Martee L. Hensley, MD

Absolutely awful!

Human?

Very good

**NOTE: Please be advised that this review is based on our personal experience and only reflects our encounters with Dr. Martee Hensley. It does not reflect our opinion of MSK as an entire entity.** That disclaimer given, I have a lot to say so buckle up. My mother was Dr. Hensley's patient until very recently. She is battling an aggressive, rare form of sarcoma and was referred to her as she is known as one of the best physicians in treating this disease. My mom and our entire family was ecstatic to have this opportunity. We knew we had a very long, uphill battle and the odds were stacked against us; however, Dr. Hensley's reputation allowed us to feel hope for the first time in what felt like forever. That feeling was fleeting and quickly imploded during our initial encounter with her. First impression: her bedside manner is ATROCIOUS. She’s not just blunt and overtly rude; this physician is downright heartless. The lack of compassion she displayed when speaking to my mother… was appalling. A physician-patient relationship needs to maintain a level of distant professionalism, but to not even say, “Hello, (name)” when returning a patient’s phone call and to begin the conversation with an annoyed, “How can I help?!?!” is callous and unacceptable. It wasn’t once or twice; she spoke with this irritable tone multiple times over five months. Nevertheless, we continued to see Dr. Hensley because you go to “the best” when your life is on the line. After weeks of anxiety as she wondered what type of mood she was going to have to face during her appointments, my mom made the decision to stop seeing Dr. Hensley for treatment. You’d think that this would be an impossibly difficult choice, but the day she told her she would not be returning to New York was the most at ease and relaxed I’ve seen her in months. Think about that. That speaks volumes. Dr. Hensley, if you read this review (and I sincerely hope you do), please take what I’m about to say to heart because it's coming from the very bottom of mine. You - of ALL people - should know how difficult cancer is. I understand that there's an element of learned and necessary desensitization after years of practice, but your patients and their families cling on to every word you say. Whether you want to or not, you often symbolize their only hope in a world that they never asked to be a part of. Even if you don’t have positive news, your delivery is everything. Your words matter. YOUR TONE MATTERS. I strongly suggest that you think about how you want to be remembered years from now and what you want your legacy to be - both at MSK and among your patients. It is possible to be both a great doctor and an empathetic, decent human being. Those things are not mutually exclusive. How you treat your patients involves both what you do and what you say. I'd recommend you take this into consideration to avoid doing more harm than good. Best of luck.

Dr. Hensley has no bedside manner and she does not believe in updated medical information. I have questioned her a few times about care and she was extremely apprehensive. Was much in denial. So is her nursing staff.

Dr. Hensley and her team were absolutely wonderful to us. She explained everything and answered all our questions. She made us feel very comfortable and never rushed us. The entire team at Sloan Kettering, from the front desk person to Dr. Hensley were very kind and gentle, which was greatly appreciated especially in this difficult time.

I am very happy to have been referred to Dr. Hensley. She has taken time with me to discuss my diagnosis and treatment options and has answered my questions and addressed my fears.Dr. Hensley staff has always been professional and courteous with me. Given that I was diagnosed with stage 3 MMMT I feel I have made the right choice for choosing Dr. Hensley and I am very grateful for her.

Our experience was absolutely awful. This woman is a robot-like being who may understand the science of cancer, but doesn't treat her patients as humans. She treats them as science experiments. She was highly insensitive in the way she told my family member she had a year at best to live. While she may be knowledgeable, she needs to learn how to properly relay information in a sensitive manner to those who may be suffering. Additionally, she was hurried and made us feel like we were taking up her precious time, even though we flew in from out of town just to consult with her. She was curt when we asked questions and didn't take the time to review a histology we sent to her assistant weeks in advance of the visit. She removed any shred of hope for my family member as she put a timeline on her life. She should be working in a lab with rats and not interacting with humans.

Dr. Henlsey had poor bedside manner and provided a terminal diagnosis for the family member I was supporting and said that there was nothing she could do. She left no doors open, focused only on the fact that there were "no other options". That family member is healthy and doing quite well 10 years after Hensley's diagnosis. Clearly there were other options, but Hensley did not provide any information whatsoever that could have helped us. We ended up finding other options through our own research. I'm sure she's an honorable practitioner and tried her best, but in this case her best could have resulted in a tragic outcome had we listened to her assessment.

Dr. Hensley treated me recently for Stage 4 ovarian cancer. While it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life, Dr. Hensley and her team made me feel cared for and confident that I was in the best hands possible. She will answer all your questions and make sure all your needs are met.I am happy to say that my cancer is now in remission, thanks in part to this wonderful oncologist.