I was a new patient to ARC. I took the time to fill out all the medical and family history ahead of time, as requested. I arrived for my 11:00 appointment 15 minutes early, as requested. At 10:45 in the morning, Dr. Zook was already 30 minutes behind, which in clinic-speak is at least 45 minutes. (Another doctor was already one hour behind.) The staff at the front desk made it clear that delays with Dr. Zook are routine--which I interpret to mean my time is not important to Dr. Zook. My money is.
I left and called ARC's administrative office to complain. They sifted me through phone tree after phone tree and numerous receptionists who just sent me to somebody's voice mail. There was no difference between calling ARC and trying to get an internet and cable technician on the line. ARC's model is exactly the same.
We all know this is the prevailing attitude of the medical industry: we are customers, not patients. We have money, not illnesses. Read the other reviews, and you will see: ARC is just another corporation, not a clinic.
Because I was not sick or in pain, I did not have to submit to coercive corporate tactics: I need a doctor eventually, but not necessarily today. I try to push back on ARC's kind of cynicism in whatever small way I can, so I refused to reschedule. Reschedule for what--another doctor who tells all of his customer-patients to get to the clinic early so they can sit there and wait while he drags along, wasting our time? I've started looking elsewhere. I suggest you do the same. read more
