Robert G Fafalak, MD

Dr Fafalak has been my primary Dr for a few years now and I couldn’t be happier. Always extremely professional, positive and quick; his team — compassionate, friendly and flexible to accomodate your needs, some of the nicest people I’ve met in NYC (esp. Julie). Oh, and the photography alone in his office is worth a visit. Highly recommend.

Dr. Fafalak himself is a lovely man and takes time to listen and talk. However, his staff is awful. I never get my test results in any way shape or form. I ran out of blood pressure medication yesterday and have been trying to get someone there to call in a prescription. My blood pressure is high and I am uncomfortable as I call and call again. I have already been to the emergency room twice since last December on Dr. Fafalak’s watch and I am simply going to have to get another primary care physician. I just read many other criticisms just like mine, and I wish I had checked him out before I went to him. He was recommended by my old primary care physician who retired.

I can not explain how disappointing the treatment, responsiveness to provide test results and overall service was from this office.

Great office, great doctor, but you better take the whole day off if you make an appointment with him. Once, I sat in the waiting room for 25 minutes without anyone else there, but I could hear him and the staff talking and giggling up front. Sitting here now, its been 30 minutes and I don’t even know if he’s in the building. Seven other patients waiting here before me, so at this pace I should see him by Saturday morning (it’s currently wednesday).

Dr Fafalak is a knowledgeable caring professional. He explains his diagnosis clearly and always answers questions in depth. When I was ill and needed to see him, I was always able to see him the next day. He makes me feel at ease and truly appears to care about my health.
In fact, I referred a friend to him whom he saw the day after she phoned. She has referred her husband and friends to Dr Fafalak who all love the doctor.

Two elderly friends of mine, a married couple, were patients of the Dr. from whom Dr. Fafalak purchased his practice last year. They declined to be treated by him after the husband was experiencing chest pains and the Dr.‘s staff wasn’t able to schedule him for a few weeks from when he called.
This couple has tried to obtain their medical records from Dr. Fafalek and it’s within his right to charge them 75 cents/​page. The problem has arisen when the wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Requests for records from the hospital and the current treating physician have been ignored. A certified letter with the medical release has been ignored.
If this doctor and his office are unable to respond to routine requests for records in this case and Dara J.‘s case, why would you ever go to him for treatment?

MORE LIKE DR. FAFA-​QUACK.
I went to Dr. Fafalak on November 28, 2012 to check for rheumatoid arthritis. He was recommended to me by my knee ortho (whom I love).
I was pleased with the office surroundings/​environment, it was comfortable and the furnishings were new and modern. I didn’t wait too long to see him and he spent a considerable amount of time explaining to me about the arthritis in my knees and why I may/​may not have rheumatoid arthritis. When he was finished, a nurse came in to take my blood to test me. I had a follow-​up appointment approximately three weeks later, but unfortunately I couldn’t make it due to a hectic work schedule, so I told them I would call back to reschedule. In the meantime, I started to develop pain in my wrists and the hand ortho I saw told me I need to find out if I have rheumatoid factor, which jolted my memory to get my test results from Dr. Fafalak.
To sum it up: I called Dr. Fafalak’s office over FIVE TIMES in the space of two months and I never received a returned phone call. To be fair, whoever answered the phones was never nasty, curt or rude. They just continued to take my message and apologized. My sixth call involved asking them to mail me my results since he refuses to return my phone calls. Then three weeks later in February of 2013, I developed inflammation in the lining of my lungs (pleurisy) and I found out that two of many reasons you could develop that were having rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. So I called Dr. Fafalak’s office for the SEVENTH time to tell them (angrily) that I now have inflammation in a different part of my body that I’ve never had before. I NEED MY TEST RESULTS. I said to them, «I asked you to mail me my results three weeks ago and I haven’t received anything yet and now I’m sick yet again. I need those test results so I can follow-​up with my primary care physician.» Once again, they apologized and asked if I wanted the doctor to call me back or if I want them mailed. I told them I didn’t care, EITHER ONE, but I need to know my test results.
That call was made Wednesday, ²⁄₂₀ and I still have not received anything in the mail. My next step is to mail them a certified letter and get my insurance company involved (UHC). Before I started writing this review, I Googled his name and found another site with lots of reviews with numerous complaints just like mine. I didn’t think to Google him before since he came as a recommendation from my knee ortho who I think is outstanding. Now that I think about it, I will also call him and advise him he should stop referring his patients to this quack.
You’ve been warned…