I was blessed to be Dr. Maxson's patient and have two children through IVF. I was Dr. Gualtieri's patient for almost two and a half years. I feel like I know him better than most patients since I've seen him multiple times for pain in the right side of my uterus. During my initial consultation, he agreed to help me with laparoscopic surgery if needed.
While a patient here, I was treated for endometritis, underwent a vaginal culture, and then subsequently got diagnosed with Ebstein- Barr Virus (EBV). I have been ill now for sixteen months, with my Early Antigen level always positive, and my IGG nuclear and IGM levels consistently rising. Approximately a year ago, I asked to be seen for the consistent pain I was having. I also asked to be signed off on so I could see another provider here, as I felt I wasn't being taken seriously. For about two months, my portal questions were never answered. High monocyte levels are associated with cancer and autoimmune diseases and can be caused by infections such as endometriosis. A laparoscopy can lower monocyte counts. Due to these factors, surgery sounded like a great option.
During my consultation, Dr. Gualtieri was standoffish and primarily glared at me. He stated he doesn't feel comfortable performing a laparoscopy, since he is out of practice. He would not evaluate me or order me an ultrasound. As I replied kindly to a nurse while leaving, I noticed Dr. Gualtieri smirked. My heart sank, and I wasn't sure if I could ever bring myself to return. Due to being ignored and this visit, I wrote a certified letter which Dr. Gualtieri responded to a month later.
Since my last visit, Dr. Gualtieri called me claiming he wasn't angry with me, only himself for not being able to help me. He promised to ask his colleagues whom they would recommend for laparoscopic surgery, but he never did. In addition, he agreed to let me see another practitioner here but never followed through. Justine recently called me to follow up and asked me to remind Dr. Gualtieri during my next appointment for referrals.
I selected to reschedule my appointment for Wednesday, April 10th at 2:30 PM through the online link emailed to me. I rescheduled via the online link on Monday April 7th, at 5:50AM. My request was successfully submitted at 5:52 AM, yet I never received a return call. When I called back, Donna informed me she couldn't reschedule me. Each time I called, I was informed Heather was in a meeting and would return my calls. She never did. Approximately a week later, I received a letter from Dr. Gualtieri stating that he and his partners would not be providing me with IVF care, signed by everyone. He never gave a reason for dismissing me; however, I know the decision can't be based on cancellations since I've always cancelled at least forty-eight hours in advance. I took these pictures as proof.
Dr. Gualtieri went from being kind and helpful to indifferent. I began to realize his demeanor was inconsistent, and I never knew what to expect. When I began to be treated disrespectfully, I remembered the times he seemed so caring and thought things would change. Furthermore, I trusted him and went through a lot here. I'm close to the staff, as I've known everyone here for the past seventeen years. For these reasons, although I was treated inappropriately I didn't want to come forward. Now, I have nothing left to lose as Dr. Gualtieri shunned me from the entire practice.
I previously asked to speak with a manager, but I was only given the option to speak with Lisa at the front desk. Mr. Windham and Ms. Buzzell are only available to speak with patients after they are terminated. Then, they will not meet with patients to discuss problems since they are no longer part of the practice. They disregard patients and protect the doctors here, no matter the circumstances. It would have been kind of them to speak with me before everything escalated. They do not value patients, even if they have been loyal and truthful for seventeen years.
I tried my best to build the same relationship I had with Dr. Maxson, which was based on mutual trust and respect. He showed me by example that I deserve a forthright, understanding, and considerate doctor.
I've always planned to have another baby, yet this is impossible if I remain ill. Dr. Gualtieri consistently told me he wanted to help me with IVF, yet he never attempted to refer me to someone who could potentially help me get better and to reach out to his colleagues for advice. Instead, after being his patient for all this time, he gave up on me. It's ironic that Dr. Gualtieri dropped me now that I'm ill, as my main concern is having a future with the family I already have. My experience here has been gut-wrenching, and I don't want my story to become someone else's. In my opinion, Dr. Gualtieri does not follow the standard of care physicians here are supposed to abide by. read more