I have struggled for 30 years to find a good GP in New York and I'm still looking. I started seeing Dr. Litvinova many years ago because of a friend's recommendation. I think the friend recommended Dr. Litvinova because she would sometimes recommend nontraditional medicines. I'm not a big believer in nontraditional medicine, but I went anyway for a couple of years. I eventually went elsewhere--to other doctors who were just ok at best. But I kept looking. And I asked another friend where she went. She and her husband grew up in Brooklyn and I thought they'd be very smart about finding a great doctor. And their doctor turned out to be Dr. Litvinova. So I decided to give her another shot. And as soon as I saw her again after many years, I remembered why I'd stopped seeing her. From the moment she walks into the room, I get a strong feeling she wants to get out of there as quickly as possible. I understand that most doctors are under extreme pressure to limit the time they spend with each patient, but most of the ones I've encountered are at least better at hiding it than Dr. Litvinova. And this "rush rush rush" mentality carries over to her office staff. Call me crazy, old fashioned, cranky, whatever you like, but I expect something more from my primary care provider. read more

Having moved away from Brooklyn to Westchester, I decided that I needed to work with a PCP whose practice was more conveniently located. I informed Dr. Litvinova of my decision using the patient portal and requested that her staff send a copy of my medical records to my new PCP. Now more than a month later this has yet to be done. Her staff has however managed to delete my account on the patient profile, thereby making it impossible to follow up on my request since her office phone takes no messages. Very disappointing and in my view unprofessional. Anthony V. read more

Had a video conference. Had to pay co pay prior to being seen. Doctor NEVER GOT ON ZOOM! I thought I had tech problem but the issue was in fact that doc has zero regard for patient waiting and office staff did not notify me of fact that doc typically keeps patients waiting for 10,15,20, 30 minutes while they sit in zoom by themselves. Can't call office because they don't EVER pick up nor do they return copayments that have been requested repeatedly. Don't waste your time here. This is the opposite of a well oiled machine. It is a broken one. read more

Would not recommend coming here unless you imagine you'll never need to get a hold of your doctor's office outside of being physically at their office. I scheduled a primary care appointment four months in advance (FOUR MONTHS!) on ZocDoc and a week before this appointment I get a call from the office. I answer and say "Hello, hello" but I just hear the receptionist on the other end clicking on her keyboard. Eventually I hang up, and then later I get a voicemail letting me know in a very blase tone that the doctor will be out that day since its Memorial Day and that I need to reschedule my appointment. It would have been one thing if the receptionist had literally offered one single "sorry" and just said that they hadn't realized it was a holiday when that appointment slot was made available online and owned up in any way shape or form to their scheduling mistake, but the tone on the voicemail was akin to "why would you book an appointment on a holiday are you dumb you'll need to reschedule." So I try calling back, again, and again, and again, multiple times over the course of the week during regular office hours. No one ever answers. I can tell too that someone is just ending my call because the ringing is often cut short abruptly. Once someone did answer and I just heard the receptionist typing on her keyboard or occasionally talking to other coworkers (which is yikes! if they had been discussing patient info). The VM box is full, nobody replies to messages sent in the online patient portal, and nobody calls you back. I am reticent to reschedule on ZocDoc because obviously they don't have those slots synced with their actual availability. I realize I might be being a wee sensitive about this but booking primary care in the city is so hard, especially when you need prescriptions refilled in a timely manner and most primary care needs to be booked far in advance. Reading the below reviews about the office staff I'm not super surprised. As a receptionist, is answering phone calls and handling patient scheduling not the main part of your job? Honestly, they've done me a favor cancelling my appointment on such short notice cause the whole experience after has convinced me this place would be a headache to deal with for future primary care. read more

Do not sign any forms without reading/understanding or you'll get billed for unnecessary tests.

I love Dr Litvinova and have been with her for years. She takes her time, asks me if I have questions, explains everything, is caring, and most of all competent. Her diagnoses and recommendations are spot on. I trust her completely. I ALWAYS get a call back at the end of the day in response to my message on the office app. She also calls me sooner if I have a more urgent matter. I have absolutely no complaint about the quality of her care. It took me a bit to get used to the new system of having to use online messaging instead of a phone call. It was frustrating at first. Oth, I've been having the same experience with every private practice, including group practices lately (different with large clinics, which still provide full phone service), and especially GPs bc they simply don't get paid enough by insurances any longer. With a pediatrician's office we used for years, they even started charging an annual administration fee. Everyone seems to switch to online to cut down on staff. read more

