Huggins Hospital

Pros

• The hospital and ER were described as 5+ stars, with care and compassion described as second to none.
• The staff were pleasant, accommodating, and fast, and they knew the patrons' preferences.
• Debbie Taylor in radiology was professional, thorough, and put the patient at ease.
• The ER and OR teams were friendly and knowledgeable, contributing to a very positive experience.
• Dr. Huleatt and the surgical team did a wonderful job.
• The teams involved in surgery - from booking and nursing to anesthesia and physical therapy - were outstanding.
• The nurse Carl was attentive and informative, helping with decisions.
• The cafe staff, notably MJ, provided excellent food and service.

Cons

• The ER receptionist was described as heartless, rude, and condescending, making the patient feel like a burden.
• A doctor was accused of not being board-certified and of dismissing severe pain as minor, delaying needed treatment.
• Patients reported long ER wait times, with hours passing before a doctor examined injuries.
• Lab staff were described as rude and unhelpful, detracting from the care experience.
• Some reviewers warned others not to go there, calling the staff unwelcoming and uncaring.
• The hospital was labeled unsafe by some, with claims relatives were discharged too quickly and critical care was missed.
• There were claims of unprofessional doctors and inadequate equipment for head scans, suggesting poor quality care.
• One reviewer described nurses as rough during IV insertion, adding to the distress.

Review

The range of experiences at Huggins Hospital runs from shining praise to stark warnings, all told in the same voice that speaks from beds, waiting rooms, radiology lanes, and hospital cafeterias. On one end of the spectrum, there are stories of swift triage, compassionate care, and surgical teams that feel like a well-oiled machine. On the other, there are accounts of long waits, perceived indifference, and alarming mistakes that left patients doubting their safety and the competence of certain clinicians. Taken together, the collection reads like a mosaic of real-life encounters that emphasize how much a patient's perception can hinge on a single staff member, a single moment, or a single miscommunication.

Several reviews celebrate the ER experience as efficient and humane, particularly when emergency needs arise. In these accounts, patients were seen quickly and, once admitted, treated with care and warmth. A patient described being seen promptly and then waiting several hours for a bed, but with staff who were kind, accommodating, and responsive - worth noting was the care team's ability to manage severe pain and keep the line of communication open. Names that appear in these narratives - Dr. Erik Dutson, Dr. John Clanahan, and various OR nurses including someone named Brittany and a tall, dark-haired nurse - are cited as part of a collaborative surgical effort surrounding emergency gallbladder removal. The ER night nurse, Erica Courtney, is singled out for patience during a difficult pre-MRI moment, while Scott Dugas and a host of other team members are credited with contributing to a sense of compassion and competence. The overall feel from these reviews is that many clinicians at Huggins can be deeply dedicated, and that a highly positive, almost five-star experience is possible when things align and communication is clear.

Complementing those positive accounts are vivid depictions of excellent ancillary care and supportive services. One patient praised the radiology department's Debbie Taylor (Debby) for making mammograms feel safe and reassuring, noting that her warmth and professionalism helped ease anxiety. Another reviewer lauded a knee replacement journey that involved a cohesive team - nurses, anesthesiologists, physical therapy staff, and specifically Dr. Hogan - describing the experience as outstanding and recommending the care overall. There are also mentions of the cafe staff, particularly MJ, who seem to embody the hospital's patient-facing hospitality: a quick, friendly, and familiar-feeling service that can be as impactful as clinical care for someone navigating a difficult hospital day. Taken together, these voices insist that when the care team communicates well and pays attention to patients' comfort, the hospital can feel like a supportive place, not just a building with emergency bays and operating rooms.

But the hospital's reputation is not uniformly celebratory. A cluster of reviews captures a very different experience: an encounter described as the worst ever, marked by a cold, unhelpful front desk experience, long delays before any doctor would see a patient, and a sense that some staff did not view the patient's pain or problems with seriousness. In one particularly blunt account, a patient described a 3-hour room wait followed by another long stretch of tests, with a doctor who offered an apology but did not fully follow through in timely care. The nurse who finally offered solace is described as the saving grace in an otherwise disheartening scenario, underscoring how crucial one empathetic nurse can be when a patient feels vulnerable and unheard. Others echoed these fears, pointing to rude or unhelpful lab staff and to a perception that some emergency department interactions prioritized appearances over genuine patient advocacy.

Interspersed with these conflicting experiences are claims about specific clinicians who, in the patient's view, failed to meet expectations or even misdiagnosed serious conditions. One reviewer described being dismissed by an ER physician they accuse of not being board-certified, who allegedly minimized significant pain and blamed a non-emergent process for ongoing symptoms. The account recounts a neck surgery history and a newly broken pelvis, and the patient believes there was a missed or misjudged diagnosis that could have altered outcomes. The language is forceful and personal, emphasizing the fear and anger that can arise when a patient feels they were dismissed or discharged too quickly. This thread also includes an impression that the system sometimes allows questionable judgments to persist, including a sense that a patient must go through attorney channels to seek redress.

