Callen-Lorde Brooklyn

I made an appointment here for an STI test which I assumed would be very basic simple (and would have been if this clinic hired staff who didn’t act like it was their first day ever being a human being), but the level of incompetence among the staff genuinely made me feel like I was going insane. It’s like they go out of their way to only hire staff who have no reading or listening comprehension ability whatsoever. First I saw a nurse who was completely unhelpful when I asked her which tests she would recommend, then handed me an oral swab, didn’t explain what to do with it, and then left the room and was never seen again. Then, I saw the actual provider, who had no idea what my appointment was for and literally did nothing before leaving as well. Then, a THIRD nurse came into the room, at which point I explained that nobody thus far had given me anything I actually needed for the routine testing, and he gave me another test swab and told me to “take it to the lab” without at any point explaining where that was or what to do once I reached the lab. I had to ask two receptionists just to figure out how to get to the lab, and they both seemed bewildered and borderline offended that I was even talking to them. Finally, when I reached the lab, the phlebotomist gave me the prescribed blood test but forgot to give me the urine test that had already been ordered, which they only gave me once I pointed out that they hadn’t read the lab order correctly. This entire process took an hour and 90% of that was just sitting around in an empty clinic room wondering what was going on or wandering around the clinic trying to speak to anyone who could provide even a modicum of helpfulness, which did not occur. Seriously, don’t go here!!! As if being queer isn’t already hard enough. Truly one of the most bafflingly awful healthcare experiences I’ve ever had. Can’t imagine how much worse it would be if I had needed anything other than a couple of VERY SIMPLE tests.

If you are needing to get your bloodwork done, MAKE SURE YOU GET MARCELLA!!! I am notoriously a hard stick. My veins are tiny, they move, and I am always stuck multiple times. Marcella got me with one stick and on top of that she was the sweetest person. Just call her “The One Stick Queen”! I will always ask for her in the future.

I only come here because I’m trans and can’t find healthcare elsewhere; yes they do trans affirming care here, if you can be seen. Every single administrative task here is like pulling your own teeth out. Multiple times I’ve scheduled appointments and waited months, only to show up and be told I can’t be seen (different issues both times). I have only been able to get my hormones at this pharmacy, CVS won’t fill it from my doctor here and no one will follow up even when I call/ message online. I’ve been seeing my doctor for 6 months and every time I see her she asks if we’ve met before. I’ve also waited hours despite having an appointment when I have been seen (although today was fast). If you’re also trans, this might be your best option, but clear your day and call to confirm and cast a spell and pray to god and and and and

When I tell you, this is the worst pharmacy ever. Now I love my healthcare provider there and the associates except for the pharmacy. The Manager ( A Recently promote ) has told a huge lie! I left to pick up a prescription on my lunch break, and he told his superiors that he told me that it was out of stock!!! I actually got in trouble for leaving my job to go pick up my medicine because it was the only time I could do so! Every time I call they placed me on hold and when I call from a different number they answer immediately. Every time I deal with this pharmacy it’s HUGE hassle on every level and I recommend whoever visits Callen Lord to use an outside pharmacy at this point. They play these weird games with their guest. I have been very nice, but they have brought the absolute worst out of me! Wasting my time coming from Brooklyn, only for them to lie to me and be rude. To be fair, it is not all of them who act this way however it’s enough for me to leave the pharmacy and do business elsewhere.

I hardly do reviews, but let me explain why I feel like doing this one. I’m a single mom, and I live with my daughter, my niece, and my sister. My schedule is very tight. I work in construction, we are immigrants, and our family is back in Venezuela. My sister and I barely manage with our schedules, she works at night and I work during the day. I do the pick-ups, she does the drop-offs. My niece is in after-school, and she can lose her after-school privilege if we don’t pick her up on time. We can’t afford that. Today I had the most heartwarming experience in this facility. I had to get out from work early and I was rushing the entire time I went to this clinic. Let me tell you something, I have never felt so much care from a group of people before. They were so understanding. The nurse and the assistant were rushing with me, making all the process possible so I could go and get my girls. I feel like crying when I think about this. They found all the options possible. The doctor was speeding to get me my medication, the case manager was rushing to get my paperwork done, the people in line understood that I had to go and let me go first. Oh! And the nice guy from the pharmacy, I’m tearing up while I write this, he was the most nervous of all, he was literally running and shaking to get me out of there. And I barely made it, but I did, thanks to all of these beautiful people. Sometimes I feel alone, but today I felt supported and understood. I felt no judgment. That is really refreshing. Thank you all, I will never forget. I love this facility. All of you are wonderful people. I wish I could remember your names, but if you see this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made my day. People like you really can make a difference, you have no idea what I have been going through and you made my life easier, even if just for a moment. ♥️

