Summit Medcal Group- beyond awful

My regular PCP sent me to a specialist at the Livingston office.  Dr was great, but the place is like an airport!  Huge waiting areas, lines.

Guess I was mostly disturbed by the incredible lack of privacy and clear Hipaa violations.

I heard staff on the phone, naming patients names, talking about test results and conditions, I heard them mentioning patients and discussing their medical issues.

Really too bad, this doc is great - but as much as I can't stand the hospital like size and environment, the lack of respect for privacy is intolerable.

That certainly hasn't been my experience in any SMG office I've been in.  In fact, most of them move so fast that I've barely started filling out my paperwork when my name is called.  (My PCP is an exception, but I'm used to that and have decided it's worth the wait.)

I've never been to the Livingston location, though.

I tried to make an appointment in Berkeley Heights...they told me they don't treat my condition at all..

I have had good experiences with the doctors at SMG and in fact switched there on the strength of one of them. I have not waited more than five minutes for any appointment, and I prefer having my records in one place. Not all offices have specialists in all areas. Referrals are available if you ask.

The (new) Livingston office is about to undergo renovations in part because of problems with the reception area, something I learned because I asked the last time I was there. The space was poorly designed.

why is that a bad thing? They don't treat it. Better than someone not experienced using you to learn. I'd much prefer being told they don't specialize in that.

I've used summit medical group ( probably seen 10 different primary docs, specialists and had tests done over past 11 years) and have consistently found them to be timely, experienced, very knowledgeable and nothing but professional in every way. I've had no billing issues either.

neglected to add - I waited 45 minutes to see the dr!

I also see a specialist at the Short Hills location - that's been worlds different

conandrob240 said:

why is that a bad thing? They don't treat it. Better than someone not experienced using you to learn. I'd much prefer being told they don't specialize in that.

I've used summit medical group ( probably seen 10 different primary docs, specialists and had tests done over past 11 years) and have consistently found them to be timely, experienced, very knowledgeable and nothing but professional in every way. I've had no billing issues either.

Its bad because it is not an obscure or complicated condition..and there is no reason why any competent doc in that specialty would not be able to treat the condition...unless they had an attitude problem...some people get themselves diagnosed with it to score drugs....but I don't need many narcotics...just a small amount once per year...and I wouldn't need any right away..could probably make it at least 2 years....but my best guess is that because some people use it to score, they just won't accept anyone with it.  I just need one mild non controlled med on a regular basis....and would have been an established patient before I asked for a very small amount of narcotics...that I typically don't use more than 3x/year.

Also, their website is inaccurate...they list most docs as accepting new patients and some of them are not.

wow...an inaccurate website regarding dr. availability.  Thats a good reason to pick or not pick a doc.

Also, is it an attitude problem or the desire to avoid the regulatory hassles that come with prescribing narcotics?  

jmitw said:

conandrob240 said:

why is that a bad thing? They don't treat it. Better than someone not experienced using you to learn. I'd much prefer being told they don't specialize in that.

I've used summit medical group ( probably seen 10 different primary docs, specialists and had tests done over past 11 years) and have consistently found them to be timely, experienced, very knowledgeable and nothing but professional in every way. I've had no billing issues either.

Its bad because it is not an obscure or complicated condition..and there is no reason why any competent doc in that specialty would not be able to treat the condition...unless they had an attitude problem...some people get themselves diagnosed with it to score drugs....but I don't need many narcotics...just a small amount once per year...and I wouldn't need any right away..could probably make it at least 2 years....but my best guess is that because some people use it to score, they just won't accept anyone with it.  I just need one mild non controlled med on a regular basis....and would have been an established patient before I asked for a very small amount of narcotics...that I typically don't use more than 3x/year.




Also, their website is inaccurate...they list most docs as accepting new patients and some of them are not.

I had a terrible experience with their BH office. They mistakenly sent some expensive tests to a lab not in my insurance's network but refused to deal with the additional costs I incurred. After 16 months of wrangling, I just walked away in frustration. Haven't been back since.

