The reviews are in!

The Good, The Bad, and The Funny: Recent Patient Reviews

I am listing eighteen recent consecutive patient reviews of my practice, as I think they provide a pretty good sense of our priorities as a practice, including not just my own personal approach to patients, but also the committment of my entire team to our endeavor.  (Why “eighteen”?  Because a new tool we have piloted for getting patient feedback only presented me with 18 results!)

1. He is the best!

Doctor’s Comment: Thank you!  One important point not mentioned is that my staff is exceptionally caring and sets the tone for excellent relationships with patients.

2. He is great. I even want to go back just to see him. I mean, he is an amazing doctor and he cares about his patients whoever they are.

Doctor’s Comment: If you come back, bring cookies! We see patients in numerous offices, and from numerous socioeconomic statuses, and we treat all patients with dignity and respect.  Some patients have serious problems that can affect function, form, and even life.  Others have a small bump on their eyelid that bothers them. Others want to look more refreshed. It doesn’t matter which specific problem is being presented by the patient; whatever the problem, it is the most important issue in the room.

3.The time he took was good, however, I was there for a specific concern, and felt like the entire office was only focused on “upselling” cosmetic surgical procedures that really didn’t apply.

Doctor’s Comment: It is always upsetting to fail to connect with a patient and to have them leave unhappy.  I am not sure exactly the circumstances around this review, but I suspect that this patient had a perceived “medical” problem that I considered cosmetic.  This is a fine line in communication, and apparently I was not successful in this instance. I do talk with patients about cosmetic procedures.  I also am very frank about what insurance pays for, and what it doesn’t, and I cannot compromise on that because all surgeons like myself get audited by the federal government to make sure that unnecessary surgery is not being done and billed to insurance. In terms of the “upsell”, I have to chuckle a little bit, because I probably talk three times as many people out of surgery as I talk into surgery!

4. Dr. Walrath is very comfortable in what he does. The surgery he did uncovered another very serious condition. He explained it in very simple terms. He urged me to contact my oncologist. I had and MRI…. this confirmed his original diagnosis. I have received 14 radiation treatments for ocular lymphoma and am now waiting to have a followup MRI to see the results of the treatment. Plus…. the eye lid surgery was done without a flaw.     

Doctor’s Comment: I do take care of very serious disease, in addition to more routine surgical problems.  The benefit of training with excellent mentors and role models at Columbia and Emory has prepared me to take care of a wide breadth of disorders confidently.

5. Great  

Doctor’s Comment: I would suggest that this implicates the entire experience, from front desk to medical technicians to coordinators.

6. A very nice, caring physician. 

Doctor’s Comment: Yay!

7. I anticipated one visit to look at the problem and another to take care of it. Everything was done in one visit and I really appreciated that. Also, the staff supporting Dr. Walrath is a very visible part of an excellent team approach. 

Doctor’s Comment: Go team!  Also, we try to offer a valuable service, and we like to solve problems.  Truth be told, our practice could bill 25% more if we took care of this patient in TWO visits.  But that undercuts our mission to provide excellent and efficient care, to the degree that we would like our own families to have.

8. Dr. Walrath is an amazing man. He is a gifted surgeon and a definite people person always ready to take time with us and share a laugh too.

Doctor’s Comment: As the reader might start to see, we LOVE what we do. This translates into very good relationships with the vast majority of our patients.

9. While I didn’t like the news, I received. He explained what steps were needed to correct my problem.   

Doctor’s Comment: Again, we take care of “real” disease as well as cosmetic problems.

10. Because of the services I received, I have referred 2 others to Dr. Walrath.

Doctor’s Comment: Thanks!

11. The results from my association with your practice have been amazing. I recommend you at each opportunity when the subject arises. God Bless and a Merry Christmas to you all. 

Doctor’s Comment: Thanks!

12. Dr. Walrath is an excellent doctor. I was impressed that he called me himself to check on how I was doing after my surgery.

Doctor’s Comment: It is my goal to call all patients within 24-48 hours personally after surgery to review progress and answer questions.

13.Dr. Walrath is an outstanding professional to whom I have referred many people since my visit. His office staff and surgical coordinator, Angelica. is outstanding too. They are not only professional, but caring and helpful and take whatever amount of time necessary to respond to patient questions and concerns. They go far beyond what is expected. I’m sure this attitude is cultivated by Dr. Walrath. I have been totally impressed and am spreading the word to friends and colleagues.    

Doctor’s Comment: Go team!

14. I love him singing it is comforting but please tell him he should keep his day job ??   

Doctor’s Comment: Ouch!

15. Especially pleased & surprised to get a follow up call the morning after surgery from the doctor…not from his staff!!!    

Doctor’s Comment:  I usually call postops on my cell phone so that easily call me back if they need to.

16. Dr Walrath is a very good and caring doctor. He took all the time he needed to explain what he was going to do and what my recovery time and results should be. He has very good bed side manners for a doctor. I will recommend him highly to anyone who has need for an eye surgeon.

Doctor’s Comment: Thanks!

17. Had a terrible time with the prescriptions, the pharmacy, and trying to get straightened out by calling doctor office. Everything was so unclear.    

Doctor’s Comment: So sorry!  I presume this has been taken care of!

18. Dr. Walrath is very experienced and personable. He is one of the few doctors I have met over the last 4 years that I felt immediately at ease with and confident in. He takes the time to make sure you fully understand your condition, any procedures you will be having, and after care. I have already recommended him and will do so again. Thank you Dr. Walrath for even making the surgery an interesting experience rather than a scary one!    

Doctor’s Comment: As you can see, we spend a lot of time not only working to provide the best quality care and surgery, but also striving to put patients at ease.