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If I could give zero stars, I would.
Our family was patients of Children's Clinic East and Heritage Medical Associates for more than a decade. During that time, we maintained insurance coverage, attended appointments, followed recommendations, paid our balances, and never experienced any significant issues with the practice. We trusted this organization with our children's healthcare and expected that trust to be reciprocated when we needed support the most.
Unfortunately, that was not our experience.
When our daughter began experiencing developmental delays and autism-related concerns, we found ourselves navigating a system that increasingly lacked the communication, transparency, and support that families facing complex developmental needs require.
As parents, we repeatedly sought answers, clarification, referrals, documentation, and guidance. Rather than receiving clear communication, we frequently found ourselves following up on unresolved concerns and attempting to obtain explanations that never fully materialized.
One particularly troubling incident involved a call regarding our daughter's care. I remained on hold for approximately 30 minutes, while my husband, calling separately during the same timeframe, received assistance almost immediately. When we later requested an explanation, none was provided. We were simply informed that the matter had been handled internally.
Another concern involved statements suggesting that delays in paperwork may have contributed to delays in our daughter's developmental evaluation process. When we respectfully questioned those statements and sought clarification, communication became increasingly strained.
Perhaps most confusing was later being informed that the practice believed our family had intended to leave the practice years earlier. This was inconsistent with our experience, as we continued attending appointments, receiving care, communicating with staff, and relying on the practice as our children's healthcare provider throughout that time.
Ultimately, after more than ten years as patients and while actively advocating for our daughter's developmental needs, our family was dismissed from the practice.
The issue is not that disagreements occurred. The issue is how concerns were managed once they were raised. In our experience, questions were not answered directly, concerns were not resolved through transparent communication, and attempts to seek clarification often resulted in further frustration rather than resolution.
Families navigating developmental delays, autism evaluations, therapy services, and educational planning need a healthcare team that values communication, collaboration, and parental advocacy. Our experience left us with the impression that those qualities were lacking when they mattered most.
After more than a decade of loyalty to this practice, the loss of that relationship during one of the most important periods of our daughter's development was deeply disappointing.
This review reflects our personal experience and documented interactions with Children's Clinic East and Heritage Medical Associates. Parents considering this practice, particularly those with children who have developmental or special-needs concerns, should carefully evaluate whether the level of communication and support they expect aligns with the experience our family received.
