Lake Region Health Care

Pros

• The OB team at Lake Region Healthcare is friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive, putting patients at ease.
• Midwife Heather is amazing, with exceptional bedside manner and support for VBAC while ensuring safety for mom and baby.
• Dr. Money saved the patient's life through decisive care and timely coordination.
• The hospital is a well-run clinic serving the local community, with trusted doctors Schnurer, Borowski, and Johnson.
• ER staff and pediatric floor nurses are outstanding - professional, kind, and proficient.
• The facility is clean, welcoming, and staff are helpful and compassionate from entry to discharge.
• Patients report smooth, empathetic experiences and gratitude for the care and expertise provided.

Cons

• The reviewer claims the hospital lies to patients and gives them the runaround.
• The billing department is described as an absolute joke and personal information is mishandled.
• The staff allegedly treats symptoms without trying to understand the underlying cause, letting elderly loved ones slowly die.
• The reviewer would not recommend the hospital and says many patients have been misdiagnosed there.
• The hospital is criticized as poorly run, with questions about how it's operating and advice to stay away.
• Everything is slow and staff sit in the hallways talking instead of helping.
• The reviewer alleges widespread staff performance issues and even mold on cooler walls and coffee spouts.
• There are long waits for appointments and for care, with pain left unaddressed.
• The anesthesiologist is described as arrogant and dismissive, having labeled the patient as drug-seeking.
• Staff are accused of mistreating families and withholding updates about a dying relative.

Review

The collection of experiences shared about Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls reveals a striking contrast between several deeply positive, life-affirming encounters and a number of frustrations that touch nearly every corner of a health system. On the bright side, many reviewers celebrate the OB and maternity services as a shining example of compassionate, expert care close to home. They describe a team that is friendly, knowledgeable, and reassuring, able to put new and expectant parents at ease during one of life's most consequential times. Specific individuals stand out: Hannah and Patti are appreciated for their seasoned, insightful perspectives; a newer nurse from Georgia brings noticeable energy; and midwife Heather is singled out for supporting a mother's VBAC goals while keeping safety at the forefront. The collective sentiment is that these caregivers offered an empowering, patient-centered birth experience that felt both competent and deeply caring.

Equally compelling are stories of dramatic, lifesaving medical action led by Dr. Money. One reviewer recalls being transferred from Fergus Falls to Essentia Health in Fargo and then airlifted to the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, with Dr. Money being the deciding factor that gave the patient a fighting chance. The account emphasizes that critical discussions about goals of care, such as DNR and CPR preferences, were handled with respect and clarity, and that the overall outcome hinged on the intervention of this physician. The gratitude extended toward Dr. Money is unmistakable, with an acknowledgment that the patient owes him their life. It's a narrative that underscores the potential for extraordinary care within the regional system when trusted specialists are involved.

Beyond these high points, the reviews reveal a more nuanced and sometimes conflicted view of the hospital as a whole. Several comments celebrate the facility as a "great organization" for meeting the healthcare needs of a small community, noting clean facilities and a welcoming atmosphere where patients feel cared for. Yet, there are equally loud voices expressing frustration about trust, transparency, and consistency. A few reviewers mention feeling misled or given the runaround, suggesting a perception gap between what is promised and what is experienced in practice. Within this context, some patients continue to rely on a small cadre of physicians - Schnurer, Borowski, and Johnson - who are trusted by many and cited as the primary reason they return for care. By contrast, others criticize the retirement or replacement of a longstanding physician, particularly an ob-gyn who had built strong relationships with patients. The critique implies that the hospital's leadership or staffing decisions have had a visible impact on patients' confidence and on the patient mix, especially in obstetrics.

Administrative and operational concerns also appear prominently in the feedback. A recurring theme is dissatisfaction with billing practices and privacy lapses, with one reviewer calling the billing department "an absolute joke" and recounting a situation where personal information was overheard in a public area. Other comments touch on broader efficiency issues, including long waits, slow service, and a feeling that administrative tasks interfere with timely, high-quality care. Some patients describe experiences where they would have chosen to be treated elsewhere if possible, citing a wish to avoid delays, miscommunications, or perceived gaps in care coordination. The thread across these reviews is that administrative performance strongly colors the overall impression of the hospital, even when clinical care is strong in certain departments or with certain providers.

