Review by
Robert H.
on
May 15, 2015
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Office - 9209 Colima Rd
Office & Staff Evaluation
Practice Evaluation
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Ease of Getting an Appointment
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Courtesy of Practice Staff
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Appearance & Atmosphere of Office
- Handling of Billing & Insurance Not rated
- Average Wait Time 21 to 30 minutes
Provider Evaluation
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Willingness to Spend Time with You
- Listening Skills Not rated
- Clear explanations Not rated
- Trust in Decision Making Not rated
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Accuracy of Diagnosis
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Post-Visit Follow-Up
“Total lack of compassion and even professionalism”
• He is an example of the lack proper care by Dr. Melvin Coats and his staff.
• Monday 5/4/15 I call for an appointment for a noticeable lump in my right breast.
• Dr. Coats was not available so I saw their PA.
• The visit went fine but the PA thought the lump was concern enough to get in right away to have it checked.
• They sent me to the Imaging Center that day but they were unable to see me for two weeks.
• I called back the doctor's office and they were able to find another place that could take me the next day.
• Everything is going smoothly so far and on Tuesday May 5th, I have both a Mammogram and Ultrasound done. The technician makes a comment that it's good I came in when I did, worry factor up 10 fold now.
• So as I continue to worry for the next two days. Friday comes and I decided to start inquiring on the status.
• I call Coat's office around 10:30 am and get asked the usual name and birth date then placed on hold. Ten minutes later she says the results come back negative for the tests on the 12th. I interrupt her saying then what is the lump, why does it hurt, and most of all IT'S NOT EVEN THE 12TH YET. She then double checks and tells me that was an old test and the paperwork is on the doctors desk for review. I also find out that that the results have been on his desk since May 5th, 3 days ago, because the hospital sent over the results the same day I had it done.
• At 3:30 pm later that day I call them back again. I immediately get placed on hold, no questions asked. 15 minutes later she picks up and says Robert? She must have recognized my voice and went to the doctor at that time because she then proceeds to tell me I now need a biopsy….worry factor increased again.
• I'm then told they will check on where I need to go and will call me back. Probably not today (5/8) but Monday.
• Monday at 10:00 am I call again for update after a very long weekend of worrying. Get asked the name again and get placed on hold. Another 15min later she gets back on the phone with a number of who to call for appointment.
• The biopsy appointment was first not until Thursday 5/14 but because I was available right away I was able to in that day, Monday 5/11. The painful biopsy was done and I'm told it should be to them in two days.
• No calls by Wednesday morning so I call the doctors office and I'm told the results are on the doctors desk and he will be at 1:30pm.
• 1:30 pm there in the parking lot cause if he wants to see me in person I'll be ready…I'm done waiting.
• 1:45 pm I call the office and get a message that they are currently closed. So, I go up to the office, which was open and ask about the results I was told was in. Again I'm asked my name, really? Ok give the info and have a seat.
• His nurse comes back after a few minutes and says it was not the results but just the work order and it has not been sent yet. I am not a happy camper but nothing else to do so I leave.
• When I get home I call the hospital to check on the status and they are done and where faxed while I was on the phone. It's 2:15 pm on Wednesday 5/13.
• I call the doctor's office back, get asked who I am again, and advise that the results were just faxed over and can they please make sure the doctor looks at them as soon as possible. No calls that day.
• Thursday 5/14 at 10:30 am I call, again get asked my name and to even spell it this time. Coat's staff again starts the same speech, he has not reviewed yet maybe today or tomorrow. Well I blew up, to say the least. I told them this is not acceptable. I said I don't know if they don't deal with these situation but making continually wait to find out if I have cancer is unbelievable. So as she started up the same speech with the doctor will be in at 1:30 pm and will "probably" look at it then. So I bottomed line it for her. I told her I will be there at 2 pm and either I find out the results from someone or I take them somewhere else. Probably using the f-word at least one more time. I sarcastically said thank you and hung up.
• 12:30 pm a blocked number shows on my phone so I knew it was him.
• The very first question or thing he says is have I ever been in his office before. Wow really?! I guess pre-reading my info was to much to ask. So I answer yes, over 10 years! He then asked when was the last time. Not sure why that matters and again pre-read the file but ok it's been about a year. Here is verbatim the rest of the conversation. Well you can not yell at my staff and use the F word, it can take 3 days to get biopsy reports and even though it's benign you can't use that language and owe them an apology. Before I could correct him that up until that morning I had not raised my voice or dropped the F bomb. Nor did I get a chance to advise that the mammogram and ultrasound sat in his desk for 3 days and biopsy nearly another day. He continued to scold me so knowing I will not get two words in the last thing I heard before I hung up was "you can either apologize to my staff or find...".
• So good news yeah no cancer. Bad news is I'm now back to where I was almost two weeks earlier and looking for a new doctor.
The total lack of compassion and even professionalism to promptly get back to a patient was just unbelievable. Making people wait like that and worry is wrong on so many levels. Yep I cussed, but until I just couldn't stand anymore. For a short time I was contemplating apologizing because it's not like me to "shoot the messenger" that received the brunt of my outburst but then NOPE. As many times as I called she couldn't remember my name or why I was calling. Or once maybe let the doctor know how concerned I was. No they don't deserve an apology, but I sure do. Why should I, so I they can just continue their culture of herding you in and out so they can bill the insurance company for less than 5 minutes of their time? Not this time. If it was not me calling and inquiring at normal intervals who knows how long it would have gone on for.
