YZ
Yvonne Zhuang
Mar 21, 2026
My name is L.. On the morning of March 26, 2026, at approximately 10:30 AM, I brought my four-year-old daughter, R., to the Quest Diagnostics location at 1399 E. Foothill Blvd in Upland for a blood draw.
From the outset, the phlebotomist, Natalie, demonstrated a lack of basic professionalism. She called my daughter’s name in an impolite manner, without any greeting or courtesy. Her demeanor immediately heightened my daughter’s anxiety, causing her to become visibly distressed and begin crying.
While requesting our insurance card and lab order, Natalie appeared visibly irritated and rolled her eyes. I informed her that the documents were with my wife outside the procedure room. When she retrieved them, my wife clearly explained that our daughter is autistic and asked her to exercise patience and care.
Despite this, Natalie proceeded without demonstrating any effort to adjust her approach. She enlisted another staff member to restrain my daughter and inserted the needle while my daughter was clearly agitated. Blood had already begun flowing into the collection tube when Natalie abruptly removed the needle and refused to complete the procedure, claiming it was unsafe due to my daughter’s movement.
This sequence of actions is deeply concerning. If Natalie believed the situation was unsafe, she should not have initiated the procedure at all. Beginning the blood draw under those conditions and then abruptly stopping it after venipuncture had already occurred demonstrates poor judgment and a lack of appropriate clinical decision-making.
Equally troubling, after removing the needle, Natalie failed to follow basic safety protocols. She did not promptly remove the tourniquet, did not properly apply pressure to the puncture site, and made no attempt to comfort or stabilize my daughter. Instead, she raised her voice and demanded that we leave the room immediately.
When I requested her full name, she deliberately covered her badge and refused to identify herself. She repeatedly cited “safety,” yet her conduct throughout the encounter reflected the opposite. I was given no clear explanation of what had occurred or why the procedure was handled in such a manner.
Before we were forced to leave, she wrote down only her first name and the name of her supervisor, Nichole, and rushed us out. My daughter came in for medical care but left traumatized, frightened, and confused. This experience has significantly undermined her trust in healthcare providers and will make future medical procedures far more difficult.
While I acknowledge that no harm may have been intended, the impact of this incident is serious. The behavior displayed was not only unprofessional but also raises concerns about patient safety, particularly when working with an autistic kid.
My family has had many positive experiences with Quest Diagnostics in the past, which makes this incident especially disappointing. The level of care we received on this occasion fell far below acceptable medical and professional standards.