Patients First Medical Center & Urgent Care

Doctors are awesome, receptionists, not so much.

This organization should change it’s name from Patients First, to either «Have Patience» or «Patients Last».If you want to wait an hour to be seen, an additional 2 hours in a room waiting for the doctor to actually see you, then by all means come on down.

First of all, my husband had to complete a boat load of paper work. It was crazy. The wait wasn’t too bad after that and the Dr was good. What I don’t understand is the follow-​up! We live in the Bay Area and were in Merced traveling through to Yosemite when my husband needed medical attention. He had tests and all. We have requested several time to have these tests sent to our doctor, but yet NOTHING! What does it take to get files sent? Now we can’t find out whats wrong with him without these tests. Lame!

So this was my first time coming here, I had no other option as I was painfully ill and needed urgent help. I did of course have to fill out paper work (it’s HealthCare, we should all be use to this by now especially since Health Insurance Companies are involved). I was able to quickly fill out the paperwork and the staff was ever so helpful and very very nice. I did not have an appointment therefore I was simply a walk in however my wait time was quite less than I had ever expected.
Once they invited me back to provide service to me each and every individual staff member was caring, helpful and friendly. My vitals were taken and I was quickly taken to a room. Not shortly then after I had a professional healthcare practitioner enter my room and she was by far one the friendliest people I have ever met and yet still held herself to very professional standards. She asked all the required questions and more, she tried many things to remedy my then current health issues and took everything very seriously. She eventually suggested some other remedies that would resolve my issues and I agreed that it would help.
Just to elaborate more, they ensured I was feeling better before I even left the building and even then, I had some follow up questions and the staff and the practitioner I worked with were more than willing to meet with me again and explain and answer my questions.
Overall, very impressed. Even the waiting room is spacious, cooled, and has beautiful art pieces placed on the walls.
Very good experience!

Waiting rooms (imo) have been improving in different types of offices and businesses. With computer systems and customer service being a priority, I’m happy to say that my wait time in waiting rooms has been cut down more than half. It seems like nobody has let this prehistoric clinic into the 21^st century. Expect wait times of two to four fours per visit, and that’s with an appointment. If it wasn’t for my work sending me here, I would never set foot in this place. AVOID!!!

Don’t read all these reviews and believe them! There is a term called «practicing medicine» it’s not perfect. Long waits, welcome to the new health world. My family and I have been going to this place for seven years. My PCP is here. The staff and doctors and PAs are WONDERFUL. I ask that you give them a try. If it’s outside of their scope of work they will not only find you a specialist but make you an appt. DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ!!!

My visit was on a Sunday, I came as a walk-​in. Waiting time: around 3 minutes. Sure, I didn’t have an especially compilcated insurance solution (a.k.a. «self-​paid»), but still, everything went smoothly administration-​wise.
As for the actual medical part: Dr. Elazier is awesome, he was through both in examining the actual problem and its history, all that while being super nice. I got my prescription in a couple of minutes, along with the peace of mind that I was being treated by someone who definitely knows what he was doing.
I imagine most people are merely satisfied and only those write positive reviews who are as impressed as I am?

Since you take all complaints seriously, I would ask you to justify the following situation. I arrived on a Sunday, 18^th with my two children at your urgent care office. Unfortunately, the staff member was not able to verify my insurance on a Sunday (no phone lines, no internet???), so I had to pay $ 140/​child, so I could see this doctor. Your colleague assured me that after the confirmation of insurance I should come back on Monday 19^th to get my refund. I called on Monday and contrary to the agreement I was told that the file was forwarded to the billing department and they will refund me after processing the amount. After the lead receptionist refused to forward my call to you, I was forwarded to the billing. The lady from the billing department assured me that my check will be ready to pick up by Friday 30^th, because you issue those just on Fridays. So, I stopped by today and was informed that no check is there. Is this the way you do business??? I mean, do you think, we as a family of 4 will ever come to your office again??? Do you really think I would recommend your office??? Well, good luck. I wonder if you even answer and take this complaint seriously.

