I recently was admitted to Robert Johnson Somerset through the emergency room. I had a terrible…read morepounding headache, high fever, and unable to speak clearly. They took me in immediately and started test as quickly as possible. They needed to rule out several factors such as stroke, meningitis, etc.. I was given two brain MRIs, as well as an echo. I was treated with such compassion. I'll never forget it between the nurses and all the specialist. I felt like such a lucky person wonderful people.

I don't want to speak negatively of hospitals, but I can't help comparing my recent experience here…read morewith the experience I had a little over a year ago at St. Barnabas. I can't condemn anything about the medical care I received there... I believe St. Barnabas rates as 1 of the top hospitals in the state of NJ, after all ... but parking was a nightmare, the people supposed to register me as a patient were more than a little bit impatient and unhelpful, and I thought the belligerent security guard was 1 step away from tackling me to the ground in a choke hold. My doctor wanted me to get another echocardiogram, which I had for the 1st time a little over a year ago at Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center (not St. Barnabas the hospital, in this case, although it wasn't far away; it's a stone's throw from the Livingston Mall and about a mile away from the baronial estate of the late Mafia boss Ruggiero "Ritchie the Boot" Boiardo). I had no particular grievance against the Ambulatory Care Center (if I remember right, I wrote a fairly positive review about the experience), but RWJ is closer to where I live, and it's not like the Ambulatory Care Center experience was so stellar that I NEEDED to go there, as opposed to anywhere else. I had been to RWJ a few years ago for a test when I started having digestive problems. The test was inconclusive, but I didn't blame RWJ, as my own doctor (and I like my doctor) ran a series of tests and ultimately said, "We can't find out what's wrong with you. If the problem continues, make an appointment with a gastroenterologist." Instead, I bought a bottle of Pepto Bismol, and that seemed to eradicate the issue, for the time being, anyway. Ultimately, I probably will have to see a gastroenterologist. But that's another review for a later time (after I've actually gone to one, that is). I remembered that RWJ was off the main street, Union Ave., and I was able to locate it again without too much difficulty. I wasn't sure which building I was supposed to go to, but there was a large free outdoor parking lot. I went to the 1st nearby building, where a security guard sat. I still had the "muscle memory" of my confrontation with the St. Barnabas security guard making me tense up, but this security guard was actually very helpful and informative. I asked him if it was ok for me to park in that large free parking lot, and he said it was. When I indicated the kind of test I was there to have performed, he actually walked me to the main pathway, told me to walk to the end of it, and the part of the hospital I needed to go to was there. Inside that part of RWJ, I waited on a small line, but it didn't take long before I was in front of a representative. She signed me in quickly, took a photo for my brand new RWJ I.D., and affixed a white "patient strip" around my wrist. She then directed me to the elevator, told me what floor I needed to get to, and where exactly I had to go once I reached that floor. Couldn't have been easier. Upstairs in the cardiac center, I was efficiently registered, told how long my wait would be, and directed to a comfortable waiting area. (My 1 complaint would be that they had 1 magazine available to read; it was People, which I detest. Two thirds of the "celebrities" within its pages are "beautiful" ciphers I've never heard of, and hopefully never will hear of again. Remember when People sometimes wrote stories of importance and gravity? Yeah, I'm old enough to remember those ancient, bygone days...) At 1 point, the lady who had registered me came over and apologized that the wait would be a little longer than anticipated. The extra wait time didn't bother me...I anticipate a wait anytime I go to a doctor or hospital...but I appreciated the gesture. Before too long, the pleasant young woman performing the echocardiogram brought me in. It's not a colonoscopy (which is unpleasant but not painful), and it's certainly not agonizing in any way, but I wouldn't exactly call it something to look forward to. I'm lying on my side, shirt off, with my fish-white flesh exposed and my flabby belly hanging out (my youthful days of lifting weights and running 6 miles every other day are obviously long behind me), while she leaned over me, probing my gelled-up chest with a probe or wand or whatever it's called, monitoring the heart's activity on a screen. When I went for the test a year ago in Livingston, the amplified sound of my own heart freaked me out, but the person performing the test then gave no indication that anything could be done about it. This time, when I mentioned how that sound bothered me, the woman performing the test said, "Oh, I can shut off the sound, so you don't have to hear it." Again, I appreciated the gesture. All in all, my experience at RWJ was much more positive than my encounter at St. Barnabas. Parking wasn't an ordeal, and everyone I encountered was helpful and at least relatively friendly. I have no problem coming here again, if I have to.

Small hospital with staff shortage. But the most disappointing part is that they really overbilled…read morepatients. Their website says they are noted for their excellent service for the elderly, but that is not the case. I'll make sure not to come back in the future.

If I could leave a half of star I would, It takes so long for them to help me and my doctor wasn't…read moregood at all and didn't help me and took so long.

