Dr. Christine Marie Vaccaro, DO

Where to begin!? After a 6-month wait list, I finally had my appointment with Dr. Vacarro. I was so excited to see her, but the excitement didn't last long. It was a 90-minute, $1,500 visit (no insurance accepted), but I knew all this going in, where at least 75 of those minutes were spent being bombarded with "checking the box" type questions. There was no conversation, no back-and-forth discussion; it felt very cold and dismissive. To clarify, this was after I completed an extensive health history questionnaire on their portal! Several of her questions didn't even apply to the reason for my visit. This did not feel like the individualized, whole-patient, boutique/concierge-type experience I was expecting, or one that would warrant this wait or price tag. I'm happy to pay for a great experience with a highly skilled, trained, educated, and compassionate doctor. Instead, I felt utterly devalued as a patient and left even more confused. She spent so much time asking ME questions that I… was only given maybe 5-10 mins at the end to ask my own, discuss next steps for treatment, and make decisions. Really!?. On top of it, I found her rude, condescending, and judgmental. I have been EXTREMELY proactive about my health, but she made a point of mocking one exam in another specialty that I had neglected(which also had nothing to do with my reason for being there). Also, when I asked her what benefits I could expect to help level set expectations, she became extremely defensive. I was there to be educated and discuss my treatment options; I walked out knowing no more than I did when I walked in. In the last 5 minutes, we decided on a follow-up procedure as a starting point for a price tag of $1000. Even though I am now technically an established patient, it was 3 months before I could schedule the procedure with her because she was fully booked. Really!? Now I am waiting a total of 9 months to start hormone therapy with this office. Lastly, I sent a note yesterday to inquire about other options. I then attempted to go back in and edit my inquiry, but since I was unable to, I attempted to send a follow-up but was met with an alert that said something to the effect of "you have reached your 1 max limit of messages in 24 hours." This alone speaks volumes about what they think of their patients. Truthfully, this could have been a 20-minute visit at any other practice with any other doctor, but instead it was extended with questions to give the impression of a comprehensive visit in which the patient would be well tended to, educated, and valued, and in which pros/cons/expectations were discussed by a well educated, experienced practitioner who is passionate about helping women feel better. It fell painfully short. I give 1 star for the 5-minute pelvic exam-that was actually the only beneficial part!