Bear Valley Community Hospital

My boyfriend and I went to the ER for a hand injury and the staff was so kind. They got us in quick,they were empathetic and beyond helpful. The doctor, nurses, and staff were so wonderful. We have lived here in BB for 3 years and this was our first visit to the ER for a sudden injury. We want to thank the entire staff for helping us in our time of need. We appreciate you and thank you for everything.

Big Bear Emergency Room doctors, nurses, and radiology techs saved my life. Give the staff at Big Bear Hospital a break. They are often overwhelmed with tourists who are too inexperienced and/or drunk/high to be skiing, snowboarding, sledding, hiking, operating boats, or just plain driving stupid on winding roads regardless of the weather. I had union-negotiated, employer-provided health insurance with Kaiser Permanente. I had appendicitis. I asked for an x-ray and was told by Kaiser Permanente medical personnel, "we aren't allowed to order any expensive and unnecessary tests" by a doctor and a physician assistant during two separate visits after being told by an emergency room doctor (who also couldn't order "expensive and unnecessary tests") to make a primary physician appointment after the emergency room doctor denied my first request for an x-ray. The physician ASSistant had the nerve to tell me, "you freckly people are always trying to get pain meds". He also said, "you are depressed and your depression is making you think you are in pain." Prejudices affect all skin colors. Pale people are discriminated against, too. Both doctors and the physician assistant were males and all three told me I was experiencing menstrual cramps. I read through my Kaiser Permanente Patient Rights and Responsibilities and learned that I had to be over 100 miles from a Kaiser facility to be seen at a non-Kaiser emergency room. I had my husband drive me to the tiny emergency room in Big Bear because it was far enough away from Kaiser for me to be seen outside of Kaiser. The Big Bear emergency room doctor listened; unlike the union-negotiated, employer-provided Kaiser Permanente insurance incompetents. The Big Bear doctor ordered my x-ray which showed a bowel obstruction, he then ordered a CT-scan which showed an abscessed appendix. I was transported by ambulance down to Kaiser for surgery. At Kaiser they just wanted to stick a needle into the abscess and drain it. Fortunately, the CT-scan they ordered showed that my intestines had ballooned and were blocking my appendix. So, they FINALLY agreed to open me up. During surgery they discovered necrotic intestine which also had to be removed. I was septic and dying. I would be dead if they had left that necrotic bowel inside my body. Kaiser Permanente medical personnel blamed me, my body was bloated from sepsis, they called me fat. They told me I should have come in sooner. My first ER visit was in June 2008. The Big Bear ER doctor saved my life on September 21, 2008. My appendix had ruptured after the first ER visit and then abscessed. That abscess grew until it blocked my intestines. I was vomiting feces the day I went to the Big Bear emergency department. I was literally ignored by Kaiser Permanente employees and sent home to die of appendicitis. I called dozens of lawyers, including those who claim to be Kaiser Permanente specific. Since I hadn't died, they didn't care. Some of those lawyers even had the nerve to say there was no money in it for them. Not one was willing to help. Kaiser Permanente didn't even get a slap on the wrist. Kaiser Permanente patients have no legal rights. Patients are only allowed arbitration which no lawyer actually wants to do. Kaiser Permanente kills. If you actually survive, your body will be butchered. Medical malpractice PTSD is crippling and never-ending. The Big Bear doctor saved my life. Thank you.

Giving 2 stars because the nurses were super nice and understanding. I went to the ER because my insurance's nurse hotline told me to after I told them I was dizzy and short of breath in addition to having symptoms of a sinus infection or headcold. After 6 hours and 2 IV bags I was told I was dehydrated and given a condescending speech by the doctor about how I "don't have to come to the ER for IV bags if [I] just stay hydrated." Honestly even the nurse seemed irritated with the lack of testing and the assumption that i was just dehydrated. Despite my saying that I felt sick they didn't test me for covid, the flu, or strep. Last time I had to get 2 IV bags to rehydrate me enough that I didn't feel like fainting when standing up I had had strep throat. So just to be safe when I got home I tested myself and sure enough I had covid which was why I was so dehydrated. I've lived up here long enough to know not to expect much from this hospital, but I feel like in this day and age when someone comes in saying they're short of breath and feel sick the bare minimum is a covid test? Honestly if you have any other option don't come here lol.

My sister suffered a horrible snow sled accident on New Year’s Day. She lost control of the sled and crashed into a tree log. Unfortunately, that tree log had a piece of sharp wood sticking out and it pierced her upper thigh. She was transported up to Bear Valley Hospital where the medical staff was phenomenal and extremely fast. They quickly got her on antibiotics and pain medication. The staff explained everything that was gonna happen and the options she had because of the severity of her wound. After 3 hours of observation and running tests, they informed me that the wound required surgery at a Level 1 Trauma center immediately, and that unfortunately they were not equipped to deal with her type of accident. I understood and thanked them for what they were doing. The medical staff was so helpful, they set up medical transport to Riverside Community Hospital and by midnight we were off. I don’t recall the nurses or the doctors names but if you see this, A MILLION THANK YOU’S!! You saved her life. God continue blessing you and your hospital.

Everybody at the emergency room was nice, but I especially want to give a shout-out to Clayton. He is a paramedic there, and he was so sweet and caring. His calm demeanor and knowledge of my condition really put me at ease.

We are vacationing this week and we brought my daughter in for an excessive fever. The entire staff was kind, courteous and caring with myself and my daughter. The front desk staff was very helpful and pleasant. The nurses were so gentle and sweet to my daughter. The doctor answered all of our questions. The entire process was excellent and efficient. We were seen quickly. I was hesitant to bring her based on the reviews but I was very happy with our visit.

This hospital seems to get away with hiring the most unprofessional people in the city. They let me walk out of the ER in 3 hours after a traumatic motorcycle accident.

Worse hospital experience I’ve ever had. I got into a car accident, my back and neck were in extreme pain. They only let me sit on a bed for like 20 minutes and then said I have to get up for another customer. I told the nurse I’m still in a lot of pain and still have not been told anything about my back or neck. All they did was give me a neck brace and send me out. Also the nurses were very insensitive and one repeatedly tell me “ stop crying about it”. When they sent me to the waiting room while I waited for my friends to be out. I heard one lady weeping in pain for a long time no one once checked up on her. Shame on you guys for the way you treat your patients! Why work a career to help people when you really don’t even care about helping people.