Southside Community Hospital

Pros

• The nurses are described as truly the best and the backbone of the hospital.
• The radiology department is top, with friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient staff.
• The lab team is great, with Bernadette delivering a gentle, painless blood draw.
• The anesthesiologist was a Godsend, providing a pain-free delivery.
• Melissa Cawley-Chambers, the Clinical Nurse Coordinator, was extremely helpful.
• The staff were extraordinarily kind and supportive.
• Dr. Sullivan was amazing in pinpointing the ailment and getting care.
• The team is fast and good at communicating about treatments.
• Kayla was like an angel, amazing and full of energy.
• Nurse Blythe went above and beyond to meet all needs.
• Patients are told exactly what is wrong and treated like family; highly recommended.

Cons

• The facility is gross and worthless.
• The L&D unit is filthy.
• A pool of dried blood was found under the bed on arrival.
• The rooms were not cleaned properly, and bedding caused itching.
• They were not provided basic supplies like toiletries and baby care items.
• They were stingy with ready-to-feed formula, diapers, and wipes.
• The birth plan was ignored and nurses did the bare minimum.
• Medications were given at the wrong times or not at all, and lactation consultation was not offered.
• The ER had long wait times, no urgency, and rude staff.
• A nurse named Meshell was terrible, making the patient feel like a burden.

Review

Across the collection of experiences, Centra Southside Community Hospital is portrayed as a facility with serious and continuing problems in cleanliness, staffing, communication, and overall consistency of care, tempered by a few standout positives from specific staff members and departments.

Many reviewers describe the L&D and postnatal environments as dirty and poorly maintained. They recount a pattern of unsanitary conditions, including toilets labeled sanitized that clearly show blood, feces, and urine, and even a pool of dried blood found under a bed on arrival. Bedding allegedly caused itching, with guests forced to bring their own blankets and toiletries. The hospital reportedly skimped on baby supplies such as ready-to-feed formula, diapers, and wipes, and there were complaints that birth plans were not read or followed, with medications given at the wrong times and without lactation support even after requests. The overall sentiment is that the rooms are not cleaned properly, and the experience left many families feeling unsafe and unheard during a vulnerable time.

There are, however, some bright spots mentioned amid the complaints. Several reviewers single out individual staff members for making a positive difference. A physician - referred to as Dr. Hatcher, likely the anesthesiologist - receives praise for enabling pain-free delivery on two occasions. Many patients emphasize that nurses are the backbone of the hospital, with mentions of highly capable and compassionate nurses and coordinators like Melissa Cawley-Chambers, the Clinical Nurse Coordinator, who followed up after hospital stays. Specific nurses receive praise for their care, including RN Blythe, who was described as going above and beyond, and Kayla, who was deemed an angel by one patient. Dr. Sullivan also earns compliments for accuracy in diagnosis and attentive care. Yet, there are counterpoints: Meshell, the nurse who supervised a patient's last night, is called out by name for poor bedside manner, illustrating that staff experiences at Centra can be highly variable even within the same shift or unit.

Waiting times and the ER experience are a focal point of contention. Several reviewers report hours-long waits, with some describing a frustrating, inefficient process where patients are left waiting, sometimes with severe pain (as in cases involving a child with arm injuries or adults with eye infections). Others recount faster, more efficient ED visits - especially for less complex or more urgent complaints - and one reviewer even notes a surprisingly quick refill and discharge for a migraine while traveling. There is a pervasive perception that the hospital sometimes lacks urgency and coordination, and that crowds or perceived triage biases (such as prioritizing a child with flu) contribute to a sense of unfair treatment among adults waiting for care.

Department-specific praise is mixed but present. Radiology is widely praised as top-notch - friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The lab also receives strong endorsements, with Bernadette singled out for a pain-free blood draw and a generally smooth lab experience. Yet there are friction points surrounding medical records and imaging results: a reviewer describes the administrative process as a bottleneck when attempting to forward X-rays to another provider, sometimes forcing repeated imaging or expensive out-of-pocket costs. In one instance, a patient reported that the hospital refused to forward radiology results, complicating follow-up care with the patient's other providers, and causing considerable frustration with internal processes.

