So this is going to be long, but after 4 months I feel like I need to get this off my chest…read more I started my pregnancy journey with the Polyclinic after conceiving twins with the help of IVF. It was a long and arduous journey, but so worth it now that I get to hold my little boys. I dreamt of a natural twin birth and joined a support group of other twin mamas who had come before me. Dr. Norland and I talked at length about my birth plan... She was sometimes resistant to my goals but I knew my rights as a birthing mama and hoped I would be supported at the hospital. She continued to tell me to trust her, that she had the best interest of me and my babies in mind. Fast forward to my 38th week... I left the doctors office after an appointment and drove home. Halfway there I felt a tearing pain on my right side and had to pull over the pain was so intense. I became excited thinking I was in back labor and continued home to labor there and time the contractions. When I got home my mom called and we tried to time the contractions together but there was no rhyme or reason to my pain, so she came over and we called the doctor, she instructed us to come in. By the time I got there I was fainting and vomiting and in searing pain. They could tell that I was not having contractions and sent us to the hospital. Once at the hospital things took a turn for the worse. We arrived in the afternoon and they ran test after test on my kidneys and gall bladder while I was thrashing around in pain. At one point, after a few hours and finding nothing, my husband heard a nurse ask if it was all in my head. By midnight the doctor instructed me to try and get some sleep. She said that she was sure I had a kidney stone (even though every test had come back negative) and we would test again in the morning. I laid down, but had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right. They hadn't found anything wrong with me... There had to be something wrong with the babies. I asked the nurse to get the doctor and demanded a c-section right then and there. They prepped me and we were in the ER within 30 minutes. Just after beginning the procedure the doctor looked at my husband and I and said so calmly, "it's really good that we're doing this... Baby A has an abrupted placenta. If we would have waited until morning he could have been dead." At the time I was so relieved to no longer be in pain and was so excited to meet my little ones that I didn't think twice about the comment. It has taken me months to process everything that happened and to come to terms with it all. I heard baby A (Bodhi) cry once before he stopped. I looked over and I saw tubes and blood as they tried to get all of the blood he had swallowed out of his lungs. My husband and I kept asking what was wrong as they wheeled him off to the NICU. Baby B (River) was healthy and I was able to hold him. Bodhi was brought back to me within a few hours. It was later, when I was clear headed and able to put the pieces together that I realized that incompetent doctors almost killed my son. I had been with those doctors since noon that day. Never once did anyone mention the words "abrupted placenta" as a possibility. If someone would have told me that there was the slightest chance that my babies lives were in danger... We would have gotten them out right there and then. My babies were almost 8 pounds each and I had reached 38 weeks. There was no reason to try and keep them in longer. When asked later why it wasn't mentioned to us, the doctor became incredibly defensive and couldn't even own up to the mistake that had been made. I have never felt more fearful of doctors than I do now. The woman who asked me to trust her with mine and my babies lives made an agregious error and showed absolutely no remorse. I am writing this in the hopes that other mamas will read it and know to trust their mama instinct. These doctors (mine in particular) act as though they know everything, but you know your body... Trust it!

I had a terrible experience with this doctor. She came in unprepared, made a sarcastic remark and…read morethen left for about 20 minutes. When she came back, she was again hostile, and only did a cursory exam, and let out a deep sigh when I asked her to actually do a full exam and treat me for the issue I came in about. I had scheduled my appointment through their MyChart tool, and made it very clear why I was there, but she claimed that she never looks at that, even though I think the Polyclinic doctors are supposed to monitor patient communications through it. A couple of times during the appointment I brought up the medication that I was currently on (which she had prescribed about a year ago) and asked her how it was pronounced. She kept deflecting the question and finally admitted that she didn't know how it was pronounced. At the end, she told me she would follow up with me in a few days, but of course she never did. Her demeanor was so abrasive that I really wish I had just gotten up and walked out. Probably the worst experience I have ever had with a doctor.

