Arthritis Northwest Review

Dr. Lasalle was as listed below, arrogant and downright mean. I am having serious health issues and have become disabled by it. He said things like 'you THINK you are disabled'. He refused to diagnose me. He basically said don't come back. I will be reporting him to the medical commission and I don't recommend patients to get care from him. He does not care about you or your symptoms. I begged for diagnostic tests, I begged for help with my connective tissue. He just told me to go back to my PCP. Thanks for nothing Dr, La Salle! I hope you learn to be a nicer better doctor some day, for the sake of your patients. So far, Providence has been a real mess trying to get any help. I recommend looking elsewhere for your care.

I have had several visits over the course of the last few years, and have yet to have any bad experiences. It is a three hour drive for me and it is worth the drive, the time & the money. I hate to think of having to move away from the Inland NW and trying to find another rheumatologist. Beth

NO STARS, if I could.
Horrible service! I am an easy going person - BUT- it has been 4 month since my referral and I still have not gotten an appointment. My doctors office resent the referral three (3) times because of Arthritis Northwest misplacing it over and over. Call backs are non existing. I have lost all confidence and do not want to be seen by a Dr. Office that can not even manage the easiest task of making an appointment.
This is borderline malpractice.

Let me start by saying that I am not one to post negative reviews. However, dealing with ANW has had a pretty big negative impact on my mental and physical health.

My breaking point was being told that my appointment, which I had taken time off of work for, was CANCELED by the office staff. They told my husband it was because I had had an appointment three weeks prior? So they canceled my appointment without even telling me.

The office staff are consistently rude and abrupt. I've had one of their medical assistants laugh at me when describing a very personal and sensitive problem that was caused by mobility issues. They don't answer the phone or provide callbacks except on rare occasions.

Dr LaSalle is known for writing off patients and discounting diagnoses that they've already received. Because of him, and his gaslighting tendencies (read other reviews about him below) I have had to suffer way more than necessary for years.

Dr Coan is a good doctor, but is difficult to access due to office staff.

After four years of dealing with this clinic, which caused my disease to progress from not getting the treatment I needed, I've finally found a great rheumatologist with the Polyclinic in Seattle.

Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this office.

Ever since I came here and established with Dr Butler and Erin, I have been treated with respect. Look up this specialty when you are in need of Rheumatologist.

Dr. Buttler was perfect! 5 stars for Dr. BUTTLER! He was highly interested in me and attentive to my needs and my inadequate explanation of what is going on with aches & pains. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Buttler's help, his knowledge and attention to every detail in what is happening with my health.
I definitely recommend Dr. J. Buttler!
S. Robin Yale

I had a wonderful experience at arthritis northwest as a new patient. All of the staff (check-in, nurses, phlebotomists, X-ray technicians and Dr LaSalle) were amazing! They all took time to listen, made sure I understood what to expect, what was going on with my body and what my next steps were. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of a rheumatologist!

Been a patient for about 10 years. Always exceptional service. Yes, sometimes I do have to wait beyond the appointment time. But when I see my Doctor, he gives me his full attention for as long as it is needed. I truly feel these folks saved my life and have kept me able to work beyond what I would have believed possible. My doctors scope of experience and knowledge is phenominal, and his ability to explain to my wife and I is much appreciated. I will be a lifer with the type of professional care I get here at Arthritis NW.

Not happy at all. Was told I'd receive a call with lab results within a couple days - over a week and no contact. Also supposed to put in order to Inland Imaging as well - they never received anything. Have left multiple messages for them to call me back and no response. In a lot of pain but always feel like I'm being written off when I go here.

I am well aware I am just a number in their system. This appointment was the worst experience I have ever had. I was referred here because of blood work from my doctor. Dr. Lasalle treated me with absolutely no compassion or concern. Words will never express how important this appointment was to me, how much it finally meant to me to get some answers to years of pain, and it gradually getting worse recently. I left in complete shock at how horrible this appointment was and more confused at what is wrong with me. Everything that I have been struggling with was disregarded and not even heard. After bursting into tears he looked at me and said "what exactly did you come here for today"! I came here for the same reason I'm certain all the other patients come here for....Answers, compassion, help, and their family physician referred them for a reason! Thank you for your suggestions that Tai Chi and reading a book Unlearning the pain will magically heal me. Unfortunately I do not think it will fix my hair loss, positive blood work, Nails falling off, recurring kidney problems and constant pain I am in. I will continue to advocate for myself and my health. I would never ever recommend Dr. Lasalle.


I have been treated and am now on the proper medication for my disease, by a wonderful rheumatologist in Coeur D Alene since January of 2018. I was informed because my disease went untreated for so long it progressed and did damage that is not reversible. My hands are now bone on bone in the joints and can only be fixed with a bone fusion which would make it to where I would have no movement left.
I will never forget the way I was treated here. Shame on you Dr. for not listening to me when I was there.

I have been treated with nothing but respect and dignity for the past 20 years. I have been a patient of Dr. Butler since 1998. I followed him to Arthritis Northwest from Rockwood Clinic and have never had any problems that couldn't be worked out. All employees are friendly, helpful and very caring. They have their own Lab and Radiology and have an RA Clinic. And Dr. Butler's PA, Erin is one amazing giver of injections! I don't want to go anywhere else.

