Marina Gastanovich, MD, PC

I found out just now I have a hernia but this morning, when I went to my appointment with Dr. Marina Gafanovich, I had no idea what was wrong with me and went there somewhat relieved as she came highly recommended. I arrived with my health card/​id and cash just in case there was a copay.
Fast forward a bit to say I didn’t realize she was one of the people in the front when I had arrived. She and her staff watched me doubled over in pain as an attendant tells me they couldn’t see me because I hadn’t come with a credit card. She asked me «didn’t the girl tell you?» When I told her I hadn’t been told and tried, through my pain, to get her to tell the Dr. or take the $ 100 bucks I had with me, basically told me to keep it moving. I called a friend for advice, they told me go in the hallway. I called the friend who referred me who offered to fax her card but the lady (thing black cops in south africa before the fall of apartheid) said I had threatened them because I told them I would need to call 911 because I was in distress. They seemed inured to my suffering which always shocks me in a health care setting.
Long story short: I ended up leaving and ems came to pick me up. I went to the emergency room and at least I know now what was wrong with me.
I believe in my entire body they saw my black face and it was a wrap before I sat down. I was raised in new england so I don’t sound like what they might have expected.
Like Job, I will tell the story of my experience with Dr. Gafonovich and her staff to everyone my community organizing self meets from now til I drop.
P.S: Wanna thank the lady who was in their waiting area who gave me the directions to the nearest emergency room. They were all chatting about her haircut though my ordeal but she had access to her humanity long enough to do what she did.

This doctor is listed on the DMV website as providing the required vision test for renewing your license. When I called to arrange an appointment I was told I must also have a full physical exam along with the test. When I insisted this is not a requirement and I already have a primary care doctor, I was told this is the only way to get the vision exam from this doctor. THIS IS A SCAM TO INCREASE THIS DOCTOR’S REVENUE AND I PLAN TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO THE DMV AND THE MEDICAL BOARD.

Dr. Gafanovich pushes unnecessary testing to increase her revenue. I am a healthy 24 year old who came in for an annual check-​up. She coerced me to take many un-​necessary tests including a hearing test (I have perfect hearing) and an EKG (I have perfect blood pressure and no sign of heart disease). My insurer rejected these charges and I had to pay for them out-​of-​pocket.

First of all, I am only writing this review this time because I have had it with this office practitioner.
I have also have the same issues as the other people writing negative reviews here with the practice rejecting patients unless they allow you to do a full physical –regardless of whether or not you need it or have already had one recently.
I made an appointment with the practice online, then received a call from the doctor (who claimed to be a receptionist-I’d like to know what kind of receptionist stays working after 8pm, and I find it even less realistic that this Dr. would pay overtime to her staff, as, whenever I had been there for other visits, I saw the staff leave promotly after the last appointment checked-​in, I always make doctors’ appointments as late as possible for my work schedule)
I would also like to note that I had seen this doctor in the past five years a handful of times for general necessities like sore throat medication, or being sick with strep throat, etc., and one time she called me after I had an x-​ray making me think that she found a tumour, and told me that I had to rush to the office because she ‘found something on the scan’, so I called my husband out of work because of how freaked out she made me — thinking I had cancer– I waited several hours to get another scan that she said needed to be done STAT, and being so nervous with my husband waiting in her office, only to find that there was a shadow on my scan that she thought might be pnemonia, and it ended up being nothing but a shadow! What kind of Dr. scares a patient over a shadow?!?
Anyway, to get back to my more recent experience, she called me and pretended to be a receptionist telling me that «the doctor would not see me unless I agreed to a full physical with heart testing, blood testing, lung testing, everything.» When I informed her that I had just been in the hospital and also have several other specialists who have already given me all of those tests, specifically, I had the exact scans and blood tests (that she said were mandatory), that prior week, and that my insurance was not going to pay for repeat testing (not to mention the fact that I have several medical conditions and did not feel up to having myself tested anymore when she could just look at those records to get the results) «to make sure I was healthy,“as she said, because ‘she just wanted to make sure her patients were healthy,’ however she became argumentative when I explined to her that I could send her the reports from my recent testing, so that she would have the exact same things she claimed to need to badly.
It became painfully evident that she just wanted to bill my insurance for unnecessary testing, because she then said she wouldnt see me unless I agreed beforehand to the testing.
What kind of doctor makes their patients agree to testing before even seeing the patient clinically, or knowing that patient’s health issues?
It was even more shady that the doctor was pretending to be the receptionist at the beginning of the call, but towards the end of the call, she let on that she was the doctor herself, how shady is that?
So if you really want to know how this doctor operates, read through the negative reviews on Unilocal because those reviews pretty much mirrored my experience.
If there is one thing you can find in this city, it’s another doctor, especially in this neighbourhood, so do yourself a favour and go elsewhere.