The ER and acute care experiences add further layers to the overall picture. Some reviewers recount highly positive experiences - patients and families describe compassionate, professional, and proficient care in emergency departments and pediatric units, with staff going above and beyond to ensure gentle handling of anxious family members and clear communication during scary medical events. In other instances, however, the ER environment is described as chaotic or frustrating: stories include painful delays, perceived under-response to symptoms, and frustration with the pace and attentiveness of certain providers. There are also more troubling anecdotes, such as a report of a drug test administered without consent and criticism of an anesthesiologist who allegedly dismissed patient concerns and contributed to a painful experience. These mixed accounts underscore that the patient experience in the ER can vary widely by provider, shift, and specific encounter.

Amid the broad spectrum of experiences, there are touching expressions of empathy and care for family members. Several reviewers point to the emotional and practical support offered to loved ones - whether through the careful attention of nurses, the reassuring presence of clinicians around a family during a difficult health event, or the simple, meaningful acts that help space feel more human during hospital stays. There are also heartfelt tributes to individual caregivers who helped a patient navigate a challenging medical journey, including praise for kindness, clear explanations, and a sense that someone truly listened. Even in reviews punctuated by criticism, there are threads of gratitude for staff who demonstrated genuine empathy and professional competence.

In sum, the narrative surrounding Lake Region Healthcare Fergus Falls is not one-dimensional. The region is celebrated for its capable obstetric care, with a team that can turn a birth into a positive, empowering experience and a hospital ecosystem that can deliver life-saving intervention when needed. At the same time, the institution faces robust scrutiny about administrative processes, billing privacy, patient trust, and consistency of care across departments. Positive accounts frequently hinge on particular individuals or teams - the OB and maternity staff, and the physicians who have earned patient trust - while negative reviews tend to concentrate on systemic issues like communication, efficiency, and the patient experience outside the maternity ward. Taken together, the feedback paints a picture of a community hospital that can provide exceptional, life-changing care in the right contexts, but that also has notable opportunities to improve consistency, transparency, and patient-centered communication across all services.

This part of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors considering the area for living. With multiple healthcare facilities such as Lake Region Healthcare Corporation and Fergus Falls Medical Group PA nearby, residents have easy access to medical care. Additionally, there are several pharmacies like Thrifty White Drug and Walgreens in close proximity. Places of worship, including Good Shepherd Lutheran Brethren and First Lutheran Church, provide spiritual support within the community. The neighborhood also features parks like N P Park and Veterans Memorial Park for leisurely outdoor activities. There are various dining options like Big Easy Bistro and Human Spring Chinese Restaurant for enjoyable meals out. Transportation services such as City Cab Service are available for convenience, along with cafes like Cally's Cafe & Coffee for socializing with friends. Overall, this area offers a comfortable and well-rounded environment for senior living in Fergus Falls.

Physicians

• Lake Region Healthcare Corporation (0 miles)
• Fergus Falls Medical Group PA (0.1 miles)
• Lake Region Healthcare (0.1 miles)
• Lake Region Healthcare Cancer Care & Research Center (0.1 miles)
• Fergus Falls Optometric Center (0.5 miles)
• Lake Region Healthcare Clinic (1.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Thrifty White Drug (0.1 miles)
• Shopko (0.4 miles)
• Thrifty White Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• Thrifty White Pharmacy (1.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Good Shepherd Lutheran Brethren (0.1 miles)
• First Lutheran Church (0.3 miles)
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church (0.3 miles)
• Augustana Lutheran Church (0.3 miles)
• Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church (0.5 miles)
• The Way Station (0.5 miles)
• Church of Peace United Methodist (0.6 miles)

Parks

• N P Park (0.2 miles)
• Veterans Memorial Park (0.2 miles)
• Adams Park and Grotto Lake (0.5 miles)
• Lake Alice (0.8 miles)
• Kirkbride Park (1.5 miles)
• Playground On Western (2 miles)
• Delagoon Park (2.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Big Easy Bistro (0.2 miles)
• Dough For Joe Fergus Falls (0.2 miles)
• Human Spring Chinese Restaurant (0.4 miles)
• Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen (0.4 miles)
• Viking Cafe (0.5 miles)
• Taco John's (1.3 miles)
• Dairyland Drive-In (1.3 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.3 miles)
• City Cab Service (1.3 miles)
• Fergus Falls Airport (3.7 miles)
• Natural Images Taxidermy (9.7 miles)

Cafes

• Cally's Cafe & Coffee (0.5 miles)
• The Fabled Farmer (0.6 miles)
• Big Chief Cafe (5.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Minnesota State Offices, Community Behavioral Health Hospital (1.5 miles)
• Fergus Falls State Hospital Complex (1.6 miles)
• Veterans Home (1.8 miles)

Theaters

• Westridge Cinema 5 (1.8 miles)