This place is truly dishonest. I should have read the other reviews before I had a yearly dermatology checkup here. Same as the others - location is convenient, the doctors are professional and scheduling is simple. Quality of care is okay, but lacking when compared to dermatologists in other geographies. Then comes the bill - hence the 1 star rating: Neither of the items submitted made any sense at all and thus my insurance didn't accept them. (Again, this is a standard preventative that has had no issues billing at other providers). They had billed for a surgery when none was performed and other unique codes they must realize nets them the largest amount. When I called them, they said they would fix it and submit the correct CPT codes and they had made a mistake. Lo and behold, I receive a bill 10 days later for the wrong amounts they had submitted. This billing is a disaster at best, but most likely a fraudulent attempt at insurance overbilling. I would avoid this place like the dishonest, greedy practice they are. read more

The staff was nice but I didn't get to choose the pharmacy so it was sent across town and took a week to arrive at the pharmacy. I never picked it up because the pharmacy was out of the way. read more

Met with Dr. Panko, dermatology. She and her staff are excellent and the location and office are great. My complaint is the phone service. I received a voice message last week about a biopsy result, tried to call them back, waited on line for half an hour then requested a call back. I got the call back 5 days later at 8 am this morning and of course I missed the call. My recommendation is to NOT use the voice phone but to communicate through either email or text, avoiding the problem that the patient may actually be doing something else at that exact time. So as of this moment I still don't have the result and seemingly have no way to get it. read more

I was optimistic about choosing a female surgeon for my second bunion surgery. My first bunionectomy was done on my left foot years ago. And now it was time for my right. But it's with great disappointment that I write this review. I have never experienced a more disorganized, impolite doctor's office than that of the Ballard Polyclinic Podiatry office. DO NOT book a buionectomy with Dr. Sarah Burns. TL;DR LESS THAN 9 months have passed since my surgery, and the bunion I had removed is STILL F*CKING THERE. Such a waste of time and energy. My preop appointment, which was scheduled less than a week out from my surgery date, was mistakenly deleted off the books by someone in a different department. I showed up for my appointment and the receptionist warned me we may have to reschedule my surgery date because of this internal mishap. Mind you, rescheduling a surgery date that I already took work off for and planned my entire winter around is NOT a tolerable solution in my book. Thankfully they were able to squeeze me in, but I'm afraid the issues with miscommunication did not stop there. During one of my first postop appointments, Dr. Sarah Burns FIRMLY reprimanded me as I videoed the bandage being removed from my foot: "Do NOT VIDEO without my consent." "Oh I'm so sorry. You weren't in it." I responded. To which she rudely asserted, "Well, my hands were in it, so I WAS..." Thinking of this exchange and her sharp critical tone make me cringe to this day. Needless to say, it set a "lovely" standard for discomfort and tension in our interactions following that. Several later post-op appointments, the receptionist: called me day of to ask me to come in 2 hours earlier to get xrays at another clinic because their xray tech was out (you couldn't have told me this sooner so I could plan for a 4 hour excursion?), and also opted to tell me 20-minutes before another scheduled post-op appointment, that the doctor is in the office despite the entire city being shut down for the 2019 snowpocalypse and expects to see me in my appointment (I live an HOUR from Polyclinic Ballard so thanks for the warning?) Beyond the consistent miscommunication and sh*t bedside manner, the results of Dr. Sarah Burn's handy work are my living nightmare. My bunion is still ENTIRELY noticeable (I write this 7 months post-op) and I have more pain in my foot than I have ever experienced before. I quite literally feel like I paid for her to damage my foot well beyond any of the deformity my original bunion was causing. STAY AWAY. read more

Was referred to the podiatry department here and was very hopeful. Unfortunately did not get my issues resolved. Was told the problems in my feet were due to weak ankles (?) and dismissed with handouts. Then proceeded to get countless bills saying I hadn't paid my copay. Since it is literally required before you can go into the office, there's no way I didn't pay it. Clearly a totally disorganized billing dept backing up a burned out staff. read more

Zero call follow up on promised test results, but sure fast to send me a massive bill. Thanks for crap care, Polyclinic Ballard.

