Sidney Hillman Family Practice

This place could of killed me by prescribing me high dosages of meds. I waited five hours to see their psychiatrist, only for her to up my meds and not bother even checking in on me. Luckily, I got second opinions after remembering being told for years to never take that amount of medication she had prescribed. I knew my past psychiatrist’s were right, not to take this woman’s «advice.» I didn’t bother going back, nor did they seem to care if I did or not. They didn’t bother calling me when the woman handling my med case had left! I figured I was done with them, only for my condition to worsen and I had to return. I got stuck with Aromin, who could obviously care less about what you’re going through. He too prescribed me a high dosage that made my condition worse! He didn’t even give me the proper meds, due to his bias on pot smoking conjoined with meds so I don’t always feel like a robot on them. The meds I am on, allow me to be able to do so with better outcomes. I’ve spoken to other far more professional people about the subject. But, he treated me like a drug addict for it. Last I saw him, I walked into his «office» and it smelled like he had freshly smoked a cigarette. Not only did I have to wait for his smoke break to be over. But, he was judging me flat out, for something far less harmful than his cigarette addiction. I felt like lashing on him right there, on the spot. Because I don’t drink, smoke cigarettes, or do any types of drugs at all. Yet, he made me seem like a junky, ordering me to take drug tests because of herbal use.
When drawing my blood that night, the nurse didn’t do it right at all. She got my blood everywhere, including on herself. I question of how steril their tools are now. I seriously feel I need to get a blood test done just for safety purposes. After she took the needle out of my arm, the nurse puts pressure on the injection spot, folding my arm. After taking blood, it’s known never to do that. It leaves black and blue marks, but she bent my arm back anyway… Also, when I got back from the bathroom to hand them my urine sample, the nurse who was suppose to take it wasn’t in the office. She kept me waiting for ten minutes, then comes back and laughs because she forgot about me. She turned it into a funny little «oops» joke.
After that visit, I got a stomach virus that night when I got home. The only place I was exposed to within that time was their facility and bathroom for a urine test, for four days I was severely sick.
Due to my condition and Aromin’s lack of mental health knowledge, I suffered horribly for a month. Landing in the ER twice! Last seeing him, he prescribed me a bunch of the wrong amount of meds (half of my prescription regimen, mind you), and told me to see him in a month. He tried pushing me on the director of the psychiatric clinic. To «help» find another «therapist» that’s just going to sit there, and not be of any help to my needs whatsoever. I called the director Meyers twice, she hasn’t bothered and it’s been two weeks. I demanded my records and to meet with her in person over voice message, the second time I called. These people are looking for a serious lawsuit on their belts. I luckily found better people to help, after much searching. This place needs to be shut down, I see how they treat other patients and no one deserves such disrespect. A professional is supposed to help and shed light, not make you feel completely hopeless. If you go here, I suggest leave as fast as you possibly can. I can only imagine all the malpractice these people have gotten away with, they are disgusting, unprofessional, vile humans.
The desk staff are rude as well, they always seem to give people attitude. Especially over the phone. My first few times there, one of the staff made me uncomfortable. She was always at the front desk, minding it. I would always get dirty looks from her, no reasons at all… All I did was walk in the building. Finally she wasn’t around anymore, then the next problem after that was the waiting room… But, I won’t get into it much. Just that it’s not a pleasant place to wait for five hours…
I was advised by Kristen, the woman incharge of my meds at first. To seek help from doctors at their clinic, to switch my primary care doctor to one of their’s. I did so, and got a rude woman who seemed to want me rushed out as soon as possible. She dismissed my concerns, telling me it’s a common problem. No recommendations to a specialist, a referral, nothing. She seemed too concerned about the people filling up the rooms she had to visit. In five minutes she was out, with nothing more to tell me. I switched back to my other primary doctor right after that. I didn’t trust them to actually work together, to help me find the underlining issues to my illnesses. I wouldn’t trust these people with my life. This place put me through hell! I’d love to report them, it truly would be for the greater good. So thankful I am no longer at the place.

Mental Health services sub par. My therapist made an appointment for me to see the prescribing psychiatrist on Christmas Day. I though it odd that the psychiatrist would be in on Christmas Day and asked twice if she was sure and she said «Yes». I had not seen the psychiatrist before, only a prescribing nurse, who went by both the name Beverly and Jane, who made a series of horrific medication errors (INCLUDING A HIPA VIOLATION) and I was very anxious to get into an actual MD. I got up on Christmas morning, left my family at home, and when I got to the office at Union Square, was told that the doctor would not be coming in. After sitting on the front stairs of the clinic in an empty street on Christmas morning and sobbing, I tried to have a meeting with on of the directors, Giorgio or Laura, and as of today, January 25^th, I have yet to even speak to one of them on the phone.

Avezbakiyev, Emanuel should be terminated as a doctor and never be near another patient! he is the worst! Stay away! The lowest form .No doctor should verbally abusive his patients, as he did to me. I mearly asked him questions about the Meds. he wanted to give me after meeting me for exactly one min., The Medical Board/​Assc. Should investigate his incompetence and social behavior. He also hardly never looked at me when asking questions, just typed and looked at his computer! Creep!

