NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst — Attraction in New York

Disclaimer: My experience is quite dated as I have not had any experiences with this hospital since approximately 2014. I am choosing to leave a review now because I have had a lot of time to think this through and have experienced better medical care to be able to compare. I feel I need to warn people about this horrible place.

Colon Cancer: In 2014, I accompanied my grandmother to an oncology appointment. The oncologist took several minutes to look through some records and then told us quite bluntly that my grandmother had stage 4 colon cancer--and then nothing else. I had no experience with cancer and initially did not know what stage 4 meant, and this doctor never bothered to explain it to me. My intuition said this was bad news, so I asked how much time my grandmother had left. She told me something along the lines of 3 months. I asked her if there were any treatment options and she said no, it's too far along and she was too old. The entire appointment lasted probably 5 minutes, and half of that time was her going through records. What stood out to me was that she had zero compassion or empathy, and spoke to me as if this were just a run-of-the-mill cold diagnosis. Her bedside manner was shockingly bad. She never bothered to offer anything beyond the diagnosis--not even any additional information about the cancer or ways to keep my grandmother comfortable. She even seemed annoyed when I inquired about whether there were any other treatment options!

Ovarian Cyst Surgery: In late 2002, my primary care doctor discovered an ovarian cyst. My doctor referred me to this hospital to get further treatment. It was determined that I needed surgery, but since it was a non-life-threatening condition, my surgery was booked for four months out. In that time, my cyst ballooned to the point where I looked and felt pregnant. By the time my surgery date came, it had filled with 2 liters of fluid and went from a fairly minor procedure to a major surgery. It left me with a horrendous keloid scar and severely disabled my core muscles' ability to engage properly. It caused a lifetime of chronic pain and breathing difficulties, which significantly altered my career in the Army. Had my condition been recognized as something more urgent, I would not have suffered to this degree for the rest of my life. I do not fault the surgeons as they did the best they could. I even reached out to the surgeon years later to inquire about whether he knows how to improve the functionality of my core muscles and he responded fairly quickly. It's the hospital's system of prioritizing patients that's the problem.

Psychiatry: My mother has schizophrenia and was involuntarily hospitalized at their psych facility. The psychiatrist asked me to come in to inquire about my mother's mental illness history. I obliged and was very forthcoming with my responses, but soon, the conversation devolved into this doctor chastising me, saying, "Why have you not done anything about this sooner, before she came dysfunctional?" I can't recall exactly how I responded, only that I was disturbed and enraged by his accusation. In hindsight, I wish I could've said, "Listen, MFer, I was a child being abused by a mentally ill woman. How TF did you expect me, or my grandmother who didn't speak any English, to deal with this situation?" This is just another case of horrendous bedside manner from a doctor employed here. I question how he can even effectively treat patients with the way he speaks to people.

Emergency Room: Throughout my childhood, since urgent care facilities did not exist back then, I would have to resort to going to this hospital's ER for conditions such as fevers and UTIs. Each time, I would wait no less than 3 hours, and it wasn't unusual to be there for about 8 hours.

Now that I know what quality care is, I want everyone to know that this hospital is the absolute worst place with which to entrust your care. If you have the option, go...

The New York State Department of Health, along with every ethics committee across the United States, should investigate Elmhurst Hospital due to serious concerns about patient care and communication. My elderly father was admitted to this facility by ambulance, yet no one was able to explain why he was kept hospitalized despite being mentally alert, physically capable of walking, and in stable condition. When I requested a transfer, the hospital refused, stating that Elmhurst was adequately equipped and the transfer was unnecessary.

My father specifically requested a transfer due to ongoing issues with communication. There was a complete lack of coordination between staff, doctors, nurses, PCAs, physical therapists, and social workers. I repeatedly had to ask for the attending physician, but each time, I was told the doctor was "too busy" to see us, even during the night shift. At one point, a PCA asked me to monitor another patient who appeared suicidal and mentally unstable, creating a concerning and uncomfortable situation.

Additionally, there were multiple HIPAA violations, with patient records and sensitive information left open on the Epic system. I have video evidence of these violations involving various patients.

Elmhurst Hospital's treatment of both patients and their families is unacceptable. Family members are actively discouraged from being involved in patient care, and their concerns are ignored or dismissed. For instance, when my father requested water, it was never given, I requested again 15 minutes later , still no water. My father never received the water after multiple request. When I addressed this issue with staff, I was met with rude and unprofessional behavior. When I asked to speak with the head nurse, the situation worsened, prompting me to file a formal complaint with the patient advocate.

The following day, security informed me that I was restricted from visiting my father. This is an alarming indication that Elmhurst Hospital seeks to limit family involvement in patient care, potentially to avoid oversight of substandard practices. I suspect that patients are being treated as subjects for experimentation by medical students and interns, with no regard for their well-being.

At one point, three different medical students attempted to perform a MRSA test on my father, despite the fact that the test had already been done. This lack of oversight and disregard for patient dignity is troubling.

I am committed to bringing this matter to the attention of the ethics committee and relevant authorities in order to ensure that appropriate changes are made, and to prevent further harm to patients under the care of...

I was a patient here in a psych ward 3 years ago around late March-early April 2022 after I tried to off myself, I had severe depression and struggled with ADHD. At the time I wasnt diagnoised with ADHD but i suspected I had it. I talked to the doctor/psychologist I was given about it, and he said I couldnt possibly have it because I was sitting down and not walking around (a stereotype I couldnt believe a doctor was repeating). I continued to get an un-official diagnoisis with adhd 2 weeks after by my psychiatrist and then an official diagnoisis by a psychologist later on. I recently started my ADHD medication which improved my life, depression, and ADHD symptoms drastically. If I listened to the doctor here, I would still be doing nothing. Unproductive and depressed, believing I didnt have ADHD because I didnt fit a stereotype.

I was put on suicide watch while in the minor psych ward. We slept on uncomfortable chairs that folded out and since the room had anyone here by age, me and another girl were locked in a room with this very violent boy who continuously punched the doors and walls near us who was in the ward with us because his mother was scared he'd hurt her (Completely valid, he was out of control). We all slept in one room, and spent day and night in the same room, with a shared bathroom with a shower. The nurses would ignore us when we called for them and refused to even change the TV channel for us and when one nurse gave us uno cards another snatched it away literally a few minutes after. One of the days in the almost full week I was there, the violent boy somehow clogged up the shower drain and flooded the bathroom and part of the room we were all in. We were only given grippy socks which means we had to avoid half the room and basically stay in the same spot until someone came and cleaned it.

I called my mom to tell her i hated it here and i couldnt be here anymore.

Being in THIS hospital made me want to off myself more than when I was out of it. The staff treating us horribly ignoring us mostly, being put in a room with a violent buff 6'0 teen, and the obviously not properly educated doctors.

Its been 3 years and I still think about this place because it was that horrible. I dont know why I waited 3 years to post this but I hope someone reads this and avoids this hospital like the plague it is.

The French toast was the only good part.

If you have a love one do not send them here if you truly care for them and want professionals. If you have enemies, make sure you recommend this...