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Massachusetts General Hospital
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32 reviews for Massachusetts General Hospital
A great hospital with a great staff. In most areas. I will say that a lot of their later hours staff lack some kind of humanism and seem to be just on autopilot and do not listen. This is at least true in the Birthing Center where in intense pain and almost certain my baby was gonna come at any time they told me to drive the HOUR home and "come back in the morning" it was already 1AM, let's think about this...NO. I literally had to fight these Doogie Howser wannabes to admit me.
Other than those two clowns I have had very positive experiences with this hospital and it's staff.
I came here the other night because I have assumed for about a year now that I have a giant tumor growing on the right side of my brain. I decided it was finally time to ER it when I started feeling warmy wetness on my temple.
Anyway, I was impressed with the staff during my visit. I only encountered one douche nurse my entire 6 hours there, which I think is pretty impressive for a hospital. Sure I could be like everyone else and complain about the long wait time, but I think it's silly to expect anything different when you go to a world renowned hospital in a large metropolitan area. During the wait time the nurses were awesome, bringing me food and water after I mentioned that I was hungry during my blood withdrawal.
Every staff member (hold the douche) was incredibly friendly, helpful, and empathetic. Considering they spend every day in this place seeing all sorts of unpleasantness, I think that's awesome. I would definitely come here again, and it's refreshing that the hospital lives up to its reputation.
Emergency Room:
I brought my friend,the Lady Dada, in with a concussion. We were stuck in a room for six hours. Every once in awhile a nurse would stick her head in and ask us what we were doing there. After six hours, we were both freezing cold, due to the Air Conditioning, and I drove Dada to another hospital.
We never even saw a doctor there. They tried to make us sign a release form. What? Release from what? She got zero care. If she had passed out from a subdural hematoma, and I was not there, she would have died.
Oh, and she had a serious concussion. One pupil was an entire different size. I know from concussions. I've had nine. Yes, nine. If you shaved my head, it would look like the Ozark Mountain Range.
Disgusted, was what I was. And, they tried to bill her. Uh-huh! They did. I almost pitied the Scrub who called. I unloaded on that poor soul.
ALthough I got a straight lessions from my doctor, but I appreciate highly their care to me. Sometimes, from the negative comments you will recognize how short you are about your precious life and I love them for it.
I knew that if they don't care about patient they probably won't care what you are doing and how you treat yourself. There're still good people on the world.
Been here a coupla times. The first time I was transferred from a crappy hospital mid-coma (read my review of the Whidden Hospital to get the gist), and the doctors actually knew what they were doing, so I woke up a coupla days later. The nurses were very nice and sweet, and it is good to know you are being helped by some of the best doctors in the world.
A few years later, my heart started palpitating, so I came to this ER to see what the problem was. Then it gets weird. My heart skips a beat 2-3x every 10 seconds or so, and they ran me through a whole bunch of tests, but they couldn't find anything wrong with my heart. I told them that a normal heart doesnt do that, and when I asked them what the problem could be, they just shrugged. Seriously, I felt my heart flutter 10 times since I started writing this review. I swear its the weirdest thing, I just got the feeling that I could just drop dead at any min..............................
The best hospital by far that I've used in the Boston area, and the one I will only go to at this point. Excellent staff, amazing doctors/specialists, etc. The only downside is that you shouldn't expect to get quick appointments depending on what you need, as there is a great demand for their services. However, in an emergency or even a walk-in they've been pretty good for me.
They strike me as a place where the doctors are very passionate about what they do and try and stay on top of things. I've never been to a place before when I was treated by a walk-in doctor so well, and who then followed my case for the following weeks out of curiosity.
I've also used a specialist through MGH and everything was handled professionally and with great interest. I can't think of really anything to complain about with these folks, and I'm baffled by people who would rate this place poorly. It's night and day for me compared to any other choice in Boston.
I'm not a fan of hospital food but if you ever need a bite and you are already here, don't be afraid to hit up the cafeteria's or one of the cafe's. The food isn't bad at all.
My treatment here was difficult enough that even seeing the MGH letters on the red-line makes my blood-pressure rise, but my doctor was so kind, knowledgeable, and professional. I will always be grateful. I cannot recommend MGH any more strongly. We're blessed to have such a facility here in Boston.
