I've been hesitant to write this review, but I'm now left with no choice. Although Dr. Marsh is friendly, knowledgeable, engaging, attentive, and competent--and although he puts me at ease and makes me laugh--one absolutely has to incorporate one's experience with the office staff in a review of a doctor.
My first visit with Dr. Marsh was about 4 months ago. I don't have a primary physician, and I specifically discussed with Dr. Marsh my desire to possibly designate him as my new primary physician. I have another, local doctor who has a particularly specialty and who has, for several years, been kind enough to prescribe some medications for me that fall outside of his specialty. Nothing hardcore, but still, he's not a general practitioner. I do have couple of common conditions to be managed long-term, so it was recommended that I select an internist as my primary physician, rather than a family practitioner. Hence my interest in Dr. Marsh.
Well, over the last 4 months, on *three* separate occasions, I've had an urgent question for the doctor, and I've left a message on his voicemail. And in each case, at least *two weeks* went by--and I never received a returned call. I wasn't even expecting to necessarily speak to the doctor himself. I'd left detailed messages with the one or two questions for him, and I made it clear that I'd have been happy to have a nurse or even a desk attendant give me the doctor's answers. But all three times, at least two weeks went by--and no one even bothered to return my call.
The third occasion was not long ago. I have a very "routine" prescription that I take daily, and that medication has always been filled by the specialist I mentioned above. But it *should* be filled by my primary physician. In fact I discussed this very condition at length with Dr. Marsh during my last appointment. That was even the reason for the appointment! But my prescription for that condition was still coming from the specialist. A few days after my appointment with Dr. Marsh, I realized I had forgotten to ask him to "take over" that prescription. So I called his office and left a DETAILED message, explaining that I simply needed him to prescribe that medication now--and I mentioned that I only had about 2-3 weeks of pills left.
Two weeks later--no returned call. Now I have only 5 pills left, and it's urgent.
I called the office again and expressed my frustration and lack of understanding regarding their repeated failures to return a patient's phone calls--especially when I'd explained each time that these were time-sensitive matters. Two more days go by. No returned call.
I call again late that afternoon, and I ask to speak to the office manager. But I'm told that she's at lunch. (In the late afternoon?) OK. Perhaps.
But there's a pattern here of blatant, repeated unprofessionalism and incompetence. Other doctors ALWAYS return calls. In fact, I've rarely had to leave a voicemail message during business hours at other doctors' offices. But when I have, they've always returned my call within 24 hours. But in 4 months, Dr. Marsh's staff has FAILED to return my calls on THREE, separate occasions, even two WEEKS after I'd left the original message.
And I'm supposed to make him my new, primary physician? Would you? read more
