Buffalo General Hospital: Address, Phone & Patient Info

Emergency services can connect patients to

• Emergency physicians.
• Internal medicine.
• Cardiology.
• Stroke neurology.
• Neurosurgery.
• Vascular surgery.
• Orthopedic surgery.
• General surgery.
• Critical care.
• Diagnostic imaging and laboratory services.

Cardiology

Stroke and neurology

Neurosurgery

Neurosurgical care includes brain and spine tumors, cerebrovascular disease, skull-base conditions, hydrocephalus, functional neurosurgery, complex spine disease and minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures.

Orthopedic surgery

General, bariatric and vascular surgery

Stroke and neuroscience services include

• Emergency stroke evaluation.
• Vascular neurology.
• Neurointerventional procedures.
• Mechanical thrombectomy for eligible patients.
• Brain aneurysm treatment.
• Arteriovenous-malformation care.
• Neurosurgical intensive care.
• Epilepsy and seizure care.
• Movement-disorder treatment.
• Deep Brain Stimulation.
• Spine and skull-base surgery.
• Rehabilitation after neurologic injury.

Buffalo General/Gates Vascular Institute is a regional destination for advanced cardiovascular and vascular treatment.

Cardiac services include

• General cardiology.
• Interventional cardiology.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Coronary intervention.
• Heart-failure management.
• Cardiac imaging.
• Echocardiography.
• Electrophysiology.
• Structural-heart procedures.
• Cardiac surgery.
• Cardiovascular intensive care.

Vascular services include

• Peripheral arterial disease.
• Aortic and peripheral aneurysm treatment.
• Carotid disease.
• Deep-vein thrombosis.
• Pulmonary embolism.
• Open vascular surgery.
• Endovascular procedures.

Buffalo General provides advanced orthopedic and spine surgery with support from UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and other affiliated surgeons.

Common orthopedic services

• Hip replacement.
• Knee replacement.
• Revision joint replacement.
• Fracture care.
• Spine surgery.
• Joint reconstruction.
• Orthopedic trauma.
• Physical and occupational rehabilitation.

The current BGMC/GVI fact page lists 29 operating rooms. Buffalo General’s surgical programs include traditional, laparoscopic, minimally invasive and robotic approaches where clinically appropriate.

Major surgical areas include

Buffalo General Medical Center is an accredited bariatric surgical facility and lists weight-loss surgery among its major specialty programs.

Evaluation may include:

• Medical and surgical assessment.
• Nutrition evaluation.
• Weight-management history.
• Preoperative laboratory testing.
• Psychological/behavioral assessment when required.
• Insurance authorization.
• Long-term nutrition and follow-up planning.

Current Buffalo General bariatric surgeons include John L. Butsch, MD and Alan R. Posner, MD.

Doctor consultation fees

Kaleida Health and UBMD do not publish one universal outpatient specialist fee. Before planned care, call the physician’s office and ask:

• What is the new-patient consultation charge?
• Is there a hospital/facility fee in addition to the physician charge?
• Is the physician in-network?
• Does the visit require prior authorization?
• Will imaging or testing be billed separately?

Buffalo General/Kaleida Health participates with many insurance plans, while individual physician practices may maintain their own contracts.

Before planned care, verify all of these

• Buffalo General Medical Center is in-network.
• The individual physician is in-network.
• Any anesthesiology or radiology group is in-network when possible.
• A referral is not required—or has already been obtained.
• Prior authorization is complete for surgery, imaging or admission.
• You understand your deductible, copay and coinsurance.

Kaleida Health has a financial-assistance program for qualifying uninsured, underinsured or financially distressed patients.

Eligible services can include emergency care and medically necessary hospital services. Eligibility is based on financial need and the circumstances described in Kaleida Health’s Financial Assistance Policy.

What applicants should be prepared to provide

• Household information.
• Income documentation.
• Insurance information.
• Bank/financial information when requested.
• Supporting documents needed to evaluate eligibility.

Current visitor parking area

The current Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus visitor-parking map identifies visitor parking at the 854 Ellicott Street parking garage, adjacent to Buffalo General, Gates Vascular Institute and the children’s hospital area.

Current medical-campus maps also identify valet access serving the Buffalo General/Gates Vascular Institute area.

Before leaving home

• Confirm whether your visit is at Buffalo General or Gates Vascular Institute.
• Save 100 High Street as the main hospital destination.
• Allow extra time during weekday medical-campus traffic.
• Bring the parking ticket with you if the clinic offers validation.
• Ask the entrance desk about wheelchair assistance if needed.

Kaleida Health’s current visitation policy states that each patient has the right to decide who may or may not visit, including a spouse, domestic partner, family member, friend or other support person.

Visitor access can still be limited when required for:

• Patient safety.
• Clinical procedures.
• Infection-control precautions.
• Critical-care requirements.
• Roommate privacy and safety.
• Unit-specific policies.

Before visiting

• Confirm the patient’s room/unit before traveling.
• Bring government-issued photo ID when requested for visitor registration.
• Do not visit when sick or recently exposed to a communicable illness.
• Follow isolation precautions and hand-hygiene instructions.
• Ask the nurse before bringing food, flowers or special items.

Common record-request options

• Use MyChart for results and information already available electronically.
• Use Kaleida Health’s authorization form for a formal release.
• Specify the dates of service.
• Specify which reports or portions of the record you need.
• Provide the receiving physician/facility details when records are being transferred.

Kaleida Health advises that provider messages are generally answered within 1–3 business days.

Language assistance

Kaleida Health provides interpreter/language assistance for patients who need help communicating in English. Ask the registration desk, nurse or care team to arrange it.

Discharge planning

Case management and social-work teams can help coordinate:

• Home-care services.
• Rehabilitation.
• Medical equipment.
• Follow-up appointments.
• Medication planning.
• Transportation/resources when available.
• Insurance and financial questions.

Hospital leadership

Kaleida Health currently identifies Michael Beecher, MD as Chief Medical Officer for Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.