In a huge medical group, I am sure there are some people who have had billing issues and problems with docs.  And plenty more who are pleased from both of those perspectives. 

I see a specialist at the Short Hills office, someone I literally credit with saving my life.  They were in solo practice, it was a great setting, the staff all knew me and I them.  But they joined SMG because the hassles of running an office, insurance, etc became overwhelming.

But I can't justify the nonsense I encountered at the Livingston office in the least.  

I recently saw a specialist in the Atlantic Health group in Summit - a very large group, too.  The visit logistics and operational stuff went SO much better than SMG - so it clearly can be done.

But the clinic feel, factory like way of dealing with patients, absurd wait, operational snafus, and privacy violations I saw firsthand at SMG - no way I would recommend them.

The Livingston office is new, so I've had limited (but acceptable) experiences there.  I've never had a problem with SMG in Berkeley Heights.  I really like it, as a matter of fact.

I've had no problems.  Obviously, its a giant organization at this point so no patient can extrapolate, good or bad, from their individual experiences.

SMG has two files for me that for some reason they won't merge. Not a huge hassle, but annoying.

Every single office visit I would hand over my insurance card. Every single visit they would bill an old insurance company, then try to bill me saying the bill was not covered. When I would point out that they billed the wrong insurance they would try to blame me saying I should have handed over my new card at the time of the visit. I would explain that I DID, they would say that wasn't possible because if I had they would have it on file. 

My sister kept getting billed for my father's visits. When she left the practice she sarcastically told them that she no longer had the time to straighten out their billing as her hobby.

My husband was getting billed for his mother's visits and procedures.

One day I was sick. My regular doc wasn't available so I saw one of the other docs, the benefit of going to a large practice. My file had that I was allergic to penicillin. At that point I was still answering penicillin when asked about drug allergies (I had been told that I had a reaction as a child). The doc wrote for amoxicillin. Turns out I wasn't allergic, but finding out by accident isn't ideal. 

Today the only time we use SMG is for the walk in urgent care. So far we have had no issues.   

bog said:

wow...an inaccurate website regarding dr. availability.  Thats a good reason to pick or not pick a doc.

Also, is it an attitude problem or the desire to avoid the regulatory hassles that come with prescribing narcotics?  

jmitw said:

conandrob240 said:

why is that a bad thing? They don't treat it. Better than someone not experienced using you to learn. I'd much prefer being told they don't specialize in that.

I've used summit medical group ( probably seen 10 different primary docs, specialists and had tests done over past 11 years) and have consistently found them to be timely, experienced, very knowledgeable and nothing but professional in every way. I've had no billing issues either.

Its bad because it is not an obscure or complicated condition..and there is no reason why any competent doc in that specialty would not be able to treat the condition...unless they had an attitude problem...some people get themselves diagnosed with it to score drugs....but I don't need many narcotics...just a small amount once per year...and I wouldn't need any right away..could probably make it at least 2 years....but my best guess is that because some people use it to score, they just won't accept anyone with it.  I just need one mild non controlled med on a regular basis....and would have been an established patient before I asked for a very small amount of narcotics...that I typically don't use more than 3x/year.




Also, their website is inaccurate...they list most docs as accepting new patients and some of them are not.

NO NEED TO BE AN A$$...i mentioned that as an after thought as a point of info...that alone would be annoying as it shows unprofessional ism.....BUT IS NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS ADDED TO THE SERIOUS ISSUE.

NO GOOD doctor would be whiny about regulatory hassles to appropriately treat patients with very limited narcotics..obviously it is NOT that hard as my last doc handed out the narcotics like candy...kept giving me large amounts that I never filled...last i filled i only got it partially filled because I did not need the large number he gave me.

there is a newer urgent care place on 22/center island near the 5 guys I think....(not SMG) ...but when you don't feel good and are driving yourself....you don't always want to deal with trying to exit the parking lot...I actually bypassed that location to go to the one in Watchung on 22...

A doctor I've been seeing for years joined SMG and I went to the Livingston office for the first time this week.  My wait time was not long enough to finish my paper work, my wait in the exam room was less than 5 minutes, and my visit with my wonderful doctor was not rushed and thorough.  Only one visit so not much evidence, but still...