Dr Litvinova is a good DR. that is if you can manage to contact her. I use to see her when she was on 8th ave, but since moving offices she has switched to a portal system, and her staff never answer the phone,. So if you need to make an emergency appointment or make an appointment or change an appointment there is no way to do this other than the portal or zocdoc. Every time I have tried to do this there isn't an appointment for months and as I said no one in two years of trying has ever answered her phone. So if anything is wrong with you and you need to see the Dr in a time span of less than a couple of months it is impossible. read more

I've been seeing Dr Litvinova for over a decade and find her to be an excellent doctor. She has always given me the right diagnoses, guided and informed me well, and took her time to explain things and patiently answer my questions. She returns my calls promptly, as soon as she is not with a patient. She calls me to follow up on a recent visit or complaint. She refers me to specialists if needed. She is polite and very personable. There is nothing else I could want in a GP. read more

Such a BAD experience with a doctor's office. the front desk staff was very unfriendly on the phone, not to mention the doctor was not aware of the appointment that I made on zocdoc and had a no show. read more

Absolutely cannot recommend this practice. In an emergency situation, as an existing patient, I couldn't even get a call back, after calling them multiple times. When I finally did get ahold of them, they refused to treat me. Very disorganized; overall, disappointing experience. read more

Office voicemail says they'll return a call within a day or two but no calls back for week. Update: been 5 weeks, still no return call to schedule an appointment or let me know if there are no appointments available and the practice is full read more

Dr Litvinova has been my doctor since 2009. I've had at least four different insurance carriers in that time and my first priority is always keeping this doctor! She is caring, knowledgable, responsive, non-alarmist, really listens. She will offer herbal remedies if you're interested, and will also refer you to a specialist when needed. I have been able to book a telemed appointment same day when needed. YES her front office can be slow or confusing, but she's an excellent doctor and worth the hassle. read more

I hate going to doctors and used to avoid getting an annual physical like the plague. Dr. Litvinova is the only doctor I feel really comfortable coming back to year after year. I'm a nervous wreck whenever I go to a doctor's office so her calm and placid manner always manages to put me at ease. She's very thorough with her exams and doesn't make me feel like an idiot when I ask her a bunch of inane questions. I really appreciate her general approach which is a little bit east meets western medicine. She often suggests herbal remedies first and is not quick to prescribe antibiotics. I did have some issues with zocdoc appointments being cancelled but now I know better and simply call to make my appointment. I've never had to wait too long past my appointment time and my blood work has always come back in timely manner. She is also really good about returning phone calls. Dr. Litvinova's office is located in a very pretty brownstone and is conveniently around the corner from the B and Q train stop at 7th Avenue. The office itself is warm and spacious with some cool historical photographs of Brooklyn on display. Her front desk person could certainly be a little nicer but it's not a deal breaker for me. read more

Larisa Litvinova, MD - Spacious waiting room with cool historical photographs of Brooklyn landmarks. - Internal Medicine Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I loved Dr, Litvinova, She is a kind, compassionate, and patient doctor but she needs to completely renovate the front office, starting with the receptionist and manager. It is shameful that they are destroying her practice. They don't answer the phone, they don't return calls for weeks, and they don't know how to speak to customers in a pleasant, I actually give a damn manner! read more

Wow- Jackie at the front desk is incredible! She is so nice and helpful. She went above and beyond, even though I recently started coming to the office. She made the experience way better. Even though it's hard to get in touch with them over the phone, as long as you book through the website, everyone (including Litvinova) is very helpful! read more

After about 7 years, I am moving on to another practitionner. I had nothing but positive reviews to give until recently, it went from good to really bad. She had prescribed me a medication with a strong warning- on the label (she hadn't warned me) regarding calcium depletion, when my blood test came back with out of range low calcium, I decided not to take it. No one from her office had contacted me regarding my blood test, wouldn't have I read the lab report on my own, I would have taken it, which given my age, weight, and blood test results, would have put me at risk for osteroposis. Another pretty concerning thing: My blood tests had other out of range results, some of them indicating Lyme disease. I emailed her directly on the patient portal, no answer. I feel I have a responsibility to share this. read more

