For more information about abortion, please call/text The New York City Abortion Access Hub at 877-NYC-AHUB | 877-692-2482
For over 20 years, Dr. Emily Women’s Health Center has been a trusted partner in reproductive and gynecological care for women throughout the Bronx and New York City’s five boroughs. We are proud of the compassionate, high-quality care our board-certified physicians, Dr. Brian E. Park and Dr. Vivian Roston, provide every single day.
But we also know that medical care is about more than what happens in the exam room. It’s about how you feel from the moment you walk through our door to the moment you leave. And we want to be honest with you: we don’t always get that right.
We read every review. We listen to every comment. And what we’ve heard has helped us understand where we need to do better — and where we may need to help you better understand us, too.
Many of you have shared incredibly generous words about your experiences here — the cleanliness of our facility, the caring attention from our physicians, and the sense of safety you feel during sensitive procedures. Those reviews mean the world to us, and we are grateful for every one.
At the same time, some of you have told us that your experience at the front desk didn’t match the care you received from our medical team. We’ve heard concerns about communication, wait times, and interactions with staff that didn’t feel welcoming. We want you to know: that feedback is just as valuable to us as the praise.
When you come to us — especially for something as personal as reproductive health — you deserve to feel respected and cared for at every step. Not just during your appointment, but before and after it, too.
We want to address something we’ve seen in some of the feedback we receive, because we believe it comes from a misunderstanding that we have a responsibility to clear up.
Dr. Emily Women’s Health Center is a specialized gynecological and reproductive health clinic. We are not a hospital, and we are not an emergency room. We provide a specific range of women’s health services — including abortion care, contraception, STD testing, Pap smears, and routine gynecological care — and we do that work at the highest standard, in an AAAASF-accredited surgical facility with board-certified physicians who each bring over 30 years of experience.
However, because we are a specialized clinic, there are certain medical situations and conditions that fall outside the scope of what we can safely and appropriately treat. When that happens, our physicians will refer you to a hospital or another facility that is better equipped to give you the care you need.
A referral is not a rejection. It is an act of care. When our doctors determine that your needs go beyond what our clinic can provide, the most responsible and caring thing we can do is connect you with a provider who has the resources, specialists, and capabilities to help you properly. Trying to treat conditions beyond our scope would not be good medicine — it would put your health and safety at risk. We will never do that.
We understand that being referred elsewhere can feel frustrating or even hurtful, especially when you’ve made the effort to come see us. We genuinely wish we could help every patient who walks through our doors with every concern they bring. But caring about you means being honest about what we can do and making sure you get to someone who can do more when that’s what you need.
We’ve also heard from some of you that it can be difficult to get through to us by phone, and we want to be upfront about why that happens.
We are a small practice with a dedicated team of seven staff members who care for a large number of patients every day. During our busiest hours, our front desk team is simultaneously checking patients in, answering questions, coordinating with our physicians, and handling calls. There are moments when every line is in use and every staff member is actively helping a patient who is standing right in front of them.
We know how frustrating it is to call and not get through. We are not ignoring you. We are taking care of someone else at that very moment, and we will do the same for you when it’s your turn. If you are unable to reach us, please try again a few minutes later, or use our online appointment request form at www.dremily.net, which allows you to reach us without waiting on hold. You can also text us, and we will respond as soon as we are able.
We ask for your patience and understanding during peak times. A busy phone line is a reflection of how many women in our community rely on us for their care — and we are working every day to serve each one of you as quickly and attentively as we can.
We also want to share something that is close to our hearts, because this conversation has to go both ways.
We understand that when you visit us, you may be feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or even afraid. Many of the services we provide involve deeply personal decisions, and we never lose sight of the courage it takes to walk through our doors. Your emotions are valid, and our team is here to support you through every step.
But our staff are human, too. Every person on our team — from the front desk to the recovery room — comes to work with one purpose: to help you in the best way they can. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and caregivers who genuinely care about your wellbeing.
When a patient enters our space with rudeness or disrespect, it creates a situation that is very hard for our staff. What may begin as a small misunderstanding can quickly escalate into conflict — and that affects not only the staff member involved, but also every other patient in our care at that moment. A clinic works best when everyone in it feels safe and valued.
We truly strive to give you our very best service, every single visit. We hold ourselves to that standard, and we are constantly working to improve. In return, we ask that you treat our staff with the same respect and kindness that you would want for yourself. Please treat my staff with respect. They are here for you, and they deserve to feel safe and appreciated while doing their jobs.
If something isn’t going well during your visit — if there’s been a miscommunication, a longer wait than expected, or anything that doesn’t feel right — please let us know calmly. We promise to listen. We promise to act. That is always more effective than frustration, and it helps us fix problems quickly so that your experience, and the experience of every patient after you, gets better.
Your feedback has inspired real changes at our clinic. Here are some of the steps we’re taking:
We believe the best clinics are the ones that listen. There are several ways you can let us know how we’re doing:
We welcome every review — positive and critical. But we do ask one thing: before you leave a rating based on frustration, please consider reaching out to us directly first. Many of the one-star experiences we’ve seen stem from misunderstandings that we could have resolved with a conversation.
If you were referred to another facility, it’s because our doctors believed that was the safest path for your health. If you couldn’t get through on the phone, it’s because our small team was actively caring for other patients. These are not failures of care — they are the realities of a small, dedicated clinic doing its best for a large community.
We would much rather hear from you directly, fix the problem, and earn your trust than lose you over a misunderstanding. Give us that chance. We promise it’s worth it.
No clinic is perfect. But we believe that being willing to listen, to acknowledge where we fall short, and to take action is what sets great healthcare apart. You trust us with some of the most personal decisions of your life, and that trust is something we never take for granted.
We are committed to making every visit — from check-in to checkout — reflect the same standard of care and compassion that our physicians bring to every exam room. And we believe that when patients and staff treat each other with mutual respect and understanding, everyone benefits. That is the kind of clinic we are building — together with you.
Thank you for trusting us with your care. Thank you for helping us grow. And thank you for being part of a community where kindness goes both ways.
With gratitude,
The Team at Dr. Emily Women’s Health Center
