I was a patient of Dr. Hua Zhang's for nearly a decade, first at her smaller practice in Foxboro,…read moreand after she launched Pondville medical Associates. During that time, I had minor issues, but stayed with her as the practice as it grew to the level it is today, which is basically a managed care practice with many specialties under one roof.
At first glance, the idea of being able to see your primary care doctor and virtually every other specialist you may need in one office building, without having to travel to a hospital in Boston, sounds incredibly convenient. Unfortunately, that has not been my experience.
I live with several serious and debilitating conditions which require specialized treatment. Over the last 12 months, it has become increasingly difficult for me to get referrals to my specialists. At first, the office claimed this was due to various innocuous reasons, until I was ambushed at an appointment at the end of 2017.
Dr. Zhang lied to me.
She told me my insurance would not allow me to see my specialists, and required me to see hers. She gave me some names, and I contacted those people. Their level of understanding was not adequate to suit my needs. Dr. Zhang promised to talk to the insurance company, but didn't think she could change their minds. What she did not know is that I am very comfortable advocating for myself, so I checked with my insurance company. The insurance company told me what I already knew: I can see my specialists, but will pay more because they are outside of my normal network.
It has been 2 weeks since that appointment.
Today I received a call from one of my specialists that I see every other week, and they told me Dr. Zhang's office had called to have me moved to their practice, and attempted to cancel my treatments.
Also, today, I received a call from Dr. Zhang. She wished me a happy new year, and promptly told me she "brought my case" to the partners (she is a founding partner), and they determined that I need to receive all offered treatment in their building, regardless of if the specialist is actually familiar with my rather rare conditions. I told her I was not comfortable making that change at this time, and asked for clarification.
Dr. Zhang reiterated that the Pondville team, not my insurance company, determined I can only receive treatment from their practice. They will not give me any referrals for treatment outside of Pondville Medical Associates.
It was at this point that Dr. Zhang asked what I would do if she brought my case back to the Ponville team, and they once again would not allow a referral.
I told her I would seek out a new primary care practice.
Dr. Zhang told me I am no longer a patient at Pondville Medical Associates and disconnected the call.
If all of this was not enough, I received a call from one of my specialists shortly after the conversation with Dr. Zhang. Apparently, the office manager from Pondville had called to say they would not send a referral to the specialist's office because I was no longer a patient. Thankfully, I already have an approved referral on file, and have some time to find a new primary care doctor.
To be clear, I am a person that required bi-weekly treatment for a debilitating condition.
Dr. Zhang and Pondville Medical Associates are concerned about lining their pockets, and referring patients to each other, regardless of what is best for the patient.
Stay away from this medical group.