Pediatric Orthopedic Associates - Stephanie S Martin

My appointment was at 8:30am with Steven Schulenborg at Pediatric Orthopedic Associates because my son broke a bone in his wrist. We sat for over an hour and waited for Steven. He chose to see the whyte clients whose appointments were at 9:30 and 10:00am and we were told to just wait. This place is not for African Americans! I was pushed aside and felt as if I was treated like an African American during segregation.

The "privilege"I experienced here is real. In my opinion, Steven and Pediatric Orthopedic Associates doesn't have to worry about getting my black money or my black business.

Had an absolutely fabulous experience here. The doctor was incredible with my young daughter. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. We were in and out in less than an hour, with a boot for my daughter's foot. I highly recommend this practice. We loved Dr Bayer and our x-ray technician

Terrible practice. Was able to get a same day appt. Dr looked at the knee and wouldn't make a diagnosis, but wanted an MRI. The scheduler from their office is supposed to call you to schedule the MRI. Several days later and several phone calls I have made to them, I only get a voicemail and no one returns the calls. They never returned my call or initiated a call to schedule the MRI and I was never able to get anyone on the phone to schedule it, only voicemail.

I wish I had read the reviews before because now I am scared of what might await at billing time. So basically, I paid for a visit for my daughter with no diagnosis and no more information than what I originally had before seeing them and now I have to pay for an office visit and find another ortho to look at her knee. They never called me back to schedule the MRI!

Dr Pendleton and his staff are amazing. My complaint is with the front desk. My child's cast cost $12 that wasn't covered by insurance. I paid with cash, declined a receipt because of the low amount. Months later I started getting calls claiming that I owed the $12. I explained to every person who called that I paid it. What dr's office lets you leave without paying? NONE.

I thought the issue was resolved until I got a letter from a collection agency. I finally just broke down and paid again because I don't want $12 to effect my credit. My advice, get a receipt, no matter how low the amount.

Okay- YIKES. I've never been to a doctor's office where the doctor walks into your room to openly converse about another patient while the nurse is wrapping your child's cast. I was also disturbed by how casually rude the doctor was- I'm assuming this is the norm? The place depressing. The walls and table were scuffed and dirty.

The receptionist and doctor were sloppy and inconsiderate. They told me they were giving my daughter a cast but gave me no information about how we should care for it. The nurse told me to search for a YouTube video. At least she tried. She was very nice compared to everyone else. I hope she finds a better job. Anyway- this was a no for me. I'll schedule my three week appointment somewhere else.

I am more than dissatisfied with this group. We have seen Dr Thomas Byers, who is fantastic, but the system used to schedule, reschedule or cancel an appointment is terrible. You cannot get someone on the phone if you desire to speak to a live person. When calling the office, you have to wait through a lengthy automated message and still never get the opportunity to select "operator" or "associate" or any other option to talk with a live person.

Its only set up for car check in. I had to reschedule an appointment that I made on-line because I could not speak to someone. The online system would not let me reschedule. After several attempts to call the office to reschedule the appointment, I had to wait until after hours and finally got through to a live person but it was the after-hours answering service.

I told them I wanted to cancel the appointment because I was so frustrated, which she assured me she did. The day following the scheduled appointment, I got a text message saying I had missed the appointment and needed to call the office to avoid no-show fees. So I called the number included in the text and AGAIN, could not get a live person on the phone.

It took me several tries, to finally talk with someone and she was nothing more than the car check-in person - having no authority and no ability to answer my questions, determine if I was going to get a no-show charge, etc. This office has gone off the deep-end regarding the COVID procedures and provides the worst possible system I have ever experienced. Dr Byers - we loved you and I would happily bring my 2 highly athletic children to you - but we will opt for another doctor with whom I can call the office number and actually talk to a live person. Should you decide to leave this practice and go to a more human friendly practice, please let us know. I cannot recommend this place to anyone for any reason.

