Callen-Lorde Chelsea

I have been a patient at Callen-Lorde since 2012, and the care has been consistently exceptional. From the moment you arrive, the security team makes you feel safe and respected. The front desk staff are welcoming and attentive, always ready to assist with patience and professionalism. Nurses provide thoughtful, thorough care, and the doctors take the time to listen, explain, and ensure you feel valued as a patient. Over more than a decade, I’ve experienced firsthand how every member of the team—from security to staff, nurses, and doctors—works together to create a supportive environment. At Callen Lorde, you don’t just receive healthcare—you experience dignity, respect, and genuine compassion.

I was informed of this clinic from a friend nothing but wonderful experience. I did the walkin clinic over the weekend as I am new patient. As a new patient I was treated with respects and was well informed by the medical provider…. I must say Jeff provided excellent care walk me through the process and Nurse Vivian was very comforting.

This is possibly the worst clinic I’ve ever been to. My provider took a whole week to refill my prescription. I moved during that time. She sent the refill to my old pharmacy out of state. This is not the first time she has taken nearly a week to write a script. I find it crazy how incompetence is normalized at Callen Lorde. Now I have to do a run around trying to get my medication filled, it can’t be transferred to another pharmacy since it’s a controlled substance. So I have to get someone at Callen to write another new prescription….and who knows how long that will take…. I’m switching the Mount Sinai. I recommend you go somewhere where the providers actually take their patients seriously

My main method of transportation in NYC is skateboarding. I've been utilizing this clinic for over 6 years now. In the last 5 months, I've been getting a lot of flack and pushback from the security team about bringing my skateboard into the building due to some "policy. " When I tried to enter the building for an appointment, I was denied entry by the security team because of my board. When I asked the the security guard tons how me he policy he stammered and stuttered and made a phone call to his boss claiming he'd come downstairs to show me the policy. They wasted my time and never showed up. The front desk staff swooped in and was super supportive. They were the ones who printed out the policy on what can and cannot enter the building. On this policy there is NO mention of a skateboard. Let it be know there is NO policy listed on the Callen Lorde website nor is posted anywhere physically in their walk-in area. I arrived 10 mins early to my appointment and due to this back and forth about some unidentifiable policy I arrived to my appointments 12 mins late. Thank God, I was able to be seen.

Been a patient here since 2012, love the help im getting and love the new changes, although don't really like the pharmacy's new look where there isn't any privacy and anyone can hear your business, sadly that's what we have to deal with .

Elsbet Servay truly saved my life. During a time of devastating loss and trauma, she cared for me with compassion, strength, and deep medical knowledge. She guided me through PTSD and OCD with exactly the support I needed—sometimes gentle, sometimes firm, always right. Although she is no longer my provider since moving to Brooklyn, I remain forever grateful for her incredible care. I am now under the care of another outstanding provider, Jeff Day, and continue to feel supported. Everyone I’ve encountered here shows compassion, professionalism, and genuine knowledge. My labs consistently reflect the excellent treatment I receive. Truly the best care. 💕🌺🙏🌺💕

I have been a patient at Callen-Lorde Chelsea for about 20 years, long enough to see the highs and the lows of this institution. Unfortunately, the decline in care has reached a breaking point. Dr. Rona Vail, who has been with Callen-Lorde far too long, now demonstrates the kind of burnout and loss of perspective that makes her unfit to provide sound medical judgment. The environment seems to have fried her common sense and stripped away her ability to put patients first. Her colleague, Physician Assistant Aviva Cantor, is no better — presenting with a smile while undermining patients behind their backs. Together, they have interfered and meddled in my medical care in ways that feel less like treatment and more like sabotage simply because we do not see eye to eye. The most egregious act came when Rona Vail recklessly removed me from a life-saving medication, not because of medical necessity, but because of canceled appointments. She has turned a critical drug into a privilege system, an “honor code” patients must abide by in order to receive it. This is not only unrealistic, but deeply negligent given that many of Callen-Lorde patients are marginalized, struggling with mental health challenges, and often in unstable situations. To punish them for those very realities is cruel and contrary to any responsible standard of care. When a provider cannot see eye to eye with their patient, the ethical course of action is to recuse themselves and transfer care to another practitioner of the patient’s choice. Instead, Dr. Rona Vail weaponized her authority and used her power to penalize me for our differences of opinion. That is not medicine — it is abuse of position. Patients deserve better than to be treated as pawns in a hierarchy where status and power are prioritized over health and humanity. Because of this negligence, I am now in contact with legal counsel to pursue litigation. What has been done to me in the dark will be brought to light. Their mission is “care without compromise,” but what they deliver is compromised care without compassion.

I've had health care providers through my work a few times, but the level of care and professionalism I receive from Dr. Aaron Yagoda and the team at Callen-Lorde Chelsea are better than any provider I qualified for when I had insurance. I'm happy to continue seeing Dr. Yagoda as my PCP and paying sliding-scale prices for in-office visits. While they specialize in LGBTQ+ health care, they go above and beyond and have prescribed me affordable Rx I needed to treat minor medical conditions which significantly improved my quality of life. I hope they continue to stay funded as they provide an invaluable service and an alternative to the hellscape which is primary care in America.