I seriously don't have the right words for Dr Foltz, she is hands down the best Dr I've ever had…read more She delivered my first son and was just the type of coach I needed in the delivery room. She's kind, smart and all about making sure you understand what she's doing and why. I so appreciate that. Dr. Foltz has also helped me get through a miscarriage and complete molar pregnancy. These were dark days for my family and we had so many questions. Dr Foltz and her nurse Cindy, were there every step of the way. I would literally get personal calls from Dr Foltz or Cindy just to check in and make sure I was doing OK. With the molar pregnancy I was at the lab doing test 2 times a week for 8weeks. It can be agonizing waiting for results, but Dr Foltz and Cindy would usually get me test results in 24-48 hours to ease my mind. I can't tell you how much this meant to my husband and I helped decrease stress. Dr Foltz cares...like for real. Plus she is super nice and cool and feels like a friend. To me this type of care is priceless and I'm forever grateful.

I only have good things to say about Dr. Luba Foltz. I can't begin to sing the praises of Dr. Luba…read moreFoltz. When I met her and immediately she made me feel comfortable. Her calm nature makes it easier for me to talk to her. We talked about my problem and opted for surgery before my wedding. She said next year she will deliver my baby. That sounded great since I like consistency. I met her after the post op. She said I was recovering beautifully. I told her we plan to have a wedding. She told me I will be a beautiful bride. Great vote of confidence from a doctor! Needless to say, I highly recommend her.

I came here for my first physical after my pediatrician. I was super impressed by the level of care…read moreDr. David provided. He was able to find and treat problems I didn't know I had till after they were fixed and I felt so much better! I strongly recommend Dr. David to anyone looking for a primary care physician!

I simply chose Dr. Steffensen from a list provided by my husband's employer for approved…read morephysicians. My very first appt. was extremely thorough. She asked about everything from my last pap to blood pressure, ordered blood work, made an appt. for pap and mam. I've never seen a doctor who was so thorough. Now after more than three years of using her, I would have to summarize her as this - thorough, caring and doesn't take excuses!!! She is a no-nonsense physician who really truly does care about her patients.

I am a physician who has been referring patients to Dr. Karmali for seven or eight years (maybe…read moremore?) and after years of seeing her work (from the outside) and hearing patients tell me about her, I would say that Dr. Karmali is easily one of the best primary care doctors in town. Her best quality is that she really listens to patients. It's so often that patients come in presenting with one thing, but if you take a few moments to talk with them, you discover that is not the real issue at all. For example a patient coming in with elbow pain, where she finds out it's not just a presentation of elbow pain but really the patient is extremely stressed and clenching their arms at night, causing elbow pain. So the real problem is anxiety not elbow pain. Dr. Karmali actually takes the moments needed to find that out. My patients love her and I appreciate having a skilled physician to refer to when I want to have a MD on board. In a world of seven minute office visits, where you walk in, get a scrip for your "problem," and walk out, it's rare to find a MD who actually practices such caring and quality medicine. I truly can't recommend Dr. Karmali highly enough, Swedish is beyond lucky to have her!

Dr. Karmali is the best doctor I've ever had, and I've had great doctors in the past. I visited her…read moretowards the end of last year as a new patient and she spent about 30 minutes getting to know me before checking everything that I asked her to. She made me feel comfortable and relaxed every step of the way, talking me through everything. Dr. Karmali is extremely kind, attentive, gentle, humble, and calming. She went to UW Med School, so extra points for that! Another cool thing is that Swedish uses MyChart, an online personal health record system where you can see your medical history, appointments, messages from your doctor, etc. Strangely, when I called to make an appointment, the receptionist said that Dr. Karmali did not have any openings until January 2015. However, when I went online to MyChart, I saw multiple openings between now and the end of the year. I ended up making an online appointment with Dr. Karmali for early December and cancelling my phone-made appointment with another doctor at Swedish. I am so excited to go see Dr. Karmali again soon!

Does anyone know how to set up appointments with other doctors? When I go to the website it says…read morecall to make an appt, but then when I call it directs me to make an appt online @ different website http://naturopathicfamilymedicine.com...but then there is only 1 doctor to choose from.

