Health First - Holmes Regional Medical Center

Pros

• The nurses and CNAs were amazing in the care they provided, showing high-quality care for patients and their families.
• The hospital chaplains took the time to speak and pray for him.
• The food was good.
• Kyle and Kim saved the reviewer's dad's life in the ER.
• Holmes Regional Medical Center has a wonderful team and staff.
• The heart center and ICU staff are attentive and responsive.
• The building is clean, nice, and beautiful.
• The doctors and nurses were awesome, caring, and professional.

Cons

• The ER is described as always rushing patients out, sometimes before their issues are addressed.
• Antibiotics were not given despite signs of infection.
• Security guards are criticized for disrespectful behavior toward an elderly patient.
• The hospital faced billing and record-transfer issues after a portal change, leading to incorrect charges and harassment.
• Floor staff were perceived as slow to respond and as ignoring patients' basic needs.
• Cafeteria food is described as terrible, overpriced, and of poor quality.
• The ER is said to be severely understaffed at night, delaying care.
• Discharge is described as rushed, with patients leaving belongings behind or being sent home early.
• Some reviews report dirty conditions in rooms (mold and stains) and poor hand hygiene by staff.
• Doctors' communication about test results is described as lacking or unclear.

Review

This collection of recognitions and criticisms paints a hospital system with both bright spots and serious concerns. Across multiple patient experiences, the stories reveal a pattern of deeply compassionate care in some units alongside frustrations with emergency care, discharge practices, security conduct, and administrative processes. Taken together, they suggest a complex picture: skilled, attentive clinicians and supportive staff in certain departments, tempered by systemic gaps that color the overall patient experience.

On the positive side, several reviewers highlight teams and individuals who left a lasting impression through professionalism, empathy, and patient-centered care. A surgical team - specifically mentioning doctors like Hill, Ryan, and Bovelsky - received high praise for their skill and for supporting a patient's anxiety before surgery. One account describes recovering from major back surgery with a week-long stay in a specific unit (Building A, 6th floor, room A629) where nurses and certified nursing assistants provided "amazing" care, and where a spouse could stay with the patient. The presence of hospital chaplains who took time to visit and pray stands out as an important dimension of support for the patient and family. That same account also notes that the food was good and that the overall, patient-centered approach helped make the stay more bearable. Separately, there are mentions of effective care in the heart center and ICU, with staff responsiveness times when called upon, and a broader sense that the hospital staff can be attentive and professional in critical moments.

Another positive thread centers on personal interactions that made patients feel heard and supported. A reviewer thanks Kyle and Kim for "saving my dad's life in the ER," underscoring that there are individuals and teams who genuinely make a difference in acute situations. A patient who had complex or chronic interactions with the hospital commends the care teamwork in the ICU and heart center, even noting that attempts to address basic comfort items - like requesting an extra blanket or a coffee - were acknowledged, even if not always fulfilled immediately. In a few entries, patients explicitly acknowledge the clean, pleasant building environment and the existence of caring personnel who went above and beyond in the moment-to-moment care of patients and families.

Yet the experiences are not uniformly positive. A recurring theme is frustration with the ER and urgent care processes. Several reviewers describe the emergency department as rushed, with patients being discharged quickly and sometimes without receiving antibiotics or a full workup when signs point to infection. One patient describes confronting an infection with enlarged liver and mastoid effusions, a high white blood cell count, and being advised to follow up in more than a week or to wait for a primary care appointment that is scheduled over a month away. The implication - whether the reviewer intended it as medical judgment or not - is that timely antibiotics and more thorough early intervention were not provided, despite clear indicators of infection. The broader message is concern about how the ER handles abnormal results and how follow-up care is scheduled, especially when patients have dependents at home.

Other entries focus on concerns about administration and communication. A number of patients describe a disconnect during portal changes and billing, criticizing the switch from Privia/Athena to Epic MyChart and claiming that not all prior medical history was transferred. This is paired with anecdotes about being billed for the wrong company or being sent to collections despite presenting insurance cards, and with a strong call to insulate patients from billing errors by coordinating with insurance providers more effectively. One reviewer even condemns the billing department as "not educated on how to do their jobs," urging patients to notify insurers about contract participation to avoid payment issues. The sentiment is that the IT and billing changes were implemented without ensuring seamless continuity of care or accurate billing, causing distress and friction even for loyal patients.