I *really* wish I didn’t feel the need to write a bad review. I’ve tried to be understanding because I know the workers are overworked & underpaid & the need for lgbtq-affirming healthcare is so dire. However, as a trained health professional, I’m appalled at some of their practices. Their behavioral health team consistently puts in their notes “no SI/HI/self-harm”, but I’ve never been asked about it by the providers. I know they have to report that for liability and it’s standard for case notes, but it’s pretty worrisome that they’ve never actually asked. My worst experience I had was this past year. One psychiatrist quit, so I was transferred to another. I had 2 appts with them and then the BH team called to tell me that the provider was “overwhelmed and needed to lighten their caseload”. So they cancelled my upcoming appt and scheduled me to see another new provider a month later. The appt day came, the provider was late, and then she told me within seconds of the call that she needed to discharge me because I didn’t have insurance on file. No explanation, no referrals to other psych services, no option to pay out of pocket. Just completely discharged. The wild part is, I have insurance but I was always told me it didn’t matter because I’m part of the COIN program. I called CL billing & left multiple vms, and messaged them on MyChart, but no one ever responded. So, I went in person to give them insurance and to see why I was turned away from services even though I’m a COIN patient. The patient services person was shocked at what happened and said they would get to the bottom of it…that was a month ago and I never heard back. Curiously, there’s no chart note about it either. None of it makes sense because on their website, it clearly says “Callen-Lorde’s mission is to provide care regardless of patients’ insurance status or ability to pay.” Yet, you can see in this screenshot of the case note that I was discharged because of insufficient insurance. It also says that I “verbalized understanding and agreed”, but I definitely verbalized that I did not understand lol.

I came back to Callen Lorde after years away hoping for a better experience than the ones I’d had in the past. Unfortunately, it was just as frustrating, if not worse. I made an appointment for help with my injections, waited over an hour, only to be told I wasn’t supposed to bring the prescription from home…the same prescription they had given me, the one my doctor told me to bring. They insisted I go to the pharmacy to get an unopened prescription which was literally identical to the one I had. Before that, the nurse berated me with questions about why I needed help with injections after being on hormones for four years, even after I explained that it’s hard for me to talk about and I get anxious with needles now. She would not drop it which made the whole experience more stressful. I get to the pharmacy, there’s a line (where I’ve waited hours before) & I ended up having to leave to get to work without my injection. Left feeling dismissed, judged & without the care I really needed. I regret giving them another chance.

I have to say. The service over the years is just becoming down right awful. The waits are taking forever. You cant get through to anyone on the phone. My chart replies take forever and the staff is just getting absolutely rude and disrespectful. Callen is definitely going to walk right into a lawsuit if they dont get it together.

My experience at callen lorde has been wonderful. Sherri Hill is a very compassionate person. When i think of someone working in her field in a time like this and shes still able to smile and go above and beyond i think thats star behavior. One day i brung my daughter to my appointment with me because my wife had work and she gave her lollipops and stickers. Now of course my daughter wants to come all the time lol. Anyways thank you for your services.

Hi! I was referred to Callen-Lorde by my former PCP before moving to NYC in February. I was really looking forward to getting care here as it's stated purpose is to provide a safe and supportive space for queer folx to get their healthcare needs addressed. While the attendants and doctors themselves have been lovely to interact with, the communication, or complete lack thereof, especially when it comes to prescription refills, has been truly horrific. I've been a patient with Callen-Lorde for two months and have already run out of multiple prescriptions multiple times, one of which was PrEP. I've done a lot on my end to try and ensure that they are refilled on time (messaging through the portal a week in advance, calling multiple times to check and make sure my messages had gotten through after not getting any response online), but still the lack of communication persists and I've run out. It's worth noting that prior to my time as a patient at Callen-Lorde I'd never had an issue refilling either of the prescriptions that I need on a monthly basis. Even the process of trying to get my prescription redirected to a non-Callen-Lorde pharmacy has been an ordeal as it has involved trying to get into contact with the appropriate folks at Callen-Lorde, which at this point has become a process that I dread because it is typically a dead end. To say that I'm disappointed with the care is a huge understatement, as it has gotten to a point where my basic needs, despite the staff being very kind, have remained unmet. Though CL talks a big game in terms of it's foundation as a space for queer folks by queer folks, my experience has been anything but affirming and relaxing. I've begun to do research into other queer-positive health care facilities and will update this review with those resources once I have more information so that others know where else they can turn. Thank you for your time!