Need advice on local doctor

Hello all. I am new to the area and I am looking for a general practictioner or a family practice. I went to one in this area and I was not happy at all. Can anyone reccommend someone?

I was looking at Garner Family Practice, Dr. Lisa Bookert, Horizon family Practice and Clayton Medical Associates. Any body suggest one of these?

 

I have been a patient at Garner Family for 15+ years, but have been unimpressed for the last 3-4 years. I am looking for a new family practice.

 

I went to Horizon and had a bad experience there. If it weren't for Urgent Care I would have been in alot of trouble. They wouldn't even call me back when I called to tell them I was having a bad reaction to the medicine they prescribed. Had to run to Urgent Care and get some shot to counter act the meds Horizon gave me. They never did call to find out how I was. Never go back there again.

 

I used to go to Dr. Lisa Bookert, she was good at first. Over the course of a few years, her office became more like "little mexico" (for lack of a better description). The waiting room was always full of sick, snotty children and they blocked off very little time for walk-in appts. It was hard to ever get an appt. to actually see her and not the nurse practitioner. I had to stop going there out of frustration.

I do go to Clayton Medical Associates now and they've been good so far. Dr. Joan Meehan is my doctor and you really have to be persistent with them that you want to see your chosen doctor, or you'll get switched to another doctor in the practice or the nurse practitioner in a heartbeat. I really do like Dr. Joan though, she sits and runs through your file with you at each visit, checks prescriptions, what needs refills, any changes, any changes for family history medically... very thorough in my opinion. My MIL has been a patient of Dr. Joan for ages and will not go anywhere else for anything without a referral from her.

If you have insurance though, know your plan... DH went this past summer about a sore knee and they did xrays inhouse and couldn't determine anything. So they sent him out to Rex for an MRI, instead of just sending him to an orthopedic with an MRI machine onsite. The difference being, going to REX for the MRI isn't covered, but if he had gone to the orthopedic and they performed the MRI inhouse it would have been. (DH is now out $900). :?

 

I love Horizon Family and would not go anywhere else. Dr. Charles Williams is the best. 359-1011

 

I have always liked Dr. Bookert. Whenever I am there there are only a few people waiting. She has always been very nice. Of course I don't go often but when I have it has been as pleasant as a doctor's office can get. I guess it depends on time of year (flu season), time of day, etc etc. I can usually get in there the same day if I am "legitimately sick". Physical appts and such take longer but of course it isn't priority.

 

I work in the medical field and I know that Garner Internal Medicine is a good group (I do not work there)... I see the Family Nurse Practioner Amy Mcallister but she is under Karen Mayer... Also Steven Turner MD and his PA Jim Mccain is great!

 

My husband sees Dr. Wanda Godfrey at the urgent care by Just tires. They have a regular family practice in with the urgent care. They also have office hours 7 days a week. He has diabetes and can make a regular check up appointment or blood check on Saturdays. That is a huge plus. He likes them very much and they have been great with different insurance issues.

 

doctors

For two years I was a patient of Joan Meehan. I could not tell you what she looks like because I NEVER met her. I would go in, a nurse PA would ask questions, give me a prescription, and walk me to the door. That's it. No lab tests, nothing but drugs. When my husband was on night shift, I went in after having an excruciating headache for over a week (but not a migraine...I've had those before and this was very different.) The nurse asked a few questions, gave me a shot without telling me anything about it, and said "Now you will need to call someone to drive you home." I HAD ALL THREE CHILDREN WITH ME AND MY HUSBAND WAS IN RTP! The next day, I switched to Dr. Williams at Horizon. It turned out that I had an infection causing the headache and it was gone within a day after seeing Dr. Williams. I have been very happy with him as a doctor except that he has become too popular and it's harder to get in the same day you call unless an emergency.

Imstepha, as you can see, everyone has differing opinions based on their experiences. I would shop around and find the doctor that best fits your needs!

 

Dr. Dawkins at Johnston Family Care (near the McD's on 40/210) is the best damn doctor I have ever had! He spends a lot of time with his patients and actually explains what your problem is and how he's going to treat it (and why he's doing it that way). I'm telling you, this guy is aces!! Also, the staff at Johnston Family Care is superb!! My wife and daughters see NP Renee Wade and just love her.

