Dermatology Northwest

in the past month there has been a high turnover in receptionists. i booked an appt with one guy on the phone, when i showed up two weeks later it was another guy, and now there’s some girl working the phones now. the girl readily indicated there used to be another guy working but now she is. this is all in the span of two months.
also, they charge a $ 50 no show fee. i just — as soon as i got off the phone — checked my voicemail and i did NOT receive any phone call reminder even though the receptionist claimed i did, nor did i answer any phone call from their office this week. Whether this was because of some turnover in receptionists, it doesn’t matter. I should have received a monday or tuesday phone call which is a standard day or two prior to appt phone call reminder. I get it the whole no show fee but in this day and age it is courtesy of any medical office to call with a reminder or send an email. the only phone call i got was to indicate, «oh you haven’t shown up. pls reschedule.»
in addition, the new receptionist has no clue about some billing issue and the previous receptionist had not updated my proper address. She was only was able to indicate i have an additional fee, had no idea why, and gave me some 866 number to call. She did not give me any reference number for the account on the bill, or anything, so I could indicate to insurance what i was calling about other than for «tina finesmith office». furthermore, when i asked her about the situation she had tina right there feeding her the answer. I could hear the whole thing go down. it was so unprofessional. she also kept saying, «i have patients to take care of.» This to me indicates, my questions aren’t actually a concern for her or the derm. You should know why I was billed.
Honestly, I think they overbook this business, as the previous receptionist told me they book the appt in 15 minute increments. that is clearly not enough time to really consider your patient in most cases if you’re really going to listen to what someone has to say. Not only in this type of billing/​address scenario but also in other cases.
all in all, high turnover in reception, presumably overbooked (since they cannot even sit and answer questions about their practice) and not informed about billing probably earns this business a 2. maybe less, if you consider the demeanor of the dermatologist. I would agree with a lot of the reviews of her demeanor, for better or worse. some say no muss no fuss. others say abrasive. i had no issues with how she treated me until today when her practice as a whole was a huge let down. if your doc’s attitude is something to consider. consider it here.

Dr. Finesmith is a professional. She knows what she is doing and does it. No muss no fuss. She has taken care of my moles and skin tags. I will continue to have her take care of me. Her location in Ballard is easy to get to and there is often street parking.

I made an appointment with Dr. Finesmith without reading the reviews. When I looked her up on Unilocal,I almost cancelled my appointment for fear that I would have the same experience that I have at other dermatologists. But, I forgot to cancel the appointment before I would have been charged for a missed appointment, so I ended up going.
Let me say, I am glad I did! I was cursed with a mix of my parents bad skin issues, and thus have several small blemishes on my nose and forehead that I just don’t like. I have wasted too many hours and co-​pays going to dermatologists only to be dismissed because I wanted a procedure done that was not medically necessary. I fully expect that I will pay out of pocket to have these blemishes removed, and I know that they are not causing me harm, and I know that most people don’t even notice them, but I do and I feel self conscious about them. I want them off my face.
Not only was Dr. Finesmith friendly and even a tad funny, but she understood my plight. Yeah, I don’t need to have these blemishes removed, but I want them removed and its not going to cause me harm to do so. I appreciated not having to explain myself or negotiate with her. She looked at the spots, told me what they were and how she would go about removing them.
What I did notice about Dr. Finesmith is that she is very orderly, efficient and punctual. She is also very knowledgeable about her field. We talked about a medication I had taken over 10 years ago that most doctors don’t even seem to know what it is, but she had very detailed information about the medication (which is no longer used) and why she does not/​did not prescribe it.
Anyway, I was very pleased with Dr. Finesmith and have already scheduled a second appointment.

