This business is owned and ran by Dr. Joseph Heflin and his wife Pamela. They specialize in treating home bound Medicare patients.
Dr. Heflin is attentive and responsive to patients needs and concerns. He understands when he should refer a patient to a specialist, an issue not all doctors appreciate. He appears knowledgeable and has a great bedside manner.
The issue is with Pamela. She runs the office and processes the paperwork. It is a miracle if she answers the phone and an act of God if she returns a message. There have been issues with her processing referrals, faxing documents to the right numbers, and communication. If you want a response, it's best to contact the doctor directly, which sorta defends having a Clinical Coordinator.
When I brought my concerns to Dr. Heflin, he said that they're very busy and hiring more support staff. That sounds logical. Six months passed, and the same issues are still happening despite hiring more employees. Now, I'm certain they've hired more nurses, as they are now doing home visits, but office staff is still lacking. There is still no answer when you call the office, which appears to be Pamela's cell phone, and still no responses to voicemails, emails, or other messages left for Pamela regarding administrative tasks.
Most recently, the ball was dropped, again, several times with two weeks with the administrative end. Again, no response or acknowledgment from Pamela. Finally, I reached out to Dr. Heflin again. He said he would take care of it. He did not. I explained and gave examples of Pamela dropping the ball, and he said I could go elsewhere for care.
I can understand his response. He has a rapidly growing practice, growing patient load, and is still an active physician for the UFC. Honestly, most patients who qualify for his services because they're home bound, meaning they usually serious health issues that keep them home. So, that is a lot for their primary doctor to manage. Coupled with a rapidly growing practice, working multiple jobs, and not have the support staff ready to help with the increased work flow must be frustrating and overwhelming at times.
The reason my rating is as high as it is, is due to all the positive qualities Dr. Heflin has. The lack of stars is because of how poorly the office/paperwork is done, lack of communication, never answering the phone, and the many clerical errors that have been made.
My concern, again, is that most home bound patients have serious health issues and are usually elderly. If they do not have good support and help advocating for their needs, then they will fall through the cracks. read more
