I kept Dr. Ahmad as my endocrinologist after my discharge from the hospital since he was my…read moreattending physician. Just recently, I made the decision to leave Orange County Diabetes and transter to Premier Medical Group. Dr. Ahmad is a really great endocrinologist and I wish I didn't have to leave because of the following circumstances, but l literally had no choice.
The office and medical staff are ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. They are a nightmare to deal with to say the least. They do not answer the phone 95% of the time and when they actually do they put you on hold immediately just to wait 6-8 mins average and then be disconnected. Other times, when you actually do get to speak to someone, you give them your request or ask them a question. This is followed by another hold session and then the line becomes disconnected without your question or request being met, answered, or solved. Almost every single time you call back after that it goes to a generic voicemail, not to a person. In which if you leave a detailed message stating what you need and what happened, no one EVER calls you back. Adding to all this, they twiddle their thumbs when it comes to medication refills. Numerous times I have ran out of medication while waiting for a renewal order to be sent in to the pharmacy. Actually, I am still out of one medication as of writing this review. It's been over two months without it and I just made the decision to leave the practice two weeks ago. Again, I called them no less than 20 times for the refill and got ahold of them twice, I mean actually speaking with a staff member. Reassuring me that the prescription refill will be sent over but it never was. Future attempts to get ahold of them were futile and when you do miraculously get them on the line and you express frustration about what's been happening they tell you "stop yelling at me" and hang up.
I have recently requested my records to be sent to Premier Medical Group. It took them approximately a month to do that and another 20 something phone call attempts. And I am still waiting for them to send 1 simple fax back to an online pharmacy to get a prescription that is free for me through the online pharmacy, ultimately providing me with a huge financial savings. This simple task they can not accomplish, with not only me trying to expedite the process but also the third party pharmacy!!! Then have also been trying to get the necessary paperwork they require back to them from Orange County Diabetes and have been just as unsuccessful as I am.
I am not trying to make Dr. Ahmad look bad or discredit him as a physician in any way, shape, or form...but the practice needs a more caring, professional, proficient, and competent office and medical staff. If you are thinking about switching to another medical group my advice would Be to do it now and do it fast. If you aren't experiencing issues now, you most definitely eventually will. Save yourself the headaches, phone calls, frustration, and time.
Finally, I am also considering making an official complaint with the:
Office of Professional Medical Conduct, NYS
Department of Health, Riverview Center 150
Broadway, Suite 355 Albany, New York 12204-2719.
Phone: 518-402-0836 or 1-800-663-6114.
I hope this review helps anyone who is considering joining ORANGE COUNTY DIABETES
