Oswego Hospital Extended Care in Oswego, NY

Pros

• The staff provided excellent care and services.
• The care from check-in through post-op was excellent, and the fourth-floor care was amazing.
• The emergency department staff, including the ambulance crew, were outstanding.
• The third-floor staff were amazing.
• Sam the nurse was personable, energetic, kind, and knowledgeable.
• Dr. Bernardo was amazing and consistently attentive.
• The ICU nurses provided great care, and the doctors called daily.
• The staff and doctors did a wonderful job caring for both the patient and her baby during a six-night stay.
• The nurses and Dr. Strain explained everything and kept them completely comfortable.
• The ER staff were friendly, helpful, and the facility was clean.
• Vicky, the OB nurse, was amazing and helped save a life.
• The cafe staff and cleaners were nice and helpful.

Cons

• The facility has been nothing but trouble for the family that has lived there for years.
• Some staff members seem to treat patients as an inconvenience, making the hospital feel more like a social club than a health care facility.
• They would not recommend the ER.
• Billing is a mess, with double charging and passing corrections around to insurance, doctors’ offices, or patients themselves.
• The bedside manner was awful and the staff were rude and disrespectful.
• Patients waited for hours in the ER without being seen or treated.
• The ER is chronically understaffed, causing delays and poor care.
• The hospital charges separately for doctors, which many reviewers call a scam.
• This hospital has been described as the worst health care facility in the United States.
• There have been calls for shutdown or new management due to the level of care and administrative failures.

Review

This Oswego community is best suited for families and patients who want access to strong clinical care, particularly for acute inpatient needs, surgery, ICU-level support, and imaging-driven evaluations, and who can tolerate a hospital experience that can swing from exemplary to deeply frustrating. When the care team is aligned and responsive, Oswego Hospital delivers the kind of life-saving, meticulous medical attention that makes a real difference, think dedicated ICU staff, surgeons who take time at the bedside, and imaging and lab services that execute with reliability. But that clinical competence is unevenly matched by the rest of the experience: inconsistent bedside manner, long, unpredictable waits in the emergency department, and administrative chaos that undermines the overall sense of safety and trust. Families that prioritize medical outcomes and are prepared to navigate a sometimes bumpy patient experience will get the most from this network when the right clinicians are on the case.

Those considering alternatives should weigh the predictable drawbacks alongside the upside. If timely access to a physician, smooth discharge planning, and straightforward billing are non-negotiables, Oswego may not be the best fit. The ER, in particular, has earned a reputation for hours-long waits, frequent reports of rude or indifferent staffing, and disjointed communication with patients and families. Billing cycles can be opaque and error-prone, with repeated back-and-forth that leaves families doubting what they owe or what was actually provided. For families who cannot tolerate such variability or who rely on predictable, well-coordinated care, a more streamlined system, whether Upstate, St. Joe’s, or another regional hospital, often makes more sense, especially in time-sensitive emergencies or when a smooth post-discharge trajectory is essential.

On the upside, several recurring strengths anchor Oswego’s medical work. When the care team is engaged, patients frequently report thorough, attentive medical interaction: clinicians who explain conditions and procedures, a capacity for careful monitoring in the ICU, and positive experiences with specific doctors who sit at the bedside, answer questions, and demonstrate genuine concern. Imaging and surgical centers within the Oswego Health network emerge repeatedly as consistently capable, delivering results quickly and with competence. Nursing staff on particular floors have been lauded for empathy, attentiveness, and problem-solving in the moment, and the lab and radiology teams are cited for accuracy and speed. In short, the medical core holds up remarkably well in many high-stakes situations, and when the team is fully engaged, patients feel seen, heard, and competently treated.

That clinical strength, however, is tempered by a long list of recurring operational flaws that can color the entire stay. The most widely cited cons are the most painful: wait times that stretch for hours in the ER, sometimes with unclear guidance about when a decision will be made or what the next step will be; communication gaps between registration, triage, and medical staff; and discharge planning that arrives late or without sufficient information for family members. Additional concerns include perceived disrespect or brusqueness from some staff, privacy breaches in certain moments, and billing practices that feel opaque or duplicative. Parking woes and facility snags, while not universal, also surface in repeated accounts. Taken together, these issues don’t erase the clinical wins, but they do undermine confidence and create stress for patients and families at a vulnerable moment.

