I have been coming to this clinic for nearly six years for iron infusions, and until my recent…read moreexperience, I had wonderful things to say because of Dr. Eldred. Every time I came over the years, I saw Dr. Eldred. I had never dealt with his wife, Ava, before this visit, and the difference in how I was treated was shocking.
Dr. Eldred has always been kind, professional, and compassionate. My first experience with Ava was the complete opposite. I found her condescending, dismissive, unnecessarily hostile, and deeply lacking in compassion toward someone who was clearly sick and not feeling well.
I came in severely anemic with a hemoglobin of 7.4 and waited nearly an hour expecting to receive my iron infusion. After all that time, Ava claimed she had already told me I needed to sign paperwork before I could receive treatment. That was not true. She never told me that. And in nearly six years of coming to this clinic for iron infusions, I had never once been told this before.
When I corrected her and said, "You never told me that," rather than simply acknowledging the miscommunication, she responded, "I'm a doctor. I will not argue with you."
I found that response incredibly arrogant and condescending. I was not arguing with her. I was correcting a statement about what had supposedly been communicated to me. Being a doctor does not mean you are incapable of making a mistake, nor should a medical title be used to talk down to a patient.
What disturbed me most was her complete lack of compassion. I was severely anemic, weak, and already not feeling well. Instead of being treated with basic empathy, I felt as though I was dealing with hostility and a power struggle. A sick patient should not have to manage a provider's ego on top of managing their own health.
She told me I needed to go to the emergency room. Because of how unpleasant the interaction had become, I was completely fine with not receiving care from her. I simply scheduled another appointment for a different day with Dr. Eldred, the physician I had trusted for nearly six years.
Ava then went into the system and canceled my future appointment with Dr. Eldred.
That crossed a line for me. I was not trying to schedule with her again. I had chosen to continue care with a doctor with whom I had a longstanding relationship while actively dealing with severe anemia. Based on the sequence of events I personally experienced, I was left with the strong impression that her personal feelings about our interaction mattered more than my ability to continue receiving care.
I want to be clear that I still have wonderful things to say about Dr. Eldred. My experiences with him for nearly six years were positive, and that is exactly why this is so disappointing. My experience with his wife was the complete opposite. I found her behavior cold, condescending, vindictive, and lacking in empathy.
I would not recommend dealing with Ava, especially if you are sick, vulnerable, or expecting basic compassion from a medical provider. To make matters worse, the clinic now appears to use an AI system to answer the phone, making it extremely difficult to reach a human being or even request Dr. Eldred directly.
After nearly six years as a patient, I never imagined I would be writing this review. Dr. Eldred was wonderful to me for years. Unfortunately, my first experience with Ava completely changed how I view this practice.
