I went to Vivify Wellness Center for an iron transfusion, and from the start, I had serious concerns about the setup. The first red flag was that the nurse practitioner, Dr. Desiree McGee, began discussing my personal health history in front of another patient. That’s a clear HIPAA violation. I immediately asked if we could move to another room, and we did—but that should have never happened in the first place. The second red flag came when she hooked up both me and another patient to IV bags, then left the room. There was no bell or way to alert her if something went wrong. She was at the front desk checking in other people. I told her directly that she needed a way for patients to reach her in case of emergency. She brushed it off and said they were “just really busy that day,” which was not reassuring. The final straw was during and after my infusion. I had an adverse reaction—I told her I couldn’t breathe and could barely take in a quarter of a breath. I started pacing, trying to calm myself. She stood there and eventually asked if I wanted oxygen. I said yes, of course, because I couldn’t breathe. She tried to open the oxygen tank but seemed to be struggling. I recognized the canister type b/c I administer nitrous in my own office and realized something wasn’t right b/c she kept spinning the valve but nothing came out. I asked her if the tank was empty. She first said no, but after a few seconds of fumbling, she said, “Oh wait, yeah, I think it is empty.” I immediately asked if she had another tank at which point she said no she didn’t. I became extremely alarmed—as there was no backup oxygen available if I passed out. I told her that she should always have a backup tank. Her response was she’d , “just gotten it.” Because my breathing hadn’t gotten better even after sh gave me a steroid I was afraid of dying in her office, so when she asked, “what do you want me to do?” I told her to call EMS immediately which I could tell she wasn’t too happy about. EMS arrived, and I was transported to the hospital. As a result, I received bills from both the ambulance and the hospital, all due to her negligence. Once I realized she was out of oxygen, I no longer felt safe in that environment. I have since sent Dr. McGee the medical bills for both the ambulance and hospital visit, as this situation was entirely preventable. She has ignored emails, certified letter, dm on IG and I noticed she has since blocked me on IG. If she doesn’t resolve the matter amicably, I plan to report her to the state board which I’ve tried to avoid. I strongly advise anyone seeking iron infusions or IV therapy to go somewhere else. No patient should ever be put in the position I was in, and accountability should be taken seriously. I’ve reached out to her multiple times with no response, so my next step will be to escalate the matter formally. Thankfully, I am okay now — but I will never return to Vivify Wellness Center.
Sharel Sly · Published November 9, 2025