I think it has to do with the doctor and his/her staff.  I went to 4 different doctors at SMG in BH and was totally dissatisfied with all of them, because of their "level of care", their waiting time, and their staff.  However, I had nothing but good things to say about Mary Alice Saporito and her staff, and I'd still be going to her if I didn't move so far away.

I've had nothing but 100% good experiences with SMG.

I had a great experiencewith SMG.  Started processing me in minutes.   Very professional.  I did not hear any unauthorized info (hipaa violations).   

I have used SMG for a long time - and agree the new building in Livingston is not well designed.  I told the doctor that I use there they need to do something to make the place feel warmer and more inviting.  I have never waited more than a few minutes but have another appointment this week - but I almost always take the first appointment in the  morning,

totally disagree. Love the place. Never had to wait and wth is wrong with space? 

I've had the opposite of your unfortunate events. My primary is a part of SMG and all goes well each and every visit. I've never had to wait, and when I was suffering last year from something out of the blue, I called my primary (Susan Cantor), spoke to an experienced on-call physician who pretty much diagnosed me over the phone, set me up to see Dr. C the following morning (I made a weekend call) and from there, Dr. C sent me over to see a specialist ASAP, no wait/same day. 

I'm not really a fan of the SMG machine. My doctors joined the group a year or two ago, and something as simple as making an appt is now a 12-15 minute phone call, at a central "appointments" person, not my actual doctors office. In the end they have to transfer me to the doctor office anyway for some reason, so it's just a longer, annoying process. Also, their billing system is different now, I don't seem to get bills for the  full appointments, it's always something applied from a previous visit, minus something, plus something.... Nothing really too major- my doctors are still very good, there's just little annoyances around that which has changed. 

Just walked out of there, unseen by the doctor, because I had been waiting over an hour and needed to pick up my daughter from nursery school.  

The receptionist was nonplussed and barely looked up from the keyboard when rescheduling my appointment.

The were so over-booked, the waiting room looked like Grand Central Station! This was for an early morning appointment!

Not to mention the over-crowded parking lot (had to create my own space on a patch of grass).

So frustrating. Will be considering alternatives to this fresh hell.

I was at the Northfield ave building this morning.  No issues, short wait and plenty of parking was available.  Plus they have valet parking if you don't want to deal with it.  

They have on line appointment scheduling.  I did it for an appointment I had yesterday.  I was 15 minuted early and still saw my doctor in seconds.  He sent me for a blood test at the lab in the same complex and that was also seconds.  It's the Berkley Heights location.  Maybe that's the difference. 

huh. Another great experience today. MRI schedule at Westfield location. Showed up early, taken back in immediately. I expressed some anxiety and the two technicians walked me through every step, showing me equipment and discussing everything that would happen. Once they were 100% sure I was comfortable with everything, they inserted the IV, took me in and started immediately. Doctor (Breast cancer specialist) called within 30 minutes of my return home to tell me everything was normal. Exceptional serivice and doctor responsiveness. 

ms_cooper said:

Just walked out of there, unseen by the doctor, because I had been waiting over an hour and needed to pick up my daughter from nursery school.  

The receptionist was nonplussed and barely looked up from the keyboard when rescheduling my appointment.

The were so over-booked, the waiting room looked like Grand Central Station! This was for an early morning appointment!

Not to mention the over-crowded parking lot (had to create my own space on a patch of grass).

So frustrating. Will be considering alternatives to this fresh hell.

Was this at the Livingston (75 Northfield) location? Sounds more like the Berkeley Heights location. I hate going there. If we have to start parking on the grass in Livingston I will probably switch from SMG altogether. I have never had a wait or a parking issue in Livingston so far and I like the doctors I have seen there.

The only SMG places where I have ever had to wait at the Urgent Care facility in Berkeley Heights on occasion and at Short Hills (for my PCP, but I accept this because I really like him otherwise ... probably because he takes whatever time I need, which is the reason for the wait.)  Everywhere else in SMG, I barely sit down before they are calling my name.