Dr. Farooqi has been my primary care doctor for over 5 years now. She is very very sweet but goes out of town every few months - which I shouldn't care about except it always falls around the time I need to come in to have my checkup in order to get my prescriptions! One time I saw the on-call doctor, Dr. Maskovitz. He was very hesitant to prescribe me my medication that I had been taking every day for 5 years. It was not very welcoming or a warm experience. Another thing that isn't ideal when dealing with prescriptions, is that sometimes Dr. Farooqi will give me three months worth of my prescriptions but the dates won't match up. So sometimes I go days without my meds cause I'm not able to fill them. read more

This review is for Dr. Sarah Burns with podiatry. Dr. Burns has been one of the best doctors I've ever seen in my lifetime. I am the type of person who's scared to go to the doctor for fear of being written off or not listened to. I went to Dr. Burns with a problem I have been having since I was a teenager and I couldn't deal with the pain anymore. My first appointment, I got their early so they could get X-rays, which is exactly what they told me on the phone when they reminded me of my appointment so I knew to get there a little earlier. Dr. Burns probably spent 45minutes in the room face-to-face with me, which is incredible compared to most doctors that come in and talk for 5 min then leave. Dr. Burns showed me my X-rays, explained everything she found, then went through multiple treatment options. Most doctors would usually say "we're going to start with this treatment" but Dr. Burns gave me the decision, and I really appreciated that because I was just tired of having the foot pain I was having. We agreed on surgery and she gave me all of the information, risks, recovery/what to expect and everything related to the surgery at this appointment, and then I was able to get the surgery scheduled a couple days later for the end of the month. Surgery day I was nervous but Dr. Burns calming presence in the pre-op reassured me that everything is going to be okay. The surgery went great, she talked to my husband when she was done and made sure to check in with me. Recovery has been as expected, definitely painful but it's not unbearable. I had my first post-op appointment where she took off the dressing and re-dresses it, talked some more about the recovery process and answered all my questions. It's the weekend now and I noticed something a little abnormal to me so I called the operator and they dispatched Dr. Burns to me who called me back within 5 minutes over the weekend to answer my questions. She is an amazing doctor/surgeon, If I wasn't moving out of state, I'd have her do my other foot. Her team is incredible, my questions are always answered and I always feel as if I'm being cared for. I highly recommend Dr. Burns for any podiatry needs! read more

Don't let those 5-star reviews fool you. This place is the worst. I came into the Ballard Polyclinic in to get a note for work signed by a doctor validating concerns from work cause I'm out sick. The doctor that I saw refused to help and said they are unable to inform my work that I'm sick. My job is now using this as a reason to fire me. The doctor I saw wasted 2 and a half HOURS of my time when they could've told me they can't help me over the phone. ALSO they kept pushing medical care that I didn't need OR want after I said that it wasn't needed for this appointment. The whole building is disgusting. The office space and exam rooms look like they haven't been cleaned in a LONG time. The staff isn't helpful either. I wouldn't even recommend this place to people I dislike. Seriously go anywhere else!!! I will definitely not be returning to that nasty clinic. Waste of my life. read more

Very impressed as a new patient I was able to get a Telehealth visit the same day- and when I had to come in for labs it was extremely quick and efficient. Everyone was extremely friendly, from the first person on the phone scheduling, to the nurse practitioner with whom I had the appointment, to the lab tech. It's always a challenge to find a new doctor when you move, I feel good about this group! Ms. Chang, NP is great! Highly recommend. read more

I am never sure how to review physicians, because who you see is largely a personal preference and dependent on personal-attention needs. I actually was feeling pretty overwhelmed about seeking out a podiatrist last fall when Dr Lowinger was referred to me by a friend. The doc was easy to get in to see for an initial appointment, and so I consulted with him about a problem with my foot. After taking x-rays, talking with me and explaining what he saw, I was offered a hearty variety of options that included both surgery and non-surgery corrections. I can say now that deciding on a surgery option (with a longer-term recovery period, that I'm still in) was the best decision I made--I don't regret it at all. From pre-op to post-op, I have been kept informed of the process, and now how the healing progresses. During appointments, Dr. Lowinger always asks if I have questions and addresses any concern I have. In fact, he has been quite accessible in general. I called once or twice and was able to speak with him on the phone right then, despite expecting and being happy with a return phone call. (And I did get a personal check-up call from Dr. Lowinger the day after surgery.) He is a gentle, caring, non-judging and kind physician/surgeon, and very hands-on. While I'm almost two months post-op and still recovering, I am beyond pleased and impressed with the progress and the entire process. After all, it was incredibly daunting to give my body over for surgical alteration. An added bonus: Dr. Lowinger works with Ballard Swedish hospital, which is a super plus-one (my entire experience with the hospital before, during and after surgery was amazing as well, but that's a different review). Dr. Lowinger's office is accessible and right in the heart of Ballard; parking lot available. Tori, Dr. Lowinger's MA/office manager, is incredibly helpful, calm, and friendly; quick to get things done, very professional and communicative. I've really enjoyed my interactions with her. My experience over the last couple of months--leading up to the surgery and post-op--has been ...well, pretty much magnificent. I'm not sure how to express it other than to say that I would, hands-down, recommend Dr. Lowinger to anyone seeking a podiatrist. I tend toward loyalty with excellent physicians; I'll be keeping Dr. Lowinger on my list. read more

Continued health issues 5 years later involving several specialists. Again, find another for your podiatry needs.

