First, note that this review is specifically for the Victory Medical location in Cedar Park. I have not been to any of their other clinics, nor will I after my experience there. This is a lengthy review, so below are the bullet points and then the narrative:
Pros:
- Electronic paperwork/check-in system
- Excellent nurse
- Nice, efficient pharmacy staff
Cons:
- Insurance billing discrepancies
- Difficult to locate
- Felt very commercial, like I was a commodity
- Poor bedside manner
- Pressure to use in-house pharmacy
After making my appointment for a well visit, I actually called back to check that it would be billed to insurance as a well visit. Let's put a pin in that for now.
When I arrived without having been given a suite number (which I could have Googled if I had known there was a suite number to be found), I wandered around until I found their offices. This took me past a pharmacy and through aisles of supplements, vitamins, etc. that seemed rather commercial for a doctor's office. At the front desk, I found pamphlets on cosmetic procedures and a notice which stated (I'm paraphrasing) that some of the physicians in their practice had a financial stake in the products and services rendered but that there would never be any pressure to purchase them or use their in-house pharmacy. Again, put a pin in that.
Once I got to the end of the paperwork (which was all electronic on a tablet--one of the few pluses), I reached the section at the end for co-pay. My copay on well visits is $25, and I was being asked for four times that. I inquired at the front desk and was told this would not be billed as a well visit, despite specifically having checked on that when I made the appointment and having explained exactly what I would need to be seen for. I understand why the billing was done the way it was, but if I had known that up front, I probably would have gone somewhere else.
After I sucked it up and paid the money, I was seen by a nurse who is one of the only reasons this review is two stars instead of one. I don't remember her name, but she was very sweet, attentive and personable. Then the physician came in. Without going into specifics of my medical history, I will say that this person's tone changed from good bedside manner to short and borderline snarky when they realized I was going to advocate for the health care decisions that I believed to be best for me and my situation. To a degree, I think they were working outside of their normal purview and basically trying to CYA, but I'm of the opinion that it is incumbent upon the physician to make the patient comfortable, not the other way around. They certainly could have handled the situation differently and achieved the same result.
To cap it all off, I felt tremendous pressure to use their in-house pharmacy and walked away feeling like I needed a shower.
I don't normally write negative reviews, but if a friend or family member were to ask me about this clinic, I'd tell them to run. It feels like a service to say so in a public forum. My plan is to find a doctor and facility that don't make me feel like a commodity to support their bottom line. I suggest you do the same. read more