Let me begin by saying that I located this office because there were no other local Primary Care Physicians who could give me an appointment sooner than 5 months out.
I needed an appointment and Dr.Troy Cashatt was the ONLY available physician in the desert who could see me within 5 months (he is currently working with a "restricted" medical license). Contrary to other reviews, he did not make me cry during the visit, and he was polite. At the end of the appointment he gave me a lab slip. I made an appointment for routine lab work that required fasting. On the night before my lab appointment, I fasted. The following morning I arrived to have my lab work done, and discovered that the Coachella Valley Care staff had not provided the correct numbers on the requisition.
I returned to Coachella Valley Care and requested that they correct the lab slip. I waited patiently for an hour in the office to get a new lab slip. I set up another appointment to have labs done. For a second time, I fasted. When I arrived to have my labs done, I was once again told by the lab site that the numbers were incorrect.
I returned to the CVC for a 3rd time. I arrived at 12:30 and waited outside in the heat for their office to open at 1:00 pm. When the doors opened, I was first in line. I explained the situation to the front desk clerk. She rudely me "I have patients to check in and you don't have an appointment. Take a seat and wait." I waited while she checked in around 10 people. An hour later she told me that my paperwork would be fixed and someone would call me back.
I subsequently called their office for almost two weeks to get someone, anyone, to call me back. Even the wonderful lab technician who works at Eisenhower called and left messages with no response. After a multitude of unreturned phone calls, I called my PPO. A wonderful liaison assisted me with obtaining a corrected lab requisition. This took 3 weeks, 2 attempted lab draws, involving my PPO provider and the lab technician.
Another reviewer stated that, as clients, we should have "patience" because the office staff are busy. I do have patience. What I don't have is toleration for incompetence. The office manager at CVC should set a standard for a level of excellence beginning with the front office staff. It is disturbing that the staff are allowed to not return phone calls and not provide basic error free lab requisitions. In my opinion, the office manager and front office staff should be fired. This level of neglect is unacceptable for those of us who pay a lot of money for our medical insurances and coverages. We expect a minimum level of courtesy, care, promptness, and efficiency. read more