I am new in town and needed immediate care. Despite the bad reviews, I decided to come because it is where my husband went before and it is what my friend recommended. I was not disappointed. I have been with Kaiser Permanente from Los Angeles and has always received prime health care service through them. I was impressed by how fast I was seen and attended to. The staff, although were very busy, were very friendly and accommodating. Dr. Paul Love was the physician assigned to me that day. He was very thorough and I was given treatment and medication prescriptions right away. I was even more surprised the lab results was available right away. Normally, from previous providers, I would suffer in pain for another day because of the wait time for lab results then that’s the only time I get medications.
I don’t know where all these bad reviews are coming from but I guess my point of comparison is the wait time in Los Angeles and how «less» personal the doctors are in LA. I am sure this facility have more happy and satisfied customers than what is reflected here. It is disappointing to see misuse of social media reviewing sometimes. Especially the ones coming from those who are obviously clouded by their emotions over one particular incident about one particular staff.

Dont waste your time or money… I went here because I was in pain for a kidney stone, My Urologist told me to go to the local urgent care to get a xray/​ct scan. First thoughts were good. They sent me to get a CT at another location. Returned back to Urgent care after. This visit was on Sept 22. Signed the paperwork to have the send/​fax my results to my urologist, Week later still no results to Urologist. Friday Oct 10, I went over to office. Asked why my paperwork was never sent. My urologist would not do anything until they got results. I was told by one Frontdesk staff, that The Urologist office called the day before, and I had not signed a release. Which I know very well I did, So I had to complain and one other staff said they would go check my records. As the first staff keep telling me, she knew i didnt sign. Well when the second staff came back, she told me, «we faxed it today». I looked at hte first lady, and said, «how did you do that without a signed release.» Second lady says, there is a release in your file. This place has no clue on what they are doing…

Next time I will go straight to the E. R instead of wasting my time here! This was my first visit and will be the last. I called at 7:30 and asked the receptionist is we were there before closing would they still see my husband. She said yes, that closing time is at 8pm but they allow time to see patients as long as they are in the door by 8. great news! we hopped in the car and raced there. We arrived at 7:50 only to be turned away at the door by another employee because according to her it was past closing time and the doctor had already left. Even after explaining to her my husbands emergency painful situation and that we only went after being assured he would be seen, she shut the door in our face. I am completely disgusted by the lack of empathy. If over the phone i was told we couldn’t be seen then i would have at least saved myself a trip and getting our hopes up that my husband would be seen. I hope both the employees read this review and now that Monday night when they turned my husband away they absolutely proved right all the horrible reviews i have read on here… Anyone out there even considering going to Patients First i strongly suggest you DONT!

I have been going here for a work accident that happened in March. The doctor is amazing and the only time I had a long wait was my initial appointment. I would recommend them for any workman’s comp claim. Remember the doctor’s hands are tied and all decisions rest in the hands, of rhe insurance companies.

I WILL NEVER GO HERE AGAIN!!!
I saw the Dr on Tuesday… «your ankle looks broke, but I can’t tell. I will send to radiologist, call in two days for your results.» So, I call on Thursday… «Radiologist only picks up/​drops off on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call tomorrow.» NOW they won’t give me results over the phone.
Also, Dr tells me to schedule a follow up in five days… He only works on Tuesdays and Thursdays. THEY ARE STUPID!!!
They give me a shot for the pain, which I didn’t need, wrap my foot in a temporary cast… right foot… and wheel to my car.
Wish NO STARS were available!!!

Long wait! I’ve waited over 3 hours!

I do not recommend Patients First for the following reasons:
1. Even if you only have a follow up appointment, you WILL be there for 2 – 3 hours
2. The physical exams are cursory (NOT appropriate or complete)
3. The front office staff are disorganized — if you talk to two different staff members, you will receive two different answers
4. The staff does what is convenient for them rather than meeting the client’s needs
5. After an injury I was referred to Physical Therapy — the referral was not sent for 8 days despite my calling several times — the excuse was «we’re so busy» and told me to call back later if I needed to discuss the matter further.
As a Director of Customer care for 21 years, I give them a D– in customer service. Some front desk staff are discourteous, do not communicate professionally, seem to focus exclusively on the clinic’s needs versus the patient’s needs, and do not take the time to provide informed answers to patient questions, demonstrating the pervasive laissez faire attitude.
The service and care at Patients First has been declining since 2011 — if this was not my employer’s mandated Worker’s Comp provider, I would find a different provider. Save yourself the aggravation and go somewhere that takes care of your needs expeditiously and appropriately.

