3 years ago
This practice is the most disdainful, heinous, neg...
This practice is the most disdainful, heinous, neglectful, and uncompassionate doctor's office which I have ever had the displeasure to enter, EXCEPT FOR THE NURSES. I love the nurses there, and have known many of them since I was a girl.
My late fiance passed away when I was less than one month pregnant with our son. Due to my limited means in this unfortunate circumstance, I have health insurance for our son with NJ Family Cares. Coventry Center is the only pediatrician's office in a 10-mile radius that currently accepts new patients with this state insurance. I work full-time.
Firstly, it will typically take up to two weeks to get my son in for a well-visit and his vaccinations. You rarely see the same doctor at this office twice, and if you do request a specific doctor, be prepared to wait up to two months to get in to see them. When you call to make an appointment, you can expect to be on hold for up to an hour. While waiting before an emergency hours appointment (after 5 PM), I witnessed a receptionist ignore a phone call for upwards of 20 minutes, despite not having any patients in the waiting room or at the window aside from my son and myself during that time.
Secondly, the nursing assistant that completed my son's 12-month well-visit questionnaire was condescending and blatantly bigoted against us as state insurance recipients. When she got to the "who lives with baby," portion, and I didn't mention a father, she rolled her eyes at me and snidely asked, "And the FATHER?" I have been a patient at St Luke's facilities from the start to the culmination of my pregnancy. I know all of the facilities utilize EPIC, and the fact that my son's father is deceased is well-documented in both of our patient files. And yet this ignorant wench felt it was her duty to judge and belittle a woman without a father to her child. I'm well aware of the evaluation her unprofessional reaction implied: state insurance, no father, she probably didn't even know who it is, probably doesn't have a job, judge judge judge. (l NEVER had an experience like this at St Luke's Pediatrics in Easton, where we used to go when I made myself broke attempting to pay for his insurance through my employer. All the staff there was compassionate and professional, and often remarked on how proud his father would have been of our little boy. They were KIND.) I looked at the woman calmly and told her the father was deceased, because I was raised to treat people courteously, even when they deserve to be screamed at and told to do their job and take a cursory glance at their current patient's file. And to all the other single mothers in tough situations, I'm sorry you have to go there. No one should have to justify or defend their status as a solo parent when they are only attempting to provide their children with adequate medical care. And I use the word adequate with a bitter taste in my mouth - despite the fact that my son was visibly running around the room, the doctor asked if he was walking yet.
The final straw was my attempt to have his medical release paperwork completed for admittance to daycare. Despite bringing the paperwork to his 18-month well-visit, physically going to the office MULTIPLE times to request it be completed, having to bring in replacement forms after the originals were misplaced, and calling being on hold for half an hour - at least - at a time to follow up, it was never done in over 4 weeks, causing me to lose his spot at a potential day-care.
In future, I will be taking extra time out of my work day and travelling the half hour each way to take my son to a Hunterdon Pediatrics office. I am truly disappointed. Phillipsburg may not be the most affluent of areas, but the people here work hard and do our best to provide for our families. It would appear that the common practices of your practice are designed to hinder those efforts instead of helping them.