(Hi.) "Elsewhere I'm superbad when tomorrow." ___________________________________________ Onside a thing I recall (rethink) about alliances anywhere they depend on inadequateness a lot for sure. (There's much character a high degree of sentimental energy.) ___________________________________________ "Onsite unity is truly an exciting program." [ "Like for me anyway anywhere roughly corporations are (acceptable) first" ].

Their medical practice is fine. They have a great outreach to undeserved and misunderstood communities. They have free sti testing every Saturday. Great community partner. However the Behavioral Health department is dangerous and unprofessional. I do not feel safe with them and do not recommend them. They are mostly young with little experience . The older Dr KJ, grinned when she told me my quality of life was not important. And gave no option to help. She left a month later, for unknown reasons. The director is most likely the cause, he also is very young. He had no concern for my wellbeing and supported above behavior. Maybe if you have never had poor care you wouldn't notice. Enter at your own risk.

One of the most safest space providing clinics in Manhattan. I truly appreciate the friendliness and also the welcomeness at this practice.

Staff here are mediocre, especially the patient manager "TJ Hatfield" who didn't resolve my my chart inquiry and instead gave me a disgusting attitude. if the employees hate their job they shouldn't be working in a people setting. this location hires just about anybody off the street with no experience, Brooklyn location was better

I have been going here since I moved here in July 3 of 2001. There's a reason why I keep coming back. I've also tried several times to get a job here as well because I think I would be a great addition to the staff. I've had three doctors in total in the 24 years that I've been attending and they've all been amazing: Dr. Michael McNett, Dr. Eddie Meraz, and Elsbet Servay. They have all been such educated and informed people and so caring and treat you like you're a real person instead of just another number as how they do in big hospitals and such. I would definitely recommend going to one of their locations. I've always gone to the one in Chelsea and that's where I plan on staying. There are new offices in the Bronx and in Brooklyn so I'm glad they have that. I wish they would open one up in Queens Jackson Heights area so that the LGBTQ community of Queens has a place to go to as well.

I feel bad for giving it 1 star because my doctor and the nurses are amazing here. However, ANYTHING involving a prescription is a complete back-and-forth nightmare, and it's been that way for over a decade. The prescription support line will never pick up, and they only interpret your message in a way that benefits their superiority complex. I base this off of never having prescription issues from 2 other facilities in the past decade. Two of my pharmacies have called me to say they cannot get a hold of Callen Lorde to get the required PA. Callen Lorde never responds to them. They just ignore them. Then the outside pharmacy calls me to say they couldn't fill it, and that I needed to call them to request a PA. So I call them to request the PA, and they start the entire prescription all over again. it can take months of endless back and forth to get it. I'm not sure how such a competent facility cannot manage its prescriptions. If you confront them, they'll blame you for it. Once again, the doctors and nurses are truly a dream team, but the amount of stress prescriptions put on a person is baffling. They refuse to see themselves as the problem.

This place has really gone downhill I get they mismanaged their money and are broke but- There is no excuse for the nasty disposition of the nurses and such that deal with patients over the phone It's completely the opposite of what it once was If it wasn't for my amazing dr We'd leave Immediately

Callen Lorde is an important resource for the LGBTQ community in NYC. They have doctors who care, and attempt to take on way more patients than they can handle. But the clinic is run by totally incompetent people. There's very high turnover and every receptionist and pharmacist acts as if it's their first day. The pharmacy is by far the worst I've ever been to. There's no communication between departments, and nothing gets done unless you physically show up and make someone do it. Everything takes twice as long as it should. I would not wish Callen Lorde on my worst enemy. But this is what the LGBT people in NYC without money have to deal with.

I write because Callen Lorde is still viewed by the Internet search engines as an outstanding place for LGBTQ medical care. But this is no longer the case. What kind of quality service can exist in a space where you have to wait 15 minutes for someone to pick up the phone before being transferred to a voicemail? And 45 days on average for an appointment with a PRIMARY CARE doctor! What kind of care can exist when you are encouraged to communicate through applications, and it takes a week for someone to respond? Once upon a time, this location depicted high service experience. Over the last 8 years, the shift has transitioned to mainly organizational expansions in different metropolitan locations. Callen Lorde has accomplished this by trafficking in selling the notion that it is the epicenter for HIV/AIDS care services in particular, and other medical care for queer populations such as trans and gender conforming communities. Leveraging years of acquired currency for serving at-risk populations, Callen Lorde has been able to obtain expansion permits and non-profit funding easily, but at the expense of alienating patients, many of whom have to wait for an average of 15 minutes to get someone on the phone who then transfers them to a voicemail: (hopefully a respondent will get back to them in a week). Complaints with the customer service experience team are merely formulaic than effective. On average, it takes 45 days to get an appointment with a popular primary care providers such a Dr. Tran, a favorite in the space, who, many agree is a polite doctor but nevertheless overworked. What seems to be happening is that patients are expected to focus on a limited number of issues during each visit with their doctors and urgent care appointments with Nurse Practitioners, owing to time constraints and insurance billing politics. So you wait forever to get an appointment; then you have to rush to remember why you are there, and expect only a few issues to get attention. The pharmacy professionals in the Chelsea location, particularly the men, have become increasingly hostile and disrespectful, hanging up on customers, refusing to allow supervisors to take over calls (Oh...the supervisor is on another call), tough-talking to fragile (frustrated) patients waiting in line. Complaints are not followed up with apologies by supervisors, but rather smiles and a listening ear. It is really really bad. Callen Lorde has become a mini-hospital as evidenced by its alienating culture, but I am sure the administrators will not say that because business is expanding in other NYC areas.

