Stern Family Center For Extended Care and Rehabilitation

Pros

• The Social Work Department at Stern Rehab demonstrated exceptional professionalism and dedication.
• Robert and Alex went above and beyond in coordinating care for mutual patients, ensuring a seamless process and positive outcomes.
• Their efforts greatly exceeded expectations and reflected the highest standards of patient-centered care.
• The facility was described as exceptional, with Saurabh Chowdhry having a fantastic five-month stay thanks to the entire staff.
• The staff's positive attitude and commitment to patient care were evident.
• Mathew the nurse was consistently willing to go the extra mile, with Dr. John's and Nursing Manager Therese's passion and understanding of pain, Charu and Marie's willingness to work with patients, the PT and OT teams' dedication, social worker Meagan's guidance and patience, Heather the nursing assistant becoming a buddy, and the reception desk staff contributing to the overall positive experience.
• Therapists were very attentive, accessible, and supportive in recovery.
• The food was amazingly tasty.
• CNAs and nurses were praised for their care.

Cons

• The facility's handling of patient care and family communication is absolutely unacceptable.
• Staff failed to inform family about a patient's fall and ER visit.
• Front desk and phone staff refuse to provide room numbers or basic updates to a legally authorized family member.
• When they answer, staff are dismissive, unhelpful, and provide no real information.
• Families must beg or chase down staff for basic information.
• They treat families with legal authority poorly, implying patients are not being cared for properly.
• The reviewer warned of potential lawsuits due to alleged neglect.
• Nurses take forever to respond to calls, sometimes nearly an hour.
• Patients were left waiting for help for extended periods, including nighttime delays.
• A patient almost fell out of bed due to delayed assistance.
• Nursing staff are described as sub-par; only a few staff are polite and respectful.
• Management is described as non-existent, buck-passing, arriving late or not at all, and taking out attitudes on patients.
• The facility is a sham and a disgrace.
• They kicked my mom out because of insurance.
• Night staff are scarce, creating safety concerns.
• Therapists were unreliable and dismissive about appointments.
• A supervisor was defensive and dismissive during OT scheduling.
• Mistreatment of patients was observed daily.
• The facility should not be trusted; look elsewhere.
• If given a choice, posters criticize with a one-star rating rather than higher.

Review

Stern Rehab has drawn a wide spectrum of experiences from those who have interacted with its staff, ranging from highly positive to deeply troubling. On one end, the Social Work Department is praised for its professionalism and dedication. Robert and Alex are repeatedly highlighted for coordinating care with a level of efficiency and patient-centered focus that seems to have left a lasting impression on families and patients alike. Their willingness to go "above and beyond" to keep the care process seamless is described as a standout example of what good, collaborative care can look like when the team is aligned around the patient's needs. Those who witnessed their work often say it reflects the highest standards of commitment to patient-centered care, setting a benchmark for how social work can support complex medical journeys.

Yet, a more urgent and unsettled thread runs through the narratives. An update from a friend, relayed as information obtained from police rather than staff, paints a disquieting scene: a relative (an aunt) fell and ended up in the ER, with no one at the facility communicating this to the family in any timely or transparent way. The update describes a failure to share essential information, leaving loved ones in the dark about what happened, when it happened, and what the next steps would be. The account emphasizes that contact with the patient's room and status was obstructed, even for someone who held legal power of attorney, and that the family ultimately had to press authorities to uncover basic facts. The tone of this portion underscores a belief that the facility's communication practices can be dangerously opaque when a vulnerable patient is involved.

Further reflection of the same sentiment follows in strongly worded critiques about family communication and transparency. The reviewer argues that families with legal authority should not have to beg for room numbers, be denied chances to speak with patients, or be deprived of even basic updates. They describe staff interactions as dismissive and unhelpful when families do manage to obtain information, implying that a lack of transparency and compassion is not incidental but systemic. The upshot is a call for urgent improvement in how the facility engages with families who need to be kept informed about a patient's condition and safety.

The breadth of opinions widens with accounts from patients and families who were in the facility for rehab. One family's two-week stay highlights seasoned concerns: nurses who appear slow to respond and who sometimes seem more engaged in conversations with one another than with the patient. Light-lit calls for assistance have, on occasion, gone unanswered for long stretches, with real risks tied to delays - such as an elderly patient attempting to get to the bathroom at night and almost suffering a fall due to delayed assistance. Physical therapy, described as limited by high patient volume, left some patients feeling that they did not receive enough individualized attention, even though when sessions did occur, they could be very satisfactory. The overall impression is that patient safety may be compromised by inconsistent bedside care and staffing gaps, even as some therapy experiences were appreciated.