I am recently returning to Dr. Finesmith and must say… I’m glad to be back. I really appreciate that she’s direct and no-​nonsense. I don’t need nice. nice from a Doc… I need straightforward information and results. So many folks on here are complaining, and while I agree that she’s not warm & fuzzy, she IS highly competent. I suspect that folks misinterpret her being an introvert for her being cold.
We had a good laugh together because, with the hot weather, I was wearing stretch capris (sans panties)… and oops… I needed to show her a spot on my thigh and as I apologized for no undies, she said «I just don’t know how folks can go commando!» She didn’t make me feel like a jerk, which she could have done in a flash. Anyway, I feel at ease knowing that she’ll be looking after my moles and rashy bits, and will work toward a full resolution of my issues.

If you need an efficient and knowledgeable dermatologist, Dr. Finesmith is who you want. If you want someone to hold your hand and ignore problems you are causing or contributing to, you might want to look elsewhere. Finesmith is honest and straightforward. She is a professional and one of the best. I’ve been going to her for a couple of years and recommend her highly.

Tina Finesmith, M.D. doesn’t bother with pleasantries, has an abrasive personality, and doesn’t care about her patients.
My visit was a complete waste of time and money. She dismissed my concern and said that it was out of my hands — which makes her completely useless as a doctor.
I asked, «What could potentially help?» She answered, «Nada.» Hell, even if I was dying in 3 months, a doc would at least suggest some palliative care. There’s always *something* to be done and she just didn’t care enough to talk to me.
I do not recommend Tina Finesmith, M.D.

I took my 4 year old in for a patch of discolored bumpy skin on her face since our pediatrician recommended we see a dermatologist for it during her yearly checkup. An easily visible spot, Dr. Finesmith had to use both special glasses and a magnifying glass to see and then told me she didn’t see anything. I questioned how she could not see ANYTHING and then she said, «well, I do see a brown spot, but that doesn’t’ concern me». I felt kind of dumb and had to ask several questions to get her to open up about what she thought it was and what I should do. A truly weird experience. On top of that, she didn’t introduce herself to us. She walked out into the waiting room and didn’t call my daughters or my name and just expected us to know she was waiting to take us back. My husband and 1 year old walked back with us and she stopped in front of the exam room asking if we were all going in with a troubled tone. It was a large exam room too! Her social skills are very odd and lacking, I kind of suspect an undiagnosed spectrum disorder (not to be mean, but it would make a lot of sense).

I have been to her once, and I would recommend her to all of my friends. She is professional and terrific.

Negative stars!
Highly unhappy after one apt. with Dr. Finesmith and will never go back again. My visit was in ⁷⁄₂₀₁₄.
No bedside manner, was in a rush to get me out the door and was Completely misleading as she specifically informed me that there would be no addition charge for a 5 second «procedure» she convinced me to do.
To my surprise when I eventually find out I have a $ 170.00 bill with her office. I was expecting a $ 20 copayment and that would be it.
Blatantly lied to and Dermatology Northwest and Dr. Tina Finesmith and completely unwilling to discuss the issue — «balance is due, as is». Would not recommend wasting your time or energy here. The only way she can make money is to be dishonest to her patients.

I find her to have a horrible bedside manner. She was very condescending, scoffing at me when I stated that SOMETIMES I go out in the sun with sunscreen mind you. I do have a life and enjoy nature for goodness sake. She also condescended me again during my visit regarding something stupid about chocolate. Keep your judgments to yourself doc. It must be hard to be you but don’t take it out on your patients who provide you your financial comforts. Will not go back there again and I wish I could regain that 15 minutes of my life back.

I wish I could give ZERO stars!
I visited Dr. Finesmith for recently-​occurring adult acne.
She gave me 3 options a topical treatment, antibiotics, or a hormone pill. I didn’t want to swallow anything so I opted for the topical cream. When I went to pick up my prescription I found out my copay (yes after insurance) would be over $ 200 for the cream… I don’t think I can pay such an outrageous price for acne! So I hoped the acne would go away, as I normally don’t get more than 1 or 2… But it didn’t.
So I called the doctor back and asked if she can give me the prescription for the antibiotic, as I clearly cannot afford the cream… Her assistant tells me that I have to come in again for check-​up, and they cannot prescribe me anything until I do… As far as I’m concerned, I have already visited the doctor for this very common concern, and the only reason I can think that she needs to see me again is that she’s having hard time keeping her appointment book full enough.
These are the kinds of doctors that give bad reputation to the field.