Went to the Yawkey Outpatient Center & needed a cast - the cast people were great! They were funny, fast, and efficient.
I trust MGH with my life -- what more need be said? I've been all the way around the block (department-wise), and never had a bad experience. The Women's Health Center is amazing; it's really encouraging and relieving to be treated by an all-female staff. Also, I love a hospital that is so committed to scientific research. Sometimes doctors forget how to be scientists, and scientists forget what the big picture is. This place makes me feel good about my future as a patient and a researcher.
And from what I hear, they treat their employees really well, so holla.
I love this hospital. Amazing knowledge here.
This is the place to be if you have something difficult to diagnose or unusual. Anethesia and Orthopedics here are amazing also
ER Trauma team is impressive to see in action.
One star off for difficulty to get appointments, the loooonng ambulance triage and the ethical questions of the "MGH executive club".
My dad was in the hospital when he was sick they were very attentive and very nice to us. Also the staff was real helpful. As a person who has been to most of the big hospitals in boston for various different reasons I would have to say MGH was the best
OK - this is intense, but I saw them on the neighborhood map and had to say something. I spent 2 months here, mostly in a coma, at the Burn Unit. The people were awesome, they really do work miracles. Thanks to them I'm back to being an outdoor loving, hard working, hard playing guy. Can't give too many stars to folks who saved your life and put you back together. They are the subject of a recent book, "Burn Unit."
People do complain about the routine care here, but when it comes to extraordinary medicine - no place in the world can beat it.
And hey, the basement cafeteria ain't half bad.
Personal Experience will be across the rating charts here.
I met some of the best nurses and doctors of my limited hospital existence here at the MGH. The views of the Charles are great too.
Don't try driving here though, gosh, take the T if you can.
Jesus, if I could update with a -1, I would. I am still having complications from the pneumonia mentioned in my previous post. Two months after the original diagnosis. I have also had some new symptoms that don't seem to be related (I've passed out multiple times in the past few weeks). After the last pass out coupled with heart palpitations, I went to the walk-in clinic. Well, they sent me right to the ER because my blood pressure and heart rate were erratic. Well, after 7 hours, they let me go with a "call us if it gets worse." More than 24 hours later, THEY call ME telling me that they found something in my bloodwork and to come back. I was admitted for days on end and had to have a billion tests. WHY DIDN'T THEY FIND THE BLOOD WORK ISSUE WHEN I WAS THERE THE FIRST TIME?!?!?!? I was so PO'd. This is what happens at MGH. They blow you off and then oooooops, it ends up being serious. Be your own advocate if you go here. It is a good hospital, but getting past the ER is almost impossible.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/14/2009
I am pregnant and had a fever for 6 days (not good in the first trimester). These jokers in the ER… Read more »
MGH information systems rock. I have never been to a hospital this advanced in technology. And the people who work here rock even more. Here are a few examples:
- in the checkup rooms, there are computers and software that can pull up a history of your xray images and zoom/slice/compare them
- i can call the front lobby and -omg - they can instantly tell me whether the patient is in their room or still in OR...sounds simple but try that at some other places
- the surgical family waiting area is very comforting. the reception ladies are sweet, give you pillows because you look uncomfortable, call you by name, and can give you up to the minute info on your loved one
- the coffee (coffee central) is SO GOOD and SO CHEAP
- great gift shop!!
This is a great hospital, if you need to go to the Proton Center. Yes, they really have one.
Before I had a doctor in Boston, I went to the walk-in clinic a few times, with bronchitis, and they wouldn't give me ANY antibiotics. I guess MGH is anti- antibiotic or something. I have asthma, but that didn't convince 'em.
So I finally got a PCP (lolzzz), but he won't see me for more than 10 minutes at a time, so now I'm looking for a new one. My neurologist for my migraines won't see me for more than 10 minutes, either. They'll see me for 20 minutes at dermatology, but they don't know much.
And one of their departments literally told me they wouldn't take me unless I was a specialty case. So, if you have an arm growing out of your forehead, you'll probably get top notch service.
