Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York - Main Hospital — Local services in New York

A Tribute to Memorial Hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center On the Monday after Thanksgiving, my husband who was being treated for lymphoma and was a patient of Dr. Ariela Noy since early July, was admitted to Memorial Hospital for what turned out to be his final admission. My career in health care actually began when I was 14 years old as part of the Junior Red Cross Volunteer Program of New York City; and I started volunteering at Goldwater Memorial Hospital on what was then called Welfare Island and at St. John’s Queens Hospital. I worked until I graduated from high school. I have been in health care all my life, in many cases traveling to hospitals throughout the U.S. I have never seen anything that equals Memorial in quality of care. The attitude of the staff was always friendly and never put out, respectful and considerate of patients’ feelings, very concerned about patient comfort and considerate of family. All details were attended to. Sitters were pleasant and helpful, being of comfort to the patient. The dietician was very agreeable and trying very hard to get what was needed to meet the patient’s needs.

The nursing staff was professional, efficient, always helpful and considerate, no matter how busy the floor was. They were considerate of the patient and the patient’s feelings and were always trying to make the patient more comfortable. The nurse that was on the night that Jay died was kind and loving.

Dr. Don Colbourn was responsible for Jay’s care up to two weeks prior to his death. He was the hospitalist who made rounds daily and kept you up to date on patient care — a caring and compassionate man. He managed a team of doctors who made rounds with him daily. Two weeks prior to Jay’s death Dr. Von Keudell took over his care. He was equally as caring, concerned and compassionate. They informed you of lab results, expected developments over the next 24 hours and moving forward, and who would be in attendance to care for you. As Jay grew sicker and it was evident that he wasn’t going to recover, not only did the hospital extend their care to Jay, but they sent people from supportive services to check on me to be sure that I was alright and to see if I needed to see anyone to talk about what was happening. They came quite regularly until the end of Jay’s life. Not to mention the fact that it wasn’t unusual for the nursing staff to ask me and remind me to eat. It was a very caring environment. Memorial is still extending their hand to take care of me. I am receiving grief counseling from Memorial at this time.

Supportive care asked how I wanted to care for Jay prior to his death. The care at Memorial was so excellent that I chose to leave Jay there, and I have never seen better end of life care than my beloved husband got at Memorial. Jay had constant care available from the priests at St. Catherine of Siena which added to his overall comfort.

The care was so excellent that I left Jay at Memorial to die. It was the smartest decision I could have made. Jay died on December 16th 2018 after repetitively being comforted by my daughter and I. We were holding Jay’s hands. There were nurses and doctors that Jay knew and liked outside in attendance to keep him comfortable if necessary. I have been a Health Care Agent four times before for very close family members. I was at the bedside for the end of life. I have never seen anything done with the professionalism, caring, compassion and consideration of Memorial Hospital.

Approximately two months after Jay passed, Dr. Noy called me to see how I was doing and recommended a book for me to read. I feel inadequate to actually describe the quality of the care especially when I don’t have enough adjectives to do it justice. I would like to thank all the doctors and nurses and every member of the hospital staff no matter what their position. I for one am very grateful that you were all there for Jay and me. Thank you to the staff of Memorial Hospital,...

My loved one was hospitalized on Friday because of shortness of breath. They called at 4 am saying they might put her on a ventilator so I rushed over to the location where she was held there. When I got there a team of doctors were present to pressurize and convince her to get on the ventilator. I was clearly refusing this option.She wasn’t in her right frame of mind as it was 4 am and she didn’t get sleep. I asked them about her feeding tube and possible damage to lungs including pneumonia caused by the ventilator and they stated that they would easily handle that. They didn’t clearly tell that to her though (the cons of being the ventilation process).They pretended they could easily fix this while knowing they would make a lot through insurance. When she was put on the ventilator the tube clogged within a week. I was told it would take 2 weeks tops. They wouldn’t let us speak with the primary doctor prior to the decision; we were dealing with the weekend crew. She required surgery to unclog the tube. They claimed she had pneumonia but could never find what type of pneumonia she had. They admitted previously that this was not a cure (therefore what was the point) after a week I visited and she moved her arms and squeezed her hands on command she was alert and trying to tell me something but she was not able to prior to the decision they told her she might be able to write. Later that week they called and said they tried everything and that the day I visited she wasn’t alert or doing well but I physically saw her moving on command. Everyone had a pre-conceived notion and wanted me to wait for a family meeting they mentioned a family meeting pretty quick in the process. When I spoke to her primary doctor in the beginning he told me that her chest could clear up and this happened as a result of the feeding tube entering her body fast forward a week and a half and he completely changed his tune and said there was nothing else they can do. In the first meeting he said the chemo was not effective and they knew she was not getting a remission (in a later meeting he said the chemo was working) before the meeting they talk about inserting a tracheotomy but they bring that up fairly late in the process and within a couple of days they deem her not fit.they claimed they were still going to try their best shortly after around the 3 week period the feeding tube clogs again by the same nurse. When the vitals decreased they kept moving her: her neck is clearly in a terrible position, her numbers go down everytime they move her. They were about to put her on paralytics without even asking me. When they actually do that she instantly gets worse. Her numbers get worse because they decided to stop using the feeding tube and she’s not being given proper nutrients one of the nurses told me it’s because “her stomach can’t handle food” I told them to stop moving her and they wanted me to speak the the practitioner but I requested the doctor and was not able to speak with the doctor it was again the weekend crew they called the next day and said she was not doing well the nurse for that weekend was rude and disrespectful and argumentative and they clearly did not care and were not professional or empathetic i couldn’t hear from the doctor until the next day and she was deflecting the entire time. This whole process seemed to be a way to prevent themselves from working hard. She literally switched her insurance that month. Instead of actually finding a cure they chose to enter this process No pulmonologist or main doctor. They claimed they were starting the weening process and said she was doing well in the beginning (the weening process took place before visiting hours so I never witnessed this take place but for perspective she was doing well on Tuesday but by Wednesday night they felt “They did everything they can do” they claimed it wasn’t Covid but she got her first injection in that facility 3 weeks prior to her...

