Austin Brain and Spine - Central — Attraction in Austin

My previous experiences with the office of Austin Brain and Spine were good, especially with Dr. Cooper. He is very knowledgeable and competent. I had a fall in mid 2019 that eventually led to the need for MRIs and CAT Scans to be performed in late 2019 which then led to the decision that I needed surgery on my low back. Before we could get the surgery scheduled, due to work conflicts, other doctors need to clear me for surgical procedures and considerations about finding the necessary help for my 94 year old invalid mother who I care for in my home. Before surgery could be scheduled and approved COVID-19 brought a halt to all elective surgeries.

A few months later they reopened the ability to schedule elective surgery procedures. Due to the length of time since the original scans they decided we needed to get new imaging. so on July 11, 2020 I had another MRI performed. I waited over a week for word from Dr. Coopers office concerning the results, so I called the office on July 20th and asked if I could get some feedback. They said they would ask Dr. Cooper to get back to me. He tried to call me on Friday, July 24th about 3:30 pm. I was in the grocery store at that time and my phone never rang. Dr. Cooper left a voice mail saying we needed to discuss the results and start making plans for my surgery procedures. He said he would try to get hold of me the following week. Having heard nothing by Wednesday July 29th, I called the office explaining I had missed the call from Dr. Cooper the previous Friday and wanted to get myself back on his radar. The staff member I talked to found it necessary to remind me that Dr. Cooper had tried to call me and he got no answer, even though I had already explained that fact to her earlier in the conversation. She said she would leave Dr. Cooper a message and he would get back to me.

Having heard nothing from Dr. Cooper or his office by Tuesday, August 4th I again called in hopes of setting up an appointment to come see Dr. Cooper.. The staff person once again pointed out that he had tried to call me but I didn't answer my phone, a fact not only established earlier and acknowledged by me in a conversation with this same staff member. I asked if I could setup an appointment to come in and see Dr. Cooper at which point the woman stated that Dr. Cooper wanted to talk to me by phone first and she would not setup an office visit. This was done in a curt and in my opinion less than professional manner.

Now it is Monday, August 17th and still no progress. I called again this morning and was talking to a different staff member than who I had been speaking with. She read the notes and reiterated the events that had occurred to date, but only in a way that showed she was just catching herself up on the situation (not in an accusatory voice). I acknowledged the information with her and asked if it would be possible to setup an appointment with Dr. Cooper at which time she immediately set me up with an appointment for this coming Wednesday the 19th. If there is a need I will come back and update this review after that time.

Let me go on record that I do not believe Dr. Cooper himself to be the issue here. He is a competent and professional surgeon and has likely been busy playing catchup with patients that had similar COVID-19 delays that I did. I understand these are trying times but I have been unable to work since January 10th due to my back injuries, the pain and debilitation from which have been escalating for months. I just hope we have not waited too long to address...

Let me start this off with saying that Dr. Cooper is great. He was my emergency physician when I was in the ICU at St. David's, as it was thought I might need an emergency stent put into my dissected vertebral artery. Turns out with the location, it was not ideal so they decided to wait and watch.

I first visited this location after being released from the hospital. Doctor ordered a CT, and that is where things got rough. They ONLY use Longhorn Imaging--this is problematic if Longhorn doesn't take your insurance, or Longhorn is booked up. In my case, Longhorn was booked up for over 6 weeks for this particular CT.

I called the office back to let them know, as I knew the doctor would want me in sooner. You can't actually talk to anyone here about it--you can only leave voicemails, voicemails which are hardly ever returned. Over the course of a couple weeks, I called EVERY SINGLE DAY to get this resolved. I got 1 call back letting me know they sent it to St. David's. St. David's didn't have it.

After so much frustration, and knowing my health depended on it, I had to drive down to the location and stand in front of them to get the referral printed out. The male nurse also let me know it was only ever sent to Longhorn--not St. David's as had been promised in my 1 return phone call after numerous messages. I met 2 other ladies in the lobby who started chatting me up when they saw that I had to drive down to get it--they said they had to do the exact same thing.

Fast forward 3 months and the doctor wants a follow up CT. The office called 2 weeks ago to let me know they sent it over, but to have it done around September 20th. Longhorn doesn't have it, St. David's doesn't have it. I just left a message, but who knows if I will ever get a return call.

I am now contemplating finding a new doctor even though I do like Dr. Cooper. The fact that you cannot call and speak to the office, and have to deal with orders not being sent (all while personally trying to keep my blood pressure low and stress free), is just ridiculous. It shouldn't be this hard to...

While I had a very positive experience with Dr. Bodman and have full confidence in their expertise and care, unfortunately, my experience with the office staff—specifically Rose and Markeeta—was disappointing enough to impact the overall visit.

Dr. Bodman is truly outstanding: knowledgeable, compassionate, and clear in explaining complex medical information. I felt listened to and cared for during my consultation, and I would absolutely recommend the doctor to anyone seeking a skilled neurosurgeon.

However, the call center staff is another story. Rose and Markeeta were consistently unhelpful, dismissive, and at times outright rude. Communication was poor—I received conflicting information. When I called to ask for clarification, I was met with an unprofessional attitude that made an already stressful medical situation even more difficult. However, Sarah was very helpful and addressed my concerns with patience and professionalism. She really made a difference in my overall experience.

When I arrived for my appointment, I spoke with a few other patients in the waiting area, and it was surprising—though somewhat validating—to hear that they had similar negative experiences with Rose and Markeeta. It’s concerning that multiple people have had the same issues, and I honestly don’t understand why this hasn’t been addressed by the practice.

It's unfortunate that such a great physician is represented by staff who don't reflect the same level of care or professionalism. If the office operations improved, this would easily be a...