I met with Dr.Lowinger in december of 2012 to address some life long as well as some newer and rapidly developing foot problems. Dr. Lowinger confirmed what podiatrists had told me as young kid, that i had extra bones fused to the navicular bone in the arch of my foot. Due to this, the posterior tibial tendon was attached too low, and thus no arch support whatsoever, leading to a miriad of other problems. Dr. Lowinger informed me that he felt like he could fix this with surgery, and give me an all around more functional foot, by removing the extra bone and reattaching the tendon where it should be, along with a bunion correction surgery and mid-foot bone fusion. Naturally i was hesitant at first. There's no easy time to go through something like this, and this is no small procedure. I waffled so much giving him an answer that i missed the possibility of the initial scheduled friday surgery, which is when surgeries normally happen.. Due to a work related timeline, it was pretty much then or never. So i was ready to just put it off for another year.... Dr.Lowinger ended up giving me a another shot and found some time for me in surgery on tuesday of the following week. I ended up moving forward with the surgery. I did my right foot in january 2013.. healed and went off for my annual 4-5 months work in Alaska with lots and lots of time on my feet. It took quite a while for 100% recovery, but my right foot ulitmately held up a lot better against the long hours than the left foot did. Happy with the outcome, i did my left foot in November 2013.. I am now back in two shoes and glad to have it all behind me. Dr.Lowinger certainly delivered what he said he would. I do in fact have more functional feet than i ever have, and the arch support i never had my whole entire life. I'm glad i was lucky enough to stumble upon this podiatrist and decided to walk in to that office for a visit that day in late 2012. I'm grateful that he made me feel comfortable in his ability to do this procedure, and to take the leap of faith and go through this whole painful process. It was all worth it in the end. Dr.Lowinger was always helpful in working with me and answering questions. Responding to e-mails very promptly when i'd come across certain points in my recovery, those points where you ask yourself, is it supposed to look like this? Or having me come in immediately to take a look for himself. I appreciated the care and the follow through post surgery. Everything healed great with no problems.. I'd recommend Dr.Lowinger and the performance foot and ankle specialists to anyone requiring foot attention. read more

Dr. Sarah Burns is great! She's personable, knowledgeable and gets right down to business. I saw her in November for an infected ingrown toenail. I got an appointment with her right away. She went over the options with me and fixed me up in a timely manner. I had a little sticker shock when I finally got the bill in the mail. I'm not sure what other podiatrists charge for the same procedure, but, at the time, I would have paid anything for that pain to go away. Hopefully, I can leave my foot issues in 2012. But, if something comes up again, I won't hesitate to give her a call. read more

I only resorted to going to the Polyclinic because my PCP was out of the office until later in the month and no other doctors at my usual clinic were taking new patients. I live in Ballard, so I thought it might be a good idea to check out this location. Let me first say that I have no complaints about the service I received from customer service/reception. It was my experience with the doctor I had that caused me to leave with a bad taste in my mouth. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for years and I recently had a bad episode that made me feel as though I needed to seek medical advice - thus the trip to the Polyclinic. I would also like to add that I work in the mental health field and take mental health VERY seriously. I know myself, I know signs and symptoms of different MH diagnoses. I would not just go into a doctor on a whim. My doctor, Dr. Salib, was no help as I scored VERY high on the depression and anxiety screening tools. He pretty much lectured me for about an hour about my personal issues and how "each of them had a solution and I just needed to find the solution". He then continued to tell me that we all "had control over our emotions" and if I "didn't want to be anxious or depressed, then I should just choose not to be that way". I was appalled by the responses I was getting and ultimately paid my $25 copay to have a complete stranger listen to my personal story to tell me to basically get over it. He didn't offer to help me with my psych meds. He didn't try to refer me to any other specialists. In fact, he tells me "since we're not going to do anything for you today, you can just leave". I would definitely NOT recommend going to this doctor for ANY reason if he treated someone who was depression, anxious, and suicidal the way he treated me. He ultimately left me feeling even worse than I already did. read more