Dr Finesmith solved an issue I’d been dealing with for years and had seen numerous other clueless doctors about. She knows her stuff and is very practical. She may be a little abrupt but she is actually quite nice when casually conversing.

WIsh I saw reviews like everyone else. I saw Dr. Finesmith for a lingering, annoying skin problem on my hand. Previously I was told it was fungal (due to a test) and was doing over-​the counter treatments as recommended by a Zoomecare doc. Well it never went away so I went to a specialist.
She spent a total of 5 minutes looking at my finger. Didn’t bother taking a sample or even checking it out. Instead she tells me to take my shoes and socks off. I was guessing this was because I was telling her about how my feet dry out and crack in the summer (which has been nothing other than me putting cream on them and feeling fine). She then takes a sample of my feet and runs THAT through the microscope. All I wanted was some cream for my finger!
Doc comes back with a sample of some foam and says I have athlete’s foot. Wow… never experienced that. I asked her about my finger and she said she’d just give me some moisturizer. She recommends the same foam sample for my skin which is new and really good according to her.
I humor her and take both prescriptions and head to the pharmacy. The skin cream costs me 20 bucks. I was expecting $ 50 but hey score. The foam? $ 350! Yeah, $ 350 for a medication on a skin condition I wasn’t even seeing her about and never had complications with. I told the pharmacist to give me my cream and left the foam there.
Granted the medication works pretty well for what I came in with, but this shoving drugs down and overexamining crap was ridiculous. Not to mention prescribing me drugs I can’t afford for conditions that are not affecting my quality of life. I think she has a quota or a stake in the company which is why she’s shoving athlete’s foot cream down everyone’s throats.
Stay away from this quack.

I have pretty bad acne when untreated, but Dr Finesmith knows exactly what to do about it. Thanks to her my skin looks great! She’s a great listener and gets to the point right away when I talk to her. I started seeing her awhile back (maybe 2009?) and I won’t see anyone else for my skin problems. I highly recommend Dr. Finesmith!

I have been going to Dr, Finesmith for three years and my experience has been okay. Every time I have an appt, I wait at least 15 minutes past my scheduled time because she consistently runs late. Once, I waited 50 minutes and had to leave because it was just too long. I have suggested twice that it seems her appt times need to be longer since she takes longer with no improvement. I have also seen her for the same thing three times and it is still not resolved. I’ll be looking for another dermatologist and not seeing Dr. Finesmith again.

I am surprised by all the one star reviews. I did have some difficulty scheduling with Dr. F but, she called me herself after I left a c/​b message several weeks after her canceling our appointment. When have you ever had the doctor call you back?
As for the comment about a different receptionist, my GP has gone through more staff than imaginable in the seven years I’ve seen him but, that seems to be the nature of the «beast» but, the constant turnover can be a grind for billing, etc. I must say if he wasn’t such a good GP and I didn’t LOVE the nurse practitioner that I see 99% of the time when I go, I would leave, but that’s another Unilocal.
I don’t see Dr. F «regularly» so turn over isn’t an issue and they did find my year old file quickly when I called in.
I took a full written list of issues and Dr. Finesmith went through each of them with me efficiently and I didn’t feel rushed or like I was «taking up» too much of her time.
She was also right on time, and very matter of fact but, not cold or clinical.
I found her «just right» in Goldilocks speak.
I’ll be returning for a procedure this week and will update accordingly if necessary.
She’s a licensed, trained professional folks, not your new BFF!