The staff is so friendly! the doctors are helpful, clear and very professional.

Unfortunately this organization is so incredibly disorganized that it detracts from anything positive that I can say. Their call systems sends you to an appointment service outside of their office, and if you need to get a message to a doctor you have to press 6 and pretend to be a physician before you can actually get anyone on the phone. It’s completely ridiculous. I think it’s great that they offer sliding scale and have grants for IUDs and other contraceptives, but I wish that I could avoid having to go back.

This place has to be shot down and their good doctors should seek another place to serve the public. The standard of care is zero and good luck getting through any phone lines. God forbid if the pharmacist has to call to verify any information. I had to wait one week to get an OK to get a generic medication vs. a brand name. This clinic runs on grant money and our tax money and they need to provide a better service. employees here treating people with ruddiness and disrespect just because they are low income! Funny that We went there for my mom who has no health insurance in NY back then. I’ve decided to write this review to bring awareness to others and hopefully to the director of the clinic. You are in this business to help public, if you don’t like your job then leave and seek a different line of business not health care!

I think it is fair to say that when you go to the doctor’s office there is an unspoken rule that you’ll have to wait to see the doctor for a reasonable amount of time. However, this place is ridiculous! I’ve been here 4 times (I don’t know what I was thinking) and my wait time averages between 1 – 2 HOURS to see a doctor. In fact there was one time where it took an HOUR just to see the nurse.
Don’t come here unless CityMed is really backed up– it’s not worth it.

I’ll keep this review short and sweet seeing that this clinic has already wasted a majority of my time. I wouldn’t even go to this place if it were my last resort. The staff here, completely unhelpful and uncaring. They simply do not care. Whatever you’re going through, you can see it in their face, attitude that they do not care about the wellbeing of others. My mother has been a nurse for 23 years, she would do whatever she could for her patients. I asked a nurse for help and not only did she refuse to help me, she gave me attitude and sent me away. I was there for a visit 3 weeks ago and came back to pickup my paperwork, and they couldn’t give me the paperwork because their facility hadn’t uploaded my identification and social into the system yet. They scanned my information 3 weeks ago, yet they could not help me because one of their fellow coworkers didn’t do their job and even so they were still unwilling to pick up the slack. This place is unorganized, unprofessional and uncaring. These people should go back to the jungle where they probably grew up.

I never write Unilocal reviews – this is literally my first one ever – but I had such a great experience here, and their Unilocal reviews are so all over the place, I just had to weigh in and give them 5 stars. First time going here. I went to the Family Practice part for an IUD insertion on the recommendation from friends. Appointment was timely & the receptionists were nice. But the doctors were the real standouts. Dr. Ritter was wonderful: he really took the time to explain everything to me & talked me through the whole procedure. Dr. Gillespie, who was also lovely, assisted. Plus there was also a doula there the whole time to reassure me and help me through. I was totally nervous, but the kindness and professionalism of the team made the whole experience so positive for me. I’m definitely going back for my future GYN & medical needs!

Dr. Sara baird, rebecca L, and sarah Z. Are amazing. Dr sara removed my implanon and replaced new one without feeling pain at all. Best clinic in manhattan

I waited 4 hours to see a doctor who clearly didn’t have time for me and wanted me to leave. She refused to do any tests and said I was fine and just needed rest. 2 days later I went to an urgent care and tested positive for something serious. THEN, this place billed me for that 5 min I spent with the unhelpful doctor even though my insurance doesn’t include a co-​pay. I’d recommend going elsewhere. The only reason to go here is to see Dr. Carolyn Pierce. She’s quite knowledgeable but it takes 2 – 3 weeks to get in to see her.

I’ve been coming here for over a year and while I see how some of the complaints about wait times and rude staff are valid, I also see some really hostile patient behavior that likely contributes to unhappy front desk staff.
That said, Ive never had any issues. I can walk in when I need something and be seen by someone after a reasonable wait. Otherwise, Ive never had to wait more than 10 – 15 minutes when I have an actual appointment.
But the thing is, I receive REALLY GREAT care here.
Admin: I got new insurance this year and thought I had successfully selected my PCP online but when I came in, the woman at the front desk told me it hadn’t gone through and called my insurance company to get me set up so I wouldn’t end up being charged for any services. (I have an HMO and if your PCP isn’t selected, you get charged!) That woman saved me hundreds of dollars!
Clinical: I have interacted with medical assistants, PAs, medical students, doulas, and doctors here and have been so pleased with all of them. On my first ever appointment, I had some concerns that warranted a neuro exam so my doctor coded it so that I could still have a regular checkup later and not be double billed. On my most recent appointment, I had an IUD inserted (which I was VERY nervous about) but had good counseling and a really kind provider and they had a doula sit with me during the procedure (standard here, I didnt know) and she held my hand and basically just helped me feel so comfortable about the whole thing. Bedside manner is huge for me and all of my interactions here have rated super high in regards to patient treatment.

I’ve been coming here for about 8 years with and without insurance. Wait time is painfully long, 1 – 2 hours at times even when the place is empty, but my doctors have always been awesome and nice and so have the nurses and staff. The sliding scale made it affordable to see the doctor and if you cannot afford your prescription the social workers can adjust the price.
Highly recommend but only for those who are patient.

