Herndon Family Medicine — Local services in Herndon

Do not go to this practice. You will be bamboozled. They are not really very good doctors either. Let me tell you about a few of my visits. I had been on the same medications for several years and it was a therapeutic dosage. I had no symptoms and it was perfect. I moved from Maryland to Virginia and just needed a new PCP because I had been going to emergency care when I got sick and finally needed a physical for work. My doctor questioned my diagnoses over and over despite having supporting documentation and effective treatments. Then she insisted that she be the doctor to write my prescriptions. Her insistence actually made me uncomfortable. I finally came in to have her write my prescription for some medication but then, she told me I had to come in every 3 months for refills. I explained that I can't afford office visits every 3 months as I have a high deductible and would have to pay $150-$300 per visit just for prescriptions. I actually went to a different doctor for my prescriptions after that and guess what- No issues! They understood that I can't afford that many visits, they helped me understand that if my medications needed to be adjusted I would have to go back to a specialist to have a new dosage explored. And they even allow me to call in for refills if I run out before my next annual visit. So.. yeah. i didn't get anymore prescriptions from Dr. Rentz.

Then, I scheduled my appointment for my physical. I had mentioned this when I called saying I wanted to schedule a physical and explained I was also having trouble concentrating but this is why I needed my annual physical. and the front desk scheduled me only for a 15 minute appointment to discuss ADD. While I was there, she explained that I was not there for a physical but for a 15 minute office visit. I told her that I wouldn't have come in if I knew that because I can't afford to pay for the visit out of pocket. I am working part time while I build my business so every penny counts. I have health insurance but I wouldn't have scheduled an appointment just to discuss concentration..

She said 'sorry' and explained there was nothing she could do but prompted me to tell her about my trouble concentrating. She told me that it probably isn't ADD because I didn't do badly in school as a child, handed me a piece of paper to fill out about ADD and told me to leave it in the room.

Long story short, I ended up getting billed for this appointment. And I had to pay out of pocket which was more than 2x as much as I paid for a 1 hour appointment with a specialist to formally be diagnosed with ADD. When I spoke to the billing department they told me I should have demanded a physical and refused to leave until I got one. Then they told me I should have walked out of the room and told the front desk that I did not want the appointment and I had to reschedule. How am I to know that if I say the magic words of "This is not the appointment I wanted" that I would not be billed nor would I be charged for a "canceled" appointment? Also, what kind of doctor's office suggests their patience demand any kind of service?

Just don't go to this medical practice. I see they are Privia Medical Group and I have clients that go to the office in Arlington. They are an awesome office. Very professional and friendly. I will be driving the 30 minutes to Arlington to go to the doctor now and I am filing complaints against Herndon...

I've been a patient at Herndon Family Medicine for about 30 years, amazingly, so most of my adult life. I always felt taken good care of in a professional yet personal environment. However, I noticed that they have been slipping downhill in recent years. They were great as an independent practice, but for some reason they sold out and have been passed between different owners several times now in recent years. Each such change was for the worse, with added pointless bureaucracies, ever-changing online accounts to make and disrupted access. Labs moving offsite. The money grabbing became ever more clear, as they started refusing prescription refills if you had not been to the office for too long, even if nothing had changed and nothing was wrong. I only stayed on out of inertia, even when their location was no longer convenient.

Their last strike with me was today. We put off all nonessential medical visits for the last year due to COVID-19, staying pretty much home the entire time. The pharmacy suddenly said the prescription to my chronic meds was only 30 days, an inconvenient and actually pointless risk to go to the pharmacy 300% as often. I assumed a mistake, and messaged them to fix it. Next time, same thing. Contacted them again, and they mentioned they would not extend the prescriptions until I came in for a physical, this despite 2 virtual doctor consults with them in the prior 3 months, and no prior mention of this to me. So, at their insistence, I scheduled a physical that I preferred to defer a few more months, and went in today. They call you to check in before they let you in the building now (great plan for everyone's safety), and in answering the routine questions I mentioned that I had my second COVID vaccine shot a week ago and at the time had a few of the typical side effects. She said "let me call you back", after which they rang and told me they were canceling my physical due to the "symptoms I was showing". I tried to have a rational conversation with her that I had no "symptoms", and have not had any "symptoms", I only had a few perfectly expected side effects to the vaccine last week. THE SECOND SHOT, I DON'T HAVE COVID. I was told to go home. From the physical they demanded I come in for. I'm done.

So, with that, I am finally pushed to do what I should have done a long time ago, find a better family practice. Much has changed in 30 years, sadly Herndon Family Medicine is not what it used to be, their staff make you feel like you are dealing with a computer answering...

My family and friends all referred me to Herndon Family Medicine, specifically Dr. Cooper and Dr. Plescia. My husband and I both got our physicals there and went a few other occasions. We’ve been listing them as our PCPs on all medical forms for the last few years.

Two weeks ago I tried to make an appointment. During the Covid pandemic, we stayed away from doctors offices because we weren’t sick or in dire need of treatment, and we didn’t wish to overwhelm an already-overwhelmed medical system. Now that things are calming down, I called to make appointments for our annual physicals and to transfer records from a specialist I had been seeing that I no longer needed.

I was shocked to learn that my husband and I would not only be considered new patients since we didn’t have visits on the books the last 2.5 years, but that Dr. Cooper and Dr. Plescia both are not seeing “new patients.” We were established patients of this practice, and we had trusted doctor/patient relationships established. I certainly didn’t mind waiting a little longer for an appointment if we had to be considered “new patients” but I certainly was not prepared to see new physicians in the practice that I didn’t know.

I was given the name of the practice manager, and I gave my name and phone number and asked that he give us a call back to discuss the matter. It’s been two weeks, and I still haven’t received a return phone call.

I don’t mind waiting a few months to get in for an appointment, but I do mind being penalized and jettisoned as a patient for the simple act of staying away during a pandemic to make room and availability for actual sick patients. We had established, trusted doctor/patient relationships with Dr. Cooper and I have no interest in starting anew with doctors I don’t know. It is exceptionally frustrating, and certainly even more frustrating to be ignored by the practice manager about this...