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A family member of mine tried to get an appointment this week with our family physician for a reasonably urgent problem. They were told in no uncertain terms they could not come in this week and it would be next week. This has been becoming a real problem with this office in recent times and I think a change is in order.

Anyone have a good family physician to reccomend that does not require 2 weeks notice to get an appointment?
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quote:
Originally posted by LMM:
I wish you luck. The one I use has a waiting list. I am so glad I got in years ago.
My only advice is to call a few offices and see how they handle your call.


I am seriously considering doing what a couple of friends have done and find a 'regular' physician in Huntsville or Decatur and use the local 'doc in a box' for stuff like strep throat, etc. With the state of health care in this area, might not be a bad thing to do.
quote:
Originally posted by SaltyDog:
Dr. Brad Ginevan at the Tuscumbia Medical Mall. He hasn't ever NOT been able to get me in the same day if I'm sick. I'm not sure if he's taking new patients tho'. That's a big problem around here.


My son and i use Dr. Gillis, but have seen Ginevan.....their office has always been prompt about seeing us with no appointment if there's an emergency.
quote:
Originally posted by XYZ:
quote:
Originally posted by LMM:
I wish you luck. The one I use has a waiting list. I am so glad I got in years ago.
My only advice is to call a few offices and see how they handle your call.


I am seriously considering doing what a couple of friends have done and find a 'regular' physician in Huntsville or Decatur and use the local 'doc in a box' for stuff like strep throat, etc. With the state of health care in this area, might not be a bad thing to do.

I used Med Plus for years until we finally got a regular GP. We saw the same doctor so many times, they knew us on sight. It was almost like having a GP, just hated the waiting part. I have to have appointments, I can't sit waiting for hours with no idea of how long it will be.
Decatur has a huge medical community, perhaps you will have luck there. A one hour drive or less is not that bad.
It's not just a problem up there guys. It's difficult to get in immediately down here too.
My internist used to be much easier to see. I can't get an appointment inside of a week when I call now. I must say, though, I can usually get my son in at his pediatrician on the same day. And he is a fantastic doctor! Constantly voted one of Birmingham's best.

My guess is the origins of the problem are quite complex and include mountains of paperwork for docs with fewer and fewer precious minutes with patients. I'm afraid it's going to get worse. Better start taking excellent care of yourselves!
quote:
Originally posted by Lucky14:
I also need a recommendation for a GP in the Shoals area. I have aging parents who need a change as well as myself. Could someone drop me a line? Thanks!


I don't know if he's taking new patients, but Dr.Kiser is a very nice man and his patients often praise his bedside manner. He is very down to earth and easy to talk with...not just to.
quote:
Originally posted by southernsally:
quote:
Originally posted by George Sand:
I've heard Dr. Wampler who opened an office in Greenhill is good. (ladies, he's also easy on the eyes.)


That is the doc I have an appt. with in a couple of months.


He used to work in the ER at ECM. I heard many people comment that he was a great doctor.

Dr. McFall and Dr. Mann at Florence Medical Associates are good. Dr. Lyman Mitchell Jr. on Cloyd Blvd. is also good.
quote:
Originally posted by autumn1964:
quote:
Originally posted by southernsally:
quote:
Originally posted by George Sand:
I've heard Dr. Wampler who opened an office in Greenhill is good. (ladies, he's also easy on the eyes.)


That is the doc I have an appt. with in a couple of months.


He used to work in the ER at ECM. I heard many people comment that he was a great doctor.

Dr. McFall and Dr. Mann at Florence Medical Associates are good. Dr. Lyman Mitchell Jr. on Cloyd Blvd. is also good.


My sister used to work at ECM and she speaks highly of Dr. Wampler.