This was a review I wrote several years back. Don’t know why it popped up again now. It is revised. I went here before all of the immediate care places like CityMD came on the scene. WOULD NOT GO THERE NOW.
Yes, you have to wait like FOREVER. Yes, there are posters plastering the place assuming you are at risk for HIV and diabetes. There are free condoms right at the desk. Sure.
The nurses were super sweet and the doctor that saw me took her time with me. They use this on line system that lets me communicate with my doctor and see my test results right away.
Also, they are affiliated with an office on 13^th St that is more traditional in that they take appointments. Both offices share info, so one is more of a well visit/​preventative care and the other is a sick clinic.
Also, they see anyone regardless if you have insurance or not. They offer a sliding scale for those that can’t pay up front. They take my state insurance which is awesome as so many other doctors don’t.
I’m not sure if I would bring my child here (it seemed like the office and equipment were geared for adults… remember the condoms on the counter) but in a pinch I would to avoid the ER.
This place would get five stars is I didn’t have to wait so long and if they answered their damn phone.

I had no insurance and this clinic treated me, gave me advice on how to get Medicaid, and offered me a flu shot — all within a couple hours. The administrators at the desk could lift their heads up when they call peoples names, to make it easier for both them and those waiting. After the initially gruff and awkward lobby waiting experience, I had excellent care. If you don’t have insurance, go to this place.

I’m dismayed to see so many negative reviews but I understand. I have good med insurance through my company and access to a very broad network. I can go wherever I want without referral. But I go to Hillman because I was searching for an MD open to alternative medicine and the recommended MD is at Hillman.
Sadly I have to agree with the general direction of the comments. The docs tend to be excellent but the nurses and admin are spotty. Sometimes they’re very good and sometimes not so much.
However, remember that they admirably accept walk-​ins and any/​no insurance – they’re handling a very broad demographic, maybe one step above an ER. So I can understand them getting a little worn down.
So be patient and polite. And with EVERYONE in the healthcare field, be politely assertive. No matter where you go, you’re on your own, so do your research, have questions ready. Get your answers.

Update– I wrote a brief complaint directly to my doctor, and was told that the PCP issue regards «reimbursement.» This is puzzling because a doctor’s office should not be charging patients for picking up scripts. When I inquired further, I got a rude response that it was «unfair» that I had seen another doctor, signed off with «goodbye!» I suppose she was referring to the time I went in for urgent care while she was on vacation, and saw one of the other doctors. (Additionally, the PCP issue is related to my change of jobs several months ago– I suspect that my job’s benefits person did something incorrect, since I explicitly remember designating her as PCP on the paperwork. I’m really not sure why my doctor would hold this against me, especially when I haven’t even seen her recently to get billed for anything.)
I feel like I’ve been talking to some Mean Girl from high school, not an adult professional who presumably went to medical school. I won’t name the specific doctor because I’m not that much of an asshole– I’m just extremely disgusted and disappointed in the experience and hope that no one else has to go through it. If you have insurance, go somewhere else.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE INSURANCE, VISIT SETTLEMENT HEALTH on E 106^th ST– they charge on a sliding scale and are great. There are still the predictable inefficiencies, but the doctors are real champs and really try to help however they can. I only stopped going because they don’t accept my current insurance plan. YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN SIDNEY HILLMAN.

Came here years ago for the first time because I don’t have insurance and they supposedly give you a sliding scale fee. I was working as a waitress at the time and when the guy asked me about my income and I stated it varies, one week can be barely anything and the next you make some money, he took the highest amount and stated that I now have to pay $ 200 for each visit. How is that for working with people’s budget.
I barely come here once a year because it is so expensive and I still have to deal with the «uninsured floor.»
Whenever I need a prescription refilled, they refill it a few times and then insist I see the doctor (and spend another $ 200 on an unnecessary visit) again. Even though this is the same prescription and I do not have to prove what I need it for, they just want me to come in, even on a day with no symptoms, so I can PERSONALLY ask the doctor for another refill. And only after I have spent another spend $ 200 they refill it!
Avoid, they are grossly taking advantage of the uninsured.

I wanted to add that I stopped going to Sidney Hillman after a male doctor suggested I get an IUD implant inside of me which was «much less of a hassle» as he explained, even though I was just in there to get another depo shot. I took his word and got one, it was some of the worst pain I ever experienced. It turns out it was placed improperly, caused me internal pain for 5 months before I finally went to another hospital and had it removed. Avoid This Clinic, they do not care about patients.

This review is specifically with regards to a doctor on the staff & not speaking in the slightest about the nurses, Physician Assistants or the other support staff.
I have been seen & treated for a skin rash that has manifested with complications such as fever & joint pain.
Despite the fact that I have been at the clinic 4 times in the last month with the same complaint the doctors have yet to take a skin culture or to do a biopsy of one of the lesions.
If this had been a life threatening disease, this situation would be dire at this point.
I doubt that the staff here take my complaints, my health or my on-​going suffering seriously.