Gonna start with the good (and the only reason why this review isn't a 1-star review). They helped…read moreme with some diagnoses I had trouble getting from western-trained health insurance MDs. I was glad for that, especially in a period where I got really sick for unknown reasons. But I probably wouldn't do it over again because of what happened to me + the fact that they missed more important, super key diagnoses. Over a few years of being a member, I think the practice had challenges with scaling and balancing the need to attract investors and patients while keeping the quality of care. It really showed in their office staff turnover and gradual decrease in quality of care. Lots of red flags.
Dr. Oubre's, while nice-presenting with a good bedside manner, had poor hiring and oversight of some of their on-site treatments, specifically IV treatment is the main reason for the poor review. For IV therapy, probably one of their main money makers (used to cost $1-4k+, probably more now), which was pitched as the main thing to help me recover from my illness, they had an office manager starting IVs, Christie (sp?) (poorly, I might add and very painfully on the upper forearm near the elbow, which any practitioner knows is full of nerves and very painful). Not only did the IV therapy have minimal returns for healing, it was the worst healthcare experience I've had.
They IV treatments were very painful for me and they didn't investigate into why (if I had some sort of vascular condition or other concern). A male nurse, who I hope doesn't work there any more, ignored my clear indications of pain and implied that was normal. I was sobbing and for all sessions had very bruised veins. Other nurses also supervised my treatment. They told me it was phlebitis, saw no issue with continuing the treatment and didn't note my symptoms or pain, nor reported any of this to Dr. Oubre. In fact, they falsified the medical records, which I recently discovered only say "X treatment administered. No patient complaint." A straight up lie. I was very communicative the whole time, but trusted my carers that this was normal and my veins would bounce back. They ICED MY VEINS DURING TREATMENT, which basic science will tell you, constricted my veins and made the treatment longer and more painful. They should've probably heated my veins and instructed me to ice after, at the very least. I brought all of this to the attention of Dr. Oubre after 5+ sessions, since no nurse or staff raised any issue, and he offered that I could stop.
In the end, years later, I found out from a medical provider I didn't have phlebitis, contrary to their insistence (and still insisting) I actually have permanently scarred veins that are no longer accessible. And have healthcare PTSD from not being listened to and being told repeatedly I'd be fine when I was not okay. To the business response essentially blaming me (saying I could've chosen to stop at any time), I didn't stop because they kept insisting the pain was normal, essentially "coaching" me through the pain to keep going and that the benefits outweighed risks. I was never invited to stop or consider alternative treatment by the people actually seeing me and administering the treatment. They were the authorities, the experts. I believed them.
To the idea that there's no way a practice could stay open if these things really happened. I would hope so. But that's just not the case. A lot of providers get away with a lot. And it doesn't mean they never do any good. But doing well for some patients and being a popular doctor doesn't mean you've never made mistakes. And the fact that the doctor is defending his practice by patient-blaming in professional-speak speaks volumes.
I love functional medicine in theory, but this experience has made me very, very cautious. Please avoid this practice or at the very least, approach with great caution and document everything.