I’m sharing this experience to be completely honest and transparent in hopes of saving other families from the trauma my mom and our family endured while she was a patient at MSK. My mom has been receiving cancer treatment at MSK for 10 years, and while their expertise in oncology is commendable, I can no longer trust them for anything outside of cancer care.

Any time my mom got sick—whether it was pneumonia, the flu, or other issues—we would bring her to MSK’s urgent care. Over time, it became painfully clear that MSK is solely a cancer research and treatment facility, not a hospital equipped to handle broader medical emergencies. Their lack of comprehensive care nearly cost my mom her life.

Most recently, my mom was in MSK’s ICU, and doctors told us she might not make it (Dr Meade) They pressured my family into making rushed decisions while she was on a ventilator, using suggestive language like, “Is this really what she wants?” and pushing for hospice care and trying to force her to get a trach. Had I not been strong-willed, vigilant, and present every day, things could have gone horribly wrong. Despite their grim outlook, my mom did recover and was discharged—proving how wrong their assumptions were.

However, the care she received upon discharge was unacceptable. They released her with low blood counts—and in a few weeks her hemoglobin was at 6.8 and RBC levels dangerously low—without a transfusion because one of their last draws showed a borderline 7.0. Anyone familiar with these numbers knows that whether it’s 7.0 or slightly below, the symptoms (fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath) can be severe, yet they still sent her home.

Additionally, my mom had fluid in her lungs, which MSK acknowledged on a CT scan but dismissed as minor. Instead of investigating further, they ignored it. As a result, the fluid built up while she was recovering at home, making her condition worse. This led to an emergency where an ambulance had to be called—but in hindsight, that was a blessing in disguise.

The ambulance took my mom to Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Hospital in Queens, which, while not as prestigious as MSK, provided vastly superior total patient care. From the moment she arrived: • They acted immediately, preventing her from being placed on a ventilator by using BiPAP therapy while rapidly pushing drugs that helped instantly. • They drained the fluid from her lungs that MSK had ignored. • They monitored and corrected her blood levels, giving her a transfusion when needed. • They treated her swelling, which had started at MSK and completely resolved at LIJ. • They helped her regain mobility, getting her up and walking again with structured cardiopulmonary rehab while waiting for her cath procedure. • They implemented preventative care, inserting a catheter to drain future fluid buildup and reduce emergency readmissions.

MSK discharged my mom needing 2L of oxygen. After her stay at LIJ, she was able to leave without oxygen entirely.

This experience was eye-opening. While MSK provides my mom with valuable cancer treatment, they have failed in caring for her total health. If we had continued trusting them for care outside of chemo/immunotherapy, I don’t know if my mom would still be here today.

I’m not saying LIJ is the perfect hospital by any means, nor am I telling people to avoid MSK for cancer treatment. However, I urge families to do their research and advocate fiercely for their loved ones. MSK is not equipped to handle complex medical needs beyond cancer treatment. Hence their name. Please don’t make the mistake of assuming they are. Don’t subject your loved ones to be stacked in urgent care for them to do the bare minimum with terrible bedside manner and not treat their total health. Go to hospitals where they can. Just want to speak out about something I’m very passionate about and I hope I can at least help...