Everything this time was great. I still like this hospital and the people at the desk were very friendly. No attitude this time, just friendly faces.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/8/2008
My first experience with MGH was the walk in, which was literally a life saver. While it took a long… Read more »
I'm only giving them 4 stars because their ER is one of the scarier places I've been to in Boston.
Aside from a few ER misadventures, I've never been a patient here. However, a friend of mine was in a pretty serious accident recently and was transported to MGH to have their injuries treated, and as far as I have been able to see, their trauma ward has been fantastic in terms of the quality of care my friend has received.
The place is huge, the staff are friendly and completely on the ball about giving patient updates without breaking HIPPA, the gift shop is great in that you can buy things online and have them sent to the patient's room, the nurses are incredibly attentive.
If it wasn't for the fact that I have a very specific and rare illness (mastocytosis) and the only local doctor who specializes in said illness worked at B&W, I'd seriously consider switching my care over here. At the very least, if I'm ever in an accident and awake enough to dictate anything I'll demand to be transported here.
As an EMT, this is one of my preferred hospitals to take patients, and if I were ever a patient this is where I'd prefer to be taken (either this or Beth Israel, anyway).
Very competent staff, as organized as you could hope for a hospital to be.
MGH is one of the best hospitals in the country, and is a Level I Trauma Center and a Stroke Center. Traffic is terrible around this area, though, so if you're in a real hurry to go to the ER, try the Longwood area hospitals.
As a patient in this hospital, I would like to say that I received the best care while a patient during the week of February 13 1990.
I was being treated for a retinal detachment where I had to have major surgery on my eye which the doctors were trying to save. (I had been blind in the right eye since birth. )
The hospital staff was wonderful and the food was delicious. I know it's hard to believe that food in a hospital can be delicious but they want to keep their patients healthy while staying here.
I have no complaints regarding this hospital. I was well taken care of and so was my family. The doctors were awesome and the nurses helped to make the patients very comfortable.
I have come to this hospital many time and had my baby here. The doctors and nurses are super nice and treat you like family. I remembered one of the nurse, named Kim, she work in delivery unit and was my nurse when I had my daughter. She is nice, attentive and easy going. She is still send the post card to us every year for my daughter's birthday. Don't know much about other units, but this one only is enough to give them five stars.
I recently had my second baby here (first baby was born at Weill Cornell/New York Hospital) and I was very happy with my entire experience. My OB is with Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology/MGH, so that's why I delivered there. I chose to have a midwife attend the birth, b/c they typically have fewer patients than OBs and more patience (homonym alert!). I think having a great midwife there made my VBAC a success. Overall, my experience at MGH was much less clinical than the one I had at NYH (also an excellent hospital, but I felt lonely there during much of my labor). Parking is free if you show them your newborn. Food during my postpartum stay was good (stay away from the tuna, however). The one complaint was that my recovery room didn't have a flatscreen TV, and the TV only rec'd 2 channels, neither of which was ABC (no Ellen, no Oprah!) nor NBC (no Conan O'Brien or Today Show). But the nurses were great, as were the pediatricians, and my OB visited me several times which was really nice of her.
After living here for 3 months this year, I think I can swing for a little Yelp here. The first 2 months were to stay by mom's side as she wrestled with a deteriorating heart, and issues with fluid in her lungs, until she had major heart surgery, and finally recovered well enough to be discharged in mid-May. The cardiac team at MGH deserve top notch ratings. 5 stars, as do all the nurses on the 8th and 10th floors of the Ellison building..... except for maybe 1 of them who was a witch from hell that either hasn't gotten laid since the 1800s or is just pissed that everyone else around her is fresh, perky, and firm, compared to her crusty, prune, dog-breath frame.
