Elizabeth Schwartzburt, MD

Got stuck with a $ 500 bill even with insurance, for a simple check up where she just asked questions and logged info into the computer. Cant get hold of the doctor to ask why we were billed so much. She will not return phone calls. Pure greed and robery. Money comes before human interaction in this institution unfortunately. I guess the rent is very high in Park Slope.

Dr. Schwartzburt has been my primary care doctor for 12 years and there is good reason for that. She is incredibly smart, kind and thorough. She always goes above and beyond to make sure you get the care you need. I can’t say enough good things.

This is a tough one since I think that Dr. S is actually a very competent doctor, and though she’s not the most touchy-​feely person out there, she’s very direct and to the point, which I appreciate.
However.
There IS a problem with how her office is run.
I have seen Dr. S three times and here is a summation:
Visit #1: Waited 45 minutes to be seen, but then when Dr. S actually came into my room, she spent close to 30 minutes with me, even when I could hear people complaining about waiting too long from the hallway/​other rooms, (yep, you can hear them). My irritation melded into gratefulness when she was very thorough. However, hearing the people call out into the hallway made me jumpy and tense because I know how much I hate just sitting in a blank doctor’s office on the crinkly paper, totally bored out of your mind. I left that appointment thinking: «didn’t love how much time I spent in the office, but this doctor seemed worth the wait.»
Visit #2: Had massive foot pain and was recommended to «drop on in; don’t make an appointment» to see if I needed an X-​ray, (I did), so I cut in front of a bunch of people in the waiting room – and yes– heard at least one person ask when they were going to be seen as they give me the stinkeye for cutting in front of them, (I don’t blame them!). This visit lasted a grand total of 5 minutes, so I really was in and out of the door, but I started wondering if this was the reason she is always so backed up if she casually suggests for people to just drop on in between her already scheduled patients?
Visit #3: Had a scheduled visit for 11:45am. Was seen at 1:45pm. Completely unacceptable! Heard people asking when they were going to be seen (like the first visit, I could hear them yelling down from various rooms and down the hallway). I mean, seriously – either learn to manage your time better or schedule less patients!
As another poster remarked, Francine the N.A. and Lourdes the receptionist are very nice and helpful, but I think they receive the brunt of Dr. S’s horrible time management skills/​choices.

I never like doing this, but I feel that I need to share my experience with the public so you can make an informed decision.
I have literally been searching for an integrative medical doctor for 2 years since I moved to BK. Dr. Schwartzburt was on a short list of highly recommended doctors that a family member forwarded to me from her friend. Granted, they had not been to either doc, but since I wanted a more natural leaning MD, this was their suggestion. I called her first and was told that she didn’t have an appointment until 6 months from that day. I could not wait that long, so I went to the other doc on the list. Very disappointed with that other docs bedside manner and unnecessary procedures that she racked up on my insurance, I decided to give Dr. Schwartzburt another try and wait the excessive time.
A lot can happen in 6 months, and unfortunately I needed to reschedule my appointment. All I needed was 30 minutes later on the same day, but they could not oblige, so I got something the next month (so now this is 7+ months I’ve had to wait. to see a doc.)
Here’s where it gets even more awful and unprofessional. A few days before my appointment, I receive a call that Dr. S had a family death and would be out of the office and needed to reschedule. I obliged & had a new appt 2 weeks later. AT 10PM the NIGHT BEFORE my rescheduled appt., Dr. S calls my cell herself saying that she had a death in the family and was going to be at the funeral and needed to reschedule. I am very sorry if this was the truth, but it was just incredibly hard to swallow after waiting SO LONG and having to reschedule TWICE, that this THIRD reschedule was the identical reason given me 2 weeks prior.
I didn’t even call them back. Something has to change in a practice if you’re a medical doctor and you can’t see people within a reasonable time frame AND you need to reschedule three times. If it is because you are in such a high demand that you have more patients than appointment times, then add more appointment times or add more doctors. If you’re doing so well that you have that kind of waiting list then I think it’s safe to say that there should be some space to add another doctor.
Very disappointed.

Dr Schwartzburt is amazing. The waiting room is an event in and of itself but that is because when you are in an exam room with her she is all yours for as long as you need her. She is incredibly smart and will often refer me to specialist with the phone number dictated from memory. She makes me feel as though I am part of every medical test, diagnosis and treatment strategy, I am never just a patient on the table being worked on. When possible, I am offered (and have always used with great success) alternative medicine.
I thought she was as good as doctors get. And then I had a baby and she took him as a patient and I saw a whole new level of greatness. She had such a motherly, soothing way with my son, and a reassuring and encouraging way with me as a new mother. All while being very straight forward, never dropping the doctor role. I will continue to pay skyrocketing insurance rates to remain in her care.
Lourdes is wonderful, always smiling and happy to take your call.
If the only con is the waiting room, I believe the con is negated with Doctor S’s approach to emergency calls. When my son was 3 months old he woke with a fever at 4:30 am. Doctor S took my call and talked me down. When I saw her the next day she remembered my baby’s fever to a tenth of a degree. I was impressed and continue to be. I feel lucky to have her as my doctor and even more so that my son has her for a doctor.

Direct, curt, and someone I feel safe in the hands of…

All the good stuff that I previously wrote is true, but I have to add that the time spent waiting to see Dr. Schwartzburt has been noticeably better, but the amount of time that she spends in the room with you hasn’t lessened any.
Also, Francine (her assistant) and Lourdes (the office manager) are fantastic, too. Always kind, friendly and helpful.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Schwartzburt for about a decade, and I’m not dead yet, so she seems to be doing a good job of keeping all my parts in serviceable working condition. She’s not too loose with her prescription pad, and I’ve learned not to «ask my doctor» about nonsense I’ve seen on TV. She’s also an excellent acupuncturist, and I respect her willingness to use alternate methods when appropriate but she’ll prescribe the appropriate tests when necessary. I have to agree with Megan M. though, the waiting room scene can get kinda hairy, and emergency appointments can be hard to get, but she will always return calls eventually.