Business ProfileforWest County Rheumatology

I chose this Rheumatologist due to them having the shortest waiting period for an appointment (which I probably should not have taken as a good sign).They ran several tests. Some of the results did not match what my previous results were from my general doctor, dermatologist and neurologist (yet, my other results from the other specialists correlated with each other) When I questioned this, they simply told me their labs were better.I then spoke to ********* to schedule a new appointment, when said she noticed on my chart that I had made an appointment with another Rheumatologist. She stated if I saw any other Rheumatologist, they would refuse to see me. When I questioned why, she said because, "That is how ************** chooses to run her practice. She feels like if your seeking second opinions, then there's just a loss of trust between the provider and the patient. She wants her patients to have full faith in her and her practice. And if that's the case, then she doesn't feel it's the best fit anymore."I have never heard a doctor's ****** say this before. That is a huge red flag for me.If any doctor refuses to see me because I want a second opinion, I will never see that doctor again.

West County Rheumatology will not comment on medical issues specific to a patient in a public forum but will comment on our policies and process.Thank you for your comments. As noted from over 700 Five Star reviews on ****** and A+ BBB Rating, West County Rheumatology prides itself on its professionalism, customer service, and serving community ********************** needs. As you may know, we have two high-level academic institutions in *********** (********************* and **********************). West County Rheumatology, is a COMMUNITY-BASED private rheumatology office and prides itself on our ability to see patients in a timely manner, unlike the vast majority of rheumatology offices in the greater *********** area, which you will find to be booked out many weeks to months. We also manage a tight cancellation list to accommodate patients even more quickly.As you also noted, we use the gold standard of diagnostic testing in the country, including the ***** blood test, advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound, and radiology. Primary care and other specialists may not have the access or experience to harness these modalities. We are proud that our diagnostic testing rivals or exceeds even university systems and can be corroborated nationally.Once a patient has established care with us, we have entered into an agreement that involves trust on both sides. As we are prescribing medication that requires monitoring and follow-up, we expect our patients will closely be closely monitored and respond to important instructions.Your review reported many points in your patient journey of mistrust, including the ability to be seen quickly and discordance with former labwork. Once a patient makes an appointment with another rheumatologist while still under our care, our policy is to release that patient to the care of the new rheumatologist. (We are still responsible for 30 days of care, however).After over twenty years of practice, ************* knows that patients seeking multiple opinions are searching for an answer to their rheumatology issue that we may not be able to provide, and the patient is best served by moving on the the new rheumatologist.