The ER at the Mass Eye and Ear building, right next to the main entrance, is also pretty top-notch. I had to make 3 visits here in May for some emergencies relating to initially strep throat, which led to a 2nd visit for tonsilitis, and finally, yesterday, for what developed into full-blown peritonsular abscess, which is where this ball of puss basically forms above your tonsils and closes off your breathing passage and you almost die. The only way to treat it is to lance it with what looks like an exacto razor knife, popping it, and squeeze everything out...... all while you're sitting at a 90% angle in a chair. There is little they can do to numb it beyond the surface, since the puss is deep below the surface tissue, and no amount of numbing medicine works because of the puss. So you pretty much feel like what a real-life victim of the movie "Saw" goes through under torture. However, they were brilliant in that they brought down probably the most gorgeous model of a nurse from the 9th floor to sit by my side, so I had to brave it out and not wimper like the 12 year old I really am when it comes to shit like this. Very clever tactic..... and they were smart enough to escort her away while I was still delirius so I wouldn't try to get her phone number. Gawd she was hawt!
Now..... the ER in the main MGH, on the other hand, is a hit or miss disaster area, depending on what time of day or day of the week you hit it. I had to pop in there once this week for a major blood pressure issue leading to migraines, and I was "lucky" to get there on a Friday at 7pm, BEFORE the witching hour of drunk college girls, Winos, goombah brawlers, derelicts, and yah-dude-rejects-from-Jackass show up at around 10pm. If this was "good"...... jeez...... maybe it helps to be trashed to show up during witching hour cuz they seemed like neo-Nazis on ice.
I actually had to make 2 stops to MGH ER this week, and I can pretty much conclude that everyone here is a bitch- both the men and women. They obviously hate their jobs and are probably bitter that they didn't study hard enough for their SATs to get into custodial school. Where's the warmth you expect from a world-class hospital? Not here. MGH ER is probably where all the disgruntled employees that couldn't hack it anywhere else in the hospital end up but don't have the talent to write a book to bitch about it like Bush's ex-press secretary McClellan.
Fix the ER...... like by adding George Clooney and company, and you get your 5 stars.
"Another of Boston's best hospitals and it even has it's own stop on the Red Line (Charles-MGH...duh). It is the #3 on the US News 2005 hospital honor roll with distinctions in pediatrics, cancer, rheumetology, urology, heart disease, respiratory, nuerology, gynocology, digestive disorders, ortho, kidney disease, hormonal disorders and psychiatry."
i also have a great dr here- dr. neil horowitz- who is at the Gillette Center for Women's Cancer. Very good, very nice, and very professional. which, makes all the difference when you're in a cancer center, and especially when that cancer involves having to spread your legs on stirrups for extended periods of time.
MGH also gets perks for how friendly the staff is. I'd much rather go to MGH than BI or BMC
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with MGH.
The good: my regular doc, who is part of MGH Downtown, is fantastic. She's straightforward, blunt, is always there with a quick reply when I need her and has been wonderful since I've been in her care (since '01).
The bad: I've had to see many specialists over the years. Some have been amazing, and some have truly and royally sucked. For example, for my first appt with a new doc, I received three phonecalls urging me to arrive 15mins earlier for paperwork and such. I arrived 20minutes early. I was told the doc was ready and as soon as I filled out the ppw, it would be no time at all. 3.2 minutes later, I handed in my paperwork and was told it would be just a minute. Thirty minutes later, I was still waiting. I asked if maybe I had heard wrong. Nope, she's got no patients, she'll be right with you. Twenty more minutes go by and I ask for my copay back. The front desk staff were appalled that I would walk out on such a highly regarded doctor. I was told yet again it would be just a minute. What the hell was she doing, picking her ass?!!! After firmly stating my case, I got my copay back and left. The front desk staff not only weren't apologetic on the doc's behalf, but they had the nerve to tell me I should call back to reschedule. Um, no thanks, I had done enough.
The ugly: A year or so ago I had to go to the ER and sat there for EIGHT hours with no care or updates. I had to go up at least a dozen times to ask when the hell I was going to be seen. The second to last time I went up to check the status, they threw my file away for no good reason. I left pissed off as all holy hell. Clearly, there was a reason I was told by my doc to go there, clearly there was a reason that the person who checked me into the ER thought my case was important enough for me to stay there to be seen, but clearly, they didn't give 2 shits about my case.
To sum up - aside from the awful ER experience and the horrendous specialist that was too busy doing nothing to see me, MGH is doing something right. I've been a patient of there's for six years and lately have no complaints.
