An empty medical waiting room. Stock photo for RFTUV.
By Mara Quinn | November 6, 2026
Sophia Rodriguez of Pine Bush has lost seven doctors at Crystal Run Healthcare over the past two years. One of them treated her for two decades. Now she says a physician at the practice told her the psychiatry department is closing. She was also told orthopedic services would be eliminated. "This is my final straw," Rodriguez told News 12 Hudson Valley. "It's about the money, not patient care anymore."
A second Crystal Run patient contacted News 12 with similar concerns. When News 12 asked Crystal Run's parent company, Optum, directly about the psychiatry closure, the orthopedic changes, and how patients would be transitioned, the company did not answer those questions.
That silence is the problem. If your doctor at Crystal Run has left, or you suspect one will, you need a plan. This article covers what you are entitled to, what to do right now, and where to go when the system does not cooperate.
What Optum Has and Has Not Said
Crystal Run Healthcare operates approximately a dozen locations across Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan counties. According to News 12 Hudson Valley, the practice lists more than 375 physicians and advanced practice clinicians across more than 50 specialties on its website. Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, purchased Crystal Run in 2023 and has not publicly disclosed the reasons individual physicians have departed.
News 12 has reported on a pattern of changes at the practice since the acquisition. In 2024, Optum transferred Crystal Run's laboratory testing services to Quest Diagnostics. That change resulted in employee layoffs, News 12 reported. An earlier News 12 exclusive reported that roughly 100 Crystal Run staffers at the business office on Rykowski Lane in Middletown were let go, with sources alleging the jobs were outsourced overseas. Workers in that round, sources told News 12, received severance packages under alleged gag orders.
Camille Tonnesen of New Hampton told News 12 at the time, "It's a big concern. I heard a lot of doctors are leaving due to the takeover." Optum did not confirm to News 12 whether those business changes affected clinical staffing levels.
In June, News 12 reported that Optum confirmed it was in discussions with several large New York health systems about potentially selling certain specialty services, including orthopedics, general surgery, and urology. The company said it hoped to reach agreements by the end of 2026. As News 12 noted, a potential sale would not necessarily mean those services would close.
Rep. Pat Ryan launched a community inquiry in February 2025 into Optum-owned practices, News 12 reported. That inquiry drew more than 1,800 responses, with patients reporting concerns about access to doctors, quality of care, billing problems, and customer service. Ryan's office submitted the findings to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Trade Commission, according to News 12. As of this publication, News 12 had reached out to Ryan's office for an update and was awaiting a response.
Earlier this year, Spectrum Local News reported that Crystal Run's OB-GYN practice in Rock Hill closed July 1, leaving Sullivan County with just one routine OB-GYN provider. Radio Catskill reported that Assemblymember Paula Kay described the closure as "devastating" for women's health in the region.
Getting Your Medical Records
Your records belong to you. Under New York Public Health Law Section 18, every patient has the right to inspect their records and to receive copies. The New York State Department of Health publishes this plainly: a provider must give you the opportunity to inspect your records within 10 days of a written request.
The first step is a written, signed request. The New York State Department of Health states the request should identify the provider, describe the records being sought, and specify the date range. If you want records sent directly to a new physician, include that doctor's name and address. Keep a dated copy of everything you send.
Under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, the New York State Department of Health and health law sources note, a covered entity must act on a request for copies within 30 calendar days. One 30-day extension is permitted, but it must be explained in writing.
For paper copies, New York Public Health Law caps the fee at $0.75 per page plus postage, according to the New York State Department of Health. Electronic copies under HIPAA and HITECH carry a flat fee that may not exceed $6.50 in many situations, according to legal guides on New York medical record law. No provider can deny you access simply because you cannot pay copying fees. That is explicit in the statute. If your records are needed to support a government benefit application, there is no charge at all.
If you have a Crystal Run patient portal account, download what you can immediately. Portal access sometimes ends when a patient switches practices. For records not available through the portal, submit a written request directly to the practice's medical records department. Note the date the request was received. If the practice misses the 10-day inspection deadline, file a complaint with the New York State Department of Health or the federal Office for Civil Rights, according to the Department of Health's guidance on record access disputes.
One category to flag: mental health records, substance abuse records, and HIV-related information carry additional protections under New York law, requiring specific authorization forms, according to health law guides. If a psychiatry department is closing and you need those records, ask the practice explicitly about that authorization process before the department shuts down.
Continuity of Care Before the Gap Opens
If your doctor has announced a departure but has not yet left, act before the final day. Ask the practice directly who will absorb your panel after the physician leaves. Ask for that name in writing. Ask for referrals to any specialists you are currently seeing, and confirm those referrals are documented in your chart. Referrals in progress can expire or become invalid once the ordering physician is gone. The specialist may not receive notice. You will find out when you try to schedule.
