UW Medicine Primary Care at Kent-Des Moines — Attraction in Kent

Oh man, where do I start.

I want to be clear that I gave them 2 stars because they have been good as pediatricians for my child over the years. Albeit we were rarely able to get into see his own doctor, but that's another story. But pediatricians is what they should only be. They should not be seeing adult patients there because they seem to treat them like cattle and don't care. And that's if you can even get in to see anyone. Have had many problems there but the recent Covid issue with them has been my last straw and what prompted me to write this.

Recent situation: *Called with symptoms and concern for high blood pressure. Was told that because I had 3 symptoms from the Covid list that they couldn't see me in office and that I should make a virtual appt with their urgent care in Federal Way for 5 days later as that's their earliest they had. Not go to an urgent care now, or go to the hospital, or any actual medical advice. I couldn't even get a nurse on the line to talk to, they just had a call center rep play middle man. Obviously no one should wait that long for BP concerns or a covid test, which are everywhere now, so I told them forget it. I went elsewhere and got BP tested and covid tested that same day. What they failed to mention that I learned later was that they had a mobile clinic in a neighboring town that could simply have tested me. But waiting 5 days with a BP concern and only a virtual appt seemed a better solution to them? I'm not a medical pro but even I know that's wrong.

Other/past concerns: *I honestly haven't seen my doctor in forever. I wouldn't know who she was if I saw her out somewhere. You can rarely get into see your own doctor. While it's nice they have other options, that's all you see, and it would be nice to establish care with one so they even know who you are and your health. *In the past I had called to ask how to get a referral for a certain kind of diagnosis/treatment. I was told on the phone that "my" doctor actually did that kind of diagnosis so I booked appt to see her for that. I received a call back to tell me that while she does do that kind of diagnosis she doesn't see new patients for it. I explained I'm not a new patient of hers. They said that for that kind of treatment I would be. What? So I never got in with her about that and never got a referral for any other place either from them. Lovely. *I had a really bad chest infection a few years back and saw a doctor there for it. Of course not my own because that would be some miracle. This doctor had given me a really basic antibiotic. I was told later it was one that children are typically given. 2 months later and I wasn't better and having increased breathing problems. I went to an urgent care where they said I should have never been given that basic antibiotic because it was just keeping the infection dormant and gave me a stronger one to kick it out completely with an inhaler which they said should have been given to me all along. I was better in less than 2 weeks. *My own elderly parent has had major problems there to the point they went down hill in their care really fast. Despite the fact my parent would be in there a couple times a month as mandated for their meds, they couldn't see the deterioration in front of their eyes? It's ok to pass out pills but not actually treat? It wasn't until my parent was elsewhere and could receive better treatment that they made better progress. However because they were under their care for so long, and that was as a result of my parent being told they were under contract with them because of their meds, basically being a prisoner to them, better care was delayed and the damage already done.

There are of course other things that have popped up over time but those are the big ones that stand out.

Update: my parent has since passed and the hospital stated a huge contributing factor was inadequate care in a timely fashion. That had certain things been taken care of and seen earlier, we may have had more time and different outcome. Needless to say we are extremely...

This place is almost is so terribly run that it’s amazing they are still operating with the current management.

Referral It took 6 weeks to get a referral that was recommended by their doctors. They said they sent the referrals on 3 separate occasions and I could call to schedule the appointment the following day. Each time I was told that the referral hadn’t been received and I will either call the clinic yet again. The final time person helping me took time to fax the referral over again, call the department that was supposed to receive it, ensured that they had received it, and then got back to me to confirm that everything was completed. I was then able to make the appointment.

Communication It requires a lot of effort to get a hold of Tilly, the office manager, who is is lazy in her response and avoids taking responsibility for the underwhelming communication of her team. They have consistently over-promised the time it takes to get a call back and it becomes the customer’s responsibility to ensure (aka call over and over) that a question/concern is answered.

Billing When asked why I was in the office my response changed the “Wellness Visit” to an out-patient exam. This was done without notifying me and came with a hefty $200+ bill. When I finally got a hold of Tilly I was told that it was my responsibility to know what comprises a wellness visit, ensure that they are billing appropriately, and understand how this change would be handled by my insurance. The doctor simply said that, out of my list of concerns, we could only discuss one in the allotted time for the Wellness Exam. The also tried to schedule several follow up exams prior to me getting my initial concern addressed. I can only imagine this was to increase their billable hours and show they do more work than they actually do.

Lack of Accountability My initial concern was discussed with the patient care line, then the Tilly (who did not call me back), and finally Dr. Kirsch (sp?) who used the my experience as a coaching opportunity and offered a smug apology.

Stay away. Unless you like paying more for services you’re not made aware of and do not basic communication regarding...

I hate to leave this review but I’ve seen Dr. Joel Carey 3 times, and each time, I was subject to discrimination and what I believe is a mixture of confirmation, perception, and gender bias. The reason for me actually leaving this review is because I’m truly concerned for other patients and the complaints against him need to be taken serious and truly investigated.

Dr. Carey has been beyond judge mental and he is the type to make your decision for you or leave you with no choice.

Two of the 3 times I have seen him, he has literally refused treatment to me due to his personal beliefs.

His mental health seems off to me. I do believe he knows medicine but I don’t think he knows how to separate his personal opinions and beliefs from work, which is NOT OKAY. His practice is unethical. I filed a complaint with Patient Relations but who knows what or if any steps will be taken to address his behavior.

UPDATE/RESPONSE FROM CLINICAL CHIEF I received a letter from the Clinic Chief, basically confirming what I expected. The letter consisted of them pointing out my wrongdoings, addressing clinical policies, and warning me failure to comply with the policies will end up with them dismissing me from UW clinics. They never addressed my concerns (NO SURPRISE!). Nowhere in the letter did they provide explanation to the serious allegations I brought forth. I have researched patient reviews of this provider and again, I’m not shocked by the reviews patients have left. I’m not the only person that believes this doctor is unethical.

I will say this, the way I reacted during my appointment was a natural reaction. However, I do apologize for my behavior. I should’ve just walked out and left. My behavior was unprofessional but not to the point of being disruptive, as the letter falsely stated. Since I have the time now, I will not leave this matter alone. UW has shown me that serious allegations brought forth aren’t taken seriously, and they will not questions their provider’s behavior, patient care,...