Spring Ob/Gyn

Ditto all the complaints about the front desk. On multiple occasions on multiple days, I have called during business hours and no one has answered and the voice mailbox has been full. The office is bright and cheerful and many of my experiences there have been good, but it’s very frustrating not to be able to get through.

Do not go here. Depsite reading the reviews, my internist recommended this office. First, I was disappointed to learn that the doctor I saw no longer delivers so you see a rotation of doctors. Second, I was billed $ 2,700 for «standard» bloodwork that I did not request nor consent to having done. This is outrageous and luckily I had already decided to switch doctors. The front desk is also impossible to reach which should have been a sign not to even schedule an appointment. There are much better offices and doctors in NYC so keep looking.

I’ve seen two doctors here, and they are fine. One is very brusque but thorough and the other is very sweet and helpful. I’m still looking for a better doctor’s office. A big reason for the low rating is the front desk staff, the secretaries, and the nurses. You have to constantly follow up since who knows if your message to your doctor gets to them. The wait time on the phone is long. And in the office, they are slow and chatty, and frankly, causing HIPAA violations all over the place, talking about patient confidential information within earshot of other patients. The nurses and techs have awful bedside manners. And example is that one is very bad at needle sticks and caused me to flinch in pain. She scolded me for flinching. Who is able to stop a flinch reflex?! It’s a reflex! I also got a transvaginal ultrasound with a tech who was getting trained, and no one asked if it was ok for another person to be in the room (the trainer) while I was in stirrups! And despite being asked to be careful with the probe since I was in pain, she just clucked and repeated «aw, I’m sorry» as she moved the probe around painfully. Get better staff and nurses that do their work well.

I decided to leave my first Unilocal review because I thought this place deserved some better reviews! I was nervous after reading these, but ZocDoc gave my doctor (Wade) glowing reviews, so I decided to go for it. I LOVED THIS PLACE. These other reviews must be outdated because the staff was all completely wonderful. From front desk, to nurse, to doctor, everyone was lovely, thorough, and efficient. There was literally no wait time, and I showed up early, so I was out just a few minutes after my appointment time. I couldn’t be happier. I really like Dr. Wade and would recommend her to anyone. She’s a lovely person. The office is very nice and clean as well. Maybe I got outrageously lucky, but I say give this place and Dr. Wade a shot!

AWFUL FRONT DESK! I am a patient at Spring Ob/​GYN and I have to say although I really like my doctor, the front desk is getting on my nerves enough that I may switch. I am pregnant and EVERY SINGLE time that I call the office without fail no one picks up the phone. I am calling during business hours too. I have to call at least 4 times in a row to actually get someone to pick up the phone. I am not sure who the office manager is, but I hope they address this issue ASAP. It’s absurd. The last 5 times I have called the office I needed to dial the phone 3 – 4 times before I got a human being. Sometimes it went to a voicemail. I asked if anyone actually checks the voicemail and they told me no. This practice has so much potential, but manage your staff. It is unacceptable to consistently not answer the telephone during business hours!

I wish I could write 2 reviews
FRONT DESK: 1 star. 0 stars if that is possible. They clearly just want to hang up the phone and ignore your question. Only after asking 15 specific pointed question, can I get the answer I am looking for. Only several times they have failed to pass my message to the doctor
DR CHO: 5 stars. Very patient, easy to talk to. Makes me feel comfortable and a very good doctor.

Dr. Dodson has been a god send for me. I have extreme health anxiety and doctor dodson not once judged me or made me feel «crazy» or «silly». She was caring and kind and calm. Through every procedure I had, she guided me through telling me each individual thing she was doing.
She took the time after our appointment to listen to me. She didn’t make me feel rushed or not cared about. She answered every single one of my questions and put me at ease. Thank you Dr. Dodson, I can’t thank you enough for being here for me.
Lisa M.

