The front desk staff and the techs are very welcoming and personable. MY problem is with the Nurse…read morePractitioner Beverly (I think her last name is Sheppard. Right off the bat, she made a back-handed remark when I was telling her why I had not come earlier...before I could even get the reason out my mouth, she says, "you probably were waiting a couple days for a ride". Stunned, I say, "What? Huh? Why would you...I have my own ride." After jumbling out my confused response, I realized this woman just pigeon holed me into a certain group for one or two reasons; my being Afro-Latina, or based on my insurance. How do I know? Oh, it kept going right on downhill. I have an abscess in my tooth and needed an antibiotic. I was very direct in stating that I only wanted an antibiotic and that I already had ibuprofen for pain... She leaves the room and tells me she'll write a "prescription for something I can afford", after asking if I have Medicaid. At this point I'm feeling like one big stereotype to this unprofessional person. Still, I remain respectful. She sends the tech in with a script for Amoxicillin...knowing my rights and knowing this medication does not work for me, I exercised my right to inform her I would prefer something else. The tech tells her and she blows it off, saying just tell her to take it and see what happens. "Wow", I'm thinking to myself as I prepare to respectfully push back. I tell the tech, "I have not eaten in DAYS. I have experience with this medication and I don't feel like being on something 5 days knowing it's not gonna work. Please, could you just ask her to give me something else?"
The tech goes out in the hall and calmly asks her to change it. The way she screamed at that poor girl made my blood boil. Only it was time for my turn...she bursts into the exam room and says, "I'm not GIVING you anything else. I've already turned off the printer!!! Plus I was trying to give you something you can afford!" Yup. That's what she said...that's when I knew...if I "looked different and had different insurance this horribly unprofessional person would not be speaking to me this way. At this point, I'm staring at her, large-eyed. Still shocked by her overtly stereotypical behavior, I say, "Ma'am please give me something else. Don't worry about what I can't afford. My health is important to me, I'll get them." Not having expected me agree to a costlier script she starts screaming at me. I'd had enough. I interjected, asking her who was she screaming at when I've been nothing but respectful to her and she will not talk to me this way. She stopped, seeking surprised a person like me would call out her unprofessional behavior, and dramatically yells, "That's IT. I'm not giving you anything else! Take it or leave it!" That did it for me. After asking her name and she tells me, then adds "Nurse Practitioner" to it like that is suppose to validate her condescending attitude, I got even madder. I quipped, "You are not even a DOCTOR? No wonder you have such a nasty attitude and too lazy to listen to your patients. I then stood up, walked up to her, pointed right at her and said, "I don't care WHO you are or what you think I don't have. You will NOT talk to me like that. KEEP your prescription-I'm not wasting my time taking something I told you doesn't work. I know my rights. And I WILL be reporting your hateful, unprofessional behavior. I'm not the one". I turned to the young lady, thanked her for being so kind and turned back to tell the "Nurse I will NOT be paying for wasting my time and that she better not bill my insurance. The whole floor was totally quiet as I calmly walked out. I do NOT recommend this clinic while this terribly unprofessional person is on duty. I never met anyone so hateful.