Dr. Sarah Burns is fantastic! She was referred to me by my PCP, for an ingrown toenail that had become infected (yuck.) She was so kind and patient with me, especially when it was time for the awful shots. I asked her to keep me talking and distracted, and she was great! Very friendly and personable, as was her whole staff. Hopefully I won't have this particular problem again, but if I do it will be a pleasure to see Dr. Burns. read more

Polyclinic has always been consistent and reliable and I have always been able to see my PCP with an acute issue. I find that the nurse assistants are much more skilled and personable than at other clinics. I recently had to stop going here because of an insurance change but am very happy to now be back! read more

I was quite happy at first with my initial visit to this office. They scheduled me for an appointment within one day, and when I came in the office staff was pleasant and the doctor had good bedside manner. I thought all was good. Then the bill came. My office visit was for an inflammation of my eczema, something I've had since I was a kid, but never this bad. The doctor took a look, swiped at it with a q-tip, and then wrote me a prescription saying, "yes, it looks like eczema". What he didn't tell me was that he was sending that q-tip to a lab for testing, and that no one was going to call me with any results. I guess that is what their bills are for. When I called to express my concern, the woman on the phone said "One would assume that if the doctor uses a q-tip, he's taking a culture." Really? So I should now assume every time a doctor there takes out a common household item that I'm going to get a lab fee?? And when I said that 1) he never bothered to tell me they were doing a lab, 2) he wrote me a prescription, thus suggesting no further testing was necessary because he knew what was wrong, and 3) no one called me to tell me any results of said testing, her response was "I'm not sure what you want me to do." This is why our health care system is in utter and total disarray. If this were a car mechanic, I wouldn't have to pay a thing for work that was done but I was never advised of. But since they have my SSN, I have to pay or else. read more

I had an appointment with Dr. Sarah Burns and I wasn't able to walk very well. I couldn't find my way around the building and called 5 minutes after my appointment started to find the location. The reception said right away that we canceled your appointment because you are late and was extremely rude and short. It completely ruined my day and I had been in pain for 4-days waiting to see this doctor. This is the worst experience I have ever had at a doctor's office. Prior to booking my appointment, I told them I couldn't walk very well, and they said to park outside. They didn't provide any assistance and didn't tell me there were wheel chair volunteers available. This has completely turned me off from going to Polyclinic. read more

Sometimes when rating businesses and writing reviews, I am unsure about how many stars to give. However, Dr. Lowinger has clearly earned 5 stars. As a fellow surgeon, I was very impressed. I had an in grown toe nail which I brilliantly tried to manage myself...Anyway, a few months later, I called his office when it became clear that I don't know much about podiatry. I was able to schedule an appointment in a day or two. The office was efficiently run with friendly staff. They were clearly busy but I was in a clinic room within 5 mins of my appt time. Dr. Lowinger was clearly knowledgeable, technically skilled, and compassionate. He managed by problem effectively. I was also walked out of his office within 45 mins of arriving (this included having a minor procedure with local anesthetic). Amazing! This business is highly recommended to anyone needing a podiatrist. read more

Exceptional professionalism by both Dr. Lowinger and his staff. Needed to get my son's foot looked at quickly and his staff was just WONDERFUL and accomodating. Dr. Lowinger was very kind, efficient and my son felt very comfortable with him. He took a child conservative and friendly approach to the problem with easy solutions that helped him immediately! I also noticed on his website that he organizes a podiatric surgery clinic for the underinsured in Seattle. Nice to see someone in health care going the extra mile for others in need too. Lucky to have him here in our area. read more

Dr. Lowinger has helped me out with 3 separate sports-related foot and ankle issues now, and each time has exceeded expectations. I had (it turns out) injured the ligaments in one of my toe capsules (which he established after xrays, etc) so he gave me a very specific and easy to understand explanation of the issue and how to give it the best chance to heal properly. He also rigged up a kind of prosthetic on the spot to carry me till it was healed and showed me how to tape it up for matches (soccer). He also fit me for a new set of orthodics (my old set had broken after 8 years of abuse), and most recently helped me out with a bad ankle sprain (again a combination of thorough exam, despite the drop-in nature of my visit, solid explanation, advice and equipment to protect me and aid the healing process. His staff is first rate as well, very pleasant and extrememly helpful! read more

Do not go to Sarah Burns at the Polyclinic. She misdiagnosed me with Hallux limitus which another doctor now proved I don't have, plus the orthotics she made for me caused me to have sesamoiditis! Do not go there!!! Also, she wanted to do surgery on the condition which I don't even have!!!! Just say NOOOO! read more

