Patient Testimonials

Our patients say it best…

Almost every day, we receive warm, wonderful letters of thanks from former patients, their families and friends. We thank them for taking the time to praise our staff for the excellent care they received, for telling us about their recovery and for sharing their "Helen Hayes Hospital Experience" with us, which we in turn share with you here.

I was lucky to be transferred to Helen Hayes Hospital for physical rehabilitation.  Your facility is first rate.   The patient rooms are spacious and clean. The therapy rooms are well organized. The food was very good. But the real treasure is your staff.
P.O.P

Not only was the staff thoroughly professional, but they also treated me with the loving care one might expect from family. My special compliments to the therapists. Getting me to overcome the initial pain required their special mix of gentle coaxing and touch of tough love.
J.J.

To summarize my entire experience at Helen Hayes Hospital as both an inpatient and outpatient, it was extraordinary. The staff are highly trained professionals and possess the qualities of kindness and caring which are so important to a recovering patient.
G.S.

Your organization should be proud of the quality of your medical and nursing staff. Dr. Marjorie L. King and her immediate staff particularly impressed me. Dr. King is one of the most committed hard-working and knowledgeable physicians I have ever encountered.
H.D.O.

The physical, occupational and recreational therapy and the care that I received was outstanding. I would especially like to thank my physical therapist Anthony for all of his hard work and effort in helping me to walk, my occupational therapist Danielle, and my recreational therapist, Alyssa for all her hard work and encouraging me to participate in recreation, which was so helpful. I would recommend your facility to anyone who is in need of rehabilitation.
C.C.

The care I received far exceeded my expectations. Everyone involved in my care showed concern and care and really put me back on my feet. I am very grateful to the entire staff and have recommended to everyone I know that should they need rehab care, Helen Hayes is the only place to go. My heartfelt thanks to everyone.
S.H.

As a retired RN, I was extremely pleased with the care I received. Everyone really cares about the patients.
M.C.

The care I received from the nurses, physical and occupational therapists, certified nursing assistants, and the entire staff of Helen Hayes was outstanding and all should be commended for their dedication, commitment and professionalism.
M.W.

I have Parkinson’s disease and I have learned to better cope with the effects of this disease with the dedicated help of two very wonderful and knowledgeable members of your therapy staff, Lynn and Bozena. Their kindness, compassion and cheerfulness have given me new hope in dealing with this disease.
A.K.

Your staff in the Cardiac Rehab Department is truly first rate in every aspect. They are knowledgeable, caring and dedicated to each and every patient in the program, while encouraging everyone along the road to recovery.
P.H.

I thank you for your kindness and support. I really appreciate all the words and prayers that I receive. Your support and encouragement helps to motivate me to get better.
Sgt. E.R

Our family thanks every staff member at Helen Hayes Hospital - from your CEO, to your physicians who provided the best care possible, to the nurses who worked around the clock, to the physical and occupational therapists who made the rehabilitation process easier and also to your staff in Patient Relations. My grandmother sends her special gratitude to the pharmacist who went out of her way and took extra time to help translate therapy sessions. My grandmother’s recovery would not have been possible if it weren’t for the great effort and care provided by all the staff members of Helen Hayes Hospital.
J.L.

I want to thank all the hard working staff for their attentive and caring help. I especially want to thank my nurses’ aides, case manager, dietary staff, (food was excellent), hair stylist, the volunteers and all the amazing physical and occupational therapists. Everyone was a pleasure to work with and I am so grateful for their dedication to their jobs, which is not always an easy task.
A. G.

As I left the Center for Rehabilitation Technology accompanying my daughter, and her new electric wheelchair, I had a tremendous feeling of indebtedness and appreciation. The CRT staff has serviced us ever so well over the last 5-7 years, adapting and creating accessories which fit properly and allow more function as well. They truly know what’s important - how to create it - and they really care that it’s done to perfection.
F.S.

Our family would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding service provided. Because of your compassion and professionalism, our mother’s experience following a total knee replacement was successful and without the chaos a rehabilitation stay can create. You made us feel important and always considered our needs a priority.
The M. Family

We would like to extend a note of gratitude for everything that has been done for our nephew, who served his country with unquestionable pride and gave the ultimate sacrifice. Your facility is quite impressive and the attention he received in helping him recover is outstanding. Our family is most grateful to be at Helen Hayes Hospital. The staff had been most accommodating and attentive. 
E. & D. R.

Helen Hayes Hospital is a wonderful facility. After several months in facilities that kept me in bed, or on a lift, I was very fortunate to find one which pushed me harder and made me develop the skills necessary to begin getting on with my life.
J.M.G.

...The care that I received was outstanding, the encouragement that I was given daily was above and beyond anything that I expected. I owe a large amount of my speedy recovery to the support and care that I got from your organization...
D. N.

If I were to make a concentrated search for a facility that would lend itself to excellence in every phase of its care, there would be none that would exceed the exceptional regard and professionalism of the entire staff of Helen Hayes Hospital.
V. M.

...I came into the hospital a very nervous hip replacement patient...I left confident and relaxed, comfortable with my ability to care for myself and my family...You cared for me intensely when I needed care, and let me care for myself when I was ready. What more could a rehabilitation patient ask for?...I cannot recall the names of the nurses and assistants on the night shift, but I know they were there for me.
R. L.

...Very simply, in terms of concern, spirit and compassion, based on the people I have come in contact with, your hospital is in a class by itself.
B. P.

