In was referred to Dr. Festa by my Walgreen's pharmacist, after my primary physician of 30+ years--who had been treating me for a very long list of complications related to Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome--retired. My initial infection occurred in 1987, but so little was known about Lyme disease back then that the diagnosis wasn't confirmed until 1994; by that time I'd endured a 3-week hospitalization for one complication, and seen multiple specialists in New Jersey and at major medical centers in Manhattan for "indeterminant" symptoms. Time and again, these specialists told me my case was too complicated for them, and I should go elsewhere. Luckily, my primary New Jersey doctor never gave up on me, and somehow kept me alive through multiple crises, which left me desperate when he retired.
Health care delivery has changed dramatically since I first became sick. Most current encounters at institutions such as Mount Sinai, Columbia Presbyterian, NYU Langone, Bellevue, as well as private practice specialists (there have been maybe 4 exceptions) make me feel like a defective widget on a conveyor belt being shunted through a repair factory...the doctors being little more than assembly-line workers. I mentioned this to Dr. Festa during my first visit, and he explained that was the reason he started his own practice. And based on my experience, he has remained true to his commitment. He has proved to be one of those old-fashioned, Marcus-Welby-type, general practitioners who takes "ownership" of his patients.
I spent most of my career as a medical journalist (both reporter and editor), which means I've developed a good sense of when health care providers really know their stuff, and when they're just bluffing or phoning it in. There have been times when I've mentioned something esoteric to Dr. Festa, and he's been conversant--proving he really did know about the issue. I'm constantly impressed by the breadth and depth of his knowledge. But equally impressive have been times when I mentioned something he didn't know, and instead of playing the omniscient doctor, he asked for more information. My retired doctor used to do that; he once said to me, "Why wouldn't I want to know?...it makes me a better doctor." The same holds true for Dr. Festa.
I cannot stress this point enough. He is extremely knowledgable, but without the doctor arrogance or attitude I encounter so often. The fact that he loves being a doctor, loves helping people get and stay healthy, constantly breaks through. Medicine is a vocation, not a job for him. He is in touch with the human component of being a caregiver, and not afraid even to share a laugh.
Within the last 18 months, Dr. Festa clearly saved my life. One of the worst complications of Lyme disease has included Crohn's disease, which hospitalized me twice. I again got very sick in September 2023. Two gastroenterologists at Mt. Sinai in Chelsea reviewed my history and refused to take me on as a patient. One outright cancelled my scheduled appointment, and the second met with me but refused to do a workup, despite the fact that I was desperately ill. I saw Dr. Festa two weeks later, who immediately suspected my symptoms were from an infection and not a Crohn's flare-up. It took 2 weeks for me to find a local gastroenterologist, and another 4 to confirm and treat a yersinia infection (a food-poisoning bacterium so rare that LabCorp had to report me to the health department). Had I gotten proper treatment at Mt. Sinai, the infection would not have festered for more than two months before being treated. I was ill for most of 2024, and given the severity of my symptoms truly believe the food poisoning would have killed me if not for Dr. Festa's intervention.
Finally, I need to mention how extraordinary Dr. Festa's staff is...a conscientious crew that treats patients with dignity and respect, and is diligent about following up, answering questions, and returning phone calls. For example, Dr. Festa has an extremely skilled, in-office lab technician/phlebotomist on site. No more extra trips to, nor wasted time dealing with, LabCorp or Quest for routine blood work etc. And office manager Mitch is especially kind and efficient dealing with a senior like me. Despite being frantically busy, he recently spent around 45 minutes helping me in his office while we put my cell phone on speaker and called United Healthcare to straighten out a billing problem. He also went out of his way to assist me with a NYC Disability Parking Permit. I've dealt with enough staff at major medical centers to know how exceptional Mitch's efforts are, along with those of the entire crew.
No one lives forever, and at 72 I'm realistic about my prognosis. After my primary retired, I thought it was time to throw in the towel. What an extraordinary twist of fate to be referred to Dr. Festa; he and his staff routinely give me hope that I still may have a few more good years left. read more