Patient for 14 years Dr. Buxton is the most thorough doctor…read moreI have ever had and she has consistently provided correct diagnosis. Besides her naturopath skills which are amazing and extensive, she also is a wonderful accupuncturist. She has intuitive knowledge as an experienced doctor and is thorough and really takes time to listen to your needs and ailments and make a proper diagnosis. I have referred many friends to her and they all continue to see her after finding what a terrific doctor she is for their needs as well.

I made the switch to naturopathy with Dr. Tressa Pinkleton this year, and wow, am I glad that I…read moredid, because my faith in healthcare has been reignited and I've been sharing my experience here with all of my friends and coworkers! Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from my visit, as I'd heard mixed reviews about naturopathy and to its "legitimacy," but I have to say, I haven't felt as heard, healthy, or in tune with my body as I have for the last six months! I'd been having some trouble with stress, anxiety, and weight gain and had a feeling that something in my body was out of whack. Dr. Pinkleton was knowledgeable, down-to-earth, patient, and honestly, just overall really cool. I've started taking various supplements to address different health concerns, have changed my diet due to Dr. Pinkleton's recommendations, and just feel overall WAY more knowledgeable about my body and what I put in it. I'm so grateful to have found a primary doctor who actually listens to my concerns, shares natural remedies and solutions, and who works with me to make sure I am feeling my best. My entire experience here is always great -- friendly staff, low wait times, and overall just an amazing healthcare experience.

I cannot recommend Dr. Pinkleton highly enough. She's a great primary care provider. I love her…read moreblend of eastern and western medicine. She's been helping me get my overall health back in check and she's made the journey feel comfortable and non-judgmental. I'm so glad I found her. She's the PCP I've always wanted. The office is welcoming. Front desk staff are always so nice. I won't go anywhere else!

A good friend referred me to Dr. Cole almost three years ago and I have been seeing her since. I…read moream so grateful to my friend and Dr. Cole. my GO of 25+ years was moving away and I had always wanted my primary focus to be natural/non pharmaceutical. I love her method of requesting more in depth bloodwork at least yearly (every 6 mo the first three times when we started) to look for areas where your health may need more attention and offering diet, lifestyle and supplement support to improve. I like data! It makes so much sense. And she is professional, kind, friendly and easy to talk to!

I have been working with Dr. Cole for several years. She is a compassionate and detailed physician…read morewho investigates down to the depths of the root cause of an issue(s), not just the symptoms. Dr. Cole is able to provide comprehensive care to treat the whole body, easing it back into balance in a healthy, less toxic way. For me, she offered naturopathic alternatives to traditional medicine to help me with my complicated and intertwining conditions (auto-immune, adrenal, hormonal, weight, and others). Dr. Cole always listens to me, provides scientific reasons for what I am experiencing, and works to provide a natural way to heal my body. She provides a wonderful mix of compassion, hard science (labs, results, etc.), and alternative healing methods/medicines. Recently, I particularly appreciate her additional services around genetic testing; providing a deeper analysis of DNA genetic results, which indicated genetic variations that can be the root cause of health issues. This allows us to make a plan to offset high risk areas.

I had a very good experience with Dr. Liz. I went to her…read morewith migraine and with her treatment I am perfectly fine now. She is very patient and has a lot knowledge. I would definitely recommend her.

Dr. Liz is one of the best doctors I've ever had. She's very knowledgeable thorough and caring. She…read moreis a great detective. Every little detail matters to her. She figures out a lot of the overlooked health issues. For example who knew that the chronic neck I've been having forever and had been ignoring was a sign of an even bigger issue. (I didn't even go in for that I just happened to mention it). She also great with food allergies. My stomach pains I've had all of my life are gone. It's the little signs that often get ignored but point to the bigger picture. Prevention is the best medicine and Dr Liz pays attention. She's rare and well worth it! Oh and her office is super cute cozy and clean!