I have had one good experience in the past, but the most recent bad experience highly outweighs the past, sorry to say.
I took my six year old in to be followed up on, at pediatricians request. (after hours at his office) This was on day 5 running fever with the flu. (Tested positive Feb. 4, went into urgent care on Feb 8) simply wanted a follow up to be sure nothing else was going on due to her still not seeming any better and her classmates at that point seemed to at least be on the mend. Bedside manner by the NP, to say the least, was horrible.
They did a strep swab after I stated that I wanted her to be checked due to a friends child experiencing strep with the flu previously in the season. They laughed at me saying, "I've had another tell me that and I just haven't seen one single case of it." Well, after listening to her lungs, heart and stomach NP Coffee proceeds to inform me that her strep test is negative and that, "Her lungs and stomach sounds are fine and she just has the flu." He then told me it, the fever could last up to ten days and I "am going to have to alternate ibuprofen and Tylenol every two hours" in a condescending way insinuating that I had not been doing that already for 5 days at that point. I said okay and reiterated that my concern was that the others (14 of 22 classmates) who had tested positive that week had seemingly gotten better by now. He then proceeds to tell me, "as for those kids their parents probably gave them tamaflu and that's why they're better." Which was not true at all, but it was obvious that his disapproved of my choice not to give her tamaflu, which his nurse had just told me she didn't give it to her kids either bc the side effects outweigh the pros.
We, discouraged by the NPs bad attitude, went home and continued alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hours as we had been doing. My daughter, the very next day, experienced a ruptured ear drum due to an ear infection missed by NP Coffee bc he never looked in my daughters ears. Never did.
Upon that rupture I called my pediatrician after hours and he called in an antibiotic for her. I then turned in and called Gardendale Urgent Care to express my dissatisfaction and spoke with Nina on Sunday. She was very kind and apologetic. Monday morning another doctor called me to inform me that the strep culture sent off had actually come back positive for strep and that she needed to call in an antibiotic. I told her the situation and that her pediatrician had already done that for her ear and there was no need for any additional antibiotic. I again expressed my dissatisfaction. There was a whole additional, lengthy conversation with what I understood to be a "lead doctor" at the practice (Friday, Feb 15, an entire week later) where he basically said that I was lying about his NP not checking her ears.
Needless to say, I won't be back. I understand accidents happen. If it weren't for his condescending attitude bedside I likely wouldn't be as upset. If I left feeling like he had cared at all my feelings might be different. read more