I've always had so much respect for this center but after my experience last year I was left mortified. I went for standard testing and was locked out of facility with my samples. I was also given paperwork of another patient which is a hippa violation. When I tried to explain to door staff I had my samples and paperwork of another patient they asked me to refrigerate my samples and come back tomorrow. They also did not want to take the paperwork back of other patient. I reported incident to staff and then a few weeks later received an outrageous bill for the visit of service I NEVER received. I called and was informed balance was adjusted but now received a bill from collections for same visit. I've never experienced such unprofessionalism in any "medical" setting in my life. I am traumatized from incident and will be seeking services elsewhere. I pray this does not happen to anyone else.

I have been a patient at Callen Lorde since 2014. I have a lot of respect for what they do, and they for many years were the most helpful... I loved my PCP and felt I was greatly cared for while he was in office. When my PCP retired, I was not given a call to reschedule an upcoming appointment I had with him. I received a letter notifying me of his retirement the day before an appointment I had waited a while for. When I called the office, I was told they would transfer my care to a new provider and was given an appointment for a couple months later to transfer my care to a new provider at the office. When I showed up for this transfer of care appointment, I was taken to a room and when the doctor came in and saw I was there for a transfer of care, I was told she could not transfer my care as the doctor they had me scheduled with was leaving the practice... I was told this AT my appointment. For the past 2 years now, I have relived this experience of rescheduling a transfer of care appointment to have doctors leave or for an appointment to be canceled last minute (I understand cancellations sometimes have to happen, but it's an ongoing issue). In the interim I have been seen by the team in their triage department for various issues that have come up... they "try to bridge the gap" when patients are in a transition period and waiting for a transfer of care appointment... the past few times these issues have not been diagnosed properly and I have required follow-up care and even once an ER visit. I was seen virtually a few weeks ago and told I would receive an urgent referral to dermatology within 24 hours. When I did not hear from them, I tried to call but getting in touch with anyone at this establishment is virtually impossible... you can leave a message but likely won't get a call back until a few weeks later. Today, I received a letter in the mail stating they could not reach me by phone and to call the office... I have received no messages or calls from Callen Lorde since I was told I would receive a referral. Lucky for me, I'll be transferring my care elsewhere at the end of this month to a competent facility I have had nothing but positive interactions with. Though Callen Lorde used to be a safe haven for me, it's turned into a nightmare... I caution you if you're considering going here: If you don't have any other options to get the inclusive care you need, be prepared to fight for adequate care. If you have other options, steer clear.

I've been with them for like 6/7 years. Even when I left the state for school I still always made my appointments here. The absolute best place I've ever received ANY medical care and/or attention. Staff is always so helpful and caring. I recommend to everyone especially but not only the queer community.

Callen Lorde posted an apology letter in September 2023 to their website. about "deadnaming" people meaning using incorrect gender names on the Callen Lorde patient portal. Not being able to get an appointment for several months, waiting for hours when you do have an appointment, and running out of medications are far more important concerns your agency needs to address! Please read the other reviews on here, and trust me the trans community has far more important concerns that need to be corrected by your medical office.

For sometime now, I have been using Callen-Lorde. I'm the past, I have found that generally, the staff is very kind and accepting. However, I often find it to be very inefficient.for sometime now, I have been using Callen-Lorde. I found that generally, the staff is very kind and excepting. However, It is terribly difficult to get referrals outside of the clinic. And once you get those referrals, there al seems to be some Hoops or hurdle that prevent you from getting them. The lack of communication is, quite shocking., quite shocking.The latest debacle which has got me so upset is a Dr. Brian Donahue. I have asked Dr. Bryan donahue for five weeks to fill out a two page form in which she agreed to. However, despite several messages, several calls, and visits to the clinic, she refuses to fill out the form, or just say that she's unwilling to do so. When I have tried to find someone else in that department to assist me with this matter to at least help me understand why Dr. Brian donahue will not respond to my messages, I get no response or assistance with this matter. If she was unwilling to fill out the form, why didn't she just say so. She literally told me that she would not be able to fill out a form that I submitted January 16 until February 26. It is also terribly difficult to get a primary care provider at this institution. Even though I have been going to this institution for quite a number of years, the doctor seem to come and go and I have been left without a primary care doctor for two years now.I would leave.I would leave by currently, because of my insurance, I am limited to going to other providers at this time. However, once that changes, I will definitely look into switching healthcare providers. Callen-Lorde is extremely disappointing.