If you want courteous and caring professionals, this is the place to be!

 

Garner Internal Medicine, right behind Target up at the White Oak Shopping Center. 773-1223. Dr McCann is a Physician's Assistant, and he is super! I've gone to him for annual physicals and also when I'm sick. He is in the National Guard and was deployed for a couple of years (Iraq) and I went to Dr. Turner then. I liked him a lot too. They don't have pediatric care...I've only seen adults at the practice. (Can anyone recommend a good pediatrician...my current ones are great, when you FINALLY get in after waiting for 2 hours past the appt. time, but they do like to do a lot of tests...which, of course, I have to pay extra for...)

 

Garner Internal Medicine

Dr. Turner and P.A. Jim McCann are very good. (919) 773-1223.

 

As Master Shake said, Dawkin's is the best.

 

I've had pretty good luck with Dr. Joan Meehan myself. I guess everyone can have a different experience, but I found her to be very patient and not "rushed" for my appointments and actually took some concerns seriously for a change. I did have a bad experience with the office last fall, but not with her..........................it won't keep me from going back to see her.

 

My only complaint with Dr. Joan Meehan is how readily she prescribes meds for depression/anxiety without a professional follow-up. She is not my doctor, but I know several people very close to me that are patients of hers. Most family practitioners will tell you that it is out of their realm of expertise when you get into mood stabilizers, etc. A lot of those meds can really mess up other organs if the appropriate bloodwork is not done as a follow up.

 

I'll third that. All three of my kids are patients of his. Johnston Family Care is wonderful, all the nurses are great. They always remember us and are so nice. My two year old is infactuated with Dr. D. She hasn't seen him in a couple of months or so now and still talks about last time she was there.:lol:

 

My daughters have been going to Clayton Medical Associates for year. They see Dr. Meehan. We've never had any problems getting in to see her except when we might have an emergency. We've been very satisfied. She has even called home in the past to check on the girls. She takes her time during appointments and talks to the girls and has never seemed rushed. I would suggest not to see the male dr there (I can't remember his name right now). I do not like his his cocky attitude and I do not think he does a good exams. The last time we did see him was when we went in without an appointment and he was the only one available (guess i know why now). he didn't even check out my daughter and simply told her she would have to live with the problem and sent her home. we've not seen him since.

 

The Duke o.p. clinic on highway 70 in Clayton. I see Dr. Donohue there. Like him a lot. He takes time, listens, and explains what he thinks is and isn't going on. I never have to wait very long there to be seen.

 

i fourth that, i love Dr. Dawkins, after having a very bad experience at another local family practice, Dr. Dawkins was like a breath of fresh air.

 

Chiming in on Clayton Med Asso.

I've been seeing Dr Joan for years. She's great but you will get passed on to another Dr there sooner or later. Dr Capps there is... well I don't know. I've seen him but don't like him. I had an ear infection. It was painful as all get out. I never knew an ear could hurt so bad! He was like "Are you sure you didn't get water in it?" I told him it wasn't water. He said "Don't you wash your hair?" I could have slapped him. He prescribed medication for swimmer's ear. Two weeks later and another appt, this time with Dr Joan, I got an antibiotic and the infection went away.

I've had this stupid sinus thing going on for a couple of months now but he wants to check my cholesterol. HELLO?! Fix what I've got now THEN you can pump me for more money! ... -No I haven't been back.

And there is/was another Dr there, female...Kathleen?... I went through this streak of getting a rash about every six months or so, for 2½ years. It looks like Lupus but there are no other symptoms. Dr Joan gives me a cortisone shot and it goes away. This Dr Kathleen person absolutely insisted it was poison oak/ivy.... She gave me squat. I had to make another appt to see Dr Joan. A Lupus rash is easily identifiable is you've ever seen one. It looks like a big infected butterfly on your face. What ever it is that I get spreads from the face and works it's way down. God bless Cortisone.

Then! Then there was the time DH had a ruptured appendix. This time it was Dr. Joan who did the booboo. She sent him home on a friday with phenegren(sp?) and he had emergency surgery the following monday. The surgeon said he was a very luck man. DH has no use for Dr Joan now.

I just want a Dr that's not going to treat me like a complete idiot. Just because there isn't "MD" behind my name doesn't make me ignorant.

:evil:

So, I'm looking too.