E J Noble Hospital Samaritan

Pros

• They had a wonderful experience with kind and helpful staff, and were in and out in less than an hour.
• They described the staff as very professional and courteous during an emergency.
• They praised the imaging and radiology departments for clear explanations, careful handling, and a comfortable CT scan experience.
• They noted that the nurses, medical technicians, and radiologists had a bedside manner second to none, treating them with dignity and compassion.
• They appreciated the thoroughness and precision of the Riverside Hospital staff, including careful chart review and considerate care.

Cons

• The doctor was rude, short, and dismissive toward the patient.
• The prescription was mishandled, allegedly failing to go through twice, forcing the patient to intervene.
• Leaving an ill patient without medication is described as a serious safety issue.
• River Hospital has ongoing problems with medical records not being sent when requested.
• Staff promised to call back but failed to follow through.
• There is repeated dismissive treatment toward a veteran with PTSD and chronic pain.
• The hospital needs to address systemic failures and provide accountability; patients should not be left chasing their own care.
• The ER experience involved long wait times, miscommunication, and a sense that staff care more about throughput than patient care.
• The waiting room is often full with urgent cases left unattended for hours, with privacy and HIPAA concerns raised.
• The primary care clinic is criticized as a joke.
• Misdiagnoses in the ER (e.g., constipation instead of an infection) and delayed treatment put patients at risk.
• A nurse practitioner was rude and humiliating, making judgmental remarks.
• A nurse gave a sedative that caused tachycardia, leaving the patient in distress.
• One reviewer would rather go to a different hospital (e.g., Samaritan) due to dissatisfaction.

Review

A wide range of patient experiences at River Hospital paints a complicated and often troubling picture, with many reviews focusing on delays, communication breakdowns, and what patients describe as dismissive or disrespectful treatment. In one account, a 10:15 appointment stretched into nearly an hour of waiting, and once the patient was seen, the physician was described as rude, short, and dismissive. The situation worsened when the prescription was mishandled: it "failed" to go through twice, and no one from the clinic took action until the patient made a third call to push it through. The reviewer questioned the protocol for prescription failures, questioning whether a sick patient should have to call in their own medication, and framed the lack of timely medication as a serious safety issue, especially for someone already dealing with illness.

Over the course of more than a year, several reviewers described what they saw as ongoing, systemic failures at River Hospital. Repeated complaints included medical records not being sent when requested, staff promising to call back and never following through, and a pattern of dismissive treatment. For many, these issues aren't isolated incidents but part of a broader experience of inconsistent care and poor communication that leaves patients feeling neglected and unsafe. The veteran status of some patients added another layer of concern, as one husband's PTSD and chronic pain were affected by what was perceived as a breakdown in basic care and communication - problems that, in their view, directly impacted the family's stability and health.

The veteran's perspective amplifies the sense that the hospital's failures go beyond inconvenient delays and occasionally rude behavior; they touch the core of patient safety and reliability. When basic care and timely communication fail, families worry about the potential consequences for health, work, and home life. This lens - combining medical vulnerability with the pressures of military service - frames many reviews as not just inconvenient experiences but as threats to well-being and safety, prompting calls for accountability and systemic reform rather than isolated apologies or vague assurances.

The patient experiences range from extreme frustration to outright horror. One reviewer labeled River Hospital the "Worst hospital I've ever been to" and described a cascade of missteps: a long wait in the ER, confusion at check-in, repeated delays before vitals were taken, and a stressful sequence of events surrounding diagnostic testing (including a CT scan that the patient felt compelled to decline after an IV sedation left them with racing heartbeats and distress). The tone throughout this narrative is that the hospital prioritizes throughput over patient comfort and safety, and that staff sometimes respond with rudeness or a dismissive attitude when concerns are raised.

Other entries describe similarly distressing encounters. A pregnant patient seeking care for bleeding after a 9-week pregnancy waited more than two hours to be seen and encountered rude staff when seeking something to treat falling blood sugar; the reviewer ultimately left without treatment or documentation. A separate account described a patient who felt humiliated by a nurse who laughed at personal questions and implied judgment, followed by aDismissive attitude from staff who doubted the necessity of the visit. In this story, the patient arrived on the recommendation of a physician due to potential adverse effects from medications, but the care team's response left them feeling unsafe and dismissed, highlighting concerns about professional conduct and patient dignity.