Recently scheduled dental at CL as they are back and accepting new patients along with seeing current patients. Minimal wait time, friendly team, and great results. Dr. H was very informative and understanding of my own cosmetic questions. I've been coming to this location for almost 13 years since I was a late teen in need of sexual health care along with a general practitioner. This is a truly diverse clinic, both staff and patients alike. I would give a good (4 stars) but yes in honesty there are some pitfalls when it comes to public health care that maybe can be improved. Though, I love this institution. It's been a home away from home for me for many years and I know that so many peoples lives have been changed by the care that is provided here. Keep in mind, sometimes there just aren't enough resources to make this a fancy perfect experience. I know that I get the care I need when I leave.

I came here to pick up my prescription ans I really wanted to pee, but the health center use Quanrintine as excuse and not allow me to use the bathroom. They focused me to stay outside. The security guard pretended to talk to the manager but nothing happened eventually. This is a community health center. Being able to pee is the basic line of human decency. If the health center cannot even help people who wants to pee in their bathroom as some of the patients came all the way from uptown. This community center does not deserve any public recognition or donation as it does not serve for the purpose it always claims to be.

Callen-Lorde's extensive and diverse staff is very knowledgeable, welcoming, kind, discreet, and focused on treating everyone equally, and with great respect and kindness! Their facilities are clean, inviting, and uplifting! They go out of their way to help you and make you feel special! I've been a patient at Callen-Lorde for 10 years. Several friends of mine have been patients longer than me. The members of their in-house pharmacy are also great, knowledgeable, and caring. Their pharmacy's prices are very affordable!

All the staff at Callen-Lorde are very kind and polite. In a recent appointment, Dr. Haripriya did an excellent job on my tooth and her assistant, Ms Des, was very kind to me too. I am very happy with the service at Callen-Lorde.

After more than a decade with them I'm leaving this practice and their pharmacy. The pharmacy is one gaslighting experience month after month. False notifications of when prescriptions are available or being delivered. No cohesion when prescriptions will be requested or times involved and changes occuring every month. You are made to feel like a beggar for scraps. They are not an advocate for your health.

No one answers phones. You are put on hold indefinitely. My doctor won't return my call when I do finally get through to leave a message. Multiple times there's been trouble with or a mix-up on my lab work. The referral department is a JOKE. They are always having to cancel and reschedule appointments and sometimes seem to loose the new appointment they make. My surgeon could not get necessary paperwork from them.

Updating my review because I have more to say. Please listen to the bad reviews, there are patients who have been apart of this practice for nearly a decade that are very dissatisfied with the care they are receiving. I believe Callen-Lorde WAS a great service prior to the pandemic in 2019, however it has become evident they can not handle the amount of patients they have. You will wait over a month to be seen by a primary care doctor. This wait time has only increased over the past years (used to wait about 2 weeks now I wait almost 2 months to be seen). My biggest issue is my medication never arriving on time. I live on Long Island where unfortunately there is inadequate trans care so I have attended callen lorde since I was a teen. Never in all my years has my medication been late consistently. When I call to get help about my medication I am constantly put on the phone with workers who give me different answers, they have never put me on the phone with Dr.Tran who is my primary physician because he is busy and probably over worked. Recently they have now offered a digital service where I can order my medication without speaking to my physician, however this service has also proven to cause confusion and I have received my medication a week late. At this point this is causing me anguish and physical discomfort.

The most humane treatment of all patients in a friendly and inclusive environment. They have saved many lives!!!

Used to be great, initially a slow decline, but it has accelerated over the last 2 years making them unusable now. Providers pass the buck, refills team passes the buck, pharmacy passes the buck. Good luck getting meds you need on time if it requires a monthly prescription or even when you need standard refills. Good luck having labs coded correctly. Most important, good luck getting anyone to take accountability for the absolutely atrocious ways of dealing with patients. I'd been a patient there for 12+ years and finally had to give up.

Website is always down so you can't book an appointment without calling these days. Takes FOREVER to hear back from the doctor, takes FOREVER to get simple requests address, like prescription refills and the appointment spots are few and far in between. They offer a free delivery service but literally won't deliver your meds until 3 days after the day you scheduled for the delivery.

