Flanigen Diane T MD at Ophthalmology Associates of Western New York
6333 Main St,
Williamsville, NY

I’m very unhappy with this practice and Dr. Flanigen at this time. I went in for my annual exam and to get the contact lens prescription and order the contacts I purchase from this practice every single year since I started going here around 2013. I’ve seen Dr. Flanigen the last 3 years. She neglected to tell me that she no longer provides contact lens prescriptions. She asked me if I saw another Dr, and baffled, I answered her that I’ve only seen her the past 3 years. She opted not to inform me that I would need to see this other doctor if I wanted to order contacts, so I got to find this out from the optical associates that I didn’t receive a contact lens prescription and I wouldn’t be able to order contacts. The associate told me she’d talk to Dr Flanigen and then call me. Next - I noticed that the office billed my health insurance instead of my vision insurance. I called to speak to someone in billing. The billing associate told me that my medical insurance was billed because I “have a medical condition.” In a state of utter confusion, I asked what medical condition I have, as I only came in for my annual exam and to order contacts, as I do every year and Dr Flanigen did not indicate that anything was wrong. She proceeded to talk about a freckle on my eye, which she then called a fundus. I had no idea what she was talking about, as Dr Flanigen did not bring this up. I struggled to remember if she had brought anything up the previous year, and I strained to remember if she had mentioned a freckle, which she may have but it was not anything emphasized if she had. At the start of my appointment this year, they had taken me to a machine to take pictures of my eye. I asked the eyecare specialist if this machine was new, as I’d never had anything done on this one before. He said it was pretty new and that it would take pictures of my eye, but the reason for having this was not told to me. I merely thought this was part of my eye exam, or new standard equipment to monitor everyone’s eyes. Dr Flanigen did not show me the pictures or go over them at all. The word “fundus” never came up until the billing associate scared the hell out of me over the phone. What kind of Dr neglects to talk to their patient about an eye condition?! Ellen, who I’m assuming is the office manager called me today after I wrote a note on their website, as I was told I’d receive a call yesterday and did not. She was not very friendly and defended the office pretty strongly. She seemed to say that I should know how they provide eye exams for contacts. The process she explained, of seeing someone in optical after my appointment is one I’ve never went through, or seeing a different doctor - which is something I hadn’t done in the three years I’ve been Dr Flanigens patient or ever at this practice. I’m not sure why they think a patient should know a process they’ve changed or have never explained. She also said that no one ever complains about Dr Flanigen, invalidating me further. I would never be scared or frustrated to the degree I expressed to this office had I been informed by my doctor. Ellen hung up abruptly on me toward the end of our conversation, stating that she will talk to Dr Flanigen, as I was asking an additional question. I now will have to go back to this office for a contact lens fitting with a different doctor, I will have to fight for them to bill my vision insurance, and I get to worry why a doctor wouldn’t discuss a medical issue and subsequent pictures thoroughly with me, and worry what the issue is or indicates. Im very concerned and stressed by this practice, and will be looking for other options for next year. I’ll also never forget at the end of my exam going to check out at the front desk, and the girl never telling me that I was all set, but rather wheeling away to have another conversation and leaving me standing there confused if she was finished with me for minutes. I figured she wasn’t coming back to answer any questions I had or say goodbye, so I walked away.

Thorough, kind, knows her stuff. Gone to her for years