Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Recommendations anyone? I had an absolutely atrocious experience ( ) with a prominent local OB-GYN practice, thus am looking to switch ASAP.

My insurance provider has indicated that in order to receive full coverage (my excellent albeit expensive plan covers in-network prenatal 100% without a deductible), I cannot visit a primary care/regular MD nor a generalist lab for follow-up blood tests nor a sonogram, to confirm that 'everything' has passed. Thus another OB (or ideally midwife, though I doubt one will take me on solely for miscarriage related concerns) it is. But I’m having a really difficult time finding someone new who has received good reviews for pregnancies without happy endings. Especially since I’m brand new to the area….and do not own a car, thus am seeking a practice that can be accessed without too much hassle by bus or the LIRR. (By car is a possibility if a given practice is open weekends.)


Any recommendations?

I live in Great Neck.



I’M SEEKING AN OB OR MIDWIFE WHO IS…

Preferably a woman
Compassionate | My OB came across as an apathetic, easily irritated, impatient ice princess. I felt like a farm animal, stashed on a money-making conveyor belt, who was no longer welcome once my pregnancy was deemed unviable. Same for my disinterested sonographer who left me with nothing to clean up with after she’d confirmed the baby had passed. (I took off my shoes and used a sock to wipe myself while she tidied up her equipment.)
Open minded about if not invested in integrated/eastern medicine. | My OB became angry (!) when I asked to wait to miscarry naturally or via alternative means, then tried to fear monger me into completing my missed miscarriage via D&C or cytotec (without ever letting me know that extreme vomiting / fever/ chills / diarrhea / extra pain / extra blood loss could possibly occur with the former, and to not be worried accordingly). I trusted my own judgement and opted for acupuncture to speed nature along. (Two treatments worked. I began bleeding the next day.)
Informative | My OB did little more than exclaim, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet!” all the while providing next to zero information of her own accord. I wanted to roar back, “Then why don’t YOU provide me with ____?!” (This includes my PAP smear results, ma’am, which I was charged for but never received despite multiple queries.)
Readily Reachable | My OB's office doesn’t offer e-mail, won’t let patients leave voicemails after-hours nor on weekends plus took 4+ days to get back to me with 24-hour beta results. And when I did receive call backs, it wasn’t nurses or doctors who phoned, thus I was never able to ask related questions. (Plus though I filled out a form which promised online access to test results, access was never granted. The form promised enrollment in no more than two weeks. I signed up seven weeks ago.)
BONUS: savvy billing/desk staff | My OB's billing staff knowingly coded my care under "general practioner" rather than “OB/GYN” resulting in nearly $1,000 false in-network charges. My insurance provider was aghast and offered to file a grievance on my behalf. (Until the former is resolved, I with withhold my OB’s name + practice name.)



Big hug to anyone else who has endured a (missed) miscarriage.

Thanks in advance for 'your' suggestions.



xox

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Message edited 2/16/2016 2:13:50 PM.

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Dr. Michelle Santoyo is in great neck. i had a very bad miscarriage situation with my previous doctor and i switched to her. She makes me feel very at ease and tells me everything they do every step of the way. She did my D&C and when i got pregnant this time she was super accomodating and let me come every week to see the baby because she knew i was nervous. Good luck!

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

sorry for what you are going through. I had a miscarriage and the doctor I was seeing wanted me to go to a clinic, HORRIABLE! I then contacted the below office and I was not yet a patient and they took me asap and I had my D&C done at North Shore by Dr. Christine Melgar. A year later she delivered my son. It is a group practice located across the street from Bay Terrace shopping center. They have amazing hours Mon- Thurs 9am-9pm


North Shore Ob/gyn
Address: 214-10 24th Ave
Bayside, NY 11360
Phone:(718) 224-5800

Monday through Thursday 9:00am to 9:00pm
Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Saturday to Sunday Closed


If you do goto this practice I recd Dr. ILIA CALLUZZO, M., Dr. Randi Rothstein, Dr. Christine Melgar, Dr. Gilad Greenberg


http://northshoreobgynpc.com/welcome.htm


Good Luck

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Wow...needle in a haystack coincidence that proves that medical care isn't always consistent.