I’m transferring in from another clinic due to the fact that Spring delivers at NYU and my previous provider did not. The terrible reviews about the front desk are spot-​on: they compulsively hit «hold», fail to call back despite daily promises to do so, and don’t seem to have any method of communicating internally. Each time I call, I have to start over from square one as though I’ve never called before. I’ll be interested to see what the medical side of the practice has to offer (that is, after all, why I’m going there) but I have to say that investing in a decent admin staff in NYC shouldn’t be so hard!

Wow, this place is a legitimate SCAM!!! I booked an appointment for an annual exam with Cara Dodson, conveniently enough she was «busy» and I ended up seeing Bonnie Yim (a midwife nurse). Bonnie was nice and comes off as very knowledgeable but in reality is not up to date with medicine. But that may be because she isn’t a doctor after all. I have a chronic condition for which she neglected to treat me and made me jump through seeing other specialists to end up telling me nothing I didn’t already know. The personal opinion of a midwife without any scientific evidence to back the claim she is making is absolutely absurd! I have a PhD in cell and molecular biology, I know the medical literature very well; better than Bonnie clearly. For those of you who aren’t knowledgeable in medicine please don’t take medical advice from this woman and probably from anyone in that office. The cherry on top was that my insurance has no record of my visit and the front desk asked me to pay my copay. I thought nothing of this until I called United Health and found out that my annuals should be free! So hold on to your money of you go here!
I’d NEVER RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO HERE!

Although sometimes the wait can be long, Dr. Cho is awesome. She never makes me feel rushed, and is not judgmental at all. She is also super thorough and Always follows up. She calls back promptly and I feel like I am in really good hands. I would definitely recommend Dr. Cho.

Dr Elizabeth Rodgers is an amazing doctor — smart, thoughtful, attentive, patient, follows through and follows up. She is one of those rare breeds of doctors who has an extremely helpful manner and style. She’s a great listener and she explains things clearly. She has a particular strength with teenage women who are experiencing gyncological health for the first time. I cannot say enough about her. the office staff are good too — efficient and helpful. the nursing staff are gentle and kind.

I’m giving this one star even though I think this place is pretty par for the course for NYC OBGYNS.
The secretaries are incredibly rude, inefficient and unprofessional as others have noted.
My doctor was Danielle Feldman. There are things I like about her, but her manner was very odd, informal, unprofessional. I hate the way she would explain things to me. It’s like she had rehearsed certain phrases, and would repeat them several times in the conversation. Like I ask for clarification, she repeats the same phrase. The last straw was that she explained test results that indicated that I have serious infertility issues and need to go to an RE by saying, several times, «Your levels are not awesome.» I had no idea if this was an understatement or a euphemism at the time. Turns out, it was a major understatement.
Plus, I had a partial D&C with her without any kind of pain pill or valium or anything. She said that they usually give valium for the procedure, but she only had 30 minutes at the time, and so there wasn’t time for it to go into effect, so she just did the procedure (to try to get the last bit of POC out after a miscarriage) without any kind of pain killer. It was excruciating.
Oh, plus, and this may be the case in every OBGYN in NYC, but the walls are very thin. I had to hear a couple listen to their fetus’ heartbeat while I was having a D&C. Not fun.
So… All in all, an extremely unpleasant experience.

Love Dr. Maldonado and Dr. Feldman. Both are really compassionate and I can only say glowing things about them. Minimal wait time too.

Saved my life. Was going to another OBGYN who was stringing me along for co-​pays and only offering surgical options and stressing me out. Came in, Dr. Dodson did a full recon on the situation and came up with a sensible solution in under an hour.
Place was clean and friendly, the gal who drew blood should receive some kind of award, it was the least painful blood draw ever.
Over all, so far so good, would recommend to anyone.