I had a throat sonogram done at Dr. Litvanova's office when I was told my blood tests revealed a hypoactive thyroid. Then, nothing. No word for three weeks. I was told my results should take a week, and so I began calling the office. My first call was after the first week and I even gave an additional day before calling. My second call was at the beginning of the second week. Then, two more calls at the end of this week. Every time I reached out to the office, the doctor was not in and I was told messages were being left for her to get back to me. For all my efforts, I never get a call. Finally today, I spoke with someone in the office and I expressed these concerns. I was told we all hate to hear when making calls to customer service lines: "There is nothing more I can do." I requested that the person leaving messages for the doctor add, "The patient is getting concerned." The receptionist then got short with me and the conversation just went downhill from there. I'm just a patient looking for long overdue test results. Simply requesting and getting test results should never be this difficult. This is doubly troubling in my case since my brother just had his thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer. ADDENDUM: I just applied for a life insurance policy and was told by the insurance company that I was diagnosed by Dr. Litvinova with a vascular condition that was NOT revealed to me by her. To learn of a diagnosis from an insurance company that was not shared with my first by my doctor was unsettling. read more

While Dr. Litvinova is a competent GP her office administration is a catastrophe. It's nearly impossible to make appointments (for existing patients!) and they employ a byzantine process of calling, leaving a message, wait for a return if they return calls at all. Her portal is glitchy and dysfunctional. It just boggles the mind how unprofessional the office is run. This is the opposite of healthcare. read more

Dr. Litvinova just terminated my care after ten years as doctor and patient because of a conversation I had over the phone with her receptionists. I had been trying to get a refill for three days to no avail. When the receptionist finally called me she started out "You can just use the patient portal." Not "hello, this Jackie from the doctor's office." I found this annoying and we started the conversation on the wrong foot. While I admit to being short with the receptionists, I cannot stress how unprofessional and caddy these two women were to me. Jackie had no appointments when I was available, but when I pressed then suddenly she did. As I grew frustrated Jackie retaliated by shouting my prescription out loud to the waiting room while we were on the phone to embarrass me. At one point I gave up and asked to speak to anyone else. The younger woman got on the phone ready to argue and shouted at me "You are not my mother! You could never be my mother!" I found it all totally inappropriate and said as much. I reached out to the doctor to tell her the disgrace happening in her waiting room and her response was to terminate my care. This is deeply unethical. Gossip and lies should not determine a doctor's practice. I had already acquired a new doctor by the time Litvinova cancelled me. During the many years I saw her, the doctor recommended a long list of bizarre holistic remedies. Of the many questionable suggestions, she urged her patients to try Colloidal Silver to boost our immune systems during the pandemic. This has been widely publicized as equivocally toxic for human consumption, but there was no telling Dr. Litvinova. Between the quacky holistic pseudo science and the doctor's decision to back her gossiping and vindictive receptionists, I am glad to move on. If I were you I would look for another doctor- one who is more grounded in reality. read more

Save yourself a lot of stress and find another doctor's office. While Dr. Litvinova seems caring, she will over test often causing unnecessary bills. She is often up to 30 min late to telehealth visits with no regard to text, email, or have her staff call to give a heads up. But this is not the worst part of this experience. Her front office staff is borderline abusive to patients who are elderly or have a hard time understanding the various instructions and forms needed to be filled out. They're loud and have no bedside manner or empathy for people who are sick and waiting to be seen. The one phone number they have goes straight to voicemail which clearly states that "calls will not be returned" which makes making appointments on the fly impossible. Often, when making a telehealth schedule through the portal, the front office admin will call you to ask you to venmo them your copay. A day later, you'll get a call from the office asking you to send the copay again. It's disorganized, unprofessional, and not worth the trouble. You work too hard to be treated so poorly when you're sick. Find a doctor's office that cares. read more

The doctor is fine. Her office is poorly managed and wastes your time and money. In my case, her office never informed me that I needed to fast in advance of a physical. Another patient told me he had the same experience. As a result, I had to schedule a separate appointment at a diagnostics center--and instead of it being included in my annual physical cost, it was an extra $100. The doctor's office promised to send in a revised claim to my insurance to cover this cost, but that was a month ago and I'm still on the hook for a needless charge. read more

Dr. Litvinova is sweet but her office and professional work system is completely dysfunctional. I have never been able to reach a secretary - they simply do not pick up. And to make matters worse, are rude and snarky when contact is finally made. The phone system is not set up so one can't even dial another extension and the VM box is full. This has been the case for the past 5 years + but there is always an excuse. Unprofessional is an understatement - try neglegant. read more

Booking an appointment here is an exercise in futility. Healow app isn't reliable, and calling the front desk leads you to maybe a voicemail, maybe a human picks up the phone? It's January of 2022. You need to have a recent negative PCR test to visit this facility. The receptionist will not tell you this when you book your appointment, but will turn you away when you show up not having a test, and will argue with you about it until you cry, and then berate you for crying. So - please get tested before you come here. read more

