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| - This clinic is only getting the two-star treatment, because the staff is exceptionally nice, and I was impressed by the fact that they collect and handle all patient information electronically. I've not seen too many places do that, and I like that idea.
So, here's my story about why I'm only giving them two stars and not zero (if only that were possible!), for the actual 'services rendered.'
I'll be a BIT reserved and not include the doctor's name (I'll be more than happy to give it to you by PM if you contact me), but methinks this guy should give careful consideration to retiring.
LVSCC was referred to me by my primary. When I called them up to make my first appointment, the receptionist 'gave' me a doctor, since she asked if there was one I preferred and I said no. I figured it would be okay no matter who I got. Sometimes the arrangement works out, and sometimes it doesn't.
So I went in and met this doctor, after a wait to see him that actually wasn't all that long. I was being seen for two things: some kind of scaly, itchy, dry dermatitis that appeared all over the tops of both feet. The other thing was for a problem with dry, flaky skin on my back, chest and arms, which didn't seem to be the result of the kind of soap or lotion I was using, (and I have tried several mild-to-non-scented, preservative-free products, that still didn't work.)
He did a biopsy for a lab test of my skin (which makes me wonder now how necessary it was.) But after a short exam, he asked me when the last time was that I had been tested...for SYPHILIS! Now, I am no prude or a member of the Upright Citizen's Brigade, but this question shocked and pissed me off as much as anything. My sexual history has a somewhat chequered past, but I came up during the AIDS era. We KNEW how important it was to know our status, and (knock on wood) I have never had an STD in my life! I couldn't help but wonder if he'd suggested this because a) I was black, b) I'm married to my male partner, or c) all of the above.
Two other things struck me as not being "normal" about this doctor as well. First, he forgot the name of a drug he wanted to recommend to me, and wandered out of the office to the nurses' desk to ask his assistant. But instead of excusing himself and closing the door behind him, HE LEFT IT WIDE OPEN. I was shirtless at the time, the bandage from the biopsy barely in place, and he just left me sitting there for all the world to see. Another nurse who didn't work with him, as far as I knew, apologized and finally closed the door.
The second thing was about that drug. It's called Dupixent, a biologic, and he gave me the name, and THEN told me that he wanted ME to go home and look it up, and THEN come back and tell HIM if I wanted to try it. (DUDE! I'm not the DOCTOR here, YOU ARE! I expect you to tell ME what's up with a drug that might be right for me or not!)
In any case, following the appointment, I did go home and looked up the drug...only to find out that not only might it not be covered by my insurance...but if it wasn't, the cost of the drug added up to $37,000 A YEAR. I don't think I made THAT annually at the lowest paying job I've ever had!
But here's the kicker. I was hoping my suspicions about his intent were just my imagination, and frankly worried about the whole syphilis thing, because I knew from reading about it that it's a disease that CAN lie dormant in the system for years. But the results of my blood test came back with my primary: 110% CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH.
At this stage of the game, I'm not even sure I want to go back there, but it would be completely unfair to paint every physician there with the same brush, because of my initial impressions. But two strikes is all they get, as far as I'm concerned. There won't be a third.
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