My two favorite things are the location and the Yawkey building.
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Edit: MGH just jumped up a notch in my book. I fractured my foot this morning and was in and out of there in just over 2 hours. Nice!!!
I was in the emergency room and the wait was long and not needed. I'm also in the medical field and I could have told them the next steps to be followed with my broken maxilla, which they eventually did. The ER is also too small for its volume. I was in pretty bad pain from my fractured face and they wouldn't give me a stronger pain killer (only an ibuprofin), which I thought was strange.
I was went to oral surgery for my emergency eventually and they put a brace on my teeth. The oral surgeon didn't do it - a senior dental student did. It fell off 5 hours later. I had to go back to my dentist the next morning to have it done correctly. It was a huge inconvenience.
I'm sure that there is good quality care here, but there are many med school students that are not the caliber of the actual doctors that are hired.
I've also visited the walk in clinic. I've had a great visit with one doctor who was really into telling me about the problem solving processes why he chose a particular path to follow in treatment due to another bike accident I had. Other times I had to wait and seen by people who tried to usher me out as fast as possible. I would say the walk in clinic is either hit or miss.
if it was possible to give them NO stars i would.
i've been in the ER for myself and for friends. i've also been a paitent (2 day stay). i seriously feel anxiety when i go by this building. i shudder like someone might when they think of a place where they were tortured.
i'm not going to lie, there was a doctor who was a sweetheart when i was here once. and another time a student doctor who was great (fine that's why they get 1 star). but for the most part the staff has been rude, incompetent, negligant even. my mother is a nurse, so i am VERY nice to nurses. but i do recall saying to one of them "i will call my lawyer if you come in here again."
i won't get into the nitty gritty details of my 2 day stay here. it would take too long and you don't have time i'm sure. but just know that the standard of care there is VERY sub-par which is horrible because they have the technology to be great and do great things.
if you have the option, go somewhere else: new england medical center, beth israel, childrens, brigham and women's, or even go out to the suburbs for a less crowded ER if you can safely do so.
for over $17,000 you would have thought i would have at least found out what was wrong with me. but no. they couldn't even manage that let alone make me better. i IMPLORE you, for your safety, do not go here!
an assault on my human rights (no i'm not being a drama queen! that's just how bad it is!)
...What is this world coming to when we're reviewing hospitals...? Oh well. Little known fact, the author Robin Cook works in the ear nose and throat center at MGH - however I think he is writing books more often than he is seeing patients. I once had a Very Very Very incompetent resident when I went to the ER at 2am for a miserable ear infection, but besides that MGH is a good place to go for either a routinue thing or most ER emergencies.
This has the reputation as the world's finest hospital and I have seen nothing to disprove it. Just to tell you how advanced this place is, I had a reaction to a procedure I had done here and was out of town, so I went to the local ER, and the attending physician had never heard of the operation I'd had! I have had two procedures to deal with a heart arrythmia and what they can do these days without opening you up is amazing. Yet despite all the technology and the sheer size of the place, I've always had very personal attention from doctors and especially the nursing staff. If ya gotta be sick, go here.
Well I fell off my bike last year and dislocated my other shoulder so I have to get surgery on it again. The doctor I see is Dr. Bertram Zarins, who I read is the head physician for the Patriots and some other Boston Pro-Sports teams. Aside from having a state-of-the-art facility, the staff there are friendly, helpful and efficient. I only waited about 20 minutes to see him, followed by x-rays which took a little longer than usual because they just had installed branded new GE machines that they hadn't gotten the hang of operating swiftly quite yet. I have to go back for surgery on the one shoulder this year and then for the other shoulder possibly next year. I suppose my review is incomplete since I haven't had an operation yet by these people, but from the looks of their equipment and the experience and credentials of the physicians I think it will go smoothly. Although I am somewhat weary of a 75 year man doing tiny arthroscopic surgery on me. If you can recall the character of the doctor on the soap opera in the movie "Tootsie" with Dustin Hoffman, there is a slight resemblance of behaviour. But that only makes me smirk.
i love the gift shop there. good price with preferred customer card. watch out the expired food. yes..expired...so check the date before buying anything even top hospital.
