I recently needed to switch physicians after my Primary care doctor moved to a new location that was too far away for me to drive. I found the Providence Physicians group and Dr. Vandermeer was recommended to me.
My first visit with Doc Vandermeer was ok it was a meet and greet and refill of basic scripts and blood work. When I received to blood work back in the mail Dr. Vandermeer sent a new script in the mail for a new drug for a condition that I was un-aware of. I left a message for him to contact me and received no calls back. I wanted to know why I needed this new drug and have him explain it to me. I received no calls in response to my inquiry. I did not fill the script I wanted some sort of consult before I would take a drug that would could interact with medications that I was currently taking. That was my first negative with this Doctor.
I have a chronic back problem and every 6 months or so it acts up. It requires Physical Therapy and large doses of Vicidan or some sort of pain reliever such as that. Dr. Vandermeer listens to my story flipped through my file which I have transferred to him from my last doctor and asked how I managed it in the past. He made me bend over walk around and made a decision to give the lowest dosage of pain meds I have ever taken. I didn't notice what he had given me until after I picked up the script. The dosage was half that of what I had been taking on and off for 20 years.
I called Dr. Vandermeer and explained the situation to his nurse, I told her the pain is increasing and it is no longer in same place as before. I explained that I was doing the PT and the back was feeling great but the pain was coming from deep in my hip, he refused to increase the dosage and referred me to another Doctor in something called Physical Medicine. I was out of pain relievers and the nurse was mailing me his recommendations. I called him back on 4/8 at 3PM and a nurse from another Physical called me back at 5 PM to tell me that he had left for the day and ignored the message I left earlier. I contacted his office again on 4/9, Dr. Vandermeers nurse informed me that he refused to fill the script properly. I am terminating my relationship with him effective today.
I am in constant pain. My Physical Therapist is sure the problem is not my back and seems to think it could be a whole new issue with my hip and knee.
When DR. Vandermeer knew the issue was not my back he should have made the decision to see me again and do a complete exam to reassess my injury. At the very least he should have made me comfortable enough to allow me to sleep at night and continue to work.
I feel that Dr. Vandermeer thinks I am some sort of Drug addict looking for him to be my dealer. This is wrong. As a physician it is his responsibility to thoroughly assess my needs and make a clear decision as to how to treat it. He made no attempts to do this in my case. I am in pain and looking for a new Primary care doctor. He is a Doc in the Box, wishing to make his money without a care for the human he is in charge of caring for.
I will loose work hours and Sleep. I will be in pain until we find out what is really wrong with my hip and knee and any money I have paid him for his services are wasted.