Security and patient experience also draw criticism. A reviewer notes that security guards were unprofessional, using terms like "mama" for an elderly patient and directing them to the wrong room on at least one occasion. The sense is that the security environment, which should protect and reassure, at times undermines the patient experience through perceived disrespect or misdirection. The combination of these observations with reports of misdirected patient flow and long waits in certain departments contributes to a broader feeling that the hospital, while capable in some units, struggles with patient-facing consistency in non-clinical interactions.

Additional commentary touches on the everyday realities of hospital life, such as cafeteria quality and cleanliness, and the physical environment. One reviewer calls the cafeteria food "the WORST," criticizing bland flavors, stale bread, and overreliance on heat lamps, while another notes the building's overall cleanliness and aesthetics as positives within the same broader experience. There are also highly individual recollections - such as someone born at Holmes Regional Medical Center who reflects warmly on the staff who cared for them, and others who describe experiences with delays, under-staffing, or inadequate communication during labor and delivery or trauma care.

Lastly, several reviewers describe attempting to navigate gaps between expectations and reality in urgent, time-sensitive situations. For some, delays in seeing doctors in the emergency room, limited staffing on weekend nights, or long waits for certain tests and interpretations contribute to a sense of under-resourcing during critical moments. Compounding these concerns are anecdotes about discharge practices - patients reporting being sent home early, with personal belongings, without full completion of the relevant care plan or pain management, and in some cases with equipment or documentation left behind or misplaced.

In summary, the collective voice reflects a hospital system capable of delivering compassionate, high-quality medical care in specific departments and at particular moments. It also reveals meaningful opportunities for improvement in emergency care responsiveness, timely antibiotic administration when infection is suspected, cross-department communication about test results and follow-up plans, more respectful and accurate patient-facing interactions by security and front-line staff, smoother IT and billing transitions, and consistent attention to patient comfort and basic needs during hospital stays. The experiences suggest that while many clinicians and nurses are delivering excellent care, the system would benefit from targeted improvements in operational flow, patient communication, and administrative coordination to ensure that all patients - especially those with urgent health concerns or vulnerable dependents - receive prompt, clear, and compassionate care across every touchpoint. As one patient indicated, they intend to seek clarification and confirmation of care with another system today, underscoring the ongoing demand for safer, more reliable, and more consistently communicated care pathways.

This part of Melbourne, Florida offers a convenient and accessible location for seniors looking to settle in the area. With Holmes Regional Medical Center and various physicians' offices nearby, residents have easy access to quality healthcare services. Additionally, pharmacies such as Browning's Pharmacy & Health Care and Night Owl Pharmacy provide convenience for medication needs. A variety of dining options, including familiar chains like Subway and McDonald's, as well as local favorites like Mustard's Last Stand and Meg O’Malley's Restaurant & Irish Pub offer plenty of choices for dining out. For relaxation and recreation, Sunset Park and Orlando Park are just a short distance away. Transportation is also convenient with Melbourne International Airport nearby. Furthermore, there are places of worship within a few miles for spiritual fulfillment. Overall, this part of Melbourne offers a mix of amenities that cater to the diverse needs of seniors looking to enjoy their retirement years in a vibrant community setting.

Hospitals

• Holmes Regional Medical Center (0.1 miles)
• Heart Center At Holmes Regional Medical Center (0.1 miles)
• Kindred Hospital Melbourne (1.1 miles)
• Apollo Surgery Center (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Neurology Clinic (0.1 miles)
• Melbourne Dermatology Center (0.1 miles)
• Balaji Gobivenkata Balaji Gobivenkata Md Melbourne (0.2 miles)
• Health First Cancer Service (0.2 miles)
• Atlantis Diagnostics (0.2 miles)
• Cancer Care Centers of Brevard (0.2 miles)
• The Surgery Center of Melbourne (0.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Browning's Pharmacy & Health Care (0.3 miles)
• Night Owl Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Subway (0.5 miles)
• McDonald's (0.6 miles)
• Mustard's Last Stand (0.7 miles)
• Gyros & More 2 (0.8 miles)
• Meg O’Malley's Restaurant & Irish Pub (0.8 miles)
• Matt's Casbah (0.8 miles)
• Off The Traxx (0.9 miles)

Cafes

• 905 Cafe (0.9 miles)
• Panther Dining Hall (1.8 miles)
• Starbucks (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)

Transportation

• Melbourne International Airport (MLB) (1 miles)
• Apex Executive Jet Center (1.5 miles)
• Hertz Car Rental - Melbourne - Harbor City HLE (1.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Islamic Society of Brevard County (2.1 miles)
• People of Destiny Christian Fellowship (3.6 miles)

Parks

• Sunset Park (2.2 miles)
• Orlando Park (2.6 miles)