Dr. Gafanovich is my primary care physician for about 1 year now. After years of being dissatisfied in one way or another with other primary care physicans, I finally found one who is fantastic!
Bedside Manner and Staff: The doctor has very great bedside manner. She actually listens to me about any physical issue I have and and does not brush aside what I am feeling or any symptoms I may be having like many doctors do. She is extremely thorough and eager to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. She is highly knowledgeable about the latest medications and medications in general. She is proactive about interactions and side effects. She is caring and personal and will often follow up with a personal phone call to check on me and how I am feeling and doing with a course of treatment. When I have needed outside testing she immediately has her staff get me into the lab and schedule those appointments. She is extremely thorough in analyzing your blood work! The staff is friendly and on the ball.
Office appointments: I have had about 10 — 12 appointments in the last year and never waited more than 10 minutes for an appointment. Once in the exam room there may be another short wait before she enters. Her office is also very accommodating with last minute and same day appointments which is important to me. I did not see her office before the remodel but now it is pleasant and modern enough. I do agree with another reviewer though that the testing room could use some softening up /​décor, but that room is really for once a year physicals. Her normal patient exam rooms are fresh and pleasant.
Overall she is a great doctor with a well run and friendly office that is thorough and convenient!

Pls check your health insurance coverage before going to this doctor for your Annual preventive care Physical examination. Most of the tests performed by the doctor are not covered by most of the health insurance companies under the annual well visit preventive maintenance program. Doctors office does not clearly give a list of tests that will be performed on you beforehand. I went there assuming every test that the doctor is running is part of preventive maintenance and will be covered by my UHC health insurance but that is not the case. I believe the doctor and the doctors office are also aware of this but they will not give you that information beforehand. I got a huge bill of 600 $ because insurance considered most of the tests like — Hearing test, breathing test, chest x-​ray, ECG, etc that were performed during my annual visit as non preventive tests. Save yourself the trouble and ask the doctor to only run the tests covered by your insurance or find yourself another doctor. unless you want these tests run and would like to pay for the tests yourself! The doctor also suggested that I get tested for H Pylori since its a common problem for people from my country of origin and when I asked her if its covered by insurance, she very confidently said yes, when in reality this test is not covered at all. Hope this information will help you save some money.

I don’t know why reviews are so poor. This is my second time I’m visiting Marina Gafanovich office. All assistants were nice and doctor herself is great. She spent enough time with me and my wife, was very responsible and professional. After all, the most important thing is that her treatment helped us and we are now healthy :)

Would put zero star if i could.
Not a nice office. Staff is rude. The first thing you come, they ask you to leave your credit card details. It was never ever done before in normal offices. We all know, how billing department is working .They simply don’t try to charge your insurance card correctly, so they will charge your credit card. When i raised my concerns about it, the receptionist told me that i can leave then, it is not a right office for me.
I needed my physical, took some time off from work, so i stayed. In the room, the PA told me that they are going to do complete blood work, ECG, chest X-ray.BuT: i didn’t have any symptoms, i just needed preemployment evaluation. I expected to be charged for a visit, but not for unnecessary procedure. When i said, that i don’t need that, i was told, that so called MD can not see me.
BOTTOM LINE: Terrible place, rude, unprofessional staff, don’t go unless you desperate,(may be for prescription or something like that). If you really have problems schedule appointment and wait for a normal physician in normal place.
You can schedule appointment for the next day and the reason for that is they don’t have a lot of patients, not surprised at all

I’ve never written a Unilocal review, but I HAD TO after this ridiculous experience. This practice is complete rubbish, waste of time, and not a travel clinic. I’m traveling to Uganda for business in 5 weeks and made an appointment for the express purpose of getting travel vaccinations and preventive medications, which I EXPRESSLY told the office staff when I made the appointment. «Sure, that’s what we’re here for, the doctor will be able to help you with whatever travel purposes you need.» I explicitly asked about the yellow fever vaccine, which they said the doctor could help me with. Great, I thought I was all set. I just went for my appointment and as described on the phone, they wanted to do a physical. I was ok with this, but it shouldn’t typically be required for a travel clinic visit. So I asked again, you have the Y-​F vaccine onsite, right? The tech went to ask and came back to tell me that no, the doctor didn’t have the vaccinations I needed on site, but she would refer me to her «immunology associate» who would handle that. SO basically, it’s a primary care-​focused facility, and not even a nice one at that. Completely mislead when I made the appointment, and if you look at Marina Gafanovich’s website it makes it appear as though it’s the première travel clinic in NY. Don’t waste your time! (Did I mention I left work EARLY for this?) Instead, I’m going to Gramercy Park Physicians near Union Square. This practice actually knows about travel medicine, can advise you on vaccinations needed, prophylactic drugs, etc, and won’t waste your time «referring you» to another doctor. Hope this saves someone the time and effort from shlepping over to this completely useless office!

