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St Michael's Hospital
Categories: Health and Medical Medical Clinics Health and Medical Hospitals Health and Medical Doctors Family Practice Medical Clinics, Hospitals, Family Practice [Edit]
30 Bond StToronto, ON M5B 1W8
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 360-4000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 12 am
- By Appointment Only:
- No
8 reviews for St Michael's Hospital
8 reviews in English
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Review from Luis H.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2011
'Toronto's Urban Angel' truly sets itself as a leader in quality health care. Located in downtown Toronto, St. Michael's was formerly a Catholic-owned hospital turned public hospital offering preventive and emergency care to residents and visitors alike. Unlike many urban hospitals that I've visited before, visits to the ER at St. Michael's couldn't be more easier. Instead of waiting 9-10 hours at private U.S. hospitals (done that in the past), you are checked in and attended in a timely manner, ensuring you won't be spending hours waiting patiently to see a doctor.
The hospital is home to many speciality doctors that you can see if the ER recommends that you see a physician for continuing care. While it can be a wait to see a doctor due to their schedules, the care and guidance provided during a private visit is worth the wait. The only negative aspect that I received during my first visit to St. Mike's was with the billing department as I had not been in the province for the required 90 days before I qualified for OHIP, and therefore my private insurance took a while to pay the hospital. I had to reassure them that payment was on the way, but it was a nuisance to get statements in the mail every week. Note to billing: "Patience is a Virtue."
Highly recommended if you're in Toronto's downtown core area and require immediate care! -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
12/22/2008
Sitting in this ER waiting area feels like you're in direct competition with the ill person beside you. I can cough more! I look more pale! I'm more sick! Take me! Me!
I know, I know, this is more a comment on our overburdened health care system than it is of this particular hospital, but if I can't directly comment about the policies, this is my second-best option.
From the info desk onwards, the nursing staff seemed less than attentive to my friend suffering from a serious appendix attack. It took 12 hours of painful waiting and tummy aches before he got a freaking bed and serious attention from a doctor. In fact, unless you're barfing up your pancreas or have an eyeball dangling out of your socket, you're probably not on the priority list. Sad.
Again, I guess this is not specifically a knock on St. Mike's than it is of the health system in general, but come on. 12+ hours?
What an awful experience. In fact, the only people that truly elevated my opinion of the place were the two hospital volunteers, who came by and made everything feel all right. Their smiles and genuine sympathy meant a lot.
Please, please, don't let me ever get sick around here. -
Review from vivian v.
Aurora, ON
11/13/2009
It's a hospital, and I'm pretty sure that there is only so much you can expect. waiting times are no one's friend, especially in a hospital in Toronto. But I was actually quite content with my experience in the hospital last night. Although my condition was not one of physical ailment, everyone from the triage nurse to the doctor was amazing to me. The cops from my earlier review stayed with me until I was registered and maybe that's the only reason that the triage nurse decided to me kind to me, as the officers explained to her why I was there.
It was 3:30 in the morning and another patient has given me another chair to put my feet up so i could get some sleep. He tried joking with the janitorial staff who didn't even crack a smile then proceeded to tell on us to security that we had our feet up. Keep in mind the chairs are already filthy and it wasn't like they were in use. But with security down my throat for a silly thing was kind of annoying.
Once I was in the hospital room, I opted to sit on the chair in the corner. This idea didn't last long once I realized the bed wasn't getting any use. I curled up in the bed and passed right out. The attending nurse woke me up to discuss why I was in the hospital and when she left, turned off the light for me and brought me a proper blanket so I didn't have to use my jacket for warmth.
I was asleep for my entire wait in the room, but when the doctor came in, she was amazing with me and like the officers, reassured me that this is just a phase and the steps I need to take. Listening to everything I said and not skipping a beat to be supportive and just beyond kind.
After being at the hospital for over 7 hours, she said I could leave whenever I wanted, although sooner is better for obvious reasons. So as soon as I could, I bolted from the hospital bed to my own. -
Review from Mozart A.
Whitby, ON
4/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had a very good experience with St. Michael's Hospital. My daughter was delivered there. Some highlights are:
- Great nurses - of course not all of them are perfect, but even those that I didn't like that much didn't do anything wrong.
- Great infrastructure - everything looks clean and new.
- Delivery - all staff employed in the actual delivery were caring, dedicated professionals. The nurse that actually made the delivery was terrific, she was patient, optimistic, focused and was of paramount importance to the successful outcome.
