Westchester Community Health Center - Mount Vernon

"The doctors and some nurses I visited here are great, but this organization is a work in progress. Customer service and time management were the biggest complaints I had. The organization can benefit from customer service training. I hope future customers receive transparency and honesty regarding wait times. I hope that they are informed of any meetings that impact scheduling. This organization is capable of respecting people's time. However, I have decided to take my business elsewhere because of the following situations. Situation 1 I made an appointment for the first Friday of this month at 12:30 p.m. It took several calls for someone to pick up the phone. When someone finally answered, they had an ABRUPT, SHARP, and INCONSIDERATE tone. They told me all staff were in a meeting from 9-11 a.m. Before I responded, the woman hung up on me. After calling again and then being swapped to another representative, they told me the same thing and didn't tell me why the staff were in a meeting. I finally asked, "Does your organization have a professional development meeting from 9-11 a.m. every first Friday of the month?" She said yes. This information should have been mentioned to me while setting up my appointment in the past. The following phone representative I spoke with at 11 a.m. was very short and told me my doctor was unavailable. My appointment was for 12:30 p.m. I arrived 35 minutes later because this business does not revere anyone's time. (In the past, when I showed up on time, I had a 3-hour wait.) The front desk receptionist was curt with me as well. She asked for my information and then said, "Ten dollars." I asked her, "Why is money collected before a service is complete?" She didn't give me an explanation. There were at least twenty people in the office and chairs outside. When I checked in, the office receptionist greeted me with a BELLIGERENT tone. I asked her, "What number am I in line?" She responded, "We don't do numbers. You go at the time of your appointment. What's the time of your appointment?" I told her, "My appointment is for 12:30 p.m. Do you know when the doctor will see me?" She hesitated and told me, "Well, as you can SEE (referring to the overflowing room), we are running behind schedule, so you just have to wait until you are called. TI asked to reschedule and when we tried, the receptionist asked me, "Will you be rescheduling or are you never coming back here again?" That was peak-level unprofessionalism. It made me realize I should never return to the office despite the great doctors at this site. I returned to the front desk downstairs and asked for an immediate refund. Initially, she stalled but gave me a form. I wrote as many details as I could in the descriptor, despite her telling me, “Just sign.” Another receptionist read over my request before I received my refund. When I asked for a receipt they told me they would mail it to me because I physically received my money, so I should not have to worry. If any customer asks for a receipt, they should receive it immediately. I have not received it. It has been two weeks since the incident. My time could have been saved if someone just answered my call the first time. I would not have shown up Situation 2 Previously when I arrived at my appointment for 11:30 a.m. and was not seen until 2:30 p.m. No one in the doctor's office communicated wait times or tried explaining what was taking place. I was sent to the bloodwork office that reeked with the smell of fish, was unswept, and there was poor ventilation. NO ONE greeted me, despite two staff members being in the room. No eye contact was given. When I asked the phlebotomist, "What's your name?" She said her name and then asked, "Why you need to know my name for?" I wish this center used a more empathetic, polite, and forgiving approach to our community. This community is full of disadvantages and stressors. Please try to make this a more comfortable and safe space for your clientele."

"They have no respect for anyones time. Just be prepared to spend your whole day here. Makes no sense making a morning appointment because you will be there for more than 2 hours before a doctor will see you."

"To make an appointment is terrible. Receptionist answers and then Puts you on hold again! Customer service has really gone out the door. And if you make the appointment in person receptionist doesn’t even make eye contact with you. Really unprofessional."

"My wife and new born baby have been coming to this health center for months. So far everything was good. They do walk-ins, but if you want to shorten your waiting time, better call and schedule an appointment if possible. Actually, that is strongly advisable. I love that there is free wifi and small chairs for kids in the pediatrics department. I wish they were open from 08:00 to 20:00 hours and on weekends. Even though there are lots of seats in the waiting areas, I would add some more in the main lobby, and in the pediatrics department a couple of side tables could be added, so that parents can put baby's car seats on them. Laboratory, Pharmacy, WIC and MedicAid offices are there. A lot of parking space at the back of the building. We have only praises for the staff there. From security at entance and check-in counter to nurses and doctors. Doctors are super kind, have lots of patience and they dedicate a lot of time to patients. I personally met with Dr. Najia the most. She's is not just awesome pediatrician but a great psychologist as well."