For prescriptions, ask your departing physician for a 90-day supply of any maintenance medications if your condition and the medication allow it, according to guidance from health transition sources. A new doctor, particularly for certain controlled substances, may not refill prescriptions without first establishing a patient relationship. Do not wait until the last refill.
If you are midway through a course of treatment or have an upcoming procedure, write down the full treatment plan, the stage you are at, and all upcoming appointment dates. That information is what your next provider starts from.
Finding a Replacement
Start with your insurer's provider directory. Search for in-network physicians in your specialty, filtered to Orange County or the zip codes closest to you. Provider directories are not always current. Always call the office directly to confirm the physician is still in-network with your specific plan and is accepting new patients. Those are two separate questions.
Ask Crystal Run, in writing, who has absorbed your panel. Sometimes the practice assigns patients to another internal physician. That may or may not be the right fit, but it at least preserves continuity within the existing system and protects your records access in the interim.
Garnet Health Doctors is a multi-specialty practice in Orange and Sullivan counties and an alternative worth exploring for patients who need to leave Crystal Run. According to Garnet Health's website, the practice offers primary care, cardiology, orthopedics, behavioral health, OB-GYN, and other specialties, with locations in Middletown and several other sites across the region. More than 600 physicians hold privileges at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, according to the hospital's website. Garnet Health Doctors can be reached at (845) 333-7575 for the Middletown location.
For Medicare patients, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services operates a searchable provider tool at medicare.gov/care-compare, which includes quality metrics and patient experience scores.
Insurance Traps to Watch
A doctor's departure does not automatically create a coverage problem, but it can open one quickly if you are not careful.
If Crystal Run refers you to a physician outside your insurer's network, you may face out-of-pocket costs that would not apply to an in-network visit. Confirm network status before the first appointment. Directories are often outdated. Call the new physician's office and your insurer separately and ask both.
Prior authorizations are tied to the ordering provider. According to health transition guidance, an authorization issued under one physician does not automatically carry over when that physician leaves. Contact the treating office and your insurer before any next scheduled service. Ask whether a new authorization is required and whether the office has submitted it.
If you are on Medicare Advantage and in an active course of treatment, federal rules require the new plan to provide at least a 90-day transition period in certain circumstances, according to coverage guidance from patient rights sources. Confirm with your plan whether that protection applies to your situation.
If Crystal Run exits your insurer's network or changes its network arrangements, ask your plan whether you qualify for a continuity-of-care protection. Some plans allow patients to continue seeing a departing provider at in-network rates for up to 90 days when they are in an active course of treatment, according to coverage guidance. Eligibility is limited. It depends on the condition, the plan, and the specific circumstances.
One more trap to watch: prescription formularies. A medication covered under your current plan may require prior authorization under a new one, or may not be covered at the same tier. If your prescribing physician changes, verify that the medication is still covered before the next refill.
Where to File a Complaint
The New York State Department of Health handles complaints related to patient care and services. The Office of Professional Medical Conduct investigates complaints of professional misconduct by licensed physicians, physician assistants, and specialist assistants. That office can be reached at (800) 663-6114. The Department of Health also accepts online complaints about hospital and diagnostic and treatment center concerns. If a provider denies your records request, appeal rights exist through the Medical Record Access Review Committee, with the Access to Patient Information Coordinator reachable at (800) 663-6114 or by mail at 150 Broadway, Suite 355, Albany, New York 12204.
The New York State Attorney General's Health Care Bureau investigates fraudulent, deceptive, or illegal practices in the healthcare industry, including billing, insurance, health plan networks, and access to care. According to the Attorney General's office, the bureau operates a free Healthcare Helpline at 1-800-428-9071 and accepts online complaints at ag.ny.gov. The bureau handled more than 4,800 consumer complaints in 2023 and 2024, according to the Attorney General's Health Care Bureau, reversing wrongfully rejected insurance claims and rectifying improper business practices. The bureau does not represent individual patients in litigation, but it identifies systemic patterns.
Your insurer's grievance process is also available. Under New York law, certified health plans must respond to formal complaints, according to the New York State Department of Health. Call the member services number on your insurance card, say you are filing a formal complaint, and document the date and name of the representative.
Document everything at every step. Keep copies of requests, denial letters, referrals, authorizations, and explanations of benefits. Those records are your standing in any dispute.
Sources
News 12 Hudson Valley. More Layoffs At Crystal Run Healthcare Leaked Amid Alleged Gag Orders.
Radio Catskill. Crystal Run Abruptly Closes OB-GYN Clinic, Leaving Just 1 OB-GYN in Sullivan County.
New York State Department of Health. You and Your Health Records.
New York State Department of Health. Department of Health Memorandum: Access to Patient Information.
New York State Department of Health. Do I Have the Right to See My Medical Records?
New York State Department of Health. Complaints and Appeals: Managed Care.
New York State Attorney General. File a Complaint: Health Care Issues.