A modern facility with a wide range of services and excellent quality of care. The outpatient…read moresurgery unit runs like a well-oiled machine, and the staff seem very organized and efficient. My only complaint is that the collections process feels a bit overzealous. They start calling patients for payment days before the service is even provided. It can feel a little pushy.

From the 3 visits to the surgical operating area, to the 4 day stay in Shock Trauma (ICU), to the 2…read moreweek stay in 2 CORE (Cardiac) unit, and the return to ER and the 3 day stay on the oncology floor - RWJ's staff made this stay and return incredibly comfortable. There are so many people to thank for getting us through this journey....Dr. Botros for his continual heart-felt checkups and GI expertise to help guide our decisions. He is the best! Dr. Beckerman for being the first person I got to speak with about how the emergency vascular surgery went and recovery. He made the right calls to help save a life. To May, Mel, Harry and all those in the ICU who provided kindness and took the time to comb hair or make our very stressful situation comfortable for our family. To Liana, Julianna, and Megan of 2 CORE who helped get the first steps in post surgery and encouraged us to keep focused on improvement. To Diane in Oncology who encouraged my nursing skills and personally took the wheelchair from the unit to the car because transport to head home would have cost us additional time that we could spend together at home. To Samantha and the Palliative care team for answering my early morning phone calls and helping set us up in the right direction with the right medications. I also want to thank the security woman in the ER who was patient with me as I unpacked all my digital devises from the backpack I'd been living in for 3 weeks while bringing a smile to my face and to the ER front desk for understanding the chaos of why my license wasn't available, having been tossed while in ICU. To the initial transport and security team who brought me the wallet and came back with the reading glasses they had forgot to handoff, thank you. Some things to know and expect: Parking - The older parking lot by the Emergency room entrance is often filled by 10am on a weekday. Weekends, you will typically get a space. The new cancer building across from the hospital has a brand new parking garage in the back. You can typically always find parking. If walking isn't a challenge for you, I'd park there. The first 3 or 4 floors have 3 hour parking and you have to move the car beyond that. All of the upper floors do not have a time limit. I'd recommend parking there, depending on your stay. There is also valet parking at this lot. It does take awhile for them to bring the car, but it costs less than $20 and is worth it for anyone with mobility issues. The elevator on the 3rd floor of the parking garage has a direct passage into the cancer building and if you stay left, you'll find the walkway into the hospital, which brings you to the 2nd floor of the hospital. You must check in on the first floor of the hospital. One desk is at the main entrance by the cancer center and the other is directly across from the elevator to the older garage, near the Starbucks. Make sure you ask to get your parking ticket validated as you check in for the visit. It reduces the parking fee from $20 to $6 This is a $14 savings, which adds up, considering how long the hospital stay may be. Food - There are two main areas in the hospital to eat. On the second floor is a cafeteria. There is a sandwich / panini area, a grill, pre-packaged sandwiches, a salad bar, and a full hot entree area to choose from. The prices are significantly more affordable than the local restaurants. The coffee is basic, but it's always hot. Starbucks is the other option. This is on the first floor, close to the O.R. waiting area and the entrance to the old parking garage. They do take the app for payment, but it can be chaotic for newer staff, so I wouldn't order anything too complicated. Outside of the hospital, you can walk to Efes for a decent Turkish meal or Mahmoud's is just around the corner. Tips - Carry your badge that you get at checkin with you at all times when in the hospital. You may find yourself walking the mile+ from the ICU to the Starbucks needing a snack and the glorified hall monitor will give you a hard time. The hallway into 2 CORE is an icebox (always bring a sweater). Other than that, have someone who can advocate for you and be present for all of the doctors and care team you may get. Take copious notes. Ask for things you need (bed rotations, sponge baths, extra pillows, a water pitcher and the location of the refreshment station, note the ordering times for food service on the menus, find where to take empty food trays post meals...etc). You will be cared for here and remember the nurses have at least 10 hour shifts that they are standing and working hard caring for their patients. Remember to treat them with care and that they are just people too.

I had to come to this hospital for Radiation/Chemo that my local hospital didn't offer for my…read moredaughter. At first I was reluctant to try a new hospital because I have been with the same team for almost 5 months. After weighing the options best for daughter I decided the week stay at Bristol-Myers would be better for her. I am so glad I made that decision. I can tell this hospital took time and planned how to best meet the needs of families who have to spend multiple nights. The food was great, the room spacious, private parent area with bed (not the most comfortable) but better than sleeping in a chair, teen room, video games in the room, kids can not only leave the area but the floor as well. The best part was the accommodating, warm, welcoming staff. My daughter and I love love love this hospital...