One of my favourite experiences regarding this hospital was this: your obgyn probably gives you a pamphlet early in your pregnancy with your "schedule". This pamphlet is actually from the hospital, and it tells you what you should do in each week (this week there's the anatomical ultrasound, this week you should book prenatal classes, etc). There was saying that we should book the hospital tour at the 35th week (I guess). I called them and they told me that I actually should have called one month earlier, because they were fully booked. I pointed out that they were the ones that told me to do that at that time but the lady was unmoved. I left a message to the Patient Affairs department just asking them to fix their material, because if people rely on the pamphlet they are in for a surprise - expecting nothing more than a fake "alright, sir, will do". They actually called me, very concerned about us not making the tour, and arranged us to be on the next one. I was very impressed.
St. Michael's is a great place to have a baby. It makes me even more happy to realize that everybody can have the same opportunity as we did, regardless of their wallet size. God I love Canada. -
Review from karla l.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2009
Got sick!
Got well! -
Review from Kat F.
6/26/2009 1 photo
Obviously I cannot give a hospital an overall glowing review - as we all know there are various glitches and nuisances present with our lovely Canadian healthcare.
While I would give the waiting time (4+ hours) and the check-in procedure one star at most - triage staff was terse, lacking compassion and generally snarky, refusing to provide a blanket when I was shivering deliriously with a 103ºF strep & tonsillitis-induced fever in the waiting room for hours - I wholeheartedly give the ER staff a 4.5 star rating.
Thursday night's ER staff, especially Dr. Ross Blundell and nurse Swanee Tobin, was wonderfully compassionate and caring. Dr. Blundell checked in on me numerous times to update me on my blood test results and to make sure I was doing OK. He had a supremely wonderful bedside manner, soothing and relaxing voice and speaking tone, and was very sympathetic to my visibly deteriorating health. He was thorough with his recommendations for tests and x-rays and seemed very knowledgeable in terms of narrowing down the diagnosis. The attending nurse, Swanee, was equally wonderful and caring, not like the terse and snippy nurses you see on TV - she was like the "dream nurse" that you WISH would care for your dying loved one because she was so pleasant and soft-spoken, and very patient and understanding. She checked in on my saline drip every few minutes to make sure it was replenished and even went to the effort of going to the waiting room to track down my brother and friend so that they could come check on me since it had been a few hours since I'd been admitted.
The Toronto hospital circuit should consider itself lucky to have such wonderful and caring individuals working within the medical profession! -
Review from Maria L.
Toronto, ON
3/24/2011
I work at this hospital, and it's fantastic! I call all my co-workers my "St. Mike's family," and I really mean it- they are my second family. I started at this hospital as an O.R. nurse in 1997, and have loved every minute of it. The managers are great, my co-workers are super-smart, and I love most of the doctors that I work with. We truly love our patients, and we are happy to meet and help every one of you in the operating room. If you ever come in for eye surgery, please say "hello" if you see me in my scrubs and cute hats. Come work here, it's amazing! Come get your surgery done here, we love our Patients! (we're very clean in the OR too)
Maria -
Review from Naureen H.
1/29/2010
This review is specifically for the Obstetrics department which is located in the Bond street side of the hospital (accessible through the Queen St. side as well).
I moved here from the States(private health care) about five months ago and found out I was expecting during that time. I contacted my local md who recommended that I go and see Dr. S. Kives at St Mikes as shes a great OB and surgeon not to mention also her doctor as well. I double checked with a quick online search and most people had great reviews of her so I was game. This is the beginning of my experiences as and adult using the health care system.
I guess St. Mikes is undergoing some renovations (correct me on this if its always like this, it was my first time going so I dont know if it always looks like this) because the office that they are usually in has been moved to the other hospital building and is in one of the basement floors. The waiting area is a series of chairs and enough room for a stroller as well. I didnt have to wait longer that 7 minutes so it was fine. The front staff was nice but behind a glass window...not sure why. The nurse who saw me first was not Dr. Kives' usual nurse but was covering because the other nurse was busy already with some patients. This nurse was so nice and took the time to explain everything to me even as far as some logistics at the hospital because it is very different between here and the care I had in the States(tests and so forth). It turned out Dr. Kives was away in Guatemala doing surgeries there,(cool eh?) so I would be seeing the other doctor in the practice, a male! I was like as long as there is no internal checking im fine. He was nice too and took the time to talk to us and explain quite a bit to us again as the nurse before. I mention taking the time because many health care professionals often dont and I think its important that they take time because we as the public dont know anything about medicine or the health care system so its refreshing when someone explains us stuff.
All in all the office staff was very friendly and the nurses were quite helpful. I will update once I get to meet my specific OB. Yes the office looks shabby and is in the basement with low ceilings and nasty lighting, I doubt the staff likes it much as well so I shouldn't complain they have to see it every day. My mantra was "Stop complaining, its free and you are lucky to have it!!!"
