Village Medical - West Gate — Local services in Austin

My husband and I have been coming to this practice for over 5 years. We followed our Primary Care Physician when he moved to this practice. At that time, the practice was owned by Dr. Marchand and we enjoyed and appreciated the entire staff and the manner in which the office was run. Our experience was always positive. Very little wait time for appointments. Quick response time to our phone inquiries. Knowledgeable staff to answer our medical questions.

Unfortunately that all changed abruptly when Village Medical decided to take over and institute procedural changes.

I’m pretty sure Village Medical’s CEO has got to be a chipmunk or some other small brained animal who thrives on watching other small rodents run on a hamster wheel.

Otherwise, how do you explain a well run office reduced to redundancy and chaos?

This “forward thinking” chipmunk decided it would be more efficient to have patients call an outsourced call center in Bangladesh where the person answering the phone speaks little English and can do nothing more than give your name and phone number to one of the staff members you used to get directly. They may or may not return your call in 1-3 business days. Spoiler alert: it’ll be 48 hours before you get a return call. And should you miss the call, the process starts all over again. It’s insanity!

Fortunately for us, our doctor left the practice and we followed him. We knew the minute we called Bangladesh the first time that we would no longer be able to continue at this practice.

We suggested they change the name to Village Idiots to more aptly represent the patient experience.

I’d recommend that anyone who wants a more personal doctor/patient relationship steer clear...

I went to Village Medical Westgate back in August to test for iron deficiency, as I’d been having symptoms for several years now that pointed to it. I saw Cheryl Saucier for this and explained everything I was experiencing thoroughly, and we agreed to test my blood for iron deficiency, along with thyroid and some other possibilities for hair loss and fatigue. I got my results back a few days later, and when I looked them over I quickly realized that my iron had actually not been tested at all—it wasn’t even in the panel. The doctor left brief notes for me, but all it came down to was “nope, you aren’t iron deficient, everything is good” without any other kind of explanation for why I might be experiencing these symptoms. I had to check back in twice before they referred me to an endocrinologist, who I finally saw this October—and when she looked over there blood work, she pointed out that my tested hemoglobin was low, and asked me if I was iron deficient. I said that I thought so, but my previous doctor told me I wasn’t (even thought Dr. Saucier didn’t even check me for what I had gone for), and we agreed to do more bloodwork. Turns out, I am VERY iron deficient, and likely have been for some time. This could’ve been so much easier for me if Village Medical just tested me for iron like they said they would, but at least I have answers now. Needless to say, I am not too impressed with Cheryl Saucier or Village Medical—but then again, this was just my experience. The staff was kind overall, so at least there was that upside—but I will not be returning...

I have had two experiences at Village Medical, and unfortunately, both were extremely disappointing. After a poor first visit, I decided to give them another chance by seeing a doctor instead of a PA, but my experience only worsened.

During my first visit, there was a clear lack of engagement—little to no eye contact—and many of my concerns were not addressed. Despite arriving early as requested, I was seen an hour later. During the appointment, the provider suggested I get bloodwork done before the lab closed, but once I returned to the room, I was informed that my appointment was over—without even finishing our discussion.

Today, I attempted another visit, hoping for a better experience, but I have never left a medical office feeling more frustrated. The doctor I saw was unprofessional, dismissive, and had an unnecessarily combative attitude. Instead of listening to my concerns, he seemed more focused on proving a point, even when there were contradictions in my medical records. Rather than providing guidance on the results of my CT scan or offering a plan moving forward, he dismissed my concerns and lacked any sense of compassion or professionalism.

A doctor’s role is to listen, guide, and provide care—not to argue or invalidate a patient’s experiences. Unfortunately, that was not my experience at Village Medical. Based on both of my visits, I would not recommend this facility whatsoever to others. I was seen first time by Cheryl Saucier Today i was seen by...