I had a lot of respect for Dr. Christopher Valley, until he treated me like my health did not matter. Because they scheduled me twice in a two week period, their error. They penalized me and removed me from their practice.

However, that's not where it started. It started when Dr. Valley's Medical Assistant was rude to me and cut me off several times on the phone. I complained to what I thought was an office manager, but it was another Medical Assistant named Kelly. Kelly then told me if I was going to send my complaint to send it to Karen.

I was already in the building the next day, so I went into reschedule my appointment. But, looks like I was discharged from the practice for a missed appointment. I call retaliation for complaining. Although their recording says they want to hear from you...They don't. If you don't want to get kicked out of the practice, don't complain. They don't care. Deal with it or your screwed!!

I had several friends ask why I went there, now I know.

I was referred to Arthritis NW by my primary doctor. I have to admit, after reading reviews, I was prepared to be disappointed, but thankfully I was not.
The staff was friendly, and Dr.Butler was kind, prepared to listen and answered all my questions. We determined after much discussion that my medical issue was beyond the scope of this office, but I highly recommend Arthritis NW if you are referred here. I will say it might be the busiest Drs office I've ever been in....the place was packed. But I wasn't kept waiting for my appt, and didn't have to wait to long to see the Dr. once I was placed in a room.

Never sent my prescription in for the medication that they said they were going to prescribe for the back pain/spasms cause I haven t been sleeping and Erin said she was going to prescribe it and never did. Left a message and sent 2 messages through the patient portal and no reply back. Guess I won t be getting my medication and seems like the issues I m having just aren t being treated yet I ve been complaining about this since 2017 and we re in 2020 so I guess I ll continue to suffer and just try the physical therapy smh

I have been going to Dr. Butler for many years and they are always thorough, helpful, and pleasant.
i love the PA and everyone is very helpful.

Very nice staff,also I got in right away. Dr Wright is great.

I am a life long rheumatic, well into my 5th decade of arthritic/inflamitory/autoimmune diseases. If you are reading these reviews to decided whether or not you should come here, I'm sorry, I understand how difficult a time like this can be. That's natural.
You may have a lot of questions, you may not even know what questions to ask. You may be wanting someone to finally hear you, to understand the pain and/or discomfort you've been living in. You may be looking for someone to help put your mind at ease by listening compassionately and explaining competently the issues at hand; trying to answer your questions and formulating a plan to help treat your condition.

Sadly, this is not the place. You will get none of that here.

I won't be filling this space with yet more horror stories of the behavior there. I will simply say, if you are reading this trying to decide if you should come here for care... You are your own best advocate and you need to make informed decisions regarding your condition and treatment plan(s).

This is not the place.

Wow, Attitude from a doctors assistant. You call and you get nothing but a recording. I had a question for my doctor after my initial visit, had to leave a message, call returned the following day and was sternly advised by the assistant that the doctor does not take questions or return phone calls from patients and must make an appointment to speak with the doctor. Imagine paying over 400 dollars for an initial consultation and told that I had to make an appointment for a visit with the doctor to ask a question. Apparently questions have a price as well.
There is something wrong when recordings dominate the landscape of a medical organization and the doctor's assistant wields the sole control between patient and doctor.
In all my years of seeing doctors, I have never encountered a medical practice so aloof and disinterested.
I liked the doctor but if this is how this consortium of doctors operates, I have no use for it.

Dr Valley has treated both my daughter and I, over the years. We both agree that he is the best of the best. He is knowledgeable with a wide degree of expertise and his professional manner is warm and friendly. Truly, we both think he is a brilliant doctor and a kind and caring human being.

this place literally sucks dick . their doctors are so rude

I have had great care from Dr LaSalle at Arthritis Northwest. I've seen other rheumatologists who were no where near as helpful as he is. Yes, autoimmune disorders are tricky and medications and treatment plans are hard to work out. He can be very business-like and says what he thinks but I find that helpful because I know we're on the same team and have the same goal: disease remission. He and his staff are responsive to my calls and follow up has been great. I'm so glad to be in Spokane again so I can be at this clinic!

This place has treated my wife terribly. So unprofessional and act like this business doesn t have your life in their hands. It took months to get an appointment and they tried to cancel her appointment That she waited because of an emergency visit. That doesn t make since. Due to the pandemic it s harder to find places to take patients so we may be stuck until we can find one. It s be worth driving an hour or two more to avoid this office.

They corrected my misdiagnosis and changed my life! Everyone there has been amazing to work with. They return calls and emails promptly and take the time to talk to you and really understand what's going on. I cannot say enough good things about this place and the people who work there!

I went to see Dr. LaSalle and found him to be arrogant and uncaring. He was willing to diagnose me but unwilling to do anything about the diagnosis. I have never had trouble with any physician before but this experience left me frustrated and angry. He is not a good doctor and will never be a helpful resource for someone who suffers. Stay away from Lasalle.

