Although Heart of America Eye Care claims in their mission that they strive to deliver the most…read morecomprehensive, compassionate & personal eye care, treating each patient as if they were family, this is the furthest thing from the truth. I was unfortunately referred to them as a result of my eye doctor being out of the country. I was fit in to be seen on 6/24/2022. Although the ladies at the front desk were kind upon my arrival, as soon as I made it back to the exam room, that's where the kindness ended.
After waiting patiently for Dr. Amy W. Gemperli to enter the room, once she did, without so much as a hello, she rushed through my exam and performed it incompletely. Being someone who has had countless eye exams due to my condition, I am very knowledgeable of the process and procedures of this exam. After an exam that literally ended in about 5 minutes, she said that I was fine & could go, & that she didn't see anything wrong with my eye. When I questioned Dr. Gemperli's findings & explained that I've experienced the symptoms frequently enough to know that there's an issue, she again brushed past my concerns & repeated that she saw nothing, & abruptly sent me on my way. I paid my $80 co-pay & left the building feeling unseen, unheard, and untreated. Dr. Gemperli's lack of bedside manner was shocking & disheartening.
After leaving Heart of America untreated & unhappy with the results of my appointment, & after having crucial parts of the exam skipped, as Dr. Gemperli appeared to be in a rush, I called her office & expressed my concerns. I was told that Dr. Gemperli would call me back at 12 to address my concerns. It wasn't until nearly 6 o'clock that evening that she returned my call. When I answered, once again, she seemed annoyed & her tone was unsettling. I shared my concerns with her about crucial parts of the exam being skipped, how the appointment felt rushed, & my concerns with her findings of nothing when I clearly was experiencing symptoms & pain. Her response added insult to injury. She replied, "That's what happens when you get fit in". I was aghast. I attempted to further explain to Dr. Gemperli that although I was grateful to be fit in, it didn't mean that I didn't deserve complete treatment. I also took the opportunity to share that as a woman of color, we are often gaslit when it comes to our pain in the medical field & we often feel unseen & unheard in spaces; however, she remained unsympathetic, unmoved, & offered no empathy or apologies for my concerns. In fact, she began speaking to me in a rude manner and I respectfully communicated that I would no longer continue on the call being spoken to that in that manner & I disconnected the call. I was treated with such disdain.
I was fortunately able to get in with my Ophthalmologist a couple of days later where he confirmed that I in fact was experiencing the condition that I sought treatment from Dr. Gemperli for. Through my Ophthalmologist, I was given the proper treatment & prescribed the proper medications for my condition.
After receiving the confirmation and validation from my office, I called Heart of America in attempts to reach someone higher up to address my concerns. I was transferred to a Blake in HR. With no answer, I left a detailed message & my availability for when I could be reached. I was never contacted. I called and left a message for a 2nd time and still was not called back. Unwilling to disregard the issue, I contacted Heart of America once more in attempt to have someone address my concerns.
A Lisa answered the phone & after explaining to her that I needed to speak to someone regarding a recent visit with a negative outcome, she insisted that I share with her what had occurred. I responded that I had no desire of doing so & that I only wanted to get in touch with someone who could rectify my issues. She refused to provide the contact information of anyone that could help. Hence this review. My issues are still unaddressed & I am left speechless.
