I've never experienced such a disorganized, unprofessional, and emotionally cold environment in healthcare, especially in something as sensitive as gynecology. If I could give zero stars, I would.
I made an appointment through their system for an IUD insertion, selected that exact service, and never once was told I had to order the IUD myself. No instructions. No follow-up. Nothing at check-in either. I paid $80 up front, and only after waiting and being taken into the exam room did a nurse casually say, "Let me check if we have it." My boyfriend and I were so confused. Then someone else came in and said, "Oh, you were supposed to order it." As if this was somehow my fault. I followed every single step your office provided. There was no communication, no apology, and had to beg for a partial refund ($40 for a forced annual visit). I didn't even get the service I paid for.
They still made me do a pap smear and sonogram, allegedly to measure for the IUD and check for an ovarian cyst I had mentioned -- but they completely ignored the cyst and never fully explained the results. The doctor, Dr. Are, barely spoke and only mentioned the cyst when I asked (that was the whole point.) It was just "come in, pay, leave confused."
Fast forward to my Pap smear results--I received a phone call on Monday telling me I needed to come in immediately. I asked what the issue was, and they refused to tell me anything over the phone until the doctor is there on Wednesday. That is completely unprofessional and borderline manipulative. I was terrified. When I got there, I waited over 40 minutes, and then Dr. Are came in, didn't say hello or offer any explanation -- she just glanced at the computer and said, "You have high-risk HPV." That was it. No support. No education. No bedside manner. She immediately tried to schedule me for a colposcopy and said I needed bloodwork, without even explaining what either was for. I had to ask twice what the bloodwork was for and all she said was, "pre-op." I told her I hadn't gotten the HPV vaccine growing up due to health issues, and she gave me a judgmental face instead of listening or showing compassion.
Then I was sent to get blood drawn and they had misplaced my chart. The two girls doing the draw never acknowledged me, spoke only to each other in Spanish, were laughing, dropping equipment on the floor, and didn't explain anything they were doing. I asked what the six vials of blood were for, and one just said, "for the operation." I have never refused a service at a doctor's visit, but I asked for my bloodwork script to be printed and I left with no services completed. I've never felt so disregarded and invisible in a medical office.
On top of that, Dr. Are made condescending and weird comments during my exam. She saw a small bruise on me during my exam and sarcastically asked, "You bruise easily?" in reference to what was obviously a hickey. Totally unnecessary, totally unprofessional, and deeply uncomfortable.
This place does not care about patients. They want your money and want you in and out without taking the time to explain anything. I felt like a number, not a person. The lack of compassion, the judgment, the poor communication, the rushed visits, the inappropriate comments-- all of it adds up to a clinic that should not be in operation.
I want my money back. The $40 remainder for the IUD appointment that never happened. The $40 I was charged just to be told my own results in a minute without explanation. This care was cold, dismissive, and unacceptable. Avoid Dr. Are and this office at all costs. The high Google ratings are misleading-- if you read the real reviews, they're nearly all 1 star for a reason. Don't make the mistake I did. Go somewhere that actually respects you. read more
