Richard Mitchell23 days agoFrom
Although I'd give Dr. Ichikawa 4 or 5 stars for his bedside manner - and his competence too (though I'm not a good judge), I have to give UW Medicine Foot & Ankle (Podiatry) a one star because of their horrific delays in scheduling.
I called to schedule an appointment for terrible plantar fasciatis pain (the kind that in the middle of the night could rate a 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 - 10 ... couldn't walk without holding on to something) - it took:
6+ weeks to get a first appointment
5+ weeks to get the call that the orthodics were in (despite providing them with my prior foot molds it took 5+ weeks to get the orthodics made)
3+ weeks to get the appointment to pick up the orthodics and get them fitted to my shoes.
15 weeks total - This is insane and extremely poor performance on the part of UW Medicine! Having to live with foot pain for 15 weeks without resolution is crazy!!
Why couldn't they at least have scheduled the follow-up "fitting" AT THE TIME THE ORTHODICS WERE ORDERED??
WHY THE HUGE DELAY?
I'm not at all impressed with UW Medicine's sense of urgency or patient care in this case, and it is very tempting to change providers at this time.
Michelle West23 days agoFrom
Yesterday was undoubtedly one of the absolute best experiences I have ever had, not only with a physician, but their entire team. From the first phone call with the scheduler (Tina) who got us in on the same day (and came out to meet us so we could thank her); to the customer service person who checked me in (Tarya), whose exuberant personality and attitude should be a model for others; to the nurse (Nancy) who was an absolute pleasure; to Dr. Ichikawa, who introduced himself as "Doug". He had a terrific sense of humor and bedside manor; delicately, yet swiftly, performed my procedure, all the while chatting me up and distracting me. He took the time to review my history, evaluate the cause, explain treatment options, both for the day, as well as future options. I am so grateful for being treated with such attentive and informed service from beginning to end. Without hesitation, I will return to Dr. Ichikawa's office in the future and will highly recommend he and his team without reservation.
R. L. Stroud23 days agoFrom
Yes, the Univ. of WA physicians scheduling is insane, but they do a fabulous job of diagnosing problems. Dr. Ichikawa's demeanor is kind and understanding, which is a rarity these days. His care team is likewise very pleasant. But the loss of one star is totally the UW's scheduling and administration. They now offer to call you back of their call center is busy but tell you their robo-caller will only try once, and if it gets a busy signal, it won't try again. The Huskies even have arrogant robotics (btw, I'm a Husky--I can say that).