I have nothing but accolades for Helen Hayes Hospital. The physical facility itself is the cleanest, brightest and most cheerful hospital I’ve ever been in, not to mention the magnificent river view which has to be a plus in anyone’s recovery...You don’t forget those special touches of TLC that do not come in a pill dispenser.
E. S.

If a person had to be in a hospital, I can’t think of a better one than Helen Hayes...The Helen Hayes experience stays with you. I heartily recommend it.
P. T.

Helen Hayes Hospital is a beautifully maintained, welcoming, professional and caring environment...everyone is totally committed to patient care and rehabilitation...
It is obvious that every member of your staff is highly skilled, taught to take pride in their work and shares the same priority - total patient care...
J. T.

...Helen Hayes is tops without a doubt...I was most impressed with the beauty of the hospital grounds, the spaciousness of the rooms and mostly the attentive, cheerful care given by all.
P. G.

I just can’t thank you enough for the care and dedication of all the nurses, therapists, aides and volunteers at Helen Hayes Hospital...This hospital sets an example of what a hospital should be...You gave me the help I needed to recover ...and rebuilt my confidence in myself to handle the challenges I’m about to embark on for the rest of my life.
T. A.

...My father is now eating on his own, walking with a walker...his life is so much better that we could have ever dreamed.
P. G.

There is a tremendous marriage of learning, caring and good humor at Helen Hayes Hospital that enables patients and their family and friends to face difficult times...Words pale in comparison to deeds well done. At Helen Hayes Hospital, deeds well done happen everyday.
W. G.

I am proud to say that I am able to walk and do many things that I thought I would never be able to do again...Your staff worked with me and gave me the courage and determination I needed to accomplish many feats...your entire hospital is run by angels and you are performing miracles everyday.
V. D.

My recovery was beyond my expectations and the time needed to accomplish it was far less than I thought it would be.
J. P.

My therapist enabled me to exceed what I thought my own limits to be and established for me a standard of excellence by which I will always measure other therapists...I want to thank everyone at Helen Hayes for minimizing the difficulties of being hospitalized and maximizing my potential as a patient.
K. L.

I would like to go on record to say that your hospital is one of the best, if not the best, in the United States.
M. S.

From my admission to my discharge, every minute was utilized to my benefit...with the guidance and support of your wonderful staff, I could feel myself improving daily...I have nothing but praise for every aspect of the rehabilitation program at Helen Hayes...my speedy recuperation was due in large part to all of you.
S. W.

Giving my father back his dignity at a time when our world fell apart is owed to your physical, occupational and speech therapists, as well as your nursing and medical staff.
J. K.

I enjoyed my meals. They were tastefully presented and delicious.
S. M.

...Thank you for your patience, experience and tender compassion. My family and I will always be grateful.
R. K.

My heartfelt thanks to all who motivated me to do what I didn’t think I would and for helping me regain so much of my strength and independence in only two weeks.
E. E.

My husband wants to get better and lead a productive life and we have Helen Hayes Hospital to thank for giving him that opportunity.
M. L.

It was a great relief for my family to know I was in such good hands.
P. H.

…You gave us back a wife, mother, grandmother and friend.
M.S.

…Wonderful is an inadequate word to describe your facility.
J. L.

I had a beautiful view of the Hudson River from my room, the entertainment was great, the food delicious and everything was immaculate. At times, I felt more like I was staying at a resort than a hospital.
M.R.

“Your complete hospital staff, from housekeepers to therapists and all the others are a special breed of people.”

“As I waited in the lobby with an aide for our car to take me home, I began to cry. When the aide asked if I were in pain, I responded no…my tears were simply those of gratitude for having been able to convalesce in such a facility as Helen Hayes.”

“After I had my stroke, my life was miserable; my world had come apart. Then a nurse came into my room and said hi with the biggest smile you ever wanted to see and she told me I should not feel bad, that worse cases had come into the hospital and gone home fine. She showed me how to walk a straight line again, how to hold my fork, she even taught me how to dress. Before you knew it I was doing all of these things for myself. And it’s all because of a caring nurse. A nurse that made me try a little harder and a hospital that cares.”

“The nursing as well as the housekeeping staff was professional and extremely attentive. They made what could have been a very difficult stay quite pleasant. However, special praise goes to your therapy staff. Their work was so personal and specific to my needs. As a result of their high level work, I can now walk without any assistance from crutches or a cane and am totally independent only two weeks after my surgery.”

“The first night I was at Helen Hayes, I was sitting in the main lobby in a wheelchair. Someone else in a wheelchair approached me from behind and asked, ‘how are you feeling?’ I responded that I was feeling very lost. He told me that I wasn’t really lost and that I was in the right place. It took me just 24 hours to fully understand what he meant by that comment. I’ve never seen such hospitality and courtesy as from all the staff and the people who operate HHH.”

“The therapists are not only professionally and intellectually well trained in their own specific field of endeavor, but your screening process seems to attract those with an extra measure of compassion and encouragement. Their joy at a patient’s success and achieving a victory, no matter how small, is reason for rejoicing for them.”

“Your facility has created great programs, but the staff who run them show exceptional enthusiasm, motivation and ability to make them successful. These people provide the highest quality of care, meet the highest standards and create an environment of warmth and concern. It’s great to know that there are still people in this fast-paced world that care and are truly concerned about their fellow human beings.”

“Every once in a while we are given a gift - a gift that has meaning, a gift that cares, and a gift that really has an impact on your life. Helen Hayes Hospital was that sort of gift to me.”

“Every person I had contact with had a smile and gave me the feeling of wanting to help me and be there for me. Every person made me feel important and that I really counted.”