Do Yourself a Favor -- Find Another Dermatology Practice!…read more
I made appointments for both my 5-year-old son and myself as new patients. The earliest available appointments were three months out. When scheduling, I was specifically told that each appointment would be approximately one hour for a routine new-patient skin check. I was also advised that, given my son's age, there was a possibility they could see both of us at the same time.
When we arrived, I was informed they could not accommodate both appointments simultaneously. That was fine -- we had separate appointments, and I was prepared to wait. I completed the registration process on the iPad for myself and filled out paper forms for my son because, understandably, a five-year-old does not have his own email address. I also paid both copays upfront, as requested.
Unfortunately, the experience went downhill from there.
The medical assistant informed me that we only had 15 minutes for the appointment because they were busy and, according to their policy, could not go beyond that timeframe. My son had two spots I wanted examined, but I was told that addressing both would require two separate appointments. I was also informed that they do not perform full-body skin checks on patients under 30 years old. (Yes, you read that correctly -- under 30!)
When the doctor, Dr. DeBallas, came in, she reiterated multiple times that they only allow 15 minutes per appointment and that she did not have time to address everything. The entire interaction lasted approximately six minutes. Rather than taking the time to properly examine my son and address my concerns, she spent the majority of the visit explaining why she couldn't do so. She spent approximately 10 seconds actually looking at him before continuing to emphasize the time restrictions.
What made this even more frustrating was that, according to their own policy, we still had approximately 10 minutes remaining in our allotted appointment time.
Dr. DeBallas could certainly benefit from reevaluating her bedside manner. Patients come to medical professionals expecting to be heard, treated with respect, and given appropriate attention -- not made to feel like an inconvenience. If less time were spent explaining why there wasn't enough time and more time were spent actually seeing the patient, perhaps the appointment would have been more productive.
When I questioned the assistant about the discrepancy between what I had been told during scheduling and what I was experiencing, she asked who had scheduled the appointments. After I described the individual, she informed me that the employee no longer worked there. While that may explain the misinformation, it certainly doesn't make it the patient's fault.
On my way out, I canceled my own appointment. After waiting three months, paying both copays upfront, and experiencing this level of service, I had absolutely no interest in proceeding with my appointment. Thankfully, there was no cancellation fee.
It's disappointing to spend months waiting for an appointment, only to be rushed through the door without having your concerns properly addressed -- especially when it involves your child.
I understand that medical offices get busy, and I appreciate that providers have schedules to maintain. However, patients should never feel like their concerns are a burden or that they are being rushed simply because a practice has overbooked its schedule or failed to communicate its policies.
I will not be returning to this practice, and I would strongly encourage others to consider their options before booking. If you're looking for a provider who takes the time to listen, address your concerns, and make you feel like more than just another appointment on the schedule, I suggest looking elsewhere.
