If you're thinking about going here, don't. This place is a mess, and I question the legality of some of their actions. If you care to know why, please read on.
First of all, if your experience with this office is anything like mine, you can expect to see the doctor maybe once or twice, and then NEVER again. Instead, you'll be passed along through a series of PAs, appointment after appointment, even if you already made an appointment with the doctor or another PA. If you're cool with that, then this is the place for you. Still unsure? Please keep reading.
I've been to other psychiatrists in the past, and I can tell you that I've never seen as much anger or unprofessionalism as I've seen at this office. Here are just a couple of my experiences, both of which happened within the last year: A woman who was waiting for her appointment got up and went in to see the PA when MY name was called, even though our names sounded nothing alike. I even started to walk towards the PA, but she disappeared with the other patient before I could say anything. It wasn't until the PA started discussing MY treatment plan that either of them realized something was amiss. Another time, a very angry woman was screaming at one of the PAs (probably for a good reason) in the back of the office. A staff member then came to the waiting room and actually LOCKED us in, from the outside! Think about that for a second... Angry yelling was not an uncommon sound in this place, but at least I was only falsely imprisoned once. Still not enough to keep you way? Please continue.
Their fees... Getting someone to answer the phone during business hours is nearly impossible, and the fees they charge for missed appointments are absolutely outrageous. I believe it's something like $50 now. It keeps going up. Be sure to leave a message if you need to cancel an appointment, and with a little bit of luck, the staff just might listen to it.. Also, don't get sick on the day of your appointment, because they will still threaten you with a fee, even if you've never missed an appointment before. On the other hand, you can expect for them to cancel YOUR appointment as you're driving to the office, about 15 minutes from your scheduled time, because the PA called in sick that day. Yes, that all happened to me. Great service at this place. Want some more? No problem.
If you need a refill, even just for a week's worth of pills to get you to your next appointment, good luck, especially if you cancelled and rescheduled. It doesn't matter how good your reasons were for rescheduling. At the very least, expect to wait a few days and play phone tag with whichever member of the revolving door staff is there at the time. At worst, expect not to get one at all. I went without one of my meds for two MONTHS because they didn't send it to the pharmacy like they were supposed to. I just stopped taking it Expect the same kind of care when you request a copy of your records, which are all paper-based, by the way. But wait, there's more...
They also have some kind of racket going with an out of state drug testing lab. Oh yes, expect to submit to REQUIRED drug tests if you want to receive treatment here, whether you're being prescribed a controlled substance or not, and even if you have absolutely NO history of substance abuse at all. I repeat, this is not optional. They will make you pee in a cup in the urine-soaked, stinky "public" restroom, and they will send it to a lab hundreds of miles away. Then, you can expect to receive an outrageous $150 (or something close to that) balance bill from the out of state lab. That's what you have to pay AFTER insurance has paid something like $400! For a drug test!! The staff here at the pysch's office will tell you not to pay the bill, because the lab will just accept whatever insurance pays. This is a bold-faced LIE. You will be harrassed and receive multiple bills from the lab if you don't pay.
Now, if you've read this far, you might be asking "Why did you put up with this place for so long if it was so awful?" The answer: sheer desperation. They took my insurance, and they were accepting new patients, unlike other local psychiatrists' offices at the time I started treatment. Also, believe it or not, this office didn't have the worst ratings!! Let that sink in. This office had a BETTER rating than many of the other local psychiatrists' offices. This is one of the many reasons why we're having a mental health crisis in America. There just aren't many good treatment options available.
To sum it up, I'm finished with Dr. Sunkureddi's office. The bogus lab fee, and the fact that in the last 2 business days, no one has picked up the phone to take my call, are the last straws. Please, if you have a choice, avoid this place like the plague. I will never darken this doctor's doorway again. read more