Dr. Perla LaGuardia

I was a first time patient & made an appointment for an annual exam with Perla Laguardia, CNM. She introduced herself & asked if I was only here to receive birth control, I explained that I was here for an annual exam & shared some medical concerns I have that are relevant to the exam. Perla responded to my medical concern by stating that she "can't do anything about that". I was a little surprised considering that examining the abdomen, breasts & neck area are a part of a standard annual exam & my medical concern was regarding one of those specific areas, so I replied by saying that I was under the impression that checking those three areas was standard exam procedure & that I completely understand that I would need to be referred out if there are any abnormalities in those specific areas that would require a sonogram, etc., & I was just simply bringing it to her attention since it is a real concern. She responded in a very short & rude tone & repeated that she "can't do anything… about that if there is something abnormal" & to "speak to my primary care physician". At this point I was feeling extremely uncomfortable by her tone and dismissive nature so I reiterated that I completely understand that this is an OBGYN office & that I would need to be referred elsewhere for any abnormalities, however it is in one of the three areas that are examined (which in the past I have expressed similar concerns to my former OBGYN & they did in fact feel an abnormality during my annual exam that they were concerned about & referred me to get a sonogram) & it is something that I as a patient am concerned about which is why I brought it up, additionally I stated that I felt as though she was not being particularly empathetic considering the sensitive nature of the concern. Perla got very defensive & said "I don't think I am being unempathetic" & completely dismissed how I was feeling & was not apologetic at all. At this point I was starting to feel even more uncomfortable since this Certified Nurse Midwife was about to examine my body (which is a pretty vulnerable experience) so I said that I was sorry if I said anything to offend her & that I was simply advocating for myself & my concerns & just want to make sure I'm communicating my concerns to a health professional so they can be properly addressed, while I was explaining this I felt myself getting a little emotional & my voice started cracking & my eyes began filling with tears & I was visibly upset by the situation & her reaction to my very real & relevant health concern. She responded in a defensive & rude tone & began to explain to me what anxiety is (which I was NOT feeling, I was simply feeling uncomfortable/upset since my health concerns were being dismissed and this CNM was about to perform a physical exam that is objectively a vulnerable experience) & then she continued on to say that I can either "keep talking in circles, or start the exam since there is only 30 minutes allocated & this is wasting time". At this point I definitely did not feel comfortable having her examine me and I asked to speak to someone else other than her, she said "GREAT!" in an extremely passive aggressive way & left. I was able to speak to the Nurse Manager who was appalled and very apologetic & confirmed that my medical concerns were absolutely relevant to this exam. I am still truly shocked by Perla's unprossional demeanor and would NEVER recommend her to anyone for any medical purposes.