Comment - “ Total lack of compassion and even professionalism ”
• He is an example of the lack proper care by Dr. Melvin Coats and his staff. • Monday 5/4/15 I call for an appointment for a noticeable lump in my right breast. • Dr. Coats was not available so I saw their PA. • The visit went fine but the PA thought the lump was concern enough to get in right away to have it checked. • They sent me to the Imaging Center that day but they were unable to see me for two weeks. • I called back the doctor's office and they were able to find another place that could take me the next day. • Everything is going smoothly so far and on Tuesday May 5th, I have both a Mammogram and Ultrasound done. The technician makes a comment that it's good I came in when I did, worry factor up 10 fold now. • So as I continue to worry for the next two days. Friday comes and I decided to start inquiring on the status. • I call Coat's office around 10:30 am and get asked the usual name and birth date then placed on hold. Ten minutes later she says the results come back negative for the tests on the 12th. I interrupt her saying then what is the lump, why does it hurt, and most of all IT'S NOT EVEN THE 12TH YET. She then double checks and tells me that was an old test and the paperwork is on the doctors desk for review. I also find out that that the results have been on his desk since May 5th, 3 days ago, because the hospital sent over the results the same day I had it done. • At 3:30 pm later that day I call them back again. I immediately get placed on hold, no questions asked. 15 minutes later she picks up and says Robert? She must have recognized my voice and went to the doctor at that time because she then proceeds to tell me I now need a biopsy….worry factor increased again. • I'm then told they will check on where I need to go and will call me back. Probably not today (5/8) but Monday. • Monday at 10:00 am I call again for update after a very long weekend of worrying. Get asked the name again and get placed on hold. Another 15min later she gets back on the phone with a number of who to call for appointment. • The biopsy appointment was first not until Thursday 5/14 but because I was available right away I was able to in that day, Monday 5/11. The painful biopsy was done and I'm told it should be to them in two days. • No calls by Wednesday morning so I call the doctors office and I'm told the results are on the doctors desk and he will be at 1:30pm. • 1:30 pm there in the parking lot cause if he wants to see me in person I'll be ready…I'm done waiting. • 1:45 pm I call the office and get a message that they are currently closed. So, I go up to the office, which was open and ask about the results I was told was in. Again I'm asked my name, really? Ok give the info and have a seat. • His nurse comes back after a few minutes and says it was not the results but just the work order and it has not been sent yet. I am not a happy camper but nothing else to do so I leave. • When I get home I call the hospital to check on the status and they are done and where faxed while I was on the phone. It's 2:15 pm on Wednesday 5/13. • I call the doctor's office back, get asked who I am again, and advise that the results were just faxed over and can they please make sure the doctor looks at them as soon as possible. No calls that day. • Thursday 5/14 at 10:30 am I call, again get asked my name and to even spell it this time. Coat's staff again starts the same speech, he has not reviewed yet maybe today or tomorrow. Well I blew up, to say the least. I told them this is not acceptable. I said I don't know if they don't deal with these situation but making continually wait to find out if I have cancer is unbelievable. So as she started up the same speech with the doctor will be in at 1:30 pm and will "probably" look at it then. So I bottomed line it for her. I told her I will be there at 2 pm and either I find out the results from someone or I take them somewhere else. Probably using the f-word at least one more time. I sarcastically said thank you and hung up. • 12:30 pm a blocked number shows on my phone so I knew it was him. • The very first question or thing he says is have I ever been in his office before. Wow really?! I guess pre-reading my info was to much to ask. So I answer yes, over 10 years! He then asked when was the last time. Not sure why that matters and again pre-read the file but ok it's been about a year. Here is verbatim the rest of the conversation. Well you can not yell at my staff and use the F word, it can take 3 days to get biopsy reports and even though it's benign you can't use that language and owe them an apology. Before I could correct him that up until that morning I had not raised my voice or dropped the F bomb. Nor did I get a chance to advise that the mammogram and ultrasound sat in his desk for 3 days and biopsy nearly another day. He continued to scold me so knowing I will not get two words in the last thing I heard before I hung up was "you can either apologize to my staff or find...". • So good news yeah no cancer. Bad news is I'm now back to where I was almost two weeks earlier and looking for a new doctor. The total lack of compassion and even professionalism to promptly get back to a patient was just unbelievable. Making people wait like that and worry is wrong on so many levels. Yep I cussed, but until I just couldn't stand anymore. For a short time I was contemplating apologizing because it's not like me to "shoot the messenger" that received the brunt of my outburst but then NOPE. As many times as I called she couldn't remember my name or why I was calling. Or once maybe let the doctor know how concerned I was. No they don't deserve an apology, but I sure do. Why should I, so I they can just continue their culture of herding you in and out so they can bill the insurance company for less than 5 minutes of their time? Not this time. If it was not me calling and inquiring at normal intervals who knows how long it would have gone on for.