Despite the negative experiences, there are also positive notes within the pool of reviews. A reviewer praised the imaging and radiology departments, recounting a Contrast Enhanced CT scan where staff explained procedures clearly, handled physical needs with care, and made the patient feel comfortable - an experience described as a strong, reassuring contrast to the more negative encounters elsewhere in the hospital system. A separate shout-out to Riverside Hospital (distinct from River Hospital in some reviews) credited the emergency care and staff with professionalism and thoroughness, noting that physicians' assistants and radiology staff treated the patient with dignity and effectiveness, and that the overall experience was dignified and compassionate, allowing the patient to return home.

Several reviews underscore the danger of misdiagnosis and the consequences of poor communication between River Hospital and patients' primary care providers. One commenter shared a case of misdiagnosis in the ER, where E. coli infection was dismissed as constipation, despite medical records showing otherwise and a PCP later confirming a positive test. This reviewer emphasized the risk of missed or incorrect diagnoses and urged patients to advocate loudly for themselves, underscoring how a lack of coordination between hospital and PCP can have serious health implications and even endanger lives.

A thread running through many accounts is concern about overcrowding, understaffing, and privacy violations. Reviewers described ER waiting rooms overflowing with emergencies while patients waited for hours to be seen, sometimes in front of others, with HIPAA concerns raised about how patient information was handled. The sentiment was that these systemic strains - especially during peak tourist seasons when local demand spikes - exacerbate the likelihood of attention being diverted from those in genuine crisis, leaving some patients feeling ignored, unsafe, or undervalued.

Taken together, these experiences sketch a hospital system that is deeply inconsistent. Some patients encounter courteous, proficient care in certain departments - most notably imaging and radiology - where explanations are clear and procedures are carried out with care and efficiency. Others report lengthy waits, miscommunications, dismissive attitudes, and dangerous gaps in safety nets like prescription fulfillment and timely medical records. Veterans and families dealing with chronic conditions highlighted the unique toll when basic care and communication falter; for them, the consequences ripple into daily life, work, and financial stability.

In the end, the reviews call for accountability and systemic improvements: more reliable communication, better adherence to prescription processes, timely and accurate medical record sharing, and staffing that can meet patient demand without compromising safety or dignity. They highlight the urgent need for consistent, compassionate care across departments and for practices that ensure patients do not have to chase their own care in order to stay healthy. While there are pockets of excellent service, the overall message is clear: patients deserve dependable, respectful, and safe medical care, and many feel that River Hospital must address these widespread concerns to protect patient safety and restore trust.

This part of Alexandria Bay, New York, offers a variety of places of worship for spiritual support and community engagement, including the Philadelphia United Methodist Church and Riva Ridge Chapel Traditional Protestant Service. Residents can also enjoy dining options such as Cook's Family Diner and Jreck Subs, as well as convenient transportation services provided by U-Haul Moving & Storage and G Wizz Auto Rentals. For leisure activities, there are parks like Butterfield Park and entertainment venues like Black River Drive In Theatre. Additionally, access to healthcare is readily available with physicians like Harvey Frank E Dr MD nearby, along with pharmacies such as Walgreens for medication needs. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to settle in a peaceful and convenient location in Alexandria Bay.

Places of Worship

• Philadelphia United Methodist Church (16.4 miles)
• Riva Ridge Chapel Traditional Protestant Service (20.5 miles)
• New Testament Christian Church (23.2 miles)
• Welch (23.3 miles)
• St Johns Episcopal Church (23.5 miles)
• Black River United Methodist Church (23.5 miles)
• Watertown Baptist Temple Study (24.3 miles)

Restaurants

• Cook's Family Diner (16.7 miles)
• Jreck Subs (16.8 miles)
• Domino's Pizza (20.5 miles)
• Arby's (21 miles)
• Arby's (21.1 miles)
• McDonald's (21.2 miles)
• Subway (22.2 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Moving & Storage (20.6 miles)
• G Wizz Auto Rentals (20.9 miles)
• DOL Rail Head (21.9 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (22.2 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (22.6 miles)
• W.E.R Yellow Cab (24.7 miles)
• Conrail (24.8 miles)

Cafes

• Tim Hortons (20.9 miles)
• Starbucks (21 miles)
• Starbucks (24.9 miles)

Parks

• Butterfield Park (21.8 miles)
• Watertown Parks & Recreation (24.3 miles)

Theaters

• Black River Drive In Theatre (23.7 miles)

Physicians

• Harvey Frank E Dr MD (24.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (24.9 miles)