It's near impossible to make an appointment at Dr. Litvinova's office, which is a shame because she's a good doctor. There's a nasty receptionist, Jackie, who doesn't answer the phone during office hours unless you call repeatedly, one call after the other, until she picks up. Then she just says, "Doctor's office, please hold," and puts you on hold with absolutely no intention of ever picking up the phone. I've been in the waiting room while the phone rings and rings while she plays on her cell phone or keeps talking to friends on her phone. I hope Dr. Litvinova reads this because I'm sure she's losing current and new patients thanks to this incompetent, surly woman. read more

I went for a physical here a few weeks ago hoping to find a doc in my neighborhood. I arrived 40 minutes early as it was my first appointment. I ended up waiting for more than an hour before seeing a nurse, and more than two hours to see the doctor (whose bedside manner was very nice, despite the wait). After getting bloodwork and needing a follow up appointment, however, I found it nearly impossible to get through on the phone lines and had to make not one but two requests via the online portal to receive a callback. The first request was ignored. A week later I put my back out and called in the morning to request an appointment, stressing to the receptionist that it was urgent, that I couldn't move my neck and I that needed to know whether I should go to urgent care. She told me there were no appointments that day (Friday) but indicated that the doctor would call me back, and that she got in at 10am. I called again at 11, and again at 2:30 stressing to the receptionist my need to speak to the doctor. The doctor called me back at 3:30, and indicated that the office was closed, and that I could come back on Monday, but said that I should probably go to urgent care. She also said that I should've indicated to the receptionist that I needed a same day appointment. I told her that I'd called three times. She told me the receptionist was not a medical professional. My mother was a nurse in a family practice for more than ten years. To have this level of disorganization at a medical office, and to have this much trouble getting an appointment, is absurd. read more

I have been very happy with Dr. Litvinova. I am in middle age and in good health. Yes, she is conservative with antibiotics but she does prescribe them when warranted (e.g. strep throat). What brings me to write this review is that I had what in retrospect should have been an obvious issue that was misdiagnosed for years by another doctor--he prescribed unnecessary medications, sent me for ultrasounds and other tests, running up my bills. Dr. Litvinova correctly identified my medical problem and within a month of following her protocol, I was cured. There is just no substitute for a doctor who takes time, actually touches the patient, and asks questions, something my other doctor (who was always so rushed) failed to do. read more

worst experience in a doctors office in 40 years. you cannot call the office nobody picks up the phone, the allergie department will have your medicine not ready or they dont even show up without cancelling, they argue with you, and half the time you dont understand them unless you speak russian, after 2 month with them as a patient i will get a new doctor, people beware read more

I should have known based on others reviews here that I was in for a real disappointment, but I was attracted to what was described as a "holistic" approach. As a new patient I scheduled my physical + blood work back in November. Here's how it went from there: - I never received a confirmation phone call -- I had to call myself to confirm the appointment the day before. - Today, the day of the appointment I show up 10 minutes early and the receptionist barely acknowledged me -- she didn't even make eye contact or have me fill out paper work or ask for my insurance card. - I'm quickly brought back to an exam room by what I can only assume is a PA. She's nice enough. She asks me what kind of blood work I'm having done. I explain to her I'm a new patient. This is a physical and I want all the blood work that goes with that HDL, LDL, etc etc. - She looks confused and goes to speak to the receptionist, quickly returns and tells me that the doctor isn't available and I was only booked for blood work. But I can book another appointment for a physical. - I leave without having blood work done or seeing the doctor. I know for a fact that a doctor would never do blood work on a new patient without seeing them in person for a physical, first. And also, if I only came in for blood work, why would it take TWO MONTHS in order to get an appointment? What kind of office runs like this? Doesn't greet patients, have them fill out paper work, confirm their appointments, etc? Seems to me they're paying the receptionist to do absolutely nothing but sit there with with a sour, disinterested look on her face as she stares at her computer screen. This is unreal and unprofessional. I don't care what kind of Dr. Litvinova is if she allows her office to be run like this. read more

Doctor profoundly indifferent. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Oh, and if you want a consult regarding bioidentical hormone therapy, you must pay in cash. Because why? Just because. Leaves you wondering, doesn't it? That said, staff was 100% professional, warm, and responsive. read more

Poorly managed practice. You can't get through on the phone, despite getting a message saying you should keep trying. Dr Litvinova has some good points as a doctor, but getting test results has proved an exercise in frustration. Billing they seem to have someone who can answer the phone right away. They seem to use ZocDoc rather than answer the phones, which is handy for making appointments, but if you need test results, and can't get through - that is a problem. read more

