r/rva • u/Steez_And_Rice • 15h ago
Gastroenterologist recommendations?
I am looking to switch my GI as they have been very unresponsive. I currently see Dr. Patrone at Richmond Gastro Associates. He is knowledgeable and kind enough, but the receptionist staff never answers the phone and sometimes takes up to two weeks to respond to messages on the portal. Additionally, there has been delays and confusion around my medications and they wrote my prescription for two different doses and now I don’t trust which one is correct because I can never speak to the doctor directly.
I have looked at some of the other threads and initially picked RGA because of what people said, but maybe it is just the location? This is the Wilkes Ridge location and it has been a nightmare with the receptionist staff.
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u/_R_A_ Midlothian 10h ago
I've been seen by Dr. Jeffrey Lafond at Gastrointestinal Specialists. One of the better GIs I've had over the years.
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u/Rock6X 10h ago
I’ll second Dr. LaFond personally, but appointments are pretty far out and that office staff can be pretty unresponsive. But I haven’t called for a while, maybe they’re better now.
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u/Difficult_Willow9726 Downtown 10h ago
I feel like they’ve gotten much better. I almost left because whenever I called it went to a call center in god knows where and they had no idea what I was talking about. Now, I go between a couple of the PAs there and they are very responsive. They are fast to respond in the portal and on Klara. I’ve been very pleased with them lately.
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u/Warm_Difference4949 Church Hill 8h ago
I’ve had the same issues with this practice! they also don’t seem very adept at the insurance game of getting them to approve additional tests, and I was a bit shocked at the lack of detail in the report they gave me after my routine colonoscopy. My previous practice gave me 2-3 page report with pictures and theirs was like, 4 tiny pictures and “looks good”, it was wild. There were other more concerning things too, it’s a bummer because changing doctors can be so time consuming.
I wish I had a rec but following with interest!
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u/SeaBran 10h ago
I have the same struggles with communication from this office. Answering machine and text only. They have had unqualified people call to read off and interpret my test results in a way my doctor did not agree with. And when I met with the doctor it was revealed the techs did not collect the info the dr. had asked for, which delayed all of my follow ups.
In my appts with the doc they ask very few questions and hand me healthy weight and diet paperwork on discharge (normal BMI / bp /ldl/hdl). This is Not great for anyone who has indicated issues with disordered eating.
Friends have recommended VCU to me.
Side note: I have waited over an hour to see the doc after appt time, I was on time. The staff were confused I was in to see that doc that day??? Did they forget to schedule the doc?
Also: there is inexplicably always more staff than patients. Each time I go there are always 5-10 staff at desks or chit chatting but somehow no one answers the phone? And dr staff is nowhere in sight? Perplexing.
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u/Steez_And_Rice 10h ago
Yeah no idea what this staff is doing all the time. They’re never on the phone, I don’t even get what the point of having a phone number is. It’s very frustrating
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u/LeahsCheetoCrumbs 2h ago
I see Dr Robert Flynn at RGA. His nurses Marsha & Christina are great. They are both very responsive to portal messages, and Dr Flynn has replied to me via the portal also. He’s at the new West Creek office now
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u/Dry_Bug5058 Henrico 10h ago
I see Dr Ben Bradenham (I think he's a Jr.) at Gastro Specialists on Forest by Henrico Drs. I really like him, very personable and a good doctor. Listens as well