I will NEVER go here again. After speaking to colleagues at work I’ve learned that I am not the only one who feels this way. While the wait time was not long (maybe 30 min) the care I received from the provider working that day was horrible.
On 12/​29/​2013, a Sunday, I was so sick and in pain that my husband took me to the urgent care. I had gotten sick a couple days prior but was attempting to wait it out till I could see my primary Dr. Unfortunately, after 2 days of not being able to sleep at all I couldn’t take it anymore. The front office staff was very nice, and the young man who did the blood pressure etc was also nice. I explained my symptoms to the Dr and he attempted to tell me to go buy Benadryl. He was extremely rude, not empathetic and it was a complete waste of my time. If the provider is not willing to do his job and actually HELP patients then why stay at this job? The person who wrote a prescription (for a medicine that helped zero– he actually had to go research what to give me? Do more research next time!!) was named Jesus Corral, PAC. Although I’m not sure if that’s the same person I saw because he did not introduce himself, nor come back in the exam room to give me the prescription.
On Tuesday when I returned to work I spoke with several other people who stated they had the same issues with this exact person. Rude, unhelpful and not willing to listen to the patient. The name of their clinic is Patients First– I completely disagree with the name. I am writing a letter to the clinic about this provider. I am obviously not the first person to complain about him, so they need to rethink what kind of «care» they are providing to patients.
The only good thing I can say about this experience is that at least I have good insurance. As a county employee I have anthem blue cross and only had to pay $ 15. Money down the drain– but I can only imagine how others feel paying more money.
Horrible!

After my first visit, I loved it here. My next visit, I was an hour early for my appt so they treated me as a walkin and I waited for an hour past my appt time. After waiting two hours my opinion of this place fell. Especially since they took in Walk-​ins that came in after me. The dr is very knowledgable. He works quickly. I came back again for a follow up and only had to wait 30 minutes past my appt time. I’m not too turned off yet that I won’t come back. It definitely beats anything available in Atwater.

I can not speak to the negative reviews here, I can only say that for the several times I have used Patients First, they have been very professional and helpful. In fact my most recent visit there, Dr. Elazier was absolutely fantastic! It is not often you can receive treatment from a Tufts University educated Doctor at an urgent care clinic! Subtract a half a star if your a walk in (they take appointments), as you may have to wait awhile depending on how busy they are.

Workmans comp insurance doctors.
Disorganized staff who lacks communication.
Wait times are not too long.
Not impressed and not disappointed. Eh

Terrible clinic. My 6 year old son had a terrible cough that wouldn’t go away for about 5 days and he started to run a fever of about 102. I took him to this cliic and he saw Dr Mehrabon (sp?) who said it could be allergy related and the cough was caused by drainage from his sinuses. He recommended a cough syrup and that we come back in a week. The symptoms got worse, fevers were frequent, the coughing was so bad he would vomit. Went back to the «doctor» who said it was drainage, might need anitibiotics, but changed his mind and sent us off again. 3 days later, still with fever, chills, vomiting, cough, no sleep, loss of appetite, we went to a real doctor who instantly ordered a chest x-​ray. He was then diagnosed with a SEVERE case of pneumonia with the possibility of being hospitalized. He got 2 huge shots, prescriptions for antibiotics, and when bloodwork indicated that the infection was BAD, he got another round of shots the following day. Absolutely ridiculous that this so-​called doctor at patient’s first could possibly think that almost two weeks of fever, vomiting and cough was allergies or just drainage. I will tell every person I know to stay away from this clinic! They have not heard the end of this from me.