later from a different hospital that their situation is absolutely as bad or worse than the patient thought it was. 0/10, absolutely awful experience, I will NEVER return to this facility for ANY reason and I could LITERALLY die if I choose to drive 5 minutes further away.

Haley Candelario 6 months ago

My partner has gone to the Denver Health Emergency Room several times after having a seizure and has received really good care from the team, but after today, he’s decided that choosing another ER department in the area is a better option. We arrived at Denver Health around 8:45 a.m., so my partner could be seen for a seizure where he hit his head. Despite the Denver Health Emergency website stating that people should go to the emergency room for seizures and serious head injuries, we waited in the waiting room for about 2.5 hours even after telling the nurses station of the seizure and the head injury. Several people who came in after we had been checked in were seen for care before us. When we asked one of the nurses why we hadn’t been taken back yet, we were told that the ER department has two lines, and my partner was “not in the priority line” to be seen. I’m confused as to how my partner was not a priority when he has a head injury as a result of a seizure, and those are two reasons to go to the ER listed on the Denver Health website. When my partner was finally taken back to be seen, the nurse who came to check on him told him he needed to get in a gown to be hooked up to the machine. Instead of waiting for my partner to quickly dress in the gown, she left entirely. We waited at least 15-20 minutes and had to press the “Nurse” call button to request that she come back before she returned to hook him up. This seemed incredibly inefficient. Two separate doctors came to check on my partner and speak with him. My partner had to request a saline drip twice because the first doctor said his blood work looked normal and he didn’t think my partner needed the drip; this differs from the experience we’ve had at Denver Health previously. He’s never had trouble receiving intravenous fluids on prior visits when he's requested them. Additionally, at no point did either of the two doctors order a head scan. This again is unusual compared to our other visits to the Denver Health ER since my partner has always received a head scan for a seizure, even in the event he didn’t hit his head. It also seems like poor practice to not order a head scan. He also received an X-ray for pain in his hip he’s been experiencing since his last seizure a few weeks ago. When the X-ray came back, they said everything looked fine, but they didn't encourage him to schedule an appointment with a member of the Denver Health team to investigate the pain further. When my partner asked the nurse why there was an inconclusive result, her response was, “Sometimes, we don’t get to the bottom of the problem, my friend.” All of this happened before 1:30 p.m., but we were not discharged until shortly after 3 p.m. — and that was after my partner asked several times to be released. When we asked what was taking so long, it was first that they were waiting on the results of the hip X-ray, then that they were waiting for the pharmacy to fill a medication for him (which we did not request they do), and then that we needed to have an order from the doctor to be discharged. When we asked again what the hold up was, the nurse’s response was, “This is an inner-city hospital. You should expect some delays.” We wasted a whole day here when our visits have usually taken around 5 hours, even when we’ve arrived during peak times. On top of all of this, the room they had my partner did not appear to be cleaned or sanitized before he was brought in. Compared to previous experiences with the Denver Health ER, this one was incredibly disheartening and infuriating. Overall, it felt like the staff weren’t taking my partner’s medical condition seriously. And if anyone from the Denver Health team is reading this, please do not respond to my review; just do better when someone comes in and said they had a seizure and hit their head — two things listed on your website as reasons to come to the ER.

Basira 6 months ago

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We are truly grateful to the doctors, nurses, and pediatric team at Denver Health. Thanks to their professionalism, kindness, and compassionate care, our baby was born safely and we felt supported every step of the way. The staff worked with dedication and patience during a very important moment in our lives. We sincerely appreciate everything they did for our family. Thank you for your hard work and care. December 13, 2025

Tim Andrews 6 months ago

I went there last night. I have one working kidney. I wasn't feeling well. My back was in pain, I was having abdominal pain, and I was feeling under the weather. My family sat in the waiting room for over 4 hours waiting to be seen. We finally figured out that because my blood pressure wasn't low or high then I wasn't a big deal. Why didn't they just say that I should go to a urgent care. That frustrating.

Kelsey Swanson 8 months ago

I went in to the ER after a hit and run accident. In the waiting room of the ER a man was masturbafing in the waiting room. Security wouldn't do anything about it for an hour and a half. They took xrays, I informed them that It felt like a screw from a past back surgery was loose. The staff assured me that "all my screws were in place." This was in May. It is now November and my GI ordered an ultrasound of my abdomen. Turns out the screw IS lose and is digging into my spine. 6 months of horrendous pain and all they have done is treat me like a dog. I bring my ESA with on the days I cant stand. They get happy about that but dont care about the patient.