Financial and advocacy issues surface repeatedly. Several reviewers lament high costs, citing an example of 21,000 dollars for X-rays and a CT scan after a fall. They describe a lack of access to a patient advocate despite requests, and accuse administrative staff of misrepresenting procedures or creating obstacles to informed decision-making. A common refrain is that many patients feel trapped because they have few - or no - alternative options locally, with some advising others to go to Richmond or another hospital to receive timely, compassionate, and transparent care. The negative financial experiences are often paired with complaints about inconsistent communication and a sense of being pushed to "pay for care" without clear justification or guidance.

Visitor policies and COVID-era restrictions also surface in some reviews as a source of distress, with patients noting that only one support person could stay with them during certain periods, or that family members felt excluded from crucial moments. This contributed to a broader sense of isolation during hospital stays and complex medical decisions, further coloring opinions about the overall patient experience.

In sum, the picture that emerges is of a hospital with real strengths in individual staff performance and certain departments, particularly radiology and lab, where patient experiences are often positive. Those same reviewers repeatedly describe pervasive problems in cleanliness and housekeeping, inconsistent bedside care, long and sometimes opaque waiting times, and troubling administrative barriers, including disputes about medical records and high costs. The recurring call is for a substantial, system-wide change - improved sanitation, more reliable staffing and training, better patient advocacy, more transparent communication, and a reassessment of wait times and patient flow. Several reviewers advocate seeking care elsewhere when possible, while others acknowledge that some staff members and units can deliver exceptionally compassionate and competent care. The overarching takeaway is a hospital in urgent need of comprehensive reform, balanced by recognition that a handful of dedicated professionals do make a meaningful difference for the patients they serve.

Hospitals

• Southside Community Hospital (0 miles)
• Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (14.3 miles)
• Piedmont Geriatric Hospital (14.7 miles)

Physicians

• Southside Urology Clinic Pc (0 miles)
• Cardiovascular Group Centra Stroobants Heart Cente (0.1 miles)
• Stephen H Goldberger (0.2 miles)
• Virginia Family Services Region 6 (0.2 miles)
• Southside Pediatrics (0.4 miles)
• Longwood Speech Hearing (0.5 miles)
• Deregibus Ed DR (0.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Joe's Seafood (0.2 miles)
• Effingtons (0.5 miles)
• Campagna (0.5 miles)
• Catbird Rooftop Terrace (0.5 miles)
• Effingham's (0.5 miles)
• Subway (0.6 miles)
• One19 (0.6 miles)

Parks

• Farmville Historic District (0.3 miles)
• Iler Field (0.5 miles)
• Skate Park (0.7 miles)
• Riverside Park (0.8 miles)
• High Bridge Trail State Park - River Road Access Mp146 (3.9 miles)
• Sandy River Outdoor Adventure (5.1 miles)
• Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park (9.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Farmville District United Methodist Office (0.3 miles)
• Baptist Student Center (0.4 miles)
• Northview Church (0.4 miles)
• Johns Memorial Episcopal Church (0.4 miles)
• Farmville United Methodist Church (0.5 miles)
• Farmville District UMC Youth (0.5 miles)
• United Methodist Family Services (0.5 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul (0.5 miles)
• Lightning's Taxi Service (1.2 miles)
• Sportsman Wildlife Taxidermy (6.3 miles)
• U-Haul (15.3 miles)

Cafes

• The Coffee Mill (0.6 miles)
• Tony's Espresso (0.6 miles)
• Uptown Coffee Cafe (0.7 miles)
• Charley's Waterfront Cafe (0.7 miles)
• Riverside Cafe (0.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Clark's Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• Farmville Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• Farmville Family Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Cumberland Pharmacy (14.7 miles)

Theaters

• Sunchase Cinema 8 (1.6 miles)