Glens Falls Hospital

I hold my breath every time I visit the ER with a family member or friend. Infection Control protocols are not consistently followed. Rarely see hand washing when entering or leaving the room. Items are dropped on the floor and picked up for use. I speak up when this happens to tell them not to use «that» or «change your gloves please» when the become contaminated. Pillow cases, IV connectors, etc. are often hit the floor and are picked up and used.
Patient dignity especially for the elderly is lacking by some who think they are funny by tossing items they are going to be using onto the sick patient. Calling the patient Dude — really calling an 83 year old man Dude…
The provider area should be out of site from the public because it is a circus at times with laughing and out doing each other with adventures — it is the great chat area while patients lay waiting for care. Example: RN was instructed to get a pain med for the patient who was in extreme pain with shingles. RN stood outside the room chatting and not making the patient a priority. Not until it was realized the RN had been instructed by the Dr. to get the med and the family had to request help for the suffering patient did the RN finally get the med — an hr had passed from the Dr. order to the administration.
Gossip in the provider area about patients and what is going on can be heard… This area should be out of site…
The triage nurse does not consistently wash hands or change gloves between patients. eek.
The reception staff and the security staff are friendly and do a great job.
Inpatient the staff is wonderful in the towers. Outpatient surgery staff made lots of noise and laughing is loud, cupboard doors slam.

Truly horrible doctors here. OK lets say you graduated from Johns Hopkins or Harvard Medical school… top of your class. You are a great doctor with fantastic prospects in your life with a good general idea of health– WOULD YOU… UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DECIDE TO PUT YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH AT RISK by locating to Glens Falls Hospital– a non prestigious hospital, located next to a Dioxin spouting paper mill about 3 football fields away, with a significantly lower salary that at another metropolitan hospital, poor schools, bad weather, and a very high Pediatric and Adult Cancer rate?
Only a doctor who was a complete idiot about health or near the bottom of his class who HAS TO TAKE THESE SORT OF RESIDENCIES because he isn’t considered good enough to work in a better more competitive location would select Glens Falls Hospital.
Talk to people in town, as how many have died there. Pick Albany Medical or Saratoga over Glens Falls.
I have had 3 experiences there. Patient, outsider, and friend of patient.
As an «outsider» the hospital damaged my personal property. Told me they would reimburse me in full if I re-​purchased the same item. The after chasing them down for over 6 weeks to get a check after submitting everything stuck me with over $ 700 difference.
As a «Patient», they misdiagnosed me and my family after a car accident leading to a brain hemorrhage of my Uncle and ongoing issues for me because I was not treated fast enough.
As a relative of another patient– someone in for Cancer treatment. They treated colon cancer with too much radiation, also completely unnecessarily treated slow growing prostrate cancer on an 84 year old man with a heart condition– (Total of 8 weeks of radiation! Because they foolishly did radiation back to back– 4 weeks for colon– 4 weeks for prostrate) that likely brought on Rectal cancer causing a permanent colostomy which is what they wanted to avoid in the first place.
They overdosed him on meds no less than 2 times, declared him never able to get out of bed again. unable to walk or feed himself, confused and dodging in and out of consciousness,… And put him on Tower 2 to die. They put a block on his room so he would have no roommate to freak out when he died.
I came in and found he had nearly no Cancer pain (He was declared cancer free a 4 weeks earlier) but the pain killing meds (Dilaudid, Percoset, Fentanyl Transdermal narcotic patch, and Ativan– for anxiety) were causing severe malnutrition (no eating for 10 days), and mental confusion and weakening him health wise. The end cause of the pain… simple backache from being bedridden and not turned frequently enough. I had the patient off the pain cocktail in 4 days, feeding himself in 2 days and in six days up sitting in a chair and walking 35 feet his first day out of bed in 6 weeks.
The Cardinal 4 words of medicine is «Where does it hurt»? If they had taken the 30 seconds to ask the patient to tally his pain they would have found ZERO pain at the cancer site, some minor pain from a skin wound, and most of the pain related to the lower back spasms.
Instead the Glens Falls doctors simply ask «What is your pain number?» essentially quantifying total pain without allocating the pain proportional to where it was located and being able to prescribe the correct treatment and pain management plan.
So the patient, being in pain, simply said «I have high pain» (6 – 9 on a scale of 1 – 10) and was further medicated. You do not treat lower back spasms with Dillaudid. That is like using a Hydrogen bomb to kill a cockroach. Instead you give a patient a muscle relaxant and a mild pain killer and have them move and stretch.
IN 6 days the patient was off of all the pain killers except tylenol his pain was either a 0,1,or 2 (less than a headache). The patient also had a prior Percoset addiction so he and to take two tablets at night to taper off, as he was Detoxing at the same time.
He checked out of the hospital 2 days later. Had a huge breakfast of 4 eggs, bowl of oatmeal, milk, OJ, fruit bowl, and cottage cheese. And went onto physical therapy in another nursing home.
How would you like to be put to death because your back was sore? If you want to die for no reason — get yourself checked into Glens Falls Hospital.
Unfortunately the medical care was even worse at the nursing home. Doctors did the exact same mistake. And also took of leg pressure cuffs leading to a T.I.A. mini stroke. He had to go back to the ER at Glens Falls and they totally blew it by not giving him a specific T.I.A. treatment within 3 hours to clear out his arteries opting for aspirin instead… idiiots– they missed that window, putting him at higher risk for another T.I.A.
You MUST expect poor decisions to be made by Doctors that are foolish enough to put their long term health at risk by working next to a paper mill.
I mean, what city council idiots decide to put a hospital next to a paper mill anyway? Avoid Glens Falls Hospit

Worse ER Ever! Been sitting here with my kid for over 4 hours. Guess they don’t take u right away unless your drunk!

