Complaint Review: GMS - A Primary Physician Group Practice

This office cannot possibly be a REAL doctors office! Once you get past the plush decor of the lobby, the office staff really makes this place more like a walk-in clinic with gum smacking, magazine reading, and eye rolling office assistants! Fortunately my issue is not personally with Dr. Frazier although I have heard from other patients that he is an arrogant jerk. My problem is with the attitude of the office staff so I guess Dr. Frazier is the issue since he runs the place...

A real doctor's office cares about their returning patients or at least ACTS like they care. Waiting 40 minutes in the lobby before being called for a scheduled appointment would not be that bad if I actually got to see the doctor!!! Forty minutes after waiting, I was told by the office assistant that I would need to call my insurance to confirm authorization to be seen!! First of all, I have been an established patient at this office for 3 years. Secondly, since when is it a patient's responsibility to call from the doctor's office for authorization?! I called my insurance from their phone but was on hold for 10 minutes. When I politely asked the girl behind the desk if she could wait on hold and speak to my insurance while I went in to be seen by the doctor, she told me it was against office policy and she continued flipping through her magazine! Meanwhile, I was burning up with 102 degree fever and wincing from the feeling of razor blades slicing my throat each time I swallowed! I immediately cancelled my overdue appointment as a result of her unprofessional attitude, went down the street to a walk-in clinic, and was seen and treated within 10 minutes after walking through the door.

Prior to my own incident, my wife had one of her own. She went in for a scheduled appointment for her allergies, saw a nurse practitioner who gave her some samples of some medication, and a prescription to fill once the samples ran out. At the check out desk, my wife was $17 short of the bill. At the time, the office was not set up to take credit or debit card payments and my wife did not have her checkbook with her so my wife requested that the remaining $17 be billed to her by mail. They told her it was against office policy to bill for payments and that she would have to pay for the entire visit or they would not release her prescription to her! Mind you, we've been established patients for three years! It's not like my wife was going to skip town over a $17 balance!

Another problem I have with this office is that you never see the same doctor or nurse practitioner! You will see one person for one appointment and for your follow-up, you are scheduled with the next available person! How much quality care can you get with this inconsistency? Shouldn't the same doctor follow you to promote continuity of care?!

My mother in-law is a drug representative and told me that this office is the butt of jokes within New Tampa's pharmaceutical circle. I will no longer see this doctor or any of his associates. My wife and I will be finding a new doctor. My brother in-law and his wife are patients at this office also and are in the process of finding a new primary care doctor because of their own bad experiences.

I was not aware that this office had such a bad reputation but I am glad I found out! If you are looking for a caring and thorough physician AND office staff who will actually give you the quality time you deserve and are paying for, DO NOT make this office your primary care office!

Tampa guy
Tampa, Florida
U.S.A.