I am no fan of L M. A longtime head of nursing said that missed too many things and my family has not had good experiences with his treatment or lack thereof of one of my family members.
One problem that is running many Doctors off from this area, is that we have so many people addicted to prescription pain pills and several of the pushing Doc's have either gotten busted, retired, or died. So the addicts are on a man hunt, so to speak.
So Doctors are hesitant to write scripts now, and people who really do need them, can't get them now. You know when your local Emergency Room has a sign posted in the waiting room that they will not write prescriptions on certain types of pain pills, there must be a problem in your area.
Was your experience at his current office (on Ana Dr) or at his former office? I have only seen him since he started at his current location and have never waited more than 10 minutes.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
I don't recommend Bachofer. Used him for a couple of years but got tired of waiting 1 to 2 hours past appointment time to be seen. Also had some issues with unnecessary xray screening due to assumptions he had made about my being a smoker. Never have been a smoker.
The old office. That really didn't bother me as much as the other situation regarding assumptions (don't want to be too specific and end up with some sort of lawsuit against me)
quote:
Originally posted by JustMe:
Was your experience at his current office (on Ana Dr) or at his former office? I have only seen him since he started at his current location and have never waited more than 10 minutes.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
I don't recommend Bachofer. Used him for a couple of years but got tired of waiting 1 to 2 hours past appointment time to be seen. Also had some issues with unnecessary xray screening due to assumptions he had made about my being a smoker. Never have been a smoker.
I remember the situation that you are alluding to. It was thoroughly discussed on this forum at the time it come out in the paper. I was not a patient of his at that time and didn't judge him based on what I read in the paper. There are always two sides to every story and it wasn't my busines b/c I had not seen him at the old location. I respect your opinion.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
The old office. That really didn't bother me as much as the other situation regarding assumptions (don't want to be too specific and end up with some sort of lawsuit against me)
quote:
Originally posted by JustMe:
Was your experience at his current office (on Ana Dr) or at his former office? I have only seen him since he started at his current location and have never waited more than 10 minutes.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
I don't recommend Bachofer. Used him for a couple of years but got tired of waiting 1 to 2 hours past appointment time to be seen. Also had some issues with unnecessary xray screening due to assumptions he had made about my being a smoker. Never have been a smoker.
Used to see Bachofer at the old location too -- always waited at least an hour to see him. Think that was mainly becasue of the staff at the old office and not necessarily him. He was personable and a great bedside manner, but he was sometimes not as smooth with bad news as he should be. He told a lady I went to church with that she needed to get her life right that she had weeks to live -- she had cancer -- she lived 2 years before she died...it upset her and her family a lot...they got a second opinion and never went back to him.
We've used Dr. Evans at the medical mall in Tuscumbia for years. The big advantage at the medical mall is that it is "one stop shopping" If you need blood work, xrays, EKG, stress test, mri, cat, etc. you can get it there without ever leaving the building. However, for things like bad colds, flu, etc., we always go to Med-plus. The wait can be long, but it's cheaper than the emergency room, and you don't need an appt. W/ Dr. Evans, unless it's life threatening, you can usually wait about a week for and appt. By the way, he told me that the reason he came to the Shoals (he's from Grenada), is that is was part of his scholarship to come to "needy" area to practice medicine. Wound up staying.
I'm sorry. I confused you with "assumptions". I don't know what situation you are talking about. I was referring to my previous post where he assumed that I was a smoker and appeared to be trying to get me to stop by ordering an unnecessary 2nd chest xray. He seemed to disapprove of my lack of religious beliefs and our relationship deteriorated from there.
quote:
Originally posted by JustMe:
I remember the situation that you are alluding to. It was thoroughly discussed on this forum at the time it come out in the paper. I was not a patient of his at that time and didn't judge him based on what I read in the paper. There are always two sides to every story and it wasn't my busines b/c I had not seen him at the old location. I respect your opinion.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
The old office. That really didn't bother me as much as the other situation regarding assumptions (don't want to be too specific and end up with some sort of lawsuit against me)
quote:
Originally posted by JustMe:
Was your experience at his current office (on Ana Dr) or at his former office? I have only seen him since he started at his current location and have never waited more than 10 minutes.

quote:
Originally posted by F350:
I don't recommend Bachofer. Used him for a couple of years but got tired of waiting 1 to 2 hours past appointment time to be seen. Also had some issues with unnecessary xray screening due to assumptions he had made about my being a smoker. Never have been a smoker.
Very highly recommend Wayne G. Stanley, MD on Chisholm Road in Florence. We have used him ever since he came to this area , approx, 20 years (?). Very competent, conservative in his treatment, understanding about cost of medicine and will send you to a specialist if it is something he is not comfortable with AND he always sends a written report of any testing he has done so you do not have to guess how your testing came out or hang on the phone till your feet take root. He also has had the same nurse all this time. His office staff WILL get you in the same day you call- somehow.
quote:
Originally posted by George Sand:
quote:
Originally posted by autumn1964:
quote:
Originally posted by southernsally:
quote:
Originally posted by George Sand:
I've heard Dr. Wampler who opened an office in Greenhill is good. (ladies, he's also easy on the eyes.)


That is the doc I have an appt. with in a couple of months.


He used to work in the ER at ECM. I heard many people comment that he was a great doctor.

Dr. McFall and Dr. Mann at Florence Medical Associates are good. Dr. Lyman Mitchell Jr. on Cloyd Blvd. is also good.


My sister used to work at ECM and she speaks highly of Dr. Wampler.

I am no fan of L M. A longtime head of nursing said that missed too many things and my family has not had good experiences with his treatment or lack thereof of one of my family members.


L.Mitchell was reccommended to me several years ago but i went to high school with him and thought it would be hard to take someone i remembered as a goofy, gangly teen seriously as a doctor...lol
quote:
Originally posted by OkieDokie:
Very highly recommend Wayne G. Stanley, MD on Chisholm Road in Florence. We have used him ever since he came to this area , approx, 20 years (?). Very competent, conservative in his treatment, understanding about cost of medicine and will send you to a specialist if it is something he is not comfortable with AND he always sends a written report of any testing he has done so you do not have to guess how your testing came out or hang on the phone till your feet take root. He also has had the same nurse all this time. His office staff WILL get you in the same day you call- somehow.


Dr.Stanley is great. My sis worked for him for several years, my husband went to him (before moving to Killen and Dr.Hollis)and he even liked him....and my husband didn't like many people...lol.
I currently have five other family members that go to him.

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