Richmond University Medical Center — Local services in New York

STAY AWAY!!!!!

I've never had such a miserable time with any provider.

I have been in the RUMSCI system (outpatient at the Medical Center) since late 2021, and then working with the outpatient clinic at 1130 South Avenue since May 2022.

It's been hellish the entire time. Outpatient at RUMSCI Hospital, I was "diagnosed" with ''Either'' ADHD OR Bipolar based on a 15 minute interview, and prescribed Risperdone. You cannot diagnose someone with a condition on the basis of a 15 minute intake interview. I gained 30lbs in the 3 months I was on Risperdone before discontinuing it. I have never been diagnosed in any other setting with Bipolar disorder or any psychotic disorder. My diagnoses are severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Once working with the office at 1130 South Avenue, things only continued to be poor.

I had to switch from one prescriber to another, as that prescriber would continually send my medication as much as two days late and had to be reminded to send it. This was constant for over a year.

She once left me over the weekend without medication (on a Friday) after saying she would send it that afternoon, but she forgot to do so. This happened more than once where I had to play catch-up or even ask other prescribers if they could refill my prescription, after 2 days of calling when it was due, to no response.

I then in November 2023 requested a transfer to a new prescriber, and I was punished for transferring by having the supply of my medication reduced to two week supplies for the last 6 months.

I was initially told this was temporary and would end after a medication review.

We had the in-person review in March, and I was told that going forth, my medication would be restored to monthly. It was decided that given my situation, no adjustments would be made to my medication. I was told my medication would now be given monthly as before.

This never happened.

No explanation was given, and attempts at getting one were met with no calls back. I explained that I am in the process of moving and going every two weeks is inconvenient.

The supervisor of the department blamed the resident and the resident blamed the supervisor. The supervisor claimed it is the resident who makes the decision as to the amount, and the resident said it is the supervisor who makes the decision. This was followed by both avoiding my calls.

Even calling the head of the adult treatment department effected no change despite promises by her that she would fix the issue and that she saw no reason why my medication couldn't be prescribed as it had been.

Even for more sundry reasons, they don't return your calls. They don't answer any questions. You can go days without a callback, or, if you want a call back you have to be annoying and then they treat you like an obstacle, not a patient or a person.

They enrolled me (a Medicaid patient) with a Resident who was not enrolled in Medicaid leading to my prescriptions being constantly rejected by the pharmacy. This then required the supervisor to send my medication over to the pharmacy which probably looks REALLY WEIRD to my insurance. There was no discussion of putting me in with a prescriber enrolled in Medicaid. The Resident would send the script over, the pharmacy would reject it, then I'd have to call the supervisor to send it. This happened over a dozen times in a six month period. And I was treated like I was a bother...

It feels like they either do not care about their patients, or they become petty and vengeful with patients who demand better treatment.

I have had three prior therapists and all were wonderful, but stay far away from the RUMCI system. They are disorganized, unprofessional, and seem to lack compassion...

I had a negative experience here from start to finish. The social worker who did my onboarding was so condescending and disrespectful that I didn’t want to be treated there. I had no other options due to my insurance at the time. When I finally got a therapist it was someone who acted like it was the first time we were speaking every single time. She didn’t listen to a word I said. Everyone I ever spoke to on the phone at this clinic was rude. Every in person appointment that I had was cancelled at least 3 times. I was a patient for several months and I was never able to get a meeting with a psychiatrist as it was cancelled every time until I got a voicemail one day saying I was missing an appointment that I never confirmed or heard anything about (I would’ve said no because I was working). The only people I ever spoke to here who tried to be helpful was one manager who I was only able to get through to one time in several months and the nurse practitioners that I dealt with while I was waiting for a psychiatrist. I actively sought out a new job so I could get new insurance and stop coming here. When I did, I started to get bills that increased every month. As of now they’re saying that I owe almost $800 when I received little to note help from the clinic. I was only able to get medications prescribed through a nurse practitioner while I waited for a psychiatrist after I complained to management about the several cancelled appointments. Until then I was told to “just go to the hospital. I can only imagine the bills I would be receiving if I followed their advice. I tried so hard to make this work because I needed help and I had no other option but being a patient here only added additional stress and anxiety at a time when I was desperately reaching...

I called the mobile crisis unit as a last resort regarding a family member who is mentally challenged and struggling with end stage alcoholism. The operator literally told me "I think you need to divorce yourself from the situation because you seem to have mental health problems yourself". I hung up the phone after that as I was so hurt I couldn't even speak.

He had several smartass responses as well. When I told him my family member was very mentally disabled and struggling to admit himself into an inpatient facility, he cut me off and replied in a snarky tone "This is America. People have civil rights".

I was hoping they could at least check up on him or speak to him in a way he could understand since he is special needs, or to even get him inpatient care. Instead, the operator was very combative, I could barely get a sentence in. I'm not an emotional person in the slightest but the way this person spoke to me left me in tears.

I have a psych degree, a health science degree and was a patient care coordinator for many years. This is not the way you speak to someone who is prematurely grieving the loss of a loved one, especially when they're reaching out for that last glimmer of hope. And with the attitude he was giving me, I guarantee you he gossiped about our phone call and laughed afterwards. For a "Crisis" unit, they don't have empathy in...