Pros: Professional, compassionate and intelligent doctor, doctor communicates well
cons: Staff sometimes acts less than professional
I went looking for a primary care doctor having just moved to baltimore in the past couple months, and I found Doctor howard. I had my first appointment with him on May 5, and I've been happy with him since then. he always listens to what I tell him, and he answers my questions completely and truthfully. He takes his time with the patient, which is really saying something in this day and age of "express service" in the medical community. he really seems to care about the well being of his patients. finally, Doctor Howard is a huge fan of people participating in their own healthcare. he will not get irritated if you do research on a condition and ask questions, seek second opinions, and otherwise choose to actively participate in your care. In fact, he will compliment you for doing it.
The staff is mostly helpful as well. I don't like having blood drawn, just as an example, and the technition who drew from me on two different ocasions actually remembered that detail and described what he was going to do as he was working. The only place I will fault the staff, and it cost the place a star, is that they don't do very well with telephone calls. My first call someone answered, said "Doctor Howard's office, hold please" and slammed the phone without waiting for a response. That almost caused me to go to a different doctor, and it would have been too bad because I ended up really liking Doctor Howard. I've had similar experiences when calling, but never in person.
The patient portal web site is a nice touch. From there, it is possible to pull up exam and lab results, make payments, and even send messages to the doctor. I should note here that the doctor will sometimes personally communicate with you using this tool. When he does, you're actually talking to *him*; he does not fob it off on a nurse or assistant.
In summary, I highly recommend doctor Howard and his practice. Don't let the sometimes questionable behavior by the staff on the telephone run you off. They'll treat you well in person, and doctor howard himself is never anything but kind and professional. read more