Select Specialty Hospital South

Pros

• The nurses are great (most of them).
• The food is awesome and the kitchen staff are very friendly.
• Carline the cook is super helpful and accommodating; Giselle and Lynford went out of their way to help.
• The front desk staff are always cheerful and welcoming.
• The staff are wonderful and go out of their way to assist with anything you need.
• Jennifer Burgos and Guerlie provided exceptional care and compassion.
• The care team delivered knowledgeable and professional care, with excellent meals and rehab support.
• The cafeteria staff are the best.

Cons

• The director, case workers, and administration are described as subpar.
• Communication with doctors is nearly impossible outside rounds, which occur before visiting hours.
• Requests for doctor calls and test results are repeatedly ignored.
• The facility is accused of attempting to discharge patients immediately after decannulation to facilities not equipped to handle post?decannulation complications.
• There is concern about "patient dumping" and being steered to certain facilities to satisfy insurers rather than patient needs.
• Swallow tests are not performed before discharge, delaying acceptance to other facilities.
• The nursing and administrative staff are described as rude, unprofessional, and frequently unavailable, with overall poor family communication.
• Basic patient care amenities are lacking, such as no showers and reliance on sponge baths.

Review

A careful reading of the mixed reviews paints a picture of Select Specialty Hospital South as a facility that can deliver excellent, compassionate care in certain moments and with certain staff, while at other times revealing serious systemic problems that leave families worried about safety, communication, and proper discharge planning. Several reviewers praise the everyday humanity they encountered: friendly front desk staff, a kitchen team that consistently provides good meals, and nurses who connected with patients on a personal level. In particular, the kitchen staff receives repeated praise for making meals that are appreciated by patients and families, with Carline the cook standing out in multiple comments for her attentiveness and generosity, and other kitchen and cafeteria workers noted as going above and beyond to help when needs arose. For some families, these small, consistent acts of kindness became a bright spot in what could otherwise be a stressful experience.

Yet beneath those positive notes lies a heavy layer of frustration tied to administration, communication, and discharge practices. A number of reviewers describe the director, case workers, and overall administration as subpar, accusing them of poor coordination and rushed decisions that feel more driven by insurance constraints than by patient needs. One prominent concern is discharge planning: several claims suggest that the facility - or at least its discharge planning process - attempts to move patients to other facilities quickly, sometimes to places not equipped to handle complex post-procedure needs, such as post-decannulation complications. The language used by some reviewers - calling the practice "patient dumping" and noting that the chosen facilities may not be medically suitable - reflects a fear that financial and administrative pressures are guiding clinical decisions. The fear is that without careful oversight, a patient could end up in a setting ill-prepared to handle specific post-operative realities, like decannulation or swallow difficulties.

Communication with medical staff is another recurring theme, and it shades the experience with considerable anxiety. Several comments recount having to beg to speak with doctors or to obtain test results, with doctors allegedly unavailable outside rounds or unreachable by phone. One particularly stark account describes a sequence around ventilator weaning where orders were unclear and changes were made without transparent discussion with the family, leading to a deterioration in the patient's condition and a sense of missed opportunities to do better. Families perceive gaps between the respiratory team and the primary physicians, with important decisions seemingly made without timely or clear communication to loved ones. The frustration is not merely about information being delayed but about a perceived lack of coordination that can feel emblematic of a larger systemic issue rather than isolated incidents.

There are also specific criticisms about daily care practices and patient experience. Some reviewers report a troubling lack of basic amenities, such as showers, describing patients as receiving sponge baths rather than full showers. This, coupled with accounts of rude or unprofessional behavior from nurses (paired with the many positive nurse stories that exist, it's clear there is inconsistency), paints a picture of a facility where the quality of day-to-day care can vary dramatically depending on who is at the bedside and which department is involved. In certain stories, the administrative and clinical teams are described as more focused on paperwork and bed management than on patient-centered care, with families feeling unheard or dismissed when voicing concerns about prognosis, care plans, or discharge readiness.