I have been to the office twice. I first saw Dr. Kenney for a consult. The appointment was smooth and fast. I had 13 x-rays and multiple labs done. I was in and out in about 1 hour. He took time to talk to me and said they would be organizing coordinated care for me to get my treatments on a track and not scattered. I went back for my follow-up with Dr. Kenney and my consult with Dr. Valley and to see a Psychologiest (Dr. Campbell...which I cant say enough terrible about or put into words). Mind you I am 30 years old college bill and barely making rent. I informed them money was tight. I am driving from out of town to see them and to take a day off of work. I saw Dr. Kenney's PA who did not know I was on the schedule and said so in front of me. Didn't make time to look at my notes. Asked if I had questions and what she could do for me. Then said "Dr. Kenney doesn't think he needs to see you anymore since you don't have RA as you already know since he provided you this information already on your portal so you can continue with Dr. Valley." My appointment was 5 mins and I paid a $45 copay and drove all this way for coordinated care. Had my consult with Dr. Valley who was amazing!! But now have struggled with even scheduling appointments. I have to call and leave a message with an MA to schedule and they will call back hen they can. I have played phone tag for days and spent lunch hours (11:30-12:45) trying to find one to just schedule my appointment. I work in a clinic and a certified Ophthalmic assistant and for 3 different doctors and 2 different offices. I'm saddened by this because I was impressed at first. I can say their EHR (charting system) is a great one - NextGen and costs a pretty penny and does help smooth out the process (demoed the program to purchase for our clinic) but I struggle with the service a bit. I was able to get some financial assistance for my bill and am grateful for this. Since I was 13ish I have struggled with chronic pain...passed from doctor to doctor. No answers and so was very saddened when Dr. Kenney just dropped me as I hopped he would take some time to do some further research and may talk to me a bit more. Also, they referred me to Dr. Campbell for Neuro testing for nerve response...do not go to him...please. And FYI get the direct extensions for your needed offices - the operator is not cheery.

My wife was referred to this place waited 2 months for an appointment. When she got there today her doctor had never looked at the lab work. Basically tried to dismiss all of the pain she was having told her to stop meds that her primary doctor had given her. By the end of the appointment he finally had the labs and said oh yes your levels are high but we can offer you an appointment with our dietitian. I will be making complaints about this place with every company I can from the BBB to my insurance company.

so far, fabulous. makenzie and kayla front desk, kelly intake dr mueller also his scribe , whose name i've forgottten were very kind to me .and beyond competent . exceptional. i recommend this doctor and his most compassionate staff.

6 years with these professors of medicine. They do not practice medicine. They take your money, offer no help in securing high priced biologics, charge for paperwork, parking, and billing is suspect. Staff is rude, rude and rude. You are a cash machine, nothing more. Look elsewhere.

If you enjoy paying to park, waiting for 1 hour to meet with your doctor, only to find out your doctor went to lunch instead of meeting you on-time at your scheduled appointment, having a doctor prescribe a bunch of medication before getting your blood work back and before the doctor actually has any idea what's wrong with you, then if you like having an intern call you back instead of your doctor and tell you, your bloodwork is done and you probably have arthritis, but she doesn't know what the numbers and things stand for that are telling her she thinks you probably have arthritis, well maybe Arthritis Northwest PLLC is your doctors office.

The doctors and staff will talk down to you.

You can't call in and actually talk to anyone. You have to put in a message and hope to get a call back in a couple hours.

It's amazing that the doctor cared so little about me that he didn't even call me back himself when the bloodwork was done.

This place is just looking at you as a billable number. They could care less about you and your problems.

horrible experience. Poor is not a bad enough category to put Arthritis Northwest PLLC into.

I have been going to Dr. Mueller for 2 years now and I can't say enough good things about him or the staff. They have been incredible from the receptionist, PA, infusion schedulers, phlebotomist, nurses at the infusion clinic and many many more staff.
I appreciate them all so much and they have taken very good care of this patient.
Thank You All for your hard work and dedication

Although I find Dr. Kenney to be satisfactory, the staff who schedule appointment, answer the phone, (or should I say NOT answer the phone) are basically RUDE! Their customer service is non-existent.
A year ago I scheduled an appointment for the Friday before Memorial weekend. I asked "are you sure the Dr. Will be here that day it's a friday before a long weekend" I was assured "oh yes! If he planned to be out it would be on the schedule" ok I said. Well a week before my scheduled appointment I get a call saying they need to cancel my appointment, the Dr wont be in that day. (Surprise) so the earliest we can get you in will be June 6th. Fine I take that day. Friday before my scheduled Tuesday appointment they contact me saying, I don't have a current referral. (Perhaps the should have contacted my primary doctor to update that or here's an idea tell me when they rescheduled my appointment I needed a current referral)
My Primary Doctors office got the referral to Dr. Kenneys office by Monday afternoon. The day before my scheduled appointment. BUT because it was not there between the hours of 11:30-12:30 they CANCELLED my appointment. Guess what the earliest appointment is 8 weeks out. ARE you kidding me. Do these people think they walk on water? I truly believe they think their time is more important than mine.