I cannot recommend Dr. Edward Baumgartner or this pain management practice.
Before I was even allowed to schedule an appointment, this office required me to obtain and send medical records from my primary care physician and previous pain management provider, which would be fine if they reviewed them, which they did not, as evidenced by my treatment and lack there of. That process delayed my care for weeks.
During my initial appointment, Dr. Baumgartner told me that I was using illicit drugs. He also discussed my previous pain management records in a manner that, in my view, suggested he believed I was diverting or selling my prescribed pain medication because prior urine drug screens from another doctor, did not detect the medication I had been prescribed. I attempted to explain my medical history, which includes strong malabsorption issues, to the degree that I regularly need infusions for proper absorpion of nutrients that should be absorbed and distributed by food intake alone. When I tried to explain this, I was not given the opportunity for a meaningful discussion before these conclusions were communicated. All of which was reflected numerous times in my medical records, which is one of the reasons why I conclude no one bothered to actually read the records.
I provided a urine specimen during my visit, to clear up the conclusion that I was using ilicit drugs and asked that it be ran while I waited. The results were never reviewed with me.
Dr. Baumgardner knew I was scheduled for major lumbar fusion surgery within two days. Despite that, my follow-up appointment was scheduled six weeks later. After surgery, when I contacted the office because I was experiencing severe postoperative pain, I did not receive the level of care or urgency I expected from a pain management practice. My pain was belittled instead.
The office repeatedly prescribed medications that were not covered by my insurance, with quoted costs ranging from hundreds of dollars to over $1,000. I was later prescribed an NSAID despite my documented medical history, which includes gastric bypass surgery and gastrointestinal conditions for which I have been instructed not to take NSAIDs ever again in life. This is how I've concluded that my medical records were not adequately reviewed after the office insisted on obtaining them before scheduling my appointment.
My interactions with the office manager, Jenny/Julie, were equally disappointing. My concerns regarding severe postoperative pain were handled in a dismissive manner, and I experienced no compassion or urgency from the office.
Pain management patients seek care because they are already suffering. They deserve careful review of their medical history, respectful communication, and treatment based on the individual patient rather than assumptions. That was not my experience.
For those reasons, I will not return to this practice and cannot recommend Dr. Baumgartner or his office to anyone seeking compassionate and competent pain management. read more
