HCA HealthONE Denver International Spine Center — Attraction in Denver

So wish I could write 2 reviews for this place, one for the medical team and one for the front office staff.

Let's start out with the positive, the medical team and staff. I had spinal fusion surgery done in November 2016 for severe scoliosis. I had the privilege of getting to work with Dr. Shay Bess. WOW! Completely blow away by this guy. Never once did I feel pressured into surgery, he answered all of my questions numerous times, and happens to be one of the best surged his medical team get 5 stars all the way!

Now for his front office/billing department. 1 STAR, HORRIBLE. Where do I begin? Let's first start with my surgery. I had to shorten this review for reaching the limit. But some basics: Procedure was not pre-authorized when I was told it was, had to fight with my insurance and go back and forth with them to get it handled. Prescriptions were not pre-authorized so made for a painful recovery for the first couple of weeks, and finally...sent to collections over $151 balance when I had paid that balance down well over $3K. I was making payments monthly and had been told as long as this was happening I would not be sent to collections. Low and behold my final month of having a balance I was sent and was offered no help from the billing department. I let them know my check was already in the mail and when I asked if my account would be removed from collections once they received the check, I was answered "I don't know, and probably". Incompetent and no customer service. I work in medical billing and the experience I had with their front office/billing from before surgery to will over year after surgery has been nothing but a complete joke. Go here for out of this world medical care, but do yourself a favor and beware of their billing dept. I would call your insurance to make sure everything they said is "pre authorized" actually is. ...and beware any payment arrangements you make with them as they don't honor them and now Im fighting the collection agency with an account that was paid on monthly and is now paid off.

Again, thank you Dr. Bess for the amazing work and care you did. Truly a blessing to have met you and had this done. Front office/billing....I'd suggest...

I got a call to set up the referral from my doctor earlier today with this office & they scheduled me with Dr. Kuklo. I took the chance to read up about him as a physician & read some very disturbing things regarding allegations of fraud & medical negligence. I called the office back to ask about seeing a provider I was more comfortable with. Mary answered the phone & seemed kind but she put me "on hold" to ask if I could see another provider. She must not of put me on hold because I heard everything she said. She mocked me asking to see someone else, and insulted me saying I "must be Asian" (which is racist because I am not Asian but wanting to feel safe with a spinal surgeon has no race or gender) it's my right as the patient to feel safe with who I choose as my medical provider & for her to be so disrespectful & act like that was acceptable. When I asked why she felt the need to be so rude she told me I was hearing things & she didn't do anything wrong. This practice is sketchy if they allow surgeons with scary pasts that have receptionists that are allowed to mock & shame patients openly. I am disgusted with how I was just treated. I am going to switch my referral somewhere else. I will not trust them to provide my medical care. Customer service like that makes this office look like a joke. I wanted to file a complaint with whoever is her supervisor but I assume they won't be helpful anyways. Mary should not be in the business of helping people when that was unacceptable behavior. BEWARE or the staff BEWARE of the surgeons. Look up Timothy Kuklo fraud on the...

13 yrs ago, I had to have major spine surgery. It was supposed to last 10 yrs & that's exactly how long it lasted. 3.5 yrs ago my back developed more problems than ever, w/more broken vertebra, crushed discs, etc., etc. I went to a spine surgeon in the Springs & w/out saying so, I could tell he didn't want to tackle the task of fixing my back. I then went to see the well known Dr. Ghiselli. He pointed out that so much was wrong w/ my back & it would take such as a massive operation to fix it, that he didn't feel like there was but 1 spine surgeon in CO capable of doing the surgery, Dr. Bess. Dr. Ghiselli asked if I would be willing to undergo such a major surgery & when I responded: yes, he referred me to Dr. Bess. It took 12 hrs of surgery to fix all the things wrong w/ my back, but Dr. Bess got it done when no one else could. I think Dr. Bess is the most competent spine surgeon in CO. *Prior to the surgery, I watched a video he had made of another 1 of his patients undergoing a massive spine surgery & I was very impressed w/ just how calm & ordered Dr. Bess was. I felt that if he was that calm doing such a major surgery, it could only be because he was very confident in his abilities/skills. That in turn made me feel very comfortable w/ him & after watching the video, I decided there's no other surgeon I'd want operating on my back. If you need spine surgery, I would highly recommend...