Absolutely difficult to deal with. It's impossible to get ahold of anyone. The center and the pharmacy have ridiculous caller wait times. Even after getting on the line with someone they will cut you off and redirect you to case management which just tells you what the walk in hours are. I got knocked off of my prescription for 3 months because I could not contact the pharmacy before they closed for winter break. After winter break they said it had been too long for me to still get my prescription and my doctor has to prescribe it again. I called my doctor and he wrote another prescription. The pharmacy said there was no prescription and that I had to wait until my check up (every 3 months) to get another prescription. So I had to wait another month. Callen Lorde Health Center canceled my appointment and delayed it for another 3 weeks on top of that. After my check up I switched to another pharmacy. When I came to the pharmacy the waiver for my prescription was no longer applied. I tried calling the center again which is when I waited and waited just for an operator to redirect me to an automatic recording.

Not taking new patients, so don't bother reaching out. I used to love this center years ago when I lived in the area but it seems the organization has gotten too big to serve the community. Misleading website too about walk in hours.

I love this clinic. Dr.Rona is my doctor and I can't tell you how comfortable she makes me feel. As a trans person I look for a doctor who cares about enriching my life, making a connection , and someone who actually remembers me and what we have spoken about. And that's her! She always remembers everything I share and say without hesitation. The nurses are the sweetest, the staff is just amazing. It's because of Callen Lorde I was able to begin hormones and live my best life! So thank you so much to everyone there! I went to Apicha looking for a similar experience and honestly it's unmatched!

I'm torn, i love my provider and therapist but the rest is a horrible mess and feel that by continuing to go there i set myself up to fail my health No matter how much you talk to admin about ways to improve/ other complaints, nothing changes and only gets worse - after being a patient of almost 10 years the only consistent service they give is negligence What other primary care places are there that are trans / queer friendly that you can actually rely on ?

Let me preface my review of Callen-Lorde by stating their staff is overall really great and the medical and sexual health services are excellent. I'm really happy with the services they've provided. Although, to get a medical appointment may be a month out they do have walk-ins for appointments. The clear communication of mental health services is where my opinion deviates from being favorable. First you have to be a full patient to access the mental health services. Again, I had to wait a month in order to be seen. Once, I was seen I was able to walk-in to meet with a therapist unbeknownst to me. I was clear in my communication with each person I spoke with at the time I booked the appt to the times I followed up to see if there was anyway for me to be seen sooner that I needed an appt to meet with someone specifically to address my ADHD. Not once did anyone explain the process to me nor that they do not have staff who specialize in ADHD but send you to referrals. They made it seem as though I could walk-in and receive help as soon as I became a patient. Not at all the case. So, when I came in and was told by the woman that she was a therapist imagine how frustrated disappointed and honestly really sad I felt. I waited all this time to talk to a therapist, someone I didn't need nor want to talk to. She told me I could make an appt with their psychiatrist and he would be able to address my needs. I was able to book an appt 2 days out to meet with him and that gave me hope. Cut to today after meeting with this guy who tells me straight away he doesn't specialize in ADHD and he would have to refer me. My stomach sank immediately and I was upset and feeling hopeless again. I try to be super on top of things and clearly communicate and sometimes over-communicate so that I don't have to deal with situations like this because it causes me anxiety and sometimes depression. Also, I'm not currently working and I have to take Uber to get to these appts and that is not cheap. When I explained this to the psych I was met with an insanely condescending attitude lots of shrugs ‍‍‍‍ and a complete lack of empathy. Totally unprofessional and unacceptable. I would expect people who work in a field with people who are already struggling to be very clear about their services processes and what they can and cannot do so as not to cause further distress to those of us in need. I'm now sitting here, waiting for a referral to someone who I hope can actually help me.

I have never left a bad review of this place before because I wanted desperately to find a place that won't discriminate against me, but I can't keep quiet anymore. From day one people inside Callen Lorde have tried to sabotage my care. Every year I have multi-hundred dollar "billing errors" that they refuse to fix even as they admit to being responsible. People inside Callen Lorde have also tried to modify my records to prevent getting good care. After getting a copy my health records I found that they had illegally modified my record after the fact to diagnose me as "delusional" so that future care would be sabotaged (it was typed over the top of an unrelated diagnosis I was receiving for an autoimmune skin condition that I was being treated for that oh right was exacerbated by a drug that they prescribed me). I don't know what conservative is responsible for this but it is flagrantly bigoted to be targeting a trans BIPOC individual and attempting to destroy her care. I have tried for years to beg this place to be nicer to me to try and stop illegal billing practices, but it seems all they care about is trying to sabotage my care and drive me away. I have done nothing wrong except demand they be held accountable. I am however fucking tired of having my prescriptions messed up nearly every month magically, or getting billed for services I either never received or was overbilled for or had it inserted in such a way to trigger an insurance denial. Up until recently I held a good paying job that I only quit recently due to rampant bigotry against BIPOC trans women. I am not delusional, nor am I whatever they seem to think I am. I am merely a trans girl trying to get support and yet all I seem to get from this place is exclusionary behavior and people trying to steal from me. I expected better of a place supposedly for the disenfranchised, but I guess I was wrong.

