Dr. Hannah Bosdell Steele, MD

Poor Communication and Lack of Empathy

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Steele. I deal with a ton of anxiety about doctors visits, but she immediately put me at ease and made me feel like I was talking to a friend. She made me feel safe and comfortable and I didn’t feel like I was being rushed throughout the appointment. I’m recommending her to everyone I know!

Dr Steele is incredible ! I went to her for the birth of our second son! We had a planned c section. I was very nervous but she kept me calm. Even offered to sing to me in the operating room lol. She’s very personable, and has a great bed side manner. Also she made sure she was able to be there to deliver my son (the hospital messed up booking me on a day she wasn’t working) she called them to fix it so she could deliver him because she knew that was important to me ! She’s seriously the best!

I had the worst pain of my life trying to have intercourse. It felt like I was being torn in half and burned alive every time I tried. I went to her and asked if I might have vaginismus or another condition, and she told me to "just keep trying to shove it in, sweetie, you'll get it eventually, and stop googling things." She also brushed me off when I asked about my risk of developing lichen sclerosus (an autoimmune disease that every woman in my family but one has) because I was "too young to get that," even though my mother was only nine when she presented with symptoms and my aunt in her twenties. Lo and behold, years down the line, it was discovered very easily by another doctor who just listened that my immune system was attacking the opening of my vagina the whole time and that while it wasn't lichen sclerosus, it's related and makes me very high risk of developing lichen sclerosus. While I didn't have vaginismus originally, I developed vaginismus from associating penetration… with pain so intensely in the years that my condition went untreated. I'm being treated for these conditions now and am doing better (and finally able to sleep with my partner at least somewhat comfortably), but am livid that Dr. Steele brushed off what could have been fixed years ago, and that I developed vaginismus as a direct result of her refusing to take me seriously. It will likely take years to treat, and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her for the impact her negligence has had on my life.

Dr. Steele, was very attentive to me and what my questions and concerns were. She answered all questions and helped me understand some processes we were discussing better. I will refer her to all friends and family!