Poor business practices — THIS IS HOW PEOPLE MESS WITH YOUR CREDIT SCORE:
After I received my statement from the insurance company, I called to ask why I had not received a bill from the doctor. I was told (after 3 months of calling Trina, the billing specialist, and receiving little or no response) that I owed nothing per Cindy, the receptionist. Then, 8 months later, I received a bill for the difference. Shelly, the new billing specialist, & Cindy repeatedly stated that they did not know what the insurance would pay until March (7 months after the original visit). I found that odd, since I called & told them in October after I received the original statement. Trina & Shelly were quite rude throughout the process and Cindy was frequently «mistaken» about information. After going back & forth for 6 months, the doctor refused to write off the $ 70 and change for HER OFFICES MISTAKES!
After finally complaining numerous times and going back and forth another month, Dr. Finesmith finally did write off the charge.
To be fair, I did find her actual work to be good and above par — in contrast with what some of the other reviews say. Unless she changes her billing services, however, I just can’t see it worth the nonsense.

I wish I had looked Dr. Finesmith up here on Unilocal before I made an appointment with her. I’ve been a patient of hers for about 6 months, & finally had the guts to chew her out for it & leave her. She is not a good doctor. I won’t be going back.
The most noticeable problem with Dr. Finesmith is her bedside manner. She is curt at best, condescending & rude at worst. She does not put a nervous or frustrated patient at ease. For me, this is crucial, as I am a very anxious person, & she did nothing at all to alleviate my anxiety. Many times, she has refused to speak with me directly, instead channeled her messages through her (very kind, totally blameless) receptionist. I’d prefer to speak directly to my doctor about my own health, especially when I can hear her conversing with her receptionist in the next room.
Also problematic is her unwillingness to go out of her way (even a tiny bit!) for a patient, or admit her own errors. Without going into too much detail, I have a chronic condition that has required me to visit her once a month & also requires a lot of administrative work and paperwork. Nothing too complicated, but enough that her unwillingness to be cooperative ended up being huge inconveniences for me. A small paperwork error on my end could mean not getting my prescription for another week. She repeatedly forgot to call in my prescriptions or my lab tests, & was not responsive when I made her aware of my frustrations.
Finally, Dr. Finesmith made a horrible, insensitive, & unprofessional comment about my family history of mental illness. I was shocked to hear someone say something like that & left her office in tears that day.
It is absolutely not worth it to see this doctor. Do not go if you don’t have to.

This might be one of my shortest reviews. Finesmith is a timely physician with a no nonsense bedside manner. Some might find her cold but I find her pleasant and efficient. I haven’t had any difficulties during visits nor have I had to wait more than 5 – 10 minutes for my appointments with her. Parking is pretty easy and when you’re done, you can walk to Monkey Bridge for a spot of lunch!

As a dermatologist, Dr. Finesmith is mediocre at best. She tried to be understanding of my financial situation and about the fact that I had to pay for my own insurance, but, at the same time, she was very dismissive of my particular needs. Basically, she prescribed Retin-​A for me, because it was the cheapest option, but wasn’t interested in listening to my concerns about it. Since I’d been suffering from serious polycystic acne for over a decade, Retin-​A had become little more than a placebo. The only reason I’m not giving her one star is that I want to give her the benefit of the doubt that she was really trying to accommodate my financial situation, but it really wouldn’t surprise me if she sincerely doesn’t know how to treat serious acne. I ultimately found an over-​the-​counter treatment that was significantly better than Retin-​A at least, so I didn’t bother returning.
At the time I was pretty bad about paying bills on time, usually waiting until the last chance warning to get around to it. Dr. Finesmith’s office sent my bill to collections only three months after the appointment, which is their right, but I had sent a check only a couple of days too late. Proving to the collections agency that I had paid was a major pain, and it was highly unprofessional of Dr. Finesmith and her staff to cash the check and not contact me or the collections agency to rectify the situation.