I've observed that people reserve their five-star reviews for when things go well. I understand why.
However, I'm going to write this based on my experience thus far.
I'm tempted to call out specific names, but instead I'm going to talk about each team that I've worked with as I think on a whole you are likely to have this experience whether it is Bellevue or Seattle location.
Note: Bellevue can do blood tests and ultrasounds, but you need to go to the Seattle location for literally everything else.
Scheduling/Appointments: when you call please be sure to dial the correct number to get transferred to the right team. One time I waited for 50 minutes to schedule an appointment because I clicked new patient instead of existing. Once you're matched with someone on the appointment team they ask really good questions, and if they're not able to answer the specifics of appointments for you will make notes for the nursing team to respond as soon as possible. They're all very polite from what I've experienced.
Nursing: one of the things I love the most about the nursing team is how throughout this process they ask me how I'm feeling, and I can tell that they're not just checking in on my symptoms but also are genuinely interested with concern. They also seem to get along really well.
Whether it was calling to check in with me, giving me follow-up messages and instructions, or actually being with me for appointments I always felt support and safe.
Physicians: I'll be completely honest my preference is female physician when it comes to this particular area, not because I do not like male doctors but because their perception of the process is different because they literally cannot physically relate. For example, I did a procedure that was incredibly painful, and one of the male physicians recommended that I do it again because he didn't know exactly how painful it could be. That said all of the physicians will answer as many questions as you ask and stay on the call with you for as long as needed. Now this may not be so great when you're waiting for your appointment, but when you're that person who has a lot of questions it truly does make a difference.
Anesthesiologist: The anesthesiologist I was assigned to seems to have a really good sense of humor, and had an energy of confidence and competence that I would be safe and that my heart and breathing would be monitored carefully throughout the procedure. I automatically trusted her having only met her once.
Surgeon: I ended up with a male surgeon, which I experienced trepidation around for aforementioned reasons. However the way he introduced himself to me maintaining eye contact, going over the process in layman terms, and being gentle and encouraging when I expressed anxiety also made me feel a sense of trust. There was a Stern looking his eyes, but it wasn't from a domineering place rather a confident place. He said only what he thought was necessary and left room for questions but wanted to make sure we started on time which I appreciated.
Phlebotomists: I've worked with this team the most and I'm going to be completely truthful with you. When the phlebotomist is a person of color, the likelihood of them checking for veins and finding a vein and drawing blood the first time is higher and more likely, in my experience. That said, my recommendation is to breathe through injections and drink lots of water before any blood draws (unless they tell you to fast),so you have a higher chance of not needing to be pricked more than once.
Records: I've only worked with via messages and they get back to me in a day or less, which is awesome. You don't just receive your records, you have to request them anytime you have an appointment. So after every appointment I reach out and they've been okay with that so far.
Billing: After you come up with a plan with your physician and nursing team, Billing will both call and send detailed info about what's covered & what isn't. They're available check ins and after meds we're ordered they helped with claims. They're very responsive.
If you read this far, good for you.
I'm wishing you the very best on your journey and I hope that this review helps.
Thank you, SRM team! read more