Aside from getting my prep here and getting my regular std checks, I don't come here. Called in to schedule a 3 months check up after starting prep. The lady who answered the phone barely replied to anything I said. When I asked a question regarding which floor would it be, she said "what do you mean. The sexual health has always been on the 4th floor. You were here three months ago?" She asks this right AFTER I told her my dob and name... I was being extremely polite over the phone as usual. She answered the phone without hello and hung up after I scheduled the appointment without saying anything - where I was like thank you very much have a wonderful day. Some staff there are really rude and unprofessional. But again, my provider is nice and that's the only reason I go there.

When I was looking for healthcare in NYC, I gave Callen-Lorde a try. I had heard about it for a while and known it catered to the gay community. Whether I was a walk-in or a patient with an appointment, it was always a negative experience for me that I choose not to endure again. I have had a few varied trials here, but in all instances the care providers were a bit creepy, the lab techs weren't too friendly or on time, or available for that matter - and the wait time for a walk-in to even get seen was upwards of 3 hours. The ONLY upside is that they offer a sliding scale for paying for services. Long story short: really not worth the time. Go elsewhere.

Let me start off by saying that when I found this place on Yelp I was a bit skeptical. I JUST moved to the city and barely know my way around, let alone having to chose a medical provider that I could trust. I was afraid that the reviews were falsified and I was going to be in for a real shock when I went in, but thankfully I wasn't. I called yesterday for an appointment and was offered one for later on in the evening, being that I had work, I declined and took one at 9am today; which then he continued to tell me that my range would be from $60-$90 based on a sliding scale. I thought it was fantastic that they were able to fit me in so quickly. So I got up and took the train over, be aware that they are doing construction on that street so keep your eyes peeled for the numbers on the buildings, otherwise you'll walk right passed it. The place has a modern feel to it, especially the downstairs lobby. I received my paperwork to fill out from the two women in the lobby, which were very nice. After turning in my paperwork, I was once again reminded of my price range and of their sliding scale (cool!). I then was instructed up to the 5th floor for my appointment. I checked in at that floor's desk, where I must say the employees weren't as nice =/, and for the third time reminded of their sliding scale ... to be honest, I think it's great that they do this. It makes me feel as if I am not getting ripped off, that everyone is on the same page, and I am getting all the information I need. I sat in the waiting area and was called in after a matter of minutes. I was brought into a nice room, where my general check-up was done: weight, height, temp, heart rate, etc. My results were done in about 5 minutes of being taken, and I was given my Rx to head back down to the first floor lobby where their new pharmacy was. Both the nurse and doctor that helped me were VERY VERY nice. I can't remember the nurse's name, but the doctor's was Dr. Cheryl Ayres and I only remember since it is written on my Rx =P. But she was SO easy to talk to, made me feel so at ease, and I 110% recommend her!! So after I left my treatment room I gave my slip to the employees at the front counter of that floor, where they told me that my fee for the day was $60! Yayy! Not bad AT ALL! They even offered to bill me later, or take part of it now and get billed the rest. AWESOME! I paid my bill and headed down to the pharmacy. The drop-off window for the pharmacy is located right outside the elevators, the pick-up window for the pharmacy is down the hall, through the doors and into the lab area; but the window for the drop-off was closed so I went to the front lobby to ask. So the ladies at the front desk stated that they would open at 9:30am, at it was 9:20am, so we waited ... and waited. It came close to 10am before they opened, but we were willing to wait -- especially since all Callen-Lorde patients get about 10% off Rxs from here. So I gave my Rx to the women behind the counter, where she checked if they had the medication first, then verified my information & ID, then told me that that it would take about 1/2 hour to fill; she was very nice as well. The pharmacy itself is pretty empty still, so you can definitely tell that they're still in the process of getting in medications and stocking their shelves, but it looks like it's going to be great. After about 20 minutes my name was called and was told to go down the hall the the pick-up window. There a pharmacist went over my medication and took my payment. She was VERY smiley and super kind as well. I wish all my pharmacists were like her. All-in-all a 5 star experience. Some really amazing employees that made me feel so comfortable about being in a hospital environment, great care, and so much more -- and all for a grand total of $72! So good! Make sure to make an appointment, bring the appropriate paperwork they ask for, and they will take care of the rest. I don't understand how ANYONE could leave this place not feeling fully satisfied. I still can't get over what a great find I've made with this place. Keep up the fantastic work!

After reading a couple of negative reviews, I felt had to comment. I have been a patient at Callen-Lorde for just short of 20 years. Over that time, I personally have received nothing but top notch care, and a whole lot of help when I needed it most. My doctor is nothing short of incredible. She is obviously extremely competent, compassionate and a great human being. Despite occasional good reason to be judged, that has never, ever been evident to me. I am always treated with respect, and I appreciate that. Since my initial HIV diagnosis, CL, has done everything I could hope for in keeping me healthy and hopeful despite some pretty tough non medical challenges. I am and will always be grateful for Callen Lorde generally and my doctor in particular. Ted B.

