I started seeing Dr. Marquard because I found him on the Ehlers-Danlos foundation website. I've…read morebeen seeing the office for about seven months now, and I am extremely pleased with the care that I've received from all of the providers. Because I am a frequent user of the practice's patient portal, I do not mind the $50 administrative fee because I feel it is necessary to balance out the extra work that they have because of the patient portal. For patients with EDS, this office is a godsend as so few doctors acknowledge the disorder, more or much less treat the disorder. I appreciate the added bonus of having in-house counseling and the in-house lab. Every time I go in, I am greeted warmly and well taken care by the administrative staff and medical professionals.

In my opinion, based on my experiences described below, Thunderbird Family Medicine and their…read moreassociated practitioners are UNETHICAL and MONEY GRABBERS. They will hold your refills and lab orders "hostage" to make you come into the clinic so they can charge you another co-pay and bill your insurance for another office visit. Background. I went to the same doctor for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, he had a stroke and could no longer practice medicine. We had a great relationship. Every year, I would faithfully pick up my lab orders, get my labs drawn, then schedule my yearly appointment to discuss the results and make any necessary changes. If something unusual came up mid-year, I would make an appointment to see him. If I needed a specialist, he would recommend a good one. Perhaps I was spoiled with this kind of patient-doctor relationship. When searching for a new primary care doctor, I asked my friends who lived nearby for a referral. Dr. Scott Marquard with Thunderbird Family Medicine received a lukewarm recommendation and had decent reviews, so I decided to give him a try. It turned out to be a BIG mistake.  Red Flag #1. The clinic charges a yearly fee just for the privilege of going to them.  Red Flag #2. On my initial appointment with Dr. Marquard, I brought in my 20 year history printed out for him along with recent lab work. My vitals were taken by the technician and I waited for the doctor. He came in, shook my hand, then we had a ~15 minute discussion, then he shook my hand and left. No look at the eyes, ears, throat. No listen to the lungs or heart. No nerve reflex test. No palpations. Nothing. Only conversation in which we discussed my current prescriptions and an upcoming international trip, among other things. I was told to call in for future prescriptions refills. Red Flag #3. When I called to get my prescriptions renewed, I was told by the front desk that I needed to make an appointment. This was contrary to what we had discussed on my first visit. When I asked the front desk to ask the doctor about it, she confirmed that I needed an appointment. My resolution was to call 98 point 6 (my telephone insurance service) and pay $5 to get my prescriptions renewed (they asked to see my lab work which was current). Red Flag #4. When it was time to get my annual bloodwork done, I called to get a test added to the lab order (I found out about a test that could tell if you had a genetic disposition for blood clots - my dad died of a DVT). I was told by the front desk that I needed to make an appointment. When I asked the front desk to ask the doctor about it, she confirmed that I needed an appointment. My resolution was to skip that test and go ahead and get my blood drawn. Red Flag #5. As my international trip to India and Nepal was getting close, I called to get prescriptions for an anti-nausea and antibiotic "just in case" as we had discussed during the initial meeting. Guess what? I was told by the front desk that I needed to make an appointment. When I asked the front desk to ask the doctor about it, she confirmed that I needed an appointment to discuss CDC guidelines. My resolution was to wait until my annual and visit an expensive travel clinic that would be much more knowledgeable about international travel.  Red Flag # 6. After my annual and after my international trip, I called in to get a prescription refilled. Guess what???  I was told by the front desk that I needed to make an appointment. When I asked the front desk to ask the doctor about it, she confirmed that I needed an appointment. I called again when I was almost out of medication, I told the front desk that the situation was "b*llsh#t", and that I had been in 8 weeks prior and my lab work was only 9 weeks old. She refused to connect me to a doctor, so I tried to use their portal to make the request to the doctor directly. Dr. Marquard told me via the portal that I verbally assaulted the staff and was terminated from the clinic. This was not a huge disappointment as I had already researched, found, and made a future appointment with another primary care doctor.  Note #1. All this occurred in a period of less than 8 months. Note 2. I saw another provider (NP - nurse practitioner) other than Dr. Marquard for my annual. I can't find the name as my access to the portal has apparently been terminated. I remember that a PA signed off on the visit (also a red flag???). So, patient BEWARE!!! I highly recommend finding another clinic if you value your time and money. If you choose to go to this clinic and see these practitioners, make sure to get prescriptions filled and lab work orders in hand before you leave their office.