Dr. Erikson may be a super awesome dermatologist as the other reviews here say. However due to the most lax mask protocol I have witnessed through this entire pandemic by his office staff, I walked out before I got to meet him. It was that bad. Like I've seen more care taken by 7-11 workers to both wear a mask and wear it properly. It was THAT BAD. Read on for details. Or stop here and just know that if proper mask wearing by medical staff, or at all, is important to you, you should probably go somewhere else.
Let me start by saying that I have a young child who has asthma and has already in his short life been hospitalized twice for a common respiratory infection called RSV. So I'm very careful about mask wearing, social distancing, and where I take him. Today's visit to the dermatologist wasn't supposed to include him but because my husband had a lot of meetings I ended up bringing him along. We've been to other doctors appointments and I have felt quite safe about going to medical settings because of the protocols they have in place, like temp taking, mask wearing and physical distancing enforcement, and other cleanliness protocols.
But when we walked in this office we were greeted by completely maskless front desk worker. I immediately said, "wow! No masks here??" And she said, "oh hold on, let me grab it." She put on a droopy black cloth mask that she didn't bother to even try to pull over her nose, and then handed me a wooden clip board with my new patient intake form to fill out. Most places have "clean/dirty" pen cups, right? Even take out restaurants. But not here! And when I was done with my 1 page form I realized that there were about 50 blank copies underneath it, meaning that the same clip board was being given to each person coming in. Yeahh. Okayyyy.
So I give it back to the lady at the desk and see another worker with no mask waiting on the other side of the counter. I again commented on the lack of masks in the office. As it turns out the other worker had on a plastic face shield but nothing covering her mouth and nose otherwise. She informed me that her mask was much safer than the DOUBLE MASKS I'm wearing. Then after I took my seat the two women had a loud conversation about how they just felt SMOTHERED by their masks and COULDN'T BREATHE!
I get called back to the exam room a moment later by face shield woman, older lady wearing leopard print who I now realize is the medical assistant. As we go in the room I'm pretty agitated and nervous. Here's me with my vulnerable son, and these people who aren't doing the bare minimum to protect people like him in a small indoor space. I said to her, "I'm sorry, I'm just feeling really nervous and scared because of the way masks aren't being worn properly in this office!" She said, "Well don't worry, I'm not sick!" I said, "You do realize that you could have been exposed yesterday and not know it, or not have symptoms and pass it along right?" She repeated, "Well I'm not sick!"
I looked this woman dead in the eyes and I said, "I DON'T KNOW YOU. AND I DON'T TRUST YOU. MAY I PLEASE SPEAK TO THE DOCTOR."
Her response was to slam down her folder and fling open the door, stalking out. I then decided that if the attitude in this office was of disregard of both California law and basic science, I was outta there. So we left. And that was it.
I am truly appalled and shaken by this whole experience. Because if this is how they feel at work in a *medical environment*, I can only imagine what they're doing after they clock out. What they do in their personal life could hurt my child.
Maybe I'm being a Karen. Idgaf. My kid is more important than your politics and whatever Facebook article you read about masks making you breathe C02 or government mind control or whatever madness you believe.
So keep the copay, my dude. I'll never go back there again. Also plan on filing a formal complaint with the State.
Bye. read more