For families weighing a concrete plan, the practical path is to treat Oswego as a high-skill option with caveats. Before choosing, request a named clinician team and a clear plan for imaging, labs, and potential need for ICU-level care. Ask for an advocate or patient liaison who can help navigate the discharge process and coordinate with family members. Specifically inquire about test-by-test billing, the possibility of itemized charges, and how post-discharge meds and therapies will be managed. If the situation allows, try to schedule non-urgent procedures during windows when staffing has historically been more stable, and set expectations with the care team about communication frequency and who will provide updates. In the ER, consider alternatives for non-emergent symptoms if a faster, more streamlined experience is important to you; for urgent issues, have a plan to escalate concerns promptly if delays become unacceptable.

In the end, Oswego Hospital Extended Care represents a real paradox: clinically capable care anchored by some of the most compassionate, capable bedside teams available in the area, paired with a hospital-wide experience that can be inconsistent, frustrating, and costly. For families aligned with the former, the right clinicians, especially those who have demonstrated exceptional bedside manner and clear, thorough communication, can drive life-affirming outcomes. For others, the pull of lengthy waits, billing confusion, and uneven courtesy can overshadow the medical gains and erode trust in the overall process. The prudent caller will treat the decision as a trade-off: prioritize access to skilled, responsive medical care and be prepared to compensate with vigilance over the administrative and service dimensions of the stay. If continuity, predictability, and consistently warm patient experiences are non-negotiable, alternatives are worth a serious comparison.

This part of Oswego, New York, offers a convenient and vibrant community for seniors looking to settle down. With several hospitals and physicians in close proximity, healthcare services are easily accessible. The area also boasts a variety of dining options ranging from casual eateries like Oswego Sub Shop to upscale restaurants like Maria's. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the nearby parks such as Franklin Park and Linear Park for leisurely walks or picnics. For entertainment, there is Oswego Cinema 7 and Midway Drive In Theatre for movie nights. Additionally, there are several places of worship within a short distance for spiritual fulfillment. Overall, this neighborhood provides a blend of amenities and services that cater to the needs of older individuals seeking a comfortable living environment in Oswego.

Hospitals

• Oswego Health (0 miles)
• Oswego Hospital (0 miles)
• Oswego Hospital Lakeside Heart Center (0.2 miles)
• Oswego Hospital Laboratories (1.7 miles)
• Oswego Hospital (11 miles)
• Oswego Health (11.1 miles)

Physicians

• Advanced Orthopedic Group (0.1 miles)
• Endocrine Associates Of Oswego (0.2 miles)
• Young Hee Kim (0.3 miles)
• Oviatt Hearing & Balance (0.3 miles)
• Oswego Family Physicians, PC (0.3 miles)
• Oswego Podiatry (0.5 miles)
• Port City Family Medicine (0.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Oswego Sub Shop (0.1 miles)
• Maria's (0.3 miles)
• Domino's Pizza (0.3 miles)
• The Red Sun Fire Roasting Co. (0.3 miles)
• Oswego Bagelry & Sandwich Shop (0.3 miles)
• Eleven Brewing Company at the Cellar Door (0.3 miles)
• Vona's Restaurant (0.3 miles)

Theaters

• Oswego Cinema 7 (0.2 miles)
• Midway Drive In Theatre (5.8 miles)

Parks

• Franklin Park (0.3 miles)
• Linear Park (0.4 miles)
• Veterans Park (0.4 miles)
• Breitbeck Park (0.5 miles)
• Foster Park (10 miles)
• Fair Haven Beach State Park (12 miles)

Pharmacies

• Health Mart Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Wayne Drug Stores (0.3 miles)
• Harbor Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Kinney Drugs (10.2 miles)
• Hargraves Pharmacy (10.7 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (10.8 miles)

Cafes

• Cupcakers (0.3 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.4 miles)
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (1 miles)
• Lakeside Taxidermy (10.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Stephen's Roman Catholic Church (0.5 miles)
• St Paul's Roman Catholic Church (0.7 miles)
• Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (0.9 miles)
• Oswego Alliance Church (1.6 miles)
• River Of Life Church (2.2 miles)
• Minetto United Methodist Church (4.6 miles)
• Holy Family Rectory (10.2 miles)