Other reviews present a more mixed or nuanced picture, praising specific staff while criticizing other aspects of care. A patient recalls a highly positive ER and OR experience, with a nurse named Carl who was attentive and informative, and a doctor who explained things clearly. A separate account emphasizes respectful radiology care and the comfort of a known, reliable staff member within the department. Yet these voices coexist with warnings about the lab and imaging staff being rough or indifferent, and with broader statements about safety and trust in the hospital. There is also mention of a family's experience with urgent care for a fall, where the patient and family felt pain relief was insufficient and the response was unsatisfactory, prompting consideration of alternatives outside of Huggins.

From surgical experiences to routine care, the narratives converge on a few consistent themes: the quality of patient-facing staff, the clarity and consistency of communication, and the whether the environment feels safe and compassionate in moments of vulnerability. Some families describe a hospital that handles complex surgeries with remarkable teamwork, from preoperative planning to postoperative rehabilitation. Others describe a culture where delays, perceived indifference, and inconsistent bedside manners erode trust, even when the hospital demonstrates technical capability. The cafeteria, the check-in experience, and even the radiology staff are repeatedly highlighted because seemingly small, everyday interactions shape the overall impression of a hospital as a place that cares.

The most sobering notes come in the form of harrowing family accounts and safety concerns. A number of reviewers recount tragic or frightening moments, including the death of a father in the hospital and questions about whether the care provided was timely or adequate. In several instances, family members describe conversations that left them with fears for their loved ones' safety, including questions about whether staff understood the severity of self-harm or seizures and whether proper transfers to facilities equipped for certain conditions occurred. An update from July 2024 recounts a particularly devastating sequence: police bringing a brother to the ER after a suicide attempt, being released that same night, and ultimately dying later - an outcome the author attributes to delays in care and the hospital's medical decision-making. The same post notes that while many nurses were wonderful, there is a lasting distrust of the doctors, with a stark warning that doctors will not save you or your family.

In the end, the collection of experiences paints a complex portrait: Huggins Hospital can be a place of extraordinary competence, empathy, and operational efficiency when the stars align. It can also feel pathologically slow, callous, or unsafe for patients who encounter the wrong combination of staff personalities, miscommunications, or missed cues. The cafeteria servers and some radiology techs stand out as bright spots; the operating surgeons and ER physicians are praised in some stories and questioned in others. The overarching message is a call for consistency, accountability, and real, patient-centered care that honors both the physical and emotional stakes of seeking help in a hospital. Whether you're someone who might be admitted for days of recovery or a family member watching a loved one endure a scary night, the hospital's reputation in these narratives is a deeply personal, relationship-driven experience that can border on life-affirming in one moment and gut-wrenching in the next.

Hospitals

• Huggins Hospital (0 miles)
• Thomas Lynn (0.5 miles)
• Lakes Region General Hospital North 2/Cardiac (13.7 miles)

Physicians

• Orthopedic Surgeons (0.1 miles)
• Wolfeboro Family Medicine (0.1 miles)
• Internal Medicine Of Wolfeboro (0.1 miles)
• Wolfeboro Pediatrics (0.1 miles)
• Adult & Pediatric Dermatology, PC (1.7 miles)
• Rust Pond Family Medicine (1.9 miles)
• White Mountain Medical Center (8.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Grace Point Church (0.3 miles)
• Wakefield Church of Nazarene (8.3 miles)
• The Episcopal Church of St John the Baptist (8.7 miles)
• Community Church Of Alton (8.8 miles)
• Sumitomo Machinery Corporation Of America (10.8 miles)
• Nute Ridge Bible Chapel Parsonage (13.1 miles)
• St André Bessette Parish (13.5 miles)

Parks

• Foss Field (0.4 miles)
• Guy Foss Memorial Recreation Area (0.5 miles)
• Wentworth State Park (3.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Care Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Walgreens (9.5 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (12 miles)
• Hannaford Pharmacy (12.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (12.4 miles)
• Rite Aid (13.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Wolfgang's Pizza Subs & More (0.4 miles)
• Burnt Timber Tavern (0.5 miles)
• Downtown Grille Cafe (0.6 miles)
• Wolfeboro Dockside Grille & Dairy Bar (0.6 miles)
• Wolfeboro Dockside Grille (0.6 miles)
• Garwoods Restaurant (0.7 miles)
• Bayside Grill & Tavern (0.8 miles)

Cafes

• North Main Cafe (0.7 miles)
• Tumbledown Cafe (8.9 miles)
• Nina's Coffee on Wheels (9.1 miles)
• Winnepesaukee Bay Gulls 2 (10.1 miles)
• Wayfarer Coffee Lakeport (13.3 miles)
• Aroma Joe's Coffee (13.5 miles)

Transportation

• B18 Alton Bay Ice Runway (7.8 miles)

Theaters

• Weirs Beach Drive-In Theater (13.1 miles)