NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital — Local services in New York

If i could give this place 0 stars i would. This place is a nightmare. I would not recommend anyone stay there. My mom had surgery late afternoon last Thursday. They have a TV screen that you can view for updates however it is not always accurate. The waiting area receptionist left around 6:30pm-ish and no one else came to cover the area. After the surgery was completed at 7:27pm, I received a text message (see photo) that she was in recovery and updates were to follow. At 7:40pm the surgeon called to inform me that all was well and that someone will update me on when I can see her. No one ever came to get me. Security saw me sitting there for hours and finally asked me why I was there. When I explained to him that the TV screen never updated that she was out of recovery nor did I receive an updated text message with instructions. He then took me to PACU and explained to them why I was there and I was finally able to see my mom. I immediately told the person in the room in charge of her care that I’ve been waiting on the lobby for hours why wasn’t I told that she was out of recovery and that I could visit her. It was now after 9pm he claimed that he didn’t know I was still there and it was hectic then apologized. I explained to him that someone came out 1 time to ask my name but they were for another patients family and no one ever came. He looked on her documents and saw my name and read my phone number to me and claimed that he would call me when she received a room. I never received a call of her obtaining a room. The next day, I reached the hospital before 11am and my mom was still in the PACU. I immediately spoke with the person taking care of her and asked why wasn’t she given a room, she stated that the hospital was full and there were no rooms available. She would have to wait until a room was available. My mom had dried yogurt all over her face, her hair was matted with blood and she didn’t have her glasses on I asked why didn’t any one clean her or give her the glasses. I immediately started to clean my mom face and hair. I even asked for something to wipe her down with. After I was done, then the woman decided to look and say oh there’s nothing here to clean. I said of course not, you watched me clean her up. I’m the PACU you can only visit for 5 minutes. So I then went into the lobby and proceeded to visit her every hour for the allotted 5 minutes until she received a room. The person watching over her continued to advise me to get lunch and she would call when a room was ready. I did not leave. While waiting in the waiting room the reception told me that patients who received surgery after my mom received a room before she did. She apologized for the wait and said it probably was a mistake somewhere. Finally after 4pm I was given the room number to meet my mom upstairs. When I located the room that they were going to clean for my mom which was located right in front of the nurses desk there was a patient still in a hospital gown standing in the doorway who I could visibly see whom suffered from mental issues and possible drug abuse. The patient was trying to put her walker (the one with the seat) on top of a wheelchair. The nurses in charged could not handle the patient, she was aggressive and cursed them all out. She refused to get dressed and leave the room. I immediately asked to speak with a supervisor, the person cleaning directed me to social services whom was standing watching the scene. I explained that my mom had spine surgery and she could not room with that patient. When my mom was finally brought to the floor I asked the person transporting her to leave her in the hallway because the assigned room was not safe. 3 different employees came to ask what was the issue meanwhile they are all taking turns trying to calm this other patient down. They eventually had to call security just to get her out the room and to the end of the hallway. See photos for rest of...

My postpartum experience at NYP Lower Manhattan was incredibly disappointing. Even months later, I still feel upset and frustrated reflecting on what should have been a time of healing and care.

To start, the labor and delivery room was spacious, with a real cot for my partner and enough room for visitors. The nurses who assisted during labor were kind and supportive. However, I rarely saw the attending doctors during my first day—most interactions were with PAs, which felt excessive. I didn’t feel comfortable declining their involvement, but I also felt like I wasn’t given the opportunity to discuss my birth plan. No one asked if I had preferences, nor did anyone offer alternative pain management options. I was never given a peanut ball or exercise ball to help progress labor—small but important tools that could have made a difference.

After delivery, the care quality declined rapidly. The postpartum nurse assigned to me immediately after birth was either very inexperienced or simply indifferent—her bedside manner was poor and unsettling.

But by far, the worst part of the experience was the shared postpartum rooms.

