had a very troubling experience with SouthEnd Psychiatry / RA Psychiatric NP Services PLLC. Based on my experience, the therapy side may have good providers, and Lissa Dey was professional and tried to accommodate me. She told me I could see another prescriber the next day because I wanted to change prescribers due to communication issues. However, leadership gave me a completely different story, and it felt like the goal became to get rid of me rather than address my concerns.
My concerns involved my prescriber, Adaora Gbanite, and leadership, including Dr. Justina A. Momah. I asked reasonable questions about my treatment, medication plan, prescriptions, documentation, medical records, and continuity of care. Instead of professionalism, I felt dismissed and treated like a problem for asking questions about my own health.
At one point, my prescriber said it was "unfair" to her that I was asking more questions and going deeper into details about my own health and prescriptions. We had discussed one medication, and then she wanted to switch me to a different medication I had never heard of. A patient has the right to ask questions before taking a new psychiatric medication.
They listed a prescription in my chart that I never took. I asked them to correct my medical records, but the records were not corrected, and I was never sent the prescription they said I was taking.
I was told the practice was "at-will" and could terminate services at any time. I repeatedly asked to speak with someone in authority and asked for written clarification about whether they were terminating my services. Those requests were never answered. Instead, communication basically stopped, which felt like possible patient abandonment or neglect.
New York professional-discipline rules identify "abandoning or neglecting a patient or client" needing immediate care without reasonable arrangements for continued care as unprofessional conduct. They also address intimidation/harassment and accurate patient records. I escalated my concerns to the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct and the New York State Office of Professional Discipline.
Communication was very difficult. When I called customer service, I did not reach a live person like a regular medical office. I had to leave messages through an AI system and wait for a call back. You can text, but it was hard to speak with someone directly. My prescriber also called from blocked/unknown numbers that did not clearly identify the practice.
I asked to use email for accountability and documentation. In my experience, the practice resisted putting things clearly in writing. When care, prescriptions, records, and possible termination are involved, clear written communication matters.
Another concerning moment happened when I told the practice manager/director that I intended to record my own conversation for documentation. I was told that recording would be a "Class E felony." My understanding is that New York is generally a one-party-consent state, meaning a person who is part of the conversation may generally record it.
The prescribers listed on the website or online listings did not appear to actually be available to me. I was told there were no other prescribers available for me to change to, even though earlier I had been told I could see another prescriber the next day. It felt like I had to accept whoever they assigned, or be pushed out for asking questions.
I personally went to the listed office location, and it was in the basement/lower level of someone's private home. That is what I personally observed. For psychiatric medication management, that made me uncomfortable because it did not feel like the organized medical setting I expected.
Mental health is serious. Patients should not be dismissed, intimidated, threatened with termination of care, or made to feel unsafe simply for asking questions. Think carefully before using this practice. read more