Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, TX

Pros

• The staff were absolutely amazing, and their care was consistently professional.
• Dr. Bawduniak and his team are among the most organized and professional clinicians the reviewer has witnessed; the colonoscopy went smoothly and the patient was well informed.
• The nurses and doctors are approachable, friendly, and very professional in their duties.
• The ER staff treated the patient with kindness and respect, and the care was exemplary.
• Coryell Health's vaccination effort, including the drive-thru clinic, was efficient and the nurses and volunteers were professional and friendly.
• The hospital consistently provides excellent service and care, with staff who are warm, caring, and attentive.
• Ashley Stephens FNP at Coryell Memorial is simply amazing.
• Excellent care from the same-day surgery staff and infusion center, with supportive and helpful staff.

Cons

• Landon Belcher, MD, lied to the patient about testing for calcium oxalate crystals and never ran the test.
• Sabri Zooper, MD, failed to prescribe a potentially helpful medication and left the patient in severe pain.
• The doctors were ignorant, unprofessional, and routinely talked over patients to belittle them.
• The hospital staff were rude and uncaring, with some employees acting hostile toward patients.
• The ER team ignored serious symptoms and failed to provide timely, appropriate care.
• The billing department was horrible and rude, causing disputes and making patients feel like an inconvenience.
• The clinic was disorganized and slow, with long wait times and poor communication.
• They refused to check a pregnant patient, causing fear and unnecessary stress.

Review

Coryell Memorial Hospital serves Gatesville-area seniors and families who want local access to acute care, urgent care, and routine hospital services, with the expectation that essential needs can be addressed close to home. This community is best suited for those who prize proximity, familiar staff, and the ability to manage ongoing care through nearby Coryell Health clinics. It is a reasonable choice for short, straightforward medical episodes and for patients who value the option to stay within a familiar network rather than travel to larger cities for every issue.

Those weighing alternatives should consider that this facility often falls short for anyone seeking consistently seamless care, transparent billing, and tightly coordinated service. If the priority is highly reliable ER throughput, uniformly supportive bedside manner across all departments, or multi-site care with uniform standards, options in Temple or Waco will typically offer more predictability. For seniors with complex, ongoing needs - where every interaction matters for quality and documentation - exploring larger systems with dedicated patient advocates and stronger care coordination may be prudent.

On the upside, the hospital and its sister clinics deliver several tangible advantages. Local access means shorter drives for routine tests, follow-up visits, and post-procedure check-ins, with staff frequently described as warm, courteous, and patient-centered in many encounters. Some clinicians are explicitly praised for clear explanations, thoughtful discharge coaching, and effective collaboration with family members. In select departments, patients report efficient experiences, on-time procedures, and a level of care that feels professional and attentive within a familiar, small-town setting.

However, the spectrum of experience is broad and often troubling. Billing irritants consistently surface, including retroactive charges, disputed balances, and unclear communications that leave families feeling targeted and frustrated. Front-desk and intake interactions are repeatedly described as unhelpful or inconsistent, and there are persistent anecdotes about long waits in both the ER and clinic settings. Several reviews recount perceived arrogance or poor bedside manner from some physicians, with reports of tests not being completed or results not communicated in a timely way. The result is a healthcare experience that can feel disjointed, reactive, and uneven in quality.

The practical question becomes how the pros stack up against the cons in a real-world decision. For families prioritizing local convenience, a reasonable first stop for minor to moderate issues, quick post-procedure follow-up, and a sense of being in a familiar care network, Coryell Memorial Hospital can satisfy those needs when the situation aligns with the staff's strengths. Yet the cons - especially billing disputes, erratic wait times, and inconsistent frontline service - can erode trust and complicate insurance reconciliation, making it harder to rely on this system for ongoing, comprehensive care. In short, local proximity and some dedicated clinicians do offset a portion of the risk, but not enough to gloss over systemic bottlenecks that recur in patient experiences.

For families weighing next steps, a disciplined approach is essential. Inspect the ER and clinic cultures during a visit: ask to speak with care coordinators, billing staff, and a few clinicians to gauge consistency, communication, and responsiveness. Verify which PCPs and specialists are in the network, and confirm coverage and expected out-of-pocket costs before procedures or admissions. If a higher bar for care, billing transparency, and coordinated, city-level access is desired, plan contingencies for short drives to Temple or Waco and treat Coryell Health as a local first stop with clear exit criteria. In practice, Coryell Memorial Hospital is a practical, locally grounded option for certain patients, but it warrants careful vetting and realistic expectations about consistency in care and administration.

Hospitals

• Coryell Memorial Hospital (0 miles)

Physicians

• Coryell Medical Clinic (0 miles)
• Rowe Russell S Real Skin Dermatology Gatesville (0.1 miles)
• Bealka Jr, Neil M, MD (3 miles)
• Central Texas Sport & Spine Center (22.3 miles)
• Roderick C. Hunter Jr Dpm - Metroplex Clini (22.4 miles)
• Metroplex Clinic Physicians (22.4 miles)
• Lone Star Pediatric Dental & Braces (22.4 miles)

Restaurants

• El Tapatio (0.1 miles)
• Post planner burgers (0.9 miles)
• Taco Madre (1.7 miles)
• County Line Pizza (1.7 miles)
• The Feed Mill (1.7 miles)
• The Knife & Cork (1.8 miles)
• Donuts To Go (2.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Trinity Baptist Church (0.2 miles)
• Calvary Baptist Church (0.3 miles)
• Catholic Church Our Lady of Lourdes (0.6 miles)
• Westview Missionary Baptist Church (0.7 miles)
• Coryell Community Church (0.8 miles)
• King Baptist Church (1 miles)
• Church of Christ Main St (1.3 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.2 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (1.4 miles)
• Gatesville Municipal Arprt-Gop (1.4 miles)

Parks

• Faunt Leroy Park (1.8 miles)
• Raby Park (1.9 miles)
• Fauntleroy Park (1.9 miles)
• Playground (20.8 miles)
• Amsler Park (21.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Gatesville Drug (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3.7 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (4 miles)
• Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy (21.3 miles)
• Clear Creek Pharmacy (21.4 miles)
• Fred's Pharmacy (22.2 miles)

Theaters

• Gatesville Drive-In (3.9 miles)
• Cinema-N-Video (3.9 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (22.5 miles)