I have had 2 friends the past 2 months go to Glens Falls Hospital Emeergency room thinking they wre having a heart attacks. After long delays both were told no it was not a heart attack. I asked at one point when the cardiologist would be coming to the room my friend was in. I was told you do not see a cardiologist unless we determine you are having a heart attack. A cardioligist should have been making the determination of what was happening because in both cases the person who made the decision that they were not having heart attacks was WRONG. Mike went to the emergency room at 11am. After several hours he was subsequently admitted but told he had not had a heart attack. At midnight of the same day a cadiologist came into his room and told him he had in fact had a heart attack and needed to have further treatment the next day. He had stents put in. This also happened in much the same way with the same timing for my other friend. To make matters worse they both ended up with infections while in the hospital. I know one thing… If I think I am having a heart attack I am risking the drive to St Peters or ALbany Med because the time on the road is NOTHING compared to the time it took (almost 12 hours) for Glens Falls to recognize and treat my friends. My friend Mike had been in a week before in extreme back pain and he developed chest pin during the LONNNNNG wait in the waiting room. When I reported his chest pain and our concern about a possible heart due to a prior heart attack history I was told he was just experianceing chest pain due to the stress he was under do to the severe pain he was in for a back emergency. Amazing how much the nonmedical staff there thinks they know! Idiots If you want a higher than necessary risk of death head to Glens Falls. FYI Not that it should matter but We were at all times respectful of the staff. We were not drunk or in any state or appearance that would have caused anyone to unfairly predjudice the staff to our needs.

Think long and hard before going to this hospital. Altho some areas are good there is a very UNeven quality level. The hospital is out to own ALL medical care in the wide spread area and some things have suffered for it.
I was a patient there for MISdiagnosed BROKEN BONES – yes, multiple-​that one of their sattelite MD’s MISSED. By the time I got thru with a skin de-​lamination on the bottom of my foot-​caused by another sub-​par GF owned outfit-​and spent WEEKS in their hospital NOT getting the proper care I had a catheter IN MY HEART; an inches deep CAVERN in the bottom of my foot – look at your foot. Do YOU have inches to spare? Neither did I. Several rounds of serious indwelling IV antibiotics. And STILL NO CARE for the broken bones which continued to MOVE in my foot. No care no cast no bracing no – nothing. Bones left to twist in there and eating what was LEFT of my flesh.
One MD wanted to out PIG SKIN ON MY FOOT AND WAIT TO SEE IF IT ROTTED. Dunno what this would prove as I demanded to be released. They refused to use a common medical procedure (WoundVac) to try and HEAL this so I went elsewhere. Due to their neglect I ultimately ended up LOSING MY LEG below the knee.
In the opinion of MD’s at Dartmouth/​Hitchcock my leg could have been SAVED if these yahoos know what the fuck they were DOING.
We have discovered that my husband (who had two ortho surgeries there) and my daughter (who also had ortho surgery there) were MISTREATED. In my husbands case the surgery was NEVER done on the part of his shoulder that was actually INJURED; causing him to endure years of pain and loss of use. This had to be corrected at Albany.
They also sent one of my kids home with meds she was allergic to; and a diagnoses of «faking» abdominal pain — when we rushed her to a different ER they took her immed into surgery to remove a bad gall bladder. PS — Many years before that I was ALSO «accused» of faking gallbladder pain there and also accused of being an alcoholic – I don’t and never have been a drinker –social or otherwise.
I am sure they have their high points but if it is MY family we go to ALBANY MED or DARTMOUTH/​HITCHCOCK – yep that IS a long drive but they have saved my life twice.
Don’t even THINK about taking your DOG to Saratoga Hospital!!!

I’ve only been in The Snuggery (both kids were delivered there) but both those times were amazing (and I’m not just saying that due to the arrival of the little ones)! The doctors, nurses and everyone else were so friendly and accommodating. I’m definitely proud to have this Hospital a part of our local community.

I am proud to say both of my children were born here. It facility is top notch, great staff, state of the art equipment.
Day surgery/​OR: also great folks holding down the fort. I know quite a few of the Docs and nurses. I have a lot of respect for them and the job they are doing.

Some might speculate that Glens Falls Hospital would be sub-​par because… well…its in Glens Falls. This is not the case. This hospital is one of the finest I have ever been to and they truly offer amazing care. In the past few weeks I have watched them be amazing with my grandmother in the ICU, give great treatment in the ER, do amazing surgery, and the nurses and care (especially 4 West) is as good as it gets. Did I mention they have a top notch GI department.
Newly renovated and cutting edge facilities are why I feel 1005 at ease with my delicate health knowing that the Glens Falls Hospital has become my care giver. They truly deliver their motto:
«BIG-​CITY MEDICINE, HOMETOWN CARE»