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME LIKE I DID!!! I found Dr. Marina Gafanovich on
which claims that «Dr. Gafanovich offers in-​depth counseling for travelers, and will consult with you about how you may avoid injury or illness while traveling abroad.» I called to schedule an appt. a month in advance of the actual appointment for a pre-​travel consult, which was clearly stated, and I was given the appt. 5 weeks before my travel date as I was advised that it was the right amount of time to get vaccines for the country I was traveling too. When I got there, they tried to give me a full physical. When I stated that they had me mixed up and that I was only there for a pre-​travel consultation and that I already have a primary care doctor and already had a physical this year, I was told «Dr. Marina Gafanovich is a Primary Care Doctor and she only does vaccines as a courtesy to her current clients.» This blew me away, according to her website
, vaccines and travel consultations were supposed to be her specialty! What was also interesting is that she wouldn’t give us vaccines through our insurance without physicals BUT she would give us vaccines for outrageous out of pocket costs! What was the mandated physical for then?! Dr. Marina Gafanovich is CLEARLY trying to con people into switching to her as their primary care doctor through her very deceptive website,
. She completely wasted our time and it is my hope that I save you some time by leaving this review. 0 stars is the appropriate grade if they would have let me!!!

I really wish I could do zero stars.
As background — I use Unilocal a lot but have never felt so strongly until today to write a review about a business. Literally just took the time to 1) finally register for a Unilocal account and 2) write my 1^st review.
Whoever is answering the phone today (Tuesday) for Dr. Gafanovich hung up on me and was completely useless.
The doctor advertises her office as a place to get travel immunizations but it’s only a gimmick to get you to switch PCPs and get you into her office for a full physical and become a new patient.

Dr. Gafanovich seemed to be in a rush both times. Didn’t seem like she was interested to find if I had any questions. Honestly, disappointed.

Got a sub-​par physical here. The appointment was extremely rushed; I got in and pushed from A to B by assistants who were very impresice with their measurements. The doctor was okay but again did not take enough time to ask the right questions or thoroughly answer my question.
She is competant, but it wasn’t good enough that I’d consider going back.

…;… Adding to my review… So i finally got called… I met the doctor for the first time, she apologized for the wait and explained the she was short staffed, she was really nice and thorough, easy to talk to… Super friendly!, KEEPER!!! Lol… At her office as I write this review, tired of waiting, very unorganized, some lady before me was waiting for over an hour and she yelled at the receptionist and demanded to speak to the doctor, the receptionist told her the doctor was with a patient and she stormed inside regardless!!! Hilarious!!! I’m still waiting!!! Thinking about canceling this damn appointment!!! Whats the point of making an appointment!!! And they called someone else before me, that came after ME!!!

Wont see me since I wont make her my primary care physician. I live in another state and got a referral for a pulmonary function test. I called after seeing her website and they took my insurance. Asked if she would be my primary care physician, I said no, and they said they wont do it. When I asked why they just said they have their reasons.
This is what is wrong with the medical field these days.

When it comes to annual checkups, nobody really wants to be first in line — just get it over with in an efficient manner with the required attention. And that’s exactly where Dr. Gafanovich shines. The initial checkup was conducted efficiently and a few days later she called to discuss the lab results. Not that there was anything exciting to discuss, but that extra attention is wheat really sets her apart from other general doctors I’ve seen. Highly recommended, five stars for service but examination room could use some decoration upgrades, thus four stars overall.

For the first 2 years that we lived in NYC, we went to a Manhattan’s Physicians Group because it was close to our apartment. It is a very large practice with many of the various specialists in the same building. However, those were the ONLY advantages. The receptionists were unfriendly, you always had to wait for 1 to 2 hrs despite having a made an appointment. When we had tests done, we were told — if you don’t hear from us, everything is fine… We would never hear anything. The billing system was inefficient — I received a bill one year after treatment!
It was definitely time to change doctors. Our experience with Dr. Gafanovich is the completely different. She has a great bedside manner. She listens to what you have to say. She suggests remedial actions including referrals to specialists when necessary. She personally reviews test results with you and gives you clear explanations as to what they mean and what you can do to improve results where appropriate. There were test results I had that showed issues that needed to be taken care of. I have no doubt that these should have been discussed with me by the Dr. at Manhattan’s Physicians Group because such issues do not appear suddenly.
Her staff is friendly and helpful. She’s currently redecorating her office. I would have knocked half a star off because the office was looking a bit tired but now that it’s getting a facelift, I’ve no hesitation in giving her the full five stars. With Dr. Gafanovich, we’re (my husband and I) fully confident that we’re receiving proper care and attention.

I decided to update my review to 4 stars since perhaps I was a bit harsh with my 3 star rating. Overall I didn’t have any complaints so I’m adding one more star.