Dr Lowinger and his staff are wonderful, very professional and well organized. I was asked to check in early for my appointment, which I did. Not only was I seen on time, but Dr Lowinger brought me back to my appointment 5 minutes early, took x-rays, answered all my questions and did a thorough exam, explaining all my options clearly. He provided helpful suggestions and did not try to sell me on anything, just gave me the information needed to make an informed decision. Although surgery was not the best option for me, I was grateful for the consultation. I was in and out in 30 minutes, of which almost the entire time was spent with the doctor. This office really sets a higher standard for medical care, I wish all offices were run like Performance! Highly recommended! read more

Can't say enough good things about how satisfied I am about this doctor. I had no real injury to my feet. I just get really sore feet when I hike long distances. I was encouraged to get custom insoles for my shoes and went to Dr Lowinger to get them. I found out they are exactly what my feet needed. I was so much more comfortable hiking that I now wear them in all my shoes. I can walk for multi day hikes and have no hot spots at all. Dr Lowinger and staff are awesome! read more

I just finished several months of treatment for nerve damage in my foot which has been chronic for a few years. Dr. Lowinger has worked his magic and I'm pain free! We tried a couple of approaches and with his expert guidance and patience has made my dream come true! He and his wonderful staff have made my frequent appointments very easy and everyone has been super friendly. I have insurance and have to pay my co-pay but I would gladly pay in full any amount to not have foot pain! This office rocks! Thank you! read more

Nice enough staff but not really addressing my needs and no follow up. They are medical robots that tell you what you want to hear and not really solving any problems. Would not recommend read more

I was told about these guys from a friend who saw them. I had seen a number of doctors before I went here and what these guys figured out in 5min was what numerious docs could not find out in repeated visits! read more

By far the best experience in a doctor's office I've had in 30 years. Friendly, attentive front desk staff, less than 10 minute wait to get in and see Dr. Doreswamy who was very knowledgeable, professional and pleasant. He asked great questions, explained my treatment plan and prescription how to's wonderfully. Didn't push treatment I wasn't interested in pursuing at this time. Out in an hour with exactly what I needed. Highly recommend this place! read more

I could not have been more satisfied with my appointment with Dr. Lowinger, beginning with the fact that I was able to schedule a Saturday appointment. The office and support staff were friendly and Dr. Lowinger was great. In addition to addressing my primary concern (a lump on my right foot), he spent the time talking with me about two additional issues and saved me an additional appointment or trip to an urgent clinic. Highly recommended! read more

Absolutely ridiculous charges for simple procedures. Even with trying to talk to the Doctor you still get stuck with a hefty bill. After going here since I was born I am changing Dr.'s and never going back to the polyclinic. read more

Pretty quick and easy. My boyfriend and I have both been able to schedule same day visits when we were sick prior to actually being patients here - the availability is a huge plus to recent transplants. Now we both see doctors here as our PCP and haven't had any issues thus far. read more

The doctor I saw was perfectly lovely, but the $400 bill I got from Polyclinic for a 15 minute office visit was ridiculous. I called the billing department and got some run around about my insurance deductible (blah, blah, blah) before they agreed to send the paperwork back to coding for review. Customer service called me back a couple weeks later to confirm the bill was coded incorrectly and I received a revised bill for just under $200 which I gladly paid. One month later -- a second bill arrives for $100. Shady billing practices and exorbitant fees for simple services will keep me from ever going back to the Polyclinic. read more

Dr. Doreswamy asked me to write a Yelp review, so I am doing so. Everything was fine. I had to wait about 20 minutes after getting there (on time) before being seen, and in total I spent about 2 hours there for less than 30 minutes of total consultation time. Bring a book! read more

Worst! I set up a payment plan to pay off a larger bill. At that time I also asked to have an address change. No problem I was told, that could be done. No bill came and I lost track of time because I did not receive a bill. It is now my fault that I didn't pay (even though they didn't change the address as I requested, they did not contact me, and billing was sent to previous address) and the bill is now in collections. Will not do business with them again....shady business practices. read more

My Insurance changed with the New Year, and I could not keep my 'old Doctor" with my new insurance. My 'old Doctor' was Dr. Thomas C. Gustafson, DO of Market Street Clinic, and was great. . My new insurance picked my Doctor for me and It worked out great. Less than a half block away, and a great doctor: Dr. Leanne Kildare. I lucked out getting this new doctor. read more

Do not call the call center for help there so rude Emily especially. Stopped coming here, my doctor even left the Ballard Polyclinic. Wonder why!! DO NOT COME HERE read more

Very professional and great staff. Did a great job exploring alternatives to surgery instead of surgery being the end all be all. This will be my foot doc from now on. read more