Dr. Litvinova diagnosed me with Lyme disease in 2015, and treated me with a two week course of antibiotics. This is well below the CDC's suggested treatment of 4-6 weeks for a new infection. I still had symptoms after two weeks and began getting sicker. I begged Dr. Litvinova to help me and she refused saying there was nothing more she could do. I had to defer my grad school acceptance for one year and still struggle with residual joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and POTS. Because of Dr. Litvinova's refusal to follow CDC standards I will likely have symptoms my entire life and will never return to the physical capabilities I had before I was diagnosed. If you have suspect you have Lyme disease RUN far away from this office and see a lyme literate MD. read more

My first visit went very smoothly. The wait time was short, the staff were extremely friendly, Dr. Litvinova was very knowledgable and did a very thorough check-up. I am not a big fan of getting blood-work done because I have had bad experiences in the past. At Dr. Litvinova's office it was a very quick, easy, and painless process. My job requires a very specific doctor's note, and the staff had no issue fulfilling my every request. Overall a very good experience! read more

I started here in October 2014 simply because I needed a PCP. I'm lucky because after a health crisis this past March, I've been to her office 5x/3 months. She has been so kind and helpful in recovering from my recent crisis - she took out staples when i didn't want to go back to the terrible hospital that gave them to me, she evaluated me for respiratory issues after my surgery, she helped me find alternative solutions to side effects of the crisis itself. When I needed short term disability, she and her office staff made sure my paperwork was filled out in a timely fashion. I agree with the concerns about the office staff - while my condition warrants immediate appointments ("the cardiologist says I need to see her to see if I have a cold or just pneumonia after my heart surgery"), they can range from very kind but not so helpful to not warm and brusque on the phone - quite in contrast to the doctor herself. The women who take blood are some of the best I've had which is AMAZING for an office. Finally, she used to have the hours listed on her voicemail but she doesn't anymore. It's great that they have flexible hours (open at 7:30 am one day, staying open later another), but it's difficult to call one day and not have them answer and not know when to call back the next - i wish she kept her current hours on her website or voicemail so it were easier to reach her. read more

First visit to the office left us really impressed by the fact that there a human touch to this practice, which brings a different atmosphere to the entire experience. After searching for the reason why my wife was hurting and tired, over 2 years, visiting a number of medical offices and practicioners of many different fields (from family physician and physical therapists, all the way to neurosurgeon), we were exhausted from fighting a mystery illness. From one session in this office, the right tests were performed and diagnosis confirmed with a very successful treatment. After intensive therapy and a great deal of follow-up, we are now on the road to being a healthy and happy family we once were. My entire family is very thankful for putting an end to our struggle of searching and we are looking forward to full recovery. Best doctor we have met so far. From what we see, this is the doctor we are staying with, because more attention is paid to preventative procedures that we now know will pay off in the long run. Thank you. read more

We are no longer under Dr. Larissa's care but I will never forget her! We decided that we needed a a different practice that had more amenities that was important to us. Nonetheless, she is incredibly kind, smart and patient. I also LOVED Evette, Lesley and Melissa. Thank you the wonderful care you have provided to my family over the years. read more

Doctor Larisa is super patient and helpful. When I go in to see her, I get in and out. Her front desk team are equally charming. Finally, a doctors office I don't dread going to. read more

Dr. Litvinova is the best doctor I've ever had. She is patient, knowledgeable, and compassionate. Office wait time is minimal and her staff is friendly and helpful. Highly recommended. read more

Impossible to get in touch with her. Leave messages get no call back. The rare times i've seen her she is ok. But she is basically an absentee DR. read more

I like Dr. Litvinova very much, but having recently had two attempts at making an appointment for an annual visit via ZocDoc canceled without explanation (after having already made arrangements with my job so that I could attend those appointments), I am considering trying to find a new general practitioner. I phoned the office to find out why my appointments had been canceled and was treated very rudely by the front desk staff. I don't understand why they bother accepting appointments via ZocDoc... read more

I am a fan of Dr. Litvinova; she answers questions (although she does always seem like she is in a rush), is kind, and tech forward. BUT due to the unprofessional treatment I've received by the front desk/receptionist I'm going to switch doctors. The woman at the front has hung up on me numerous times, I've come in the office and heard her complain more about her personal drama than I've heard her assist patients. I've worked in customer care and know how frustrating it can be, but if you genuinely dislike helping others, maybe you should just get another job. So sad, because doctor is nice but dealing with the receptionist makes me want to go to someone else just to get blood pressure meds she is so frustrating! :/ read more