I went to Spring OBGYN for a little over a year in 2011 – 2012 for my first pregnancy. I knew I wanted to deliver with a midwife but wanted some MD backup if I needed it. Bonnie Yim wasn’t avaiable for my first appointment so I saw Dr. Cho instead. Big mistake. Confrontational, cold and condescending from the get go. I did not like her at all. I had to see her one more time during the course of my pregnancy and I felt the same at that appointment too. Bonnie is great. Pleasant disposition, great bedside manners and very friendly. She can seem unsure of herself sometimes but I wonder if some of that has to do with how much the MDs call the shots in that practice. The appointments can feel hurried, even with Bonnie. At the time she was the only delivering midwife so maybe she was super busy? When it was time to rotate with the MDs most visits felt rushed and routine, except with Dr. Feldman. SHE. WAS. AWESOME. If I had to deliver with an MD, it would’ve been her. Smart, calm and listens well. She was the doc on call when I went in for my induction and it was great to have her there for the first few hours until Dr. Cho clocked in. I told Bonnie I did not want to see her at all in the delivery room and she was able to keep her out somehow. Most of the other MDs are nice. The rotating doc I saw after delivery was Dr. Flagg who was very comforting, sharing her own motherly advice.
The wait can sometimes be an issue at this practice. I waited over an hour for my first appointment. The nurses are all nice and I found the receptionists to be competent (although not the friendliest).
Delivering at NYU was ok. My delivery room faced the HVAC system which was sad and uninspiring to look at during labor. The nurses were hit or miss. Some were great while some were inattentive and cold. The recovery room was tiny. Partners are allowed to stay but are not supposed to use the bathroom if it’s a shared room. You can pay extra money ($ 500 and change at the time, per night) for a single if it’s available. We didn’t have a roommate until 5am of the morning we were leaving. The recovery nurses will wake you up every few hours to try to nurse the baby. If like me your colostrum takes a few days to kick in, they will scare you into attempting to pump and nurse on a strict schedule. My baby did not like being woken up to nurse. In fact, when we got home, he slept 6 hours through the night without waking up to nurse. The kid likes his sleep! And he’s totally fine now. Always in the 98%t percentile and above. While in the hospital, nothing came out and I was just left tired. Recovery should be just that, recovery. My colostrum came in just fine when I got home and eventually I was a fountain of breast milk.
Overall my experience with the practice was just ok. Nothing amazing, nothing above and beyond basic, nice doctors. I didn’t feel much of a connection with any of them but perhaps it’s because the visits were so rushed?

I’ve been going here for about 7 years or so. When I first started I was seeing Dr. Feldman who was fine. She listened and was very helpful to me. After she left I started seeing Bonnie Yim who is a midwife at the practice. I LOVE her. She is so kind and knowledgeable I feel as though I am in good hands with her. No qualms about her being a midwife. However— front office staff. Are you serious? So effing luke warm. The tude is epic. I have been feeling as though I should move to a purely GYN practice as opposed to an OB/​GYN practice, as I am not having children and feel like I am speeding head first into menopause. But Bonnie is great, the office is close to my job and the idea of trying to find someone new to look at my vagina is really just overwhelming. I’m staying put.

I recently moved to the city and this practice came under reccommendation from a previous doctor who mentioned that she had not personally worked with this group — but her colleagues had recommended two doctors at Spring Obgyn.
When I called the office, both doctors weren’t accepting new patients — so I saw Dr. Linda Cho who was at the time. I went in to meet her and didn’t feel as though she was very friendly or interested in speaking to me about my patient history. I did see the mid-​wife once, who was very nice.
The reason this place gets two stars is for the office policies and service. I was never informed on my first appointment that the office only accepts cash for payments under $ 50. I realize this is NYC, but what doctor’s office does that?!
Then, I was also informed that they provide no active patient reminder system for your annual — so it’s up to YOU to manage your yearly reminder system — which I had never heard of before.
When I went to recently pick up my medical records after deciding it would be best if I find another practice, I waited for 30 minutes on my lunch break for my medical records — after faxing them the authorization over a week before. When I arrived, I was handed a small envelope of 2 – 3 pages. When I informed the receptionist that this, most certainly was not the records I had just paid to have copied from my previous doctor, I was told, ‘well, the doctor would have to authorize an additional release’ of my entire patient history. If I hadn’t checked the records, I would have had to go back — and this ‘policy’ of theirs makes zero sense since I had never even been examined by a doctor there!
In a city that is filled with plenty of professional medical offices, there is no need to waste your time here.