My daughter was a patient at this hospital for complex hip surgery, performed by Dr. McPartland…read more He, his entire staff, and the hospital were wonderful. We spent 4 days and received excellent care around the clock. The entire adolescent unit was wonderful! I highly recommend this hospital. Huge thank you to all who took such good care of my child!

"Academic Research Hospital" Failed Basic Emergency Care - Destroyed Patient Hope…read more My 82-year-old mother was admitted to Robert Wood Johnson New Brunswick with a failed laminectomy, spinal stenosis, and neurogenic claudication causing extreme burning pain in her legs. We chose this hospital specifically because it advertises itself as an academic research hospital specializing in spine, neurology, and geriatrics. What happened instead: 48-Hour ER Wait - No imaging done despite orders. Developed urinary retention requiring catheterization. Still no MRI of spine after 60+ hours. Hope Destroyed - An unknown physician (not orthopedics, not neurosurgery) physically grabbed my mother's feet to ensure eye contact, looked directly at her, and stated: "You will never walk out of here better than when you walked in. We will not fix you." This was said to an 82-year-old woman who endured 100 days of hospitalization and 6 weeks of rehab, who came here with hope for answers. No MRI had been performed. No neurosurgeon had evaluated her. Hypertensive Crisis Ignored - Later that day, my mother became acutely confused (oriented x0, not x4 as documented). Her blood pressure escalated from 180s to 201/97 systolic - a life-threatening emergency - despite multiple doses of oral blood pressure medications. She has heart failure, posterior stroke history, and just became dialysis-independent 2 weeks prior. Staff dismissed her acute confusion as "sundowning" despite: Thinking she was in her apartment (actually in hospital) Thinking she'd been there "months" (actually 2 days) Unable to identify the nursing station Confusing meals And what did the doctor say after the nurse called? Monitor. Thankfully a rapid response team after I said I would wheel her down to the ER responded. I had to dictate the treatment plan. When asked "what do you want us to do?", I - a 20-year paramedic, NOT the physician - had to suggest: CT scan, MRI, IV labetalol, labs, 12-lead EKG. This became their plan. This is standard emergency protocol for hypertensive crisis with altered mental status. They should have known this without family input. Equipment Reliability Concerns - Manual blood pressure check showed 160 systolic when automated cuff showed 201 systolic - a 40+ point discrepancy. If true, this means patients throughout the hospital are being treated based on unreliable automated readings, potentially causing dangerous hypotensive episodes when medications are given based on falsely elevated readings. Current Status - 60+ hours admitted. Still no spinal MRI. New urinary retention. No bowel movement. Unknown if she can walk. Possible cauda equina syndrome (a neurosurgical emergency) completely ignored. Outcome - We came seeking expertise from a "specialty center." Instead, my mother received delayed imaging, mismanaged hypertensive emergency, dismissive care, and psychological devastation from a physician who destroyed her hope before even ordering appropriate diagnostics taking away the most important thing a patient can have...hope. I will be pursuing AMA discharge to transfer to a facility that provides actual emergency care. After someone tells my mother "we will not fix you" - why would we stay?

There was this one white nurse behind the desk at the er counter on 2/14 around 3 am. She is…read morehorrible at her job and seems very incompetent at managing her patients. Totally not qualified for the field she's in. I would also like to mention that her lack of hygiene and greasy hair reflects this behavior. Not to mention it all very pointed and attacking me based on discrimination. Not someone I would rely on to treat every patient equally. Some serious investigation needs to be done into her facilitation of patients and her nasty speech and attitude. I wish I knew her name otherwise I'd have my day in court.

The showers were cold, the food was awful, but the staff had a way of mental issue last time I…read morewent. They are the tuff-love kind of people. They addressed the root of the problem, and I haven't been there since 2009! They were always caring for the patient and not as cold and distant as some perceive them to be. I still struggle here and there, but I have a great counselor and psychiatrist from UBHC Of UMDNJ who is very knowledgeable and good. Excellent mental care for those with behavior problems, like me when I was younger.

Worst experience ever !!! Unprofessional, unhelpful, rude , condescending, poor manors, uncouth!!!…read moreDo not come here !!! Find somebody else !!! Worst healthcare front desk!! They need to give their in-takers therapy! I'm more traumatized now then before I called here ! They should be ashamed of themselves how you helping other people when you need help yourself ! Note: There is nothing wrong with the doctor or therapist, JUST THE FRONT DESK! They have about six plus behind the glass and they have a problem doing their job and the patient advocacy is another JOKE. They told me there is nothing they can do and for me to contact the office.

Highest quality of care for your child. Everyone cares for your child and wants the best for your…read morechild. They drovide multidimensional and interdisciplinary care for the best possible outcome.

mantente alejado de estos doctores. No te escucharán a ti ni a tu hijo. No tienen problemas para…read moreseparar familias. Please be careful with these doctors.