Yes, shared. And not even spacious ones. The room was so cramped, they couldn’t fit a sink inside the bathroom. You read that right—there was no handwashing sink in the bathroom. After using the toilet, you had to walk across the entire room—past two recovering mothers, their companions, and newborns—just to wash your hands. That setup is not only uncomfortable, but completely unsanitary, especially in a postpartum unit where hygiene should be paramount.

There was only one reclining chair for companions, and no pillows provided—not for me, and not for my husband. We had to bring our own just to get through the night. The entire room setup was uncomfortable, unaccommodating, and unsuitable for recovery.

Since my baby was in the NICU, they weren’t in the room with me. But for mothers whose babies stay with them, it’s important to know there is no nursery. That means two moms, two partners, and two baby bassinets all squeezed into a room the size of a walk-in closet. It’s unrealistic and inhumane.

Housekeeping never came—not once. Trash bins overflowed, toiletries were never replenished, and no one cleaned the bathrooms for days. The lack of basic sanitation and attention to cleanliness was alarming.

My child was taken to the NICU right after birth, and the attending pediatrician (Dr. Parow) barely explained what was happening before rushing out of the room. We never saw her again. All updates came through NICU nurses, and unfortunately, the charge nurse we interacted with was cold and dismissive.

I was so physically and emotionally drained that I asked to be discharged early. We left past midnight—not because I was ready, but because staying was more stressful than healing at home.

I would never give birth here again, and I urge other expecting mothers to look elsewhere. The fact that this is the standard at a major NYC hospital is unacceptable. We were sent home with leftover NICU supplies, while the postpartum unit didn’t offer us anything. Instead of care, we got judgment from staff more concerned with our early discharge than our comfort...

On July 2016 I visited my physician Dr.Robert Y.Lin and he placed an oximeter on my finger -thus, seeing that my pulse was upraised (also I lost a lot of weight and appeared slender) he was concerned that I might be regressing to a low hemoglobin blood count and could need a blood transfusion. Thence, when we were concluding our meeting he lifted up the telephone and called his colleague Dr.Chaekal requesting her to admit me to the NY Lower Manhattan hospital for an express blood test.

He handed me his referral note along with two sheets of directions to the location and told me to go there without hesitation and that Dr.Chaekal was the best in her field. I relied on his words and readily did so. By car it is seen the East river with sailboats,when driving by car one can go underneath the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge. Nonetheless, going by vehicle to William Street might be congested and tardy at the arrival time for an hour or more. Dr.Chaekal called me on my cellular phone when I was caught up in traffic -I greeted her and mentioned that I will be arriving late. She was comprehensive. When I entered the hospital, the desk security smiled and he typed in my information,giving me a visitor ID -he said to go through the wooden doors to locate the "Infusion center." Dr.Chaekal's staff were fabulous! Dr.Chaekal came inside and saluted me with "we were looking for you!"

Dr.Chaekal spoke with me about my health history and made copies of my previous blood test done at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center.The rooms at the Presbyterian are sparkling clean with sofas and televisions.The rooms each can be separated at the front (for privacy) with curtain dividers. Dr.Chaekal was very alert with me and every patient, she regularly came inside each patient's room asking questions. My blood tests were done in twenty minutes. I received the most essential results first which were "cbc w/plateles+diff (complete), auto differential, reticulocyte count" -Dr.Chaekal told me to guess my hemoglobin number and she said I was non-anemic! However, there were some issues with the white blood cells "the absolute retic,lymphocyte automated" were low. My health condition varies due to conditions and circumstances.

After three days I obtained my additional blood tests through my Presbyterian online account. Dr.Chaekal was brilliant, she cordially listened to me and gave me copies of my blood test results. She told me that Dr.Lin was worried about my health when he called her and she advised me to follow up on my health with him. It was a pleasure to meet such a responsible hematologist! When I exited the hospital with bandage on arm I walked three blocks and went to a restaurant for takeout and walked beside the sunny park. It was...