Unfortunately, after years of being a patient at this practice, I have been left feeling neglected,…read moredismissed, and completely taken advantage of during one of the most vulnerable times of my life: pregnancy.
Around the typical 24/28-week milestone, I came in for my routine gestational diabetes screening. I drank the glucose solution as instructed, only to be completely forgotten about by both my doctor and the phlebotomist. The required blood draw was never performed within the appropriate window, rendering the entire test pointless. I had consumed 50 grams of glucose for absolutely nothing, and I left the office sobbing. I was then forced to return approximately a week later to repeat the entire process due to their negligence.
Following that experience, I specifically requested that the physician responsible not be involved in delivering my baby. I was told they could not guarantee that request would be honored. Apparently, even after such an upsetting experience, I have little say in who provides my care during childbirth.
Most recently, at nearly 34 weeks pregnant, I arrived for a routine prenatal appointment, which typically takes 10-15 minutes. Instead, I was left sitting alone in an examination room for over an hour, waiting for a doctor who never showed up. Once again, I left the office in tears. I was so upset that I went directly downstairs to another OB/GYN practice to inquire about transferring my care. Unfortunately, because I am so far along in my pregnancy, switching practices was no longer an option. Otherwise, I absolutely would have.
What makes this especially upsetting is the vulnerability of being pregnant and having to depend on a medical team to provide consistent, compassionate, and competent care. Instead, I have repeatedly been made to feel like an inconvenience rather than a patient whose health, time, and well-being matter.
Pregnancy is stressful enough without having to worry about whether your own healthcare providers will remember you, show up for your appointments, or follow through on basic medical responsibilities.
After years of trusting this practice with my healthcare, I am incredibly disappointed by the lack of professionalism, accountability, communication, and compassion I have experienced. No expectant mother should have to leave her prenatal appointments in tears, let alone on multiple occasions.
I genuinely wish I had transferred my care sooner. I would not recommend this practice to anyone seeking attentive, reliable, or compassionate prenatal care.
