Dr. Chris Joseph Kielbasa, DO

The dr / patient relationship is important. It is dependent on mutual trust and respect: the dr has to trust the patient to tell the truth and the patient has to trust that the dr will behave professionally, be competent and professional. In all of those regards, "Dr Chris " exceeds expectations. He is thorough and can be probing when necessary but he always seems to be able to get 'to the bottom of the problem' and get me the right medicine or treatment. The one unpleasant surprise is that this office, unlike others, never seems to confirm appointments and so on more than one occasion I nearly missed seeing him.

My experiences at Prime Care Medical of Long Island were definitely the absolute worst medical care I have ever received in my life. I was looking for a new doctor, just wanted to general check-up and physical, and also wanted to have my finger checked out - I hurt it a few weeks before and it didn't seem to be getting better. Somehow they manage to require THREE appointments to do that, although they failed to tell me this when I called for the first appointment. The first appointment was to talk about my medical history, current health etc. Second one was to do blood work (even though I fasted before the first appointment in preparation to have blood work done!!!). Third one was to do the physical and review the blood work. When I realized that this was going to be a three appointment extravaganza I asked the PA to do the physical during the first appointment. He refused and said I had to come back. The first appointment lasted about 2 hours , because of the wait before… being taken back and then the additional wait between the nurse who took my blood pressure etc. (she was thorough and courteous) and the actual PA (not doctor). I pleaded with the PA to just do the physical then and there and call me with the blood results if anything was out of the ordinary, since it was not easy for me to get time off work for two more appointments. I was in GOOD health. This was primarily just a check up and to get an opinion on my finger. But no, they wanted their "two" pounds of flesh and get paid for two appointments, plus the inconvenience of a third appointment for blood work. That aside, I explained to the PA that I had hurt my finger and it didn't appear to be getting better. He suggested I get an x-ray which I thought they could do there, but he said they couldn't. Fine! I found it odd that he never looked at my finger or even came close to the exam table the ENTIRE time I was there. Then he asked how the pain was. I said it is tolerable and really not a big deal as long as the finger is bandaged up. He then said, without even looking at me - "Do you want something?" I didn't understand and said "what?". He said it again... 'Do you want something?" I said "I'm sorry, I don't understand." He turns to me (yes, he hadn't even been looking at me... he was sitting with his back turned to me for most of the time) and he had this sick grin on his face and almost winked and said "Do you want something for the pain? Some percoset or something?" He said it in such a way that I felt like I was talking to a drug dealer. I looked at him and said "I told you the pain was fine. I don't need anything for it." I felt like I was on candid camera. I hoped I was on candid camera. So then a day or two later I go for an x-ray. My finger was badly broken... the bone was completely snapped and separated. The x-ray tech showed me the x-ray and said I needed to get to an orthopedist ASAP. My insurance required a referral from my primary care physician. First thing the next morning I call Prime Care and asked them for a referral. The WOULD NOT GIVE ONE TO ME and said I had to come in. I explained that my finger was completely broken, that I had already been there once about it, that there was nothing they could do, and I just needed a referral to go to an orthopedist. NOPE. They would not give me the referral. So I was stuck. I had to go in. I waited an hour in the waiting room and was finally seen this time by the doctor. He walked in, checked my finger (yes, he actually touched me and looked at me!!). And he kind of laughed and said I should just put a bandage on it and it will be fine. He said the radiologists are sometimes alarmist and it's really not a big deal and that I did not need to see an orthopedist. I let him talk and didn't interrupt until he was completely finished. I then looked him square in the eye and asked "Did you look at my x-ray?" He froze and started to speak but was tripping over his words. He finally admitted that, no, he had not looked at the x-ray. I said that he might want to do that. He literally didn't know what to do with himself. So... he looked at the x-ray and low and behold, he said I needed to get to an orthopedist THAT DAY. All of a sudden he couldn't be more accommodating and was finding me any number of referrals I wanted. I then asked, since I'm here, can we please do my physical. Oh no! That would have to be a separate appointment. Of course it would. They still needed that extra pound of flesh. Needless to state, I ended up needing surgery with full anesthesia to fix my smashed finger. Oh.... and I never did get that physical. I just couldn't stomach going back there.

On two seperate occasions I left messages for the doctor to call me he never did.I didn't give up until I spoke to him & found out that he never got my messages.How can people work in a doctors office & not care about the patients!!!!!

Best doctor I have ever been too.

Dr Kielbasa was awesome....I went in thinking I had something wrong with me and left with a different diagnosis that may have saved not only my sanity but potentially my life. I am so grateful to Dr. Kielbasa for his thoroughness and his ability to listen and properly diagnose. Thank you Doctor Kielbasa

Doctor is completely clueless about medical conditions. Expect him to turn your medical problem into a psychiatric diagnosis and give you some tranquilizers - Dangerous Doc. I had blatant clear symptoms in his office, ended up being admitted and treated at hospital shortly therafter for a serious life-threatening medical condition(finally diagnosed and appropriately treated at hospital) -After 1.5+ hour in his office and phone calls from my son pleading for him to help me, all he did was write 1 prescription for Xanax 0.25 mg 5 day supply, no lab work, no physical exam whatsoever, no follow-up, etc. No, I did not take the Xanax -I was seriously ill when I visited him - certainly not in need of tranquilizer...He should NOT have a MD license - I suspect he is participating in some sort of Medicaid fraud. Signing up with HMO's and hoping he'll never have to see or treat any of the patients (from Medicaid or FHP).