How is Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas? (Plano, Allen: renting, how much, hotels)

[teatime]

Hi y'all,
My neurologist has decided I need to go to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas for inpatient neuro testing. He faxed over the orders and a lady from the hospital called me to make the arrangements. Apparently, I'll be staying there for 4 or 5 days. I don't know much of anything about the hospital and hoped for some feedback and advice.

First off, what part of Dallas is the hospital in? Which major highways are near it?

Secondly, I'll be admitted on a Monday and, since I'll have a 3-hour drive, the hospital lady suggested coming on Sunday and spending the night at the hotel that's part of the hospital. Is the hospital hotel comfortable or are there other hotels, restaurants, etc. near the hospital that would be better?

Is the hospital campus huge? I have mobility issues but don't use a wheelchair (I use a cane for short distances and a walker for longer distances). Are there shuttles around the place or wheelchairs you can use? The hospital lady advised me to bring a wheelchair if I can't walk a lot but I really can't see renting and lugging a wheelchair up there since I won't use it much once I'm admitted.

How's the food? Do the patient rooms have TVs/DVD players? If I'm going to have things wired to my head for four days and no company, I'll be one crabby chick if the food is terrible and there's no TV! I could bring my own DVD player, LOL.

Any feedback on Presbyterian Hospital would be most appreciated! I'll be tended to in the Neurosciences Center, if that helps.

[GayleTX]

I stayed in the Presby guest rooms last summer. They are on the top floor and the view of the downtown Dallas skyline is worth the price of the lodging. The guest rooms are just converted hospital rooms, very basic needs but comfortable and certainly much simpler situation than trying to stay a few blocks thru traffic away....alleviated a lot of stress for this out of town country girl. I definitely recommend staying there rather than driving from a hotel to the hospital in rush hr traffic the next morning. There is construction all over the place (build, build, build) and I found the signs confusing but there is valet parking right at the front door and they were very helpful. I would think they'd have chairs available at the door, but I didn't really notice. As I recall, there is a map on their website.

I have heard only wonderful things about Presby altho our experience with it has been limited. My DIL has eye surgery there just yesterday morning and I'll be there Wed. morning to take her back. I'll look in the lobby for wheelchairs for you.

Best wishes for a postiive experience and outcome with your tests.....

[FarNorthDallas]

Presby Dallas is a great well regarded hospital in North Dallas. It is just off Central/75 at Walnut Hill. East side of Central about a mile east of Central on Walnut Hill before you get to Greenville Ave. It's a bigger complex. Busy. Popular.

[Lakewooder]

DART also has a rail station at Walnut Hill mere yards from the hospital.

I have also stayed at the Presby "Hotel" in the hospital. Very convenient.

It was nice enough that the late Oscar-winning actress Greer Garson stayed there in a converted room as she was dying. She was just down the hall from us and Van Cliburn visited her hours before she became a part of the firmament.

[GayleTX]

Teatime......I'm back from my trip to Big D....didn't get to go in the hospital....we just went to the dr.'s clinic down the street so didn't get to check out the wheelchair situation.

As for food, tho.....my son ate in the cafeteria at Pesby yesterday and said it was pretty bad. And my friend who just spent 5 days in there after an accident said it the worst he'd ever had in a hospital - he lost a lot of weight while there, however!

[kaykay]

My husband had quadruple bypass surgery there about 3 years ago. I felt that the medical care there was pretty top-notch.

One night I stayed upstairs in the "Presby Hotel." It's nothing to write home about, but it was clean and neat and convenient. It's not fancy, to be sure. There may be better motels and hotels in the area. I'm not sure what's in that area. I stayed there because I wanted to be able to stay in his room till very late. So the convenience of actually being in the building was a plus for me. (We live in Plano, but I didn't want to go back to the house that night. I had tried sleeping in the room. Not good option. I didn't get any sleep that way.) They take reservations, I understand and I recommend making them if you want to stay there. I didn't and the 1st night I inquired about staying, there were no rooms available.

The food seemed good to me in the cafeteria and he thought his food was good. (But this was 3 years ago. It may have changed.)

Presby IS large. They have valet parking outside, but to go from one place to another in the interior can be a long walk. I'm sure they could accomodate you someway, however.

That's about all the feedback I can give. Hope this helps.
Wish you the best with your stay there.

[teatime]

Thanks so much, y'all! I really appreciate the information! Do you recall how much they charge to stay in their "hotel" guest rooms? That seems like it would be the easiest for me so we could drive to Dallas on Sunday and avoid traffic jams.

Heh, I will compile a list of restaurants that deliver in case the food is bad. I've never stayed in a hospital for more than two or three days and that was for surgery so I was out of it. It would stink to be there for 4 or 5 days fully awake and aware -- and hungry! Maybe I'll pack some healthy snacks and things to bring, too.

[momof2dfw]

Presby is TOP NOTCH!!! Especially their neuro department. My sister has an AWESOME neurosurgeon there (Dr. Jerry Marlin - AWESOME!!!). I have a very good long time friend that works for Southwest Diagnostics (if you get an MRI or CATscan it is where she works there at the hospital). She is a GREAT LADY! I can pm you her name so if you have any questions or concerns she can help you out. She does not do the MRI's anymore but she makes sure she is on and does my sisters.

As for the onsite hospital hotel - my mother-in-law and her sister stayed there while the sisters husband was in the hospital for a week. The rooms do. If your not wanting to deal w/ the traffic and parking and want to get used to where everything is before your admitted it is a great way to go. The closest hotels are going to be down the service road from the hospital and not that convienent. Well, they would be "convienent" for someone that knows their way around the area but for an out-of-towner and dealing already with the "being in the hospital" anxieties...... stay at the hospital hotel.

As for the food........ my sister and everyone else that has stayed there thought it was pretty good. But for some reason I think hospital food has taken a turn for the worse in the last two years. My mom was at the new Baylor Plano last week. They did not rave about the food served to them in the rooms but the food in the cafeteria was ehh. There are plenty of dining places around the outside of the hospital so several might deliver.

[chica_bella813]

I am considering taking a job in that facility--I am coming from Fla. I am like the Plano/Allen area. Is that too far of a commute to this facility. The medical facilities in the Allen/Plano area didn't have what I was looking for....I also notice Big Baylor is very popular in that region. I am leaning toward Dallas Presby...Thanks for the input. I very much look forward to the transition to Dallas, tx. Tampa Fla Sucks!!!

[kaykay]

My husband commutes from Plano to very close to Presby Dallas. It's a drive, but it's do-able if that's what you want to do.