I had been going to this clinic for a few years. You'll have to deal with long waits to speak to anyone over the phone. I used the pharmacy at their bronx location. The pharmacy changed my med without permission of my doctor. I took the medication and had a side effect. The pharmacy charged me more for it. When I tried to report the situation to Peter Meacher, MD Chief Medical Officer. The staff stop answering my calls and wouldn't let me leave a message. This clinic also works with NYPD and shares your blood results if you show any illegal drugs in your blood work. This clinic clams to care about the gay community. Don't be fooled. If you're looking for good customer experience I wouldn't go to Callen Lorde this place is a dump and so is the staff. I had Doctor Rodolfo Guadron what a mess he is. He would always forget to refill my scrips so the pharmacy would have to email him to refill even thought I was current with my lab work. This was my experience for about four years. I tried to give them a chace to get it together but it didn't happen. Their computer system in the Pharmacy is always breaking down. I'm giving this place -9

I followed a doctor here over ten years ago and have stayed as a patient, even after she retired; Callen-Lorde has provided consistently excellent care and I see doctors in a few departments. Their dentistry department has been low-cost, not free for me--cleanings and extractions are free--because I've needed a root canal and elected to have some mercury fillings taken out and replaced with porcelain when I had repair work done. Still, some of the work I had done was a result of my letting it go for too long, so I feel lucky. Most of all, the doctors and nurses are cool and I get a very good vibe from the place.

Been coming here for years. Terrible health care imho. Sadly it's one of the few choices in NYC for transgender healthcare. When you come here expect to feel like a number at a clinic. Through the years the pharmacy has mixed up records and sent prescriptions to the wrong address. And more. Yep I still go here for lack of other options. Fml. But if you need pills make an appointment. I have had so many complaints about this place through the years listing them is just a laundry list. The only good thing about this place is the few minutes i get to see a doctor but making appointments can be like pulling teeth.

Callen-Lorde use to be a welcoming place. As health professionals they lack the very basic needs of their patients (professionalism). Terrible service when speaking to front desk Ana over the phone for something so simple as to transfer a call to the nurse, Linsey. Impolite and ready to get me off the phone. I don't tolerate rudeness from anyone. FYI--Urgent care is in the rise.

Go somewhere else please. (I'm referring to their 18th Street location in Manhattan.) Don't listen to those fake 5 star reviews, they haven't been there as much as I have, they haven't experienced this place like I have. Take my advice, avoid any place called "community health center". This is why you need to find a better health care center. Callen-Lorde is not faithful to their sliding scale policies. As someone who made $150 a week at the time, I received my check up for free, and only had to pay for my lab work. My doctor was great, Dr. William, but he since left for bigger an better things. However, on my second visit, I had Dr. Rho? Roo? Rue? Something like that. Awful! She asked "What name would you like to be called?" I've never been asked that, and it showed on my face. She plainly responded "If you can't handle my questions, you can find a different doctor." I never met such a stank ass so-called "doctor" who treats her patients like this. I stood with the exam, at the time, I needed that appointment. Before leaving, I specifically verified with the front staff if I will be billed, since I wasn't the last time. They said I would NOT be billed. I received a bill for my appointment two weeks later. I called Callen-Lorde and asked about it. I spoke to a man with a heavy Spanish accent, can't remember his name. He said that I would have no choice but to pay the bill, there's nothing he can do about it. But when I asked about my free visit the first time, he kept telling me that I was mistaken, and paid $50. No matter how many times I told him that I paid $50 for lab work, not the visit, he refused to to believe me, even if the evidence was on his computer. Do not go here for their inconsistent sliding scale policies, rude doctors, and AVOID if you do not wish to receive a surprise bill!

Site on west 18 th st . has poor leadership. Reception in the lobby can be a bit rude . A person with hearing issues should not be constantly yelled at to put a mask on , patients that experienced a scheduling mistake should not be told it's whatever and here's my name you can complain . Management does not treat all staff the same . Should a manager tell an employee not to use their own pen to write with with ? Very petty there . It is a shame when staff are too much of friends and ban together to target others that do their job . They really need to get themselves together there . Very toxic environment to work at . Front desk at the first point of contact should know better to purposely trigger clients who are experiencing emotional trauma or mental illness because they are having a bad day or because they are bored . or just plain miserable . The complaints fall on deaf ears nothing is done . it's a shame

Complete collapse of Callen-Lorde services during pandemic. Been a patient here for 10 years. The medical providers are excellent, however, the support staff....not so much. The office environment has always had a "college dormitory lounge" atmosphere, and now during this health crisis, this laissez-faire attitude has completely failed us. (just what we do not need during a health crisis). No one, and I mean NO ONE is answering the phones. NO ONE is returning calls. All other health providers in the City have stepped up (cause yo, it's a HEALTH CRISIS), but NOT at Callen-Lorde. The entire clinic has completely ceased to function in any discernible manner, I get it, Starbucks is closed,,,, but the health clinic???? Something is very wrong here!