Amid these criticisms, individual staff members receive glowing praise that underscores the variability within the patient experience. Positive testimonials highlight exceptional compassion and competence from caregivers like Jenifer Burgos and Guerlie, whose dedication and bedside manner leave lasting impressions on families. Other patients recount meaningful improvements in function and well-being thanks to attentive nurses, CNAs, and physical therapists who helped with mobility and recovery. There are also stories of patients feeling well-nourished and supported by therapy and nutrition teams, with one patient recounting a dramatic improvement in strength and walking ability after a period of rehabilitation and proper meals. These voices remind readers that when the right staff are involved, the care environment can be deeply supportive and transformative.

Overall, the collection of reviews presents a hospital system that can deliver sincere kindness, high-quality meals, and meaningful bedside care in some cases, while simultaneously showing alarming deficiencies in leadership, communication, and discharge practices in others. The most persistent concerns revolve around how decisions are made and communicated to families, especially when patients are vulnerable and facing post-procedure risks. Allegations of patient dumping, insufficient swallow assessments before discharge, and a sense that administrative pressures overshadow clinical judgment are recurring and cannot be ignored by potential patients or their families considering this facility.

In the end, readers come away with a nuanced impression: Select Specialty Hospital South appears to be a place where outstanding individual caregivers can rise above systemic bottlenecks to provide compassionate, practical care, but where the broader care coordination, administrative efficiency, and patient advocacy often fall short. For families dealing with complex post-operative needs - such as decannulation, respiratory weaning, or trusted discharge planning - the message is clear: communication and oversight are crucial. If you or a loved one are considering this facility, be prepared for a wide range of experiences, and advocate vigorously for clear medical explanations, timely doctor engagement, and careful, patient-centered discharge planning.

This section of Edgewood, Florida, offers convenient access to a variety of healthcare services including primary care specialists, pediatric clinics, and specialty clinics such as the Colon & Rectal Clinic of Orlando and the Diabetes and Endocrine Center. Nearby pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens provide easy access to medications and medical supplies. For dining options, there are popular fast-food chains like Chick-Fil-A and McDonald's, as well as sit-down restaurants like Brio Italian Grille and The Cheesecake Factory. The area is also close to hospitals such as Orlando Regional Medical Center and transportation facilities like Fox Rent A Car Orlando for easy travel. Additionally, residents can enjoy a leisurely stroll at Lake Eola Park or catch a movie at EPIC Theatres at Lee Vista. Overall, this part of Edgewood offers a mix of healthcare options, dining choices, entertainment venues, and outdoor spaces for seniors looking for a vibrant community to live in.

Physicians

• Primary Care Specialists (1.7 miles)
• Southside health clinic (2 miles)
• Growing Together Pediatrics (2.4 miles)
• Colon & Rectal Clinic of Orlando (3.5 miles)
• Orlando Health Heart Institute (3.5 miles)
• Bliss Healthcare Services (3.6 miles)
• Diabetes and Endocrine Center of Orlando (6 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (3.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Chick-Fil-A (2.8 miles)
• McDonald's (2.9 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.6 miles)
• Shake Shack (3.6 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (3.8 miles)
• Brio Italian Grille (3.8 miles)
• Rock & Brews (3.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Orlando Regional Medical Center (3.3 miles)
• Orlando Health Medical Pavilon (3.7 miles)
• Florida Hospital Ginsburg Tower (6.7 miles)
• Florida Hospital Womens Center (6.7 miles)
• Florida Hospital- South Campus (6.8 miles)
• Florida Hospital (6.8 miles)

Transportation

• Fox Rent A Car Orlando (3.7 miles)
• Lyft Parking Lot (3.9 miles)
• The Club at MCO (4.5 miles)
• Airside 1 (4.5 miles)
• American Airlines Admirals Club Orlando (4.8 miles)
• Airside 3 (4.8 miles)
• United Club (4.8 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (3.9 miles)
• Starbucks (4.9 miles)
• Lineage Coffee Roasting (5.3 miles)
• Voodoo Doughnut (5.8 miles)
• Backlot Bistro (6.1 miles)
• Thunder Falls Terrace (6.3 miles)

Theaters

• EPIC Theatres at Lee Vista (4 miles)
• Regal Pointe Orlando (6.8 miles)

Parks

• Lake Eola Park (4.7 miles)