South Seminole Hospital

Pros

• The hospital is very nice and extremely helpful, with doctors who are awesome.
• The ER staff is fast and efficient, getting patients in and out quickly.
• Amanda is a favorite staff member, and Mrs. Lily is also well-liked.
• The outside time is awesome, and lunch and dinner are great.
• The hospital has a great staff of nurses and doctors.
• Jeannie was awesome and gentle; the staff was wonderful.
• Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital saved the reviewer's life.
• The care received during hospitalization was very pleasing, with doctors and nurses being pleasant and helpful.

Cons

• They were charged $4,000 for five stitches and called it robbery.
• They felt treated like a second-class citizen on the night shift, with diapers for urinary incontinence allegedly stolen at discharge.
• They described horrible customer service and unprofessional behavior, with no one able to answer discharge questions.
• The overnight EMTs were rude, arrogant, and showed little care for patients.
• They would not go back or refer others due to unprofessionalism, though a few staff members were exceptions.
• The mental health ward was described as torture with no hope, making life feel meaningless.
• The ER had long waits, communication gaps, and confusing or incorrect information about care.
• The food was absolutely awful and of low quality, with only the strawberries being good.
• They warned not to bring elderly parents there due to poor handling.

Review

Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital inspires a wide range of impressions from the people who've walked its halls. For some, the experience has been life-changing in a positive, reassuring way; for others, it has been frustrating or even traumatic. Taken together, the reviews reveal a facility where competent medical care and kind, attentive staff can sit beside long waits, gaps in communication, and disagreements about billing, discharge planning, and the management of its mental health units.

Several reviewers praised the hospital for a compassionate, patient-centered approach, especially in mental health episodes. One person described Baker Act admission as surprisingly safe and supportive, noting that patients aren't forced into activities and can rest when needed, with the staff encouraging progress at a comfortable pace. The emphasis here is on safety, autonomy, and a calm environment that allows someone to recover without feeling overwhelmed. Across other comments, the hospital is repeatedly described as having "great nurses and doctors" and a team that communicates well, with some patients feeling "well informed of the procedure" and appreciating how care was organized and delivered efficiently.

That positive thread is tempered by a substantial number of criticisms about the hospital's everyday operations. Several reviewers recount experiences of poor customer service, unprofessional behavior by some staff members, and a perception that the mental health unit can be a difficult or even torturous environment. One account condemns the mental health ward as having "no hope" and describes it as torture, while another stresses that staying in the mental health facility "will do more harm than good." There are also complaints about insensitivity and a lack of respect from night-shift staff, with comments about being treated like a "second-class citizen" and about night staff who were difficult to reach or unhelpful.

Discharge and communication appear as recurring sticking points. Several reviews mention confusion about discharge plans and explanations, with patients or families left needing to chase down answers. A few accounts describe shift-change communication gaps where charts or instructions weren't clearly conveyed, leading to frustration or alarms about a patient's condition. One particularly tense note recounts overhearing staff criticizing handling of a bacterial culture and describes surgeons as "wishy-washy" in recommendations. In some cases, families report having to intervene to get necessary steps taken to save a life, which underscores a perception that decision-making can be slow or opaque.

The hospital's dining and day-to-day comfort features drew mixed responses. Some reviewers found the food "decent" or even enjoyable at times, noting especially that certain items - like fresh strawberries - stood out as good. Others termed the food "absolutely awful," describing low-quality meat and an overall lack of warmth in the meals. Bed comfort and outside time were cited positively by some, with mentions of decent beds and time outdoors as pleasant moments in an otherwise stressful stay.

Billing and safety concerns also appear in the opinions shared. One reviewer faced a bill of $4,000 for five stitches, calling the charge "robbery." Other comments reference theft (diapers reportedly stolen on discharge) and disputes over how care and charges were calculated. These financial and safety concerns color some patients' trust in the institution and cast long shadows over otherwise positive clinical encounters.

Despite the negative notes, there are many affirmations of professional, capable care. Numerous reviewers describe honest, respectful interactions with doctors and nurses, praise for specific staff members, and praise for swift ER processing when it went well. Names like Amanda, Mrs. Lily, Jeannie, and Barbara surface as standout staff whose warmth, humor, or helpfulness left a lasting positive impression. A few reviews celebrate excellent coordination - "the doctors work together as a comprehensive team" - and a sense that patients felt they were in capable hands from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.

In the end, experiences at Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital seem to hinge a lot on the department, staff on duty, and the particular moment in a patient's journey. Some patients leave feeling grateful they were saved, supported, and well informed, often highlighting specific clinicians or instances of compassionate care. Others walk away with a strong sense that there is work to be done - especially around discharge planning, consistent communication, mental health treatment environments, and basic respect and responsiveness during care. The hospital is clearly a place where professional competence and kindness coexist with administrative friction and uneven day-to-day experiences.

This part of Longwood, Florida offers convenient access to essential amenities such as pharmacies, restaurants, transportation options, healthcare providers, hospitals, theaters, parks, cafes, and places of worship. With multiple pharmacy options within a short distance, medical needs can be easily met. There are a variety of dining options nearby including Cuban cuisine, barbecue, and traditional American fare. The area also has several healthcare facilities specializing in ENT, family health, eye care, neurology, heart health, and vision correction. In case of emergencies or more specialized care, hospitals are located within a reasonable drive. For leisure activities and social outings, there are theaters for entertainment and parks for outdoor recreation. Additionally, popular coffee shops provide spaces for relaxation and socializing. Overall, this part of Longwood offers a well-rounded environment with accessibility to resources beneficial to seniors considering the area for living.

Pharmacies

• Winn-Dixie (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Cubans On The Run (1.7 miles)
• 4 Rivers Smokehouse (2.1 miles)
• Miller's Ale House - Altamonte Springs (2.7 miles)
• Twin Peaks (3.5 miles)
• McDonald's (3.5 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.5 miles)
• Toojay's Gourmet Deli (3.7 miles)

Transportation

• Altamonte Springs SunRail Station (2.4 miles)

Physicians

• Ear Nose Throat Surgical Associates (2.5 miles)
• Longwood Family Health (2.6 miles)
• Florida Eye Clinic (2.8 miles)
• Altamonte Family Practice (2.8 miles)
• Cabrera, Alicia Neurology of Central Florida (3.2 miles)
• Orlando Heart Specialists (3.3 miles)
• Filutowski Cataract & Lasik Institute (3.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Florida Hospital Altamonte (2.5 miles)
• Adventist Health System (5.4 miles)
• Florida Hospital Lake Mary ER (5.9 miles)
• Winter Park Memorial Hospital (7.2 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Altamonte Mall 18 (2.8 miles)
• Regal Winter Park Village & RPX (6.7 miles)
• Regal Wekiva Riverwalk (7.4 miles)

Parks

• Cranes Roost Park (2.9 miles)
• Sunland Park (5.3 miles)
• Wekiwa Springs State Park (6.7 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.9 miles)
• Starbucks (5.5 miles)
• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• The Glass Knife (7.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Orlando Filipino Seventh-Day Adventist Church (6.2 miles)