I have several issues with my heart & have been followed by cardiology since age 12 at UCSF. I…read morewanted cardiology closer to home. Saw Tin Botzler he said nothing was wrong & no follow up needed. I went back to UCSF where I see cardiology yearly with a yearly echo & cardiac MRI every 2 years & medication. Definitely worth the drive to save my life.

Perhaps 3 and a half stars at this point. I had asked for a…read morereferral to Dr. Ploss, who works out of this office (it turns out he also has hours in Fortuna, which will be more convenient, yay) given some rather alarming results of tests recently done at St. Joe's for my 24 year old son. So, here's the run down: We (dad, me, patient, who is nonverbal) arrived for our 2pm appointment at 1:45. Great, in time to proffer needed insurance cards and id cards and other cards and fill out the paperwork. The setting: what seems to be a converted house, nicely appointed with skylights and interesting windows, nice art, very "it's like grandma's house" furniture, little woodstove (or pretend woodstove? It wasn't on), big island of desk for the receptionists, and a little square of corridors that one could wander in search of the restroom, and eventually...very eventually...to one of..maybe 4 exam rooms. The receptionist had an alarming, deep cough. She told someone who queried that she was just starting to feel better. I glanced nervously at my son and hoped that no flu bugs were wending their happy way to his lungs. I wondered why on earth a receptionist at a heart specialist would be a work with...bronchitis? flu? bad cold? Well, gosh, maybe she doesn't get sick leave, don't know. So..paperwork. Usual stuff, no big problem. And then the wait...and the wait, and the wait. I had time to go through an old Time magazine with my kid, and to listen to the nervous woes of another patient, who, hearing we hailed from SoHum, wanted to interest us in some greenhouse glass. She was thinking of going all 215 to help with her debts. I heard all about the death of her daughter, the difficulties of her son, her various properties, her health issues, her little doggie, and so on. She asked if she could phone me later. God help me, I did give her my phone number. My partner says I have a kind face, what can I say? So, nearing on a hour later we were guided to exam room one by two...medical assistants, perhaps? One was on her first day of work, bless her. My son thought she was pretty, all was well. Weight, bp, electrocardiagram. More paper work. It looks to me like the office is still midway to electronic records conversion (they were taking paper notes and puzzling over the computers). It was well after three when we got to meet Dr. Ploss. My partner tells me I was initially a bit hostile, but warmed up (I didn't feel hostile, exactly. I mean, why would I be hostile? I'd specifically asked for Dr. Ploss because he was well recommended. But the situation of facing a report that said my kid had MEGA heart problems that should have killed him by the time he was around a month old...well, yeah, I was edgy). I like Ploss. He's informative, careful, non alarmist, and straight forward. I'm glad he's part of our team now. He admitted to some mystification about our kid, but...we're working on it all. I appreciated his honesty and his ability to communicate (and the nifty model of a human heart he used to explain better what might be happening). Ploss himself would get 5 stars from me, no question. He spent ample time with us, so I forgave the wait. But that cough in the front office...I don't know. And folger's coffee in tea bags with hot water and styrofoam cups? No, really??? *is a coffee snob, even when dealing with life and death issues*

For both a longer term stay and recurring outpatient care I have had great care. Dedicated and…read moreprofessional staff, Doctors and nurses. Great hospital for such a rural area.

Geese I've heard all the bad rap,about the st. Oh #@%#'s emergency. I've got first hand…read moreexperience. Upon entering it's quiet and orderly. They greet you as thou your at the checkout stand at any grocery store. "Ugh"... ( I'm in serious pain)..... They open with wanting all your personal information (regardless of my obliviously animated discomfort). Once entering me into the (register) system. They tell me too take a seat. I'm incredulous "don't they realized I'm in pain.?"....ugh,.... I scan the room observed how many people are already present and calculate it's gonna be a minimum of 45 minutes till I get attended too. I try too sit but the catheter won't allow me too. I stand up and face a wall just too relieve the pain and embarrassment. (All other people present seem calm and relaxed). I begin reading hospital related posters on wall in front of me. Still in discomfort as I watch people come and go as if it's just a normal day. Then I reflex on the pandemic and how much as happen and I try to minimize my frustration. One of the staff that checked me in came over too reassure me they would try to get me a bed just too lie down until they could get too me. Later I experienced her attempting to get someone too come out sooner. (Then) One of the other staffers said there was only one emergency doctor on shift. Just the fact that they were aware of my discomfort was comforting. Finally I was taken in and immediately attended too. All of the staffers I encountered were professional and personably. I received great care and the staffers discussed every issue as though I were a part of the team. I left there several hours later feeling much better. Thanks you St . Joseph's emergency staffers

The VA healthcare system has been nothing but supportive, helpful and has thoroughly taken care of…read moreme. No complaints. After a series of tests ruling out other possibilities, it was determined by Dr. Lock that I needed a heart stent. He explained it all in terms I could understand. The surgery for the first stent was successful but soon it was determined I needed two more so back in the OR I went. Success. Dr. Lock explains, listens and assures his patients. The entire office staff is top notch. Each one is a pleasant person who does their particular duty in excellent fashion. I highly and completely recommend Dr. Lock. He's the best.

Dr. Ploss has taken care of me and I am so sad that he is leaving the Eureka area. He was very…read moreprofessional, kind and thorough.

Front office staff experience was completely awful. The office manager appeared to be on some sort…read moreof uppers. I experienced her Harassment and cruelty every time I was in the office. I overheard them talking bad about patients and completely disregarding hippa.

The staff doesn't get along or communicate well enough to conduct normal operations. The diagnosis…read morewas given and I was told to wait 2 weeks to call and talk to the scheduler because she was on vacation. A week later I called because I'm having pain associated with my diagnosis, I asked why I wasn't being scheduled and the scheduler was there and told me because she has other patients to schedule... I was scheduled then took the time off work and was cancelled halfway through the procedure. Now their computers are broken and can't reschedule. The scheduler tried to convince me my condition isn't life threatening yet I almost died from this , she to this day hasn't scheduled the rest of my appointments. Then to top it off she told me they were cancelled then the day of the office calls me and said I was scheduled, so she never did her job and cancelled them she only told me they were cancelled....don't go here I'm sooo sorry I did, they took my veins and I can never get them back ....

Ok, the doctor I saw, was GREAT. When I was in the hospital the nurses were great. But they told me…read morethey had heard of the "battle axe nurse" at Eureka Internal Medicine. I guess lots f patients complain about her. UH, HELLO, then hey DOC, get a new nurse would ya? get a clue here! Otherwise, the doc was great and I am fine, sort-of, nothing life threatening, just life altering! Cheers

After two years of office visits and numerous medication to treat nausea and migraines that didn't…read morework I was told to use OTC meds for the migraines. The loss of 38 pounds over 4 months wasn't taken as a symptom of anything related and the Dr actually asked me if I seriously believed the head pain was affecting my stomach in a dismissive manner. At the last office visit I demanded to stop treating symptoms only and to see specialists to find the root cause. I took two months for her, the doctor, to give me a referral to the neurologist. Luckily the neurologist got me in with-in two weeks and discovered a huge brain tumor, that left only two weeks longer would have been fatal.