First, your billing office or billing person is trash. Your "policy" for collecting a deposit first is trash. Your "policy" also states that you can collect on my insurance but then you state that the contract is between me and my insurance company. So you take it upon yourselves to try and collect or get us to meet our deductible. It seems to be all about money and not about patient care.

You treat people as if they don't have insurance and my son has really good insurance. Calling patients the day of to tell them that they have to pay an extreme amount of money should be illegal. You should give people a little more time. Second, your front desk clerk is not that friendly or approachable. When you are dealing with pediatric patients you should be overly friendly especially when some of them come in with broken bones or fractures. Third, for me to have to pay that extreme amount of money and the doctor come in not even touch my son but tell him he pretty much can't do anything until the next visit didn't make much since.

The ER gave us more info than that physician. I work with doctors and in billing everyday so I know all about patient care. This complaint is not going to stop here. Last the communication is terrible and I can't get over how the staff seems to turn there nose up at you like we are beneath you guys. I am blown away by this place.

I have spent over $2K here. The billing is not transparent and so so confusing. I am self pay and also wanted a straightforward cost on visits, x-rays etc. They were off by about $500, which is a big deal. They're one of the rare offices I know that make you pay for everything up front, including deposits for x-rays and then they will refund your credit card if it's not needed.

It is madness. Here's a tip for those running the office, how about you actually let the people go to the appointment and then they pay at the end for what they did get done? Revolutionary, I know. The lady that calls beforehand to remind you of appointments and money that is outstanding, is so confusing, and not extremely kind. There is a disconnect between their web pay system and their records. if you pay a bill on the web, it doesn't get transferred over to their service sometimes.

So you end up getting calls from their staff saying that you are outstanding on a balance, when in fact, you have paid it. The doctors that I have seen at this practice have minimal bedside manners. It's not often that they actually sit down and take time with you. The average time to wait is about an hour, and the average time they spend with you is 5 minutes tops, not including the time for the assistants to put on/take off casting material. Please consider another group to send your child. There are cheaper/better places out there.

I have been put through the ringer just to get an appoint with the podiatrist on staff for my 8-yr old. Finally get an appt and take the day off work only to receive a call the night before that his appt has been cancelled and the front desk can't tell me why, other than to say they are not sure if the doctor is going to come in so all of her patients have been cancelled. Unacceptable customer service. Shouldn't be this hard.

I cannot express enough how wonderful the group is at the Executive Park Office. We have (unfortunately) seen quite a bit of Dr. Byars and the PA Edward Boos. Both are truly the best health care providers we have encountered in a long time. Dr. Byars goes above and beyond to make sure my children are diagnosed correctly and getting the care they need to get better.

He is friendly and caring and knows how to interact with the parents and the kids. We made the mistake of going elsewhere for a couple of injuries, and were so glad to find Dr. Byars! My son saw Edward Boos for some follow up appointments and he did a wonderful job relating to my son and keeping him at ease while he did a thorough examination. This team is unbeatable.

I really like Dr. Byars, as does my son. However, the office visit policies leave little to be desired. My son was diagnosed with a condition here and prescribed meds. And although that condition will not go away, I cannot get a refill of the same medication without taking him in for a visit. I guess since they won't get paid for the office visit by just calling in the script, they won't do it. Really disappointing. And please don't bother responding to me here for public appearances, because when I asked for assistance for my child, you couldn't assist me.

Dr. Boos is always a delight! He's not only welcoming, he's truly concerned about your child's health and wellbeing. He makes each visit a pleasure and not a chore. He even puts a smile on my two year old daughter's face and she's not even the patient! He's a keeper!

Dr Duxberry done our daughters surgery and he is awesome. He moved, so we now have Dr Oswald. He is great as well. Don't understand the wait time though. We live 2hrs away and would be nice to get seen in a timely manner. Other than that, thank you. The lady up front needs to be more friendly or at least put a smile on her face.

I was able to schedule a late afternoon appointment for my son instead of having to check him out of school early. I really appreciated that. Plus, the office visit was quick and we didn't have to wait for the doctor too long. The only improvement I would suggest is to have signage as to exactly where the building is.

