Community Healthcare Network

This place is the worst place ever. I call them and they can’t find my information and leave me on hold for 10 – 15 minutes, then finally find it and tell me that the doctor will call me black. Doctor never calls me back, so I call and make an appointment anyway with a very rude nurse over the phone. I go in and I’m waiting forever, everyone is running around talking to each other basically ignoring the patients. The place is dirty, I saw cockroaches everywhere, even when in one of the suites. I finally get to see the doctor and she clearly didn’t diagnose me correctly and gives me antibiotics that aren’t helpful, so when I call back a few days later to tell them that my condition hasn’t gotten better and need advice on what I should do, the lady screams at me telling me there’s nothing she can do about it and to «google» it. I’m a student that just moved to the city and it’s hard to know everything about what I should do in these situations, and this place was extremely unhelpful.
On top of that, they asked me to go to a counseling session there, which I did. The lady gave me a disgusting look when I told her about my issues and was extremely condescending and rude.
Avoid this place and just pay more for better.
x

Probably the worst clinic I have been to, I used to deal with them being behind an hour in appointments and poor check in system because they had great pediatricians. But recently both doctors left so I left as well. If you can do not deal with this clinic extremely unorganized and most receptionists have really bad attitudes.

Tried making an appt. for my mom. It’s supposed to be a simple procedure. I was on the phone on hold for about 20 minutes and when someone finally picked up I couldn’t understand half of what they said.
Hopefully it’s not like this when she goes in…

This is a review of the Downtown Health Center, part of the Community Healthcare Network. I appreciate that this is a not-​for-​profit organization and that there is a need for multi-​specialty care in the neighborhoods the network serves that accept Medicaid and Healthy NY and serve lower income people. However, I expect better.
I’ve had to call the Downtown Health Center and the call center for the Community Healthcare Network many times. Most times, the line will either ring and ring or I will be transferred to another line and put on hold or prompted to leave a message. On the occasions when I am able to speak to someone whoever I talk to speaks so fast and/​or mumbled I can understand only part of what they’re saying and have to guess what they’re telling me and hope for the best. No matter how many times I ask them to repeat information, they refuse to speak more clearly or spell out the names of doctors or other important words.
I have only had two visits at the Downtown Health Center. Both times I had an unpleasant waiting room experience because the other patients in the small waiting room and their companions were loud and inappropriate and I felt uncomfortable. On one occasion I was seen relatively quickly and on the other was not. You’ll need to plan to be here for several hours if you have an appointment. The front desk staff and clinic assistants are also poor communicators. When I arrived for my exam I was assigned to a different doctor than I had been told I would see, a different doctor than had been selected as my PCP by my healthplan and on my insurance card but I wasnt told of this change by anyone on staff. Unbeknownst to me, one of the front desk staff called my health insurance plan and told them I was changing my PCP to a doctor I had never heard of. Again without informing me of the situation this staffer called me to the front desk and held up a phone to my ear. A representative from my health insurance company was on the other end and told me my PCP was now being changed. I understand that the staffer was trying to help me, but I feel this was an inappropriate way to have handled this situation.
After being called in to an exam room to see the doctor I had been assigned to, it turned out I would not see this doctor at all but a resident. Again, I had not been informed of this. The resident was certainly friendly but residents always need to check with their supervising doctor before doing anything with you so you’ll need to allow a good 30 minute wait for the resident to do this.
Most recently I made an appointment for an annual gym exam and found out the doctor to which I had been assigned is no longer with the group and I was given an appointment for a few weeks later with another doctor who’s name I still don’t know (possibly Budek) for sure, as the staff member on the phone was barely comprehensible. Days before the appointment date I received a voicemail I could barely hear that sounded like the staff member was saying my appointment was cancelled and, it turned out, this was the case. I still don’t know the reason for the cancellation. I do know that when I called to get a new appointment I wasn’t given an appointment until FOUR WEEKS later (with yet another doctor who’s name I couldn’t hear– possibly Gonzalez). The clinic had cancelled the appointment I had; not me. So for me to have to wait another four weeks due to their error is upsetting. I’ve been overdue for care for a long time now. I am also still without a PCP. I asked the most recent staffer I talked to on the phone to whom may I be assigned for the reasons of my insurance and coverage. I asked her three times. She refused to speak up. So now I have no PCP and can only hope my insurance will cover any care I receive. Needless to say, I will be looking for a new clinic that accepts my insurance for my future exams.

Sadly, this place has gone downhill in recent years. They went through an extensive remodeling phase and transformed from a bright, spacious, airy facility to one with a stuffier, cramped waiting room for whatever reason. The administrative staff also took a dive. I’d been coming here because I figured it’d be easier than finding a real doctor (especially since I move so much). That was the case 2 years ago. Recently I’ve had to wait an hour each time to be seen for my simple appointments and although they keep records, why do they ask for my insurance card every single time? Why does it take an hour to get called for the nurse to take my blood pressure and weight every single time, then send me back into the waiting room to wait some more? Even for something as simple as my final hepatitis shot? Why were people who came in after me called before me? When I’m the one with the appointment?
I kept thinking maybe things were just in transition and to stick it out in hopes that things would get better, because Mona Dudek, the gyno and PCP, is an absolute delight and such a great, friendly doctor, but now I can’t even reach her. Yesterday I discovered a small lump in my breast, but can’t even make an appointment to come in; i called four different times since then, only to get put on hold for 15 minutes each time until I finally hung up. That alone is forcing me to seek help elsewhere.

Low cost health clinic that charges anywhere from $ 40 – 200 based on your stated income. I think you have to say you’re destitute if you want the $ 40 option. They have maybe 5 or more doctors on staff. No assembly line here. Everyone appears to be treated very well no matter who you see. There’s also a free HIV screening. My only real complaint about the clinic is that I wish it was a bit cheaper. I’m not sure how much other clinics charge exactly, but some have claimed to be free.

For nursing school I needed a physical and a lengthy list of lab tests done. Since I have awful insurance I knew a lot of this was going to be out of pocket. After calling around i decided on the Community Healthcare Center on Essex. I’m so glad I did!!! Dr. Dudek was outstanding, Sara my nurse was amazing and Connie at the front desk was extremely helpful and went extra steps for me. To get everything done I had to go back three times (I couldn’t get all the shots and immunizations required by school in one visit), and each time Dr. Dudek and Sara took their time to talk to me, ask me if I had any questions or concerns and remembered our conversations from previous visits!!! It was a nice change from places I’ve been where the doctor barely acknowledges you are in the room! And the best part is the price was manageable! If you can, make an appointment — I never waited more than 10 minutes with one!