I did the research and read all the glowing reviews from different sites about Dr. Pemberton, so I made an appointment. Dr. Pemberton, the medical assistant, and the phlebotomist all get my high praises. They are all professional, skilled, and have great interaction skills. However, the front office staff is less to be desired.
Although they tell you to come 15 min early, there is little paperwork to fill out. They dropped the ball by not informing the patient of their process, and then have the audacity to be cold, curt and irritated by the new patient's ignorance. As a courtesy, they could at least say: "Mrs.___, there's actually not much paperwork to fill out. We have your information, the medical assistant will take your health history, and we just need your insurance card, credit card, and signature."
I had some blood work done. Dr. Pemberton clearly stated: "If the blood work is normal, I will let you know, and all you have to do is make your yearly exam appointment. If there is concern, you will need to make an appointment to see me to discuss it." Fair enough. One evening, I got an automated call stating I need to make an appointment. I called the office and explained the conversation I had with Dr. Pemberton. I asked: "Am I making an appointment for my yearly, or do I need to make an appointment to discuss my test results?" I spent the ENTIRE WEEK calling the office numerous of times, and repeatedly, asking the same question. I told them: "I am not going to make an appointment only for Dr. Pemberton to tell me the test results were normal. So tell me, do I need to make an appointment to discuss the test results, or do I just need to make an appointment for my yearly?" I couldn't get a straight answer. In her frustration and lack of knowledge, the office manager raised her voice, was very unprofessional, rude, and downright condescending. It was so frustrating, so time consuming, and so draining. As a last resort, my husband called the office and explained my dilemma. They gave him the runaround too! They would not give a straight answer. Why is that question so hard? If you don't know the answer, why not ask the doctor? To this day, I still don't know the answer, thus I never made the appointment to return.
Secondly, the front desk told me that they would first ask/confirm to use the mandatory credit card number on file as payment for my bill. Well, they didn't ask or confirm. I simply got the bill and receipt of payment in the mail. Good thing I used an American Express. Just as a tip, don't ever use a credit card with a low credit limit. They will charge it without your permission, and you could incur a penalty fee.
Thirdly, when my test results were posted on the patient portal, I started receiving automated calls saying my test results were available. But I would get automated calls as early as 8a.m., and as late as 9p.m. If you have babies or kids that nap, beware! After a couple of weeks of this, I called the office and asked them to fix the system so that I would no longer receive the automated calls. They said there was no way to do that. Turns out, if you don't physically open each document of each of your test results on the patient portal, the automated system will call you, indefinitely. Do they tell you that? No. At least not until you have had it.
With that said; if you are a thick skinned, vibrant and healthy young woman who only needs to see the doctor once a year, this place is perfect for you. But if you need care beyond wellness visits, and/or need tests for some kind of health issues please, I beg you to save yourself the aggravation. Run away from this place. Run far, far, away. Dr. Pemberton is qualified and capable. But the business side of her practice is run by incompetent and inexperienced individuals, who are not business savvy, or patient oriented. And as my husband puts it: "She is surrounded by vipers, in her front office staff, the office manager especially." They either need to be retrained, or fired. The front office staff is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the worst and most atrocious of them all. Thus a most deserving one star! read more