I hate having to leave this review for an institution founded to help people in my community, but the fact is, I'm very angry about the nonsense I had to deal with, and I want other people to be forewarned. *** If you go to Calen-Lorde for STD testing, be certain they agree to provide you your *WRITTEN* test results. *** Because I still have not seen mine. I have been told that I do not have a right to see my results, which is a direct violation of New York State Law. I have been told that receiving a copy of my own test results is a violation of HIPAA. That is a lie. Your doctor does not need a HIPAA form to disclose your own test results to you, but Callen-Lorde refused to release my results to me. They did not tell me when I went for testing that I would not receive a printed copy of my own records. They never even offered me a chance to fill out the completely unnecessary HIPPA form they later told me would be required. They would only tell me on the phone that "everything was OK", which is complete bullshit. It's my health, my blood they took to test, I have a damned right to SEE my results. I provided my address, they certainly tried to send bills to me, so they know it's my address, they could send me my results.

NOTE: I've been a patient for 8+ years now, so I am well qualified to give an in depth review of it inside and out, having used almost every service long term (instead of reviewing a single great or bad experience). The medical services are great, especially if you can get a solid primary care physician. I've been with Victor Inada since 2008-2009 and he is super thorough and takes your health seriously. Urgent care can be hit or miss here, as they are overwhelmed and understaffed. They try their best though. Probably still better than City MD although City MD will def have immediate openings. + Usually takes forever to get an appointment at Callen Lorde FYI and phones are swamped. + Best to make appointments in person.

Was thankful to find a trans friendly medical center, but this week was a mess. After over a week of calling every available number and emailing, begging for a refill of my prescription, I was out of my medication for days. I left emergency voicemails, called at all hours of the day for days, and only got a response when I called them out on /social media/, and then I IMMEDIATELY got my prescription...

Callen-Lorde is the first doctors office I have ever felt comfortable at. Being trans, I used to avoid going to the doctor as much as I possibly could. Callen-Lorde is amazing, my doctor's so calming and easy to talk to, everyone there is amazing and always goes above and beyond to provide the best care possible for everyone. Couldn't recommend them enough!

I have never been more disappointed and enraged at the mere ATTEMPT to continue to receive what they call "accessible" health care for the transgender community. Callen lorde's "new and improved system" is a flaming sack of shit that is guaranteed to leave you feeling unstable, unsafe, uncared for and without vital medication when you need it most! ***if they really serve marginalized communities, how do they expect patients without ability / access to use the necessarry smart phone apps needed to fill patient medication? *** sign up here if you want to: -only want to speak with automated systems -Have your patients bill of rights be violated at nearly every visit -have staff re-schedule appointments you juuuuust checked in for without notification or consent of change - miss your scheduled appointment and be reprimanded for it! - enjoy being gas lit and spending all of your free time re-requesting vital medication that will never actually come through - you like being thought of as a number, not a person - you would like a free subscription and personalized plan to unlimited dread and anxiety about your decreasing health status - be told everything is " a snap" but told nothing in reality about what you need to do to access a health system that is most likely not meant to serve who they say anyway - i have been going to this place for primary care since 2011 and have been as patient as I can be, but that patience comes at a price on my health. My resources and time are limited and there arent a ton of trans care related places that accept medicaid, but if i cant get my medication while being a patient, what's the point? **** There are a few really amazing people that work at callen lorde, but they seem to be dwindling. If funders are going to pump any money into this health center, maybe focus less on re-branding your logo and image and put that money to better use where it is needed by paying for systems that work to serve the population it exists for ****

I guess being a patient here for seven years doesn't matter. I called a week ago to have my asthma prescription filled and the woman on the phone said "not a problem," so I called back this morning to see if it was ready and she said no, and that she would try and have it filled today. I said thanks, because it's kind of important - you know, the act of breathing, so I called back and then I was told, by someone else, that my insurance wasn't any good since November of last year - so why are you telling me this now? Why didn't the woman I talked to last week mention this instead of saying that the medicine I rely on to breathe would be ready today? Then the nurse who called me back just now told me I should just get a new doctor. So I guess the fact that a loyal patient of yours with empty inhalers and no way to currently get new ones means nothing to you. Thanks a lot.

First experience already not so positive. I made an appointment two weeks ago for 4/16/21. I took a half day off from work for this and my employer is never happy when I take off. Usually medical offices call me a day before to remind about appointments but CL did not, but that's ok. Good thing I decided to confirm appointment before heading out and the rep casually tells me their admin canceled my appointment and no answers as to why. After 30 minutes on the phone the rep did help me to secure a slot for today. What if they couldn't do it that means I would lose a work day for nothing. CL doesn't even call to warn clients that they cancel appointments?! There has to be better management and accountability. I understand sometimes appointments need to be canceled but at least let your clients know advance!

your phone system has hung up on me SEVEN times in the last ninety minutes, and the one time i got through to a representative he hung up on me too, and since you're transferring to a new system i can't message anyone either! what the fuck?!