I’m trying to not let the front desk affect my experience too much, which is otherwise exceptional. But seriously, WHAT is with the ‘tude, front desk?! When I arrived, I was charged a co-​pay despite telling the woman my insurance covered one well-​woman visit per year. At first she said that because it doesn’t say so on my card, I had to be charged, but I told her it doesn’t explicitly read that I’m allowed one general physician visit per year, but I still get one. Then she claimed that because I wrote a concern on the new patient form, she said that it rendered my visit «for cause.» I retorted «so basically, if I didn’t write that, I wouldn’t be charged?» She said no, and that I’d be refunded if my insurance covered it. I guess they really needed their $ 25, which they must be pocketing because they don’t accept credit cards unless it’s over $ 50.
Then upon leaving, I tried to make my doctor-​recommended 3 month followup. The woman I spoke with was busy but asked her coworker to help me, who then gave an exasperated, «How can I ‘elp youuuuu.» Well excuse me for trying to bring you continual business!
Anyway, Dr. Rodgers was really wonderful. I was quite squeamish though apologetic and she did a great job of putting me at ease. She was very intelligent without talking over my head. The woman who did an ultrasound was very sweet and easygoing too, and she made me laugh, which was key for a quick and effective visit. I would definitely say Dr. Rodgers and the nurses made dealing with the front desk worth it.

Here’s the run down on this place:
1) The women at the front desk were rude and had the warmth of vending machines that steal your money and taunt you with goods not rendered. You give them your co-​pay, but instead of M&Ms or polite directions they simply tell you to go pee in a cup. (Yeah yeah… after the 3^rd appt, I know the drill. Can you tell me something of significance or at least to make me smile? I am pregnant if you haven’t noticed!) No one here knows what a genuine smile looks like. And I got the nagging feeling that the women who work here (from the front desk to the doctors) do so because they have to, not because they sincerely want a job in healthcare helping people.
2) There is only one friendly nurse here that I noticed most patients like. I liked her too. Every other nurse sent my blood pressure sky high, especially Ramona. If I see her in the street I may have to kick some butt, because the mouth on her is absolutely appalling.
3) The wait to see the doctor can be obscene. I once waited an entire 45 minutes!
4) The elevator in their building often breaks down and they don’t have a bell at their side door entrance (if you can call it an entrance). Imagine being 7 months pregnant and being stuck in a hot hallway, banging on a door to get to your doctor’s appointment.
I suppose I’m giving this place two stars purely for sentimental reasons because they did deliver my son (early but somewhat healthy). The way he was delivered (basically a forced c-​section) was not in my birth plan at all. There are too many mediocre gyns in nyc to go to a lower than subpar one.

Look, I’m not getting into specifics here, because, well, I’m far too modest.
But…now that I’ve moved and I’m looking for a new lady doc, I feel it’s only fair that I review my last one so that other gal Unilocalers who have moved to NYC can be in the know, too.
Spring OB/​GYN is almost «as good as it gets.» The *only* thing preventing them from being so is that you do have to wait a hell of a time before you can get an appointment for an annual. As in, book that sucker 3 months in advance and you’re fine. That said, it seems that this is the case in most offices these days. This needs to change! Some of us are impulse appointment makers!
The important thing is that you feel comfortable from start to finish during one of these annoying, but necessary, check-​ups are rarely what you can call «fun» but they can be pleasant enough if you have a good doctor. I highly recommend Dr. Maldinaldo, who I had visited for about 6 or so years, without admonishment that I might have skipped an annual visit once or twice (oops!). She respects what I called these days «alternative lifestyles» (as in, when you’re of child bearing age and you assure her that you don’t want children, you’re not not looked at with disbelief, nor are you treated differently in any way).
She is utterly respectful, considerate, nice and…*quick*! Of course you want quick and then, when you get *quick,* you wonder why you let two years go before scheduling another visit. Sigh. Now to find her equivalent in Kansas City…