Alongside these concerns, there are sharper, more dramatic anecdotes that underscore a perceived breakdown in respect and professional conduct. A patient who had undergone knee replacement describes a harrowing sequence in which a clean-up, pain management, and timely medical attention all felt lacking. An extended period of excruciating pain, a delay in changing soiled linens, and a nurse who declined to help lift or reposition the patient are cited as egregious lapses in basic care and bedside manner. A separate incident involves a bag of ice that fell to the floor and was met with a dismissive refusal to pick it up, further illustrating what one reviewer views as an era of neglectful behavior and a concerning disregard for patient comfort and safety. In aggregate, these episodes fuel a strong message: despite the facility's reputation and some occasional praise, there remains a deep unease about how patients are actually treated in moments that test personal dignity and safety.

Not all voices, however, recount the same experience. There are affirmations of compassion and competence that offer a counterbalance to the more cautionary accounts. One longstanding visitor group, in particular, paints a picture of a facility that can be both welcoming and capable, depending on who is present and when. This review highlights specific personnel who stood out in a positive light: the CNA and nurse team that delivered attentive care, a seeming blend of warmth and professionalism, and a sense that, when the system did work as intended, the patient's recovery could be accelerated by genuine staff engagement. A patient in the 160 NW room - identified by name as Saurabh Chowdhry - was described as having a five-month stay that proved to be a largely positive experience thanks to an array of staff members who listened, explained, and supported his progress. Names like Mathew (nurse), Dr. John, Therese (nursing manager), Charu, Marie (therapy staff), social worker Meagan, Heather, and even the reception team (Monica) are recalled with gratitude for their roles in stabilizing and guiding the recovery process. This testimony reinforces that there are indeed people at Stern Rehab who strive for excellence and can have a meaningful, even transformative, impact on a patient's journey.

The spectrum of experience also includes lighter, more mixed notes about the facility's ambiance and ongoing care. Some reviewers acknowledge that the environment appears well-kept and appealing, with a casual promise to provide further feedback after additional time and observation. Others, however, describe the overall impression as uneven or fragile, with complaints about waiting times, staff availability, and the handling of discharge or insurance-related pressures. Several reviews explicitly urge prospective patients or families to consider alternate options unless they can secure strong, consistent advocacy on-site. Taken together, the narratives present Stern Rehab as a place where care quality varies significantly by department, by shift, and by individual staff members, rather than as a uniformly excellent or uniformly failing institution.

In sum, the collective portrayal of Stern Rehab is not a single verdict but a landscape of contrasting experiences. The facility is celebrated for its dedicated social work leadership and certain staff members who demonstrate empathy, responsiveness, and professional rigor. At the same time, many accounts raise serious concerns about communication - particularly with families acting under legal authority - along with episodes of delayed response, insufficient bedside care, and scenarios that put patient safety at risk. The strongest takeaway is a call for more consistent staffing, clearer and more compassionate family communication, and a renewed commitment to the basic standards of patient dignity and safety that should underlie any rehab setting. For families weighing this facility, the stories suggest the importance of securing reliable advocates, asking pointed questions about response times and care protocols, and recognizing that positive experiences are possible but not guaranteed without vigilant oversight and clear channels for information sharing.

Physicians

• 2 Pro Health Plaza (1 miles)
• North Shore Gastroenterology Associates PC (1.7 miles)
• Winthrop Professional Building (3.8 miles)
• Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group (8 miles)

Hospitals

• Division of Vascular/Interventional Radiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (1.3 miles)
• St Francis Hospital (2.7 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital New Life Center (3.7 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital (3.7 miles)
• Nassau University Medical Center (8.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (8.1 miles)
• Starbucks (8.8 miles)

Transportation

• LIRR - Manhasset Station (1.6 miles)
• LIRR - Little Neck Station (2.1 miles)
• LIRR New Hyde Park Station (3 miles)
• LIRR - Floral Park Station (3.3 miles)
• LIRR - Westbury Station (6.1 miles)
• MTA - Sutphin Boulevard Subway Station (7.5 miles)
• LIRR - Jay / Hall Tower (7.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.7 miles)

Parks

• Allenwood Park (2 miles)
• Alley Pond Park (3.4 miles)
• Cunningham Park (4.6 miles)
• Hempstead Lake State Park (7 miles)
• Flushing Meadows Corona Park (7.8 miles)
• Eisenhower Park (7.8 miles)
• Coes Neck Park (8 miles)

Restaurants

• Toku Modern Asian (2.2 miles)
• Burger King (3.2 miles)
• Hendrick's Tavern (3.2 miles)
• McDonald's (4.3 miles)
• Bar Frites (4.7 miles)
• Vincent's Clam Bar (4.9 miles)
• Grand Lux Cafe (5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Community Church of East Williston (3.5 miles)
• St Luke's Episcopal Church (8.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Fresh Meadows 7 (4.9 miles)
• AMC Roosevelt Field 8 (4.9 miles)
• Regal Westbury Imax & RPX (7.6 miles)