Thanks for your response, momofone. unfortunately the doctor you've cited is one and the same. Dr. Santoyo —is— the "terrible" OB referenced in this post and my experience was the polar opposite of yours. I (and my husband) found her to be cold, SUPER uninformative, SUPER dismissive, SUPER anti "alternative medicine" and so on.

Given the reputation of the rest of the practice...had the sonographer whose name begins with "D" not been so terrible as well (I mean seriously....I'm sitting there sobbing on the exam table with nothing to clean up my lady parts or tears with while she's cleaning up little equipment messes...I even tried to make HER feel more comfortable by mentioning what a lovely job she has...that with the exception of me, how happy she gets to make most women...."D"s gruff, unenthusiastic response? "I've been doing this a really long time.") And had the billing department had their act together (no joke....they've are trying to extort extra $$$ out of me by coding my visits as NON obstetrics. No doubt because while my insurance coveres my visits 100%, they obtain less $$$ this way), I'd have considered switching to an alternate physician in the practice. but given the circumstances, I will not be returning to Great Neck OB/GYN. Nor would I personally recommend Dr. Santoyo to anyone else.

(Note that I'd purposefully left her/their name out of my original post...but I coudln't not respond to your post...so c'est la vie...)

Glad you had a different experience.

: (

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Thanks for the recommends, lolalovesacroat. navigating a new neighborhood, new insurance, a first (former) pregnancy and then a missed miscarriage (which is where the baby bits die inside of you, while your body continues to treat a woman like she's still pregnant...for weeks or sometimes months) has been incredibly stressful. I'll be sure to check your recommendations out. Espec since the practice is in-network and can be reached by LIRR.



-->Plus a big hug to momofone for her willingness to share her story too, despite our different experiences.


xox

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Posted by zarafa

Thanks for the recommends, lolalovesacroat. navigating a new neighborhood, new insurance, a first (former) pregnancy and then a missed miscarriage (which is where the baby bits die inside of you, while your body continues to treat a woman like she's still pregnant...for weeks or sometimes months) has been incredibly stressful. I'll be sure to check your recommendations out. Espec since the practice is in-network and can be reached by LIRR.



-->Plus a big hug to momofone for her willingness to share her story too, despite our different experiences.


xox

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

I'm so sorry you had a negative experience with that office. Dr. Santoyo and the rest of the doctors in that practice successfully helped me to navigate three awful and painful ectopic pregnancies.

I was always able to email them through the patient portal.

Feel better, and good luck in the future.

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

I am so sorry you had to deal with this. I went through an awful experience like that, where my old OB wouldn't see me for a few weeks because she had other appts.. All I wanted was that confirmation that I could move on and try again

I switched over to Dr Dilena at Complete Women's Healthcare in Garden City. There is a female doctor in their practice as well, and she is fantastic.

Message edited 2/16/2016 6:13:16 PM.

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

I am so sorry for your loss. I had 3 miscarriages and switched practices after my first. My new OB is in Garden City but was extremely caring and compassionate and I would highly recommend even though he is a man. You can PM me for more info

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

So sorry for your loss and the bad experience with your doctor.

I highly recommend Dr. Trongone on northern Blvd in Manhasset, although he is a male. The office is a 5 minute cab ride from the Manhasset LIRR.

I've also heard great things from a friend about Dr. Jessica Jacob.

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Crashing and sorry for what you went through
Dr. Kauffman in Great Neck is my dr and I love him

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Thanks for all the feedback and empathetic support, everyone. Truly appreciated! In vast contrast to my OB whose only (stone faced) condolence was, "You'll get over it." I'll be investigating everyone's recommendations, for sure. xox

Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

Women 4 Women. They are on Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park next to LIJ. Bus runs right our front. They have late hours (no weekends). There are 5 women doctors and 1 midwife/NP. When pregnant you have to see all of them just so you aren't surprised during delivery and know the doctors. They also have 2 doctors on call that they use, whom I met and liked very much. Dr. Nicole Bell is a SWEETHEART! I see Dr. Duncan who is GREAT and was amazing during my early miscarriage and successfully delivering our son 2.5 years ago.

Re: Nassau County OB-GYN for miscarriage follow-up care? Leaving terrible local OB

I use Dr Marti Gilbert or Dr Jessica Rubin at North Shore OBGYN Associates in Great Neck. They are great with evening hours (no weekend) but if you message them they message you right back.