Welcome. This page explains what a first visit to NYMD Center looks like and what you can do beforehand to make it go smoothly. Whether you are coming for a urology, gynecology, internal medicine, vascular or other visit, the process is the same at both offices.
Before your visit
Book by calling the Manhattan office at (212) 991-9991, the Forest Hills office at (718) 360-9550, or by requesting an appointment online. Same-week appointments are usually available. When you call, tell the front desk the reason for the visit in a sentence or two; that lets us book the right amount of time with the right physician and order any testing you may need on the day.
Our new patient forms are on the patient information page. Completing them at home is worth the few minutes it takes. A careful medical history is the single most useful thing you can give your physician, and it is easier to be thorough at your kitchen table than on a clipboard in the waiting room.
If your insurance plan requires a referral for specialist visits, obtain it before your appointment. Our insurance page explains how coverage works with us.
What to bring
- A government-issued photo ID.
- Your insurance card, and a referral if your plan requires one.
- A list of every medication you take, with doses, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. The bottles themselves are fine if a list is easier.
- Prior records and imaging related to the problem, if you have them: operative reports, biopsy results, lab work, ultrasound, CT or MRI reports and the images on disc if possible. If records are held by another practice, we can request them, but bringing what you have avoids delay.
- A short list of your questions. Visits go better when the patient sets the agenda alongside the physician.
Please arrive about 15 minutes early to complete check-in and anything left on the forms.
What to expect
You will check in at the front desk, where we verify your ID and insurance and collect any outstanding paperwork. A medical assistant will bring you back, record your vital signs and, depending on the visit, collect a urine sample before you see the physician. For many urology visits a urine sample is needed at the start, so it helps not to empty your bladder just before you arrive.
The visit itself begins with a conversation. Your physician wants to understand what is happening, when it started, what makes it better or worse and what you are worried about. Then comes a focused physical exam relevant to the problem. Our physicians explain what they are looking for and why, because a recommendation makes more sense when you understand the mechanism behind it.
Most testing your physician orders is done in the office the same day. Both offices have a lab, ultrasound and EKG on site, and many lab results come back quickly. When a result is available before you leave, your physician reviews it with you then. When it is not, we call you or arrange a results-review visit, which can often be done by telehealth.
You will leave with a plan. Sometimes that is a diagnosis and a treatment started that day. Sometimes it is a set of tests and a follow-up visit. Either way, we follow a least-invasive-first approach: we start with the option that costs you the least in recovery and risk, and we tell you what each option asks of you as well as how well it works.
After your visit
Prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy you choose. Follow-up visits, procedures and any referral within the group are scheduled before you leave. Because all of our physicians share one medical record, a referral from one specialty to another does not require a new intake.
If your plans change, we ask for 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule as a courtesy to other patients waiting for appointments.
Questions before your visit? Call either office. Our front desk staff have been doing this for a long time and are glad to help.
Questions patients ask
Do I need a referral to become a patient?
Not from us. You can book directly with any of our specialties. Some insurance plans, particularly HMO-type plans, require a referral from your primary care physician before they will cover a specialist visit. If your plan works that way, obtain the referral before your appointment or ask our front desk for help; without it, the visit may not be covered.
How long does a first visit take?
Plan on about an hour. Check-in and any remaining paperwork take a few minutes, the visit with your physician is usually 20 to 40 minutes depending on the problem, and any testing ordered that day, such as blood work, urine testing, ultrasound or EKG, is done in the office before you leave. Complex problems may take longer.
Can I complete the forms before I arrive?
Yes, and we encourage it. The registration, history and consent forms are on our patient information page. Completing them at home means you can be more thorough with your history and spend less time in the waiting room. If you prefer, arrive 15 minutes early and complete them at the front desk.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Call the office as soon as you know. We ask for 24 hours' notice as a courtesy so that the slot can be offered to another patient who is waiting to be seen. If something unavoidable comes up on the day, call anyway; we would rather reschedule you than have you miss care.
Make an appointment
Manhattan (212) 991-9991 · Forest Hills (718) 360-9550 · same-week visits, most major insurance accepted.