I wish I had read the reviews of this office before i brought my 4 year old daughter in for a check up. Obviously there is a trend here when it comes to their billing department! Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! Do not go here! Find another pediatric ortho! I have no issue with paid professionals being paid what they are owed but when a medical practice such as this one takes advantage of their patients and bills them inappropriately they should be shut down.

Terrible communication. Terrible customer service. A total racket. I was told one thing about the cost of my daughter's check up before I came in for an appointment, I was very specific in asking how much an exam and x-Ray would cost. I was told $150. We do not have insurance, we are on a Christian based sharing health plan so the first several thousand is all out of pocket.

I asked the receptionist and the lady over the phone several times exactly how much the exam would be. A month later I received a bill for an exorbitant amount ( keep in mind the doctor saw us for all of 2 minutes and we got one x-Ray). thankfully my daughters hip healed naturally everything is totally fine. The lady in billing told me they didn't know how much it would be until the doctor was done with the exam. so wait, they have no idea how much an exam and x-Ray costs!? Isn't this what they do everyday?

She also explained that the lady at the front desk told me the $150 was just the "deposit" which was absolutely NOT explained. My question was specifically how much will the appointment cost. I made it clear I was self pay. I hope if you are reading this and debating on what doctor to go to this is helpful. Be cautious because the way this practice is conducting business is misleading and lacking integrity.

Also Zero follow up from the doctor. In truth we felt like a number. The only positive was the radiologist who took my daughters x-Ray was very sweet and helped her relax before she took it. To the doctor who likes to respond to these negative reviews: perhaps instead of spending so much time on yelp defending your position and explaining yourself to so many pissed off parents you should work on running a more transparent, helpful Orthopaedic practice where you take some of this feedback to heart and make changes to better serve your patients who are looking to you for help.

Their billing system is a mess. They sent the same bill several times, though i already paid at the office at the first visit and called the billing center every time I receive the same bill. The worst thing was that the billing center staff was very rude. It's their system problem, but she didn't apologize and very rude and impatient. Very very disappointed "service".

Dr. Oswald is amazing. Our family Is forever grateful for the work he did on our teenage son. He had Spinal Fusion done. He will have more work done in the future but we couldn't be happier. Would recommend him to anyone!

Horrible, predatory company. Agree with other people's frustrations on their intentional mis-coding items for profit. They required a $300 deposit before even seeing my son for a potential broken toe. He saw a PA, not a doctor, had X-rays and was dismissed with a "buddy tape" job worse than the one I had already done. I received the EOB from our insurance company stating that I should only be responsible for $242.

I contacted them about the overcharge and they agreed to request a refund for me and it will be processed in 10-12 weeks! They mandated I hand over my hard earned money before even seeing my son, but feel it appropriate to keep money they owe me for 3 months. Unbelievable. I will never visit them again, and I highly discourage anyone else from seeing them.

We had an 830am appointment, having my daughter miss her first class of the day. By 935am we were still sitting in the room waiting on the doctor. There was no one else in the building besides us and 1 other patient when we arrived. We walked out. She is in all AP courses and cannot miss class because they overbook, understaff, etc. Absolutely zero respect for your time.

Medical care was good, but billing was frustrating. They overcharged us on the first visit by ~$100. I called back after the insurance claim went through and requested a refund. They said they'd mail a check in 3-4 weeks. After a month I hadn't seen the check and called back to see what happened. They said the refund request never went through.

Why am I having to request a refund for having been overcharged nearly 6 months after the procedure? Shouldn't your practice refund patients automatically after you learn they've overpaid? Or just don't overcharge them in the first place? Very frustrating.

Saw the PA at Windy Hill location. Office was strangely empty. They aren't the most personable group and aren't very sympathetic or engaging. Didn't seem to want to get involved. Nurse and PA didn't even tell us their names or ask ours. Never even said my daughter's name. I apologized for being a little late because we had a difficult time finding the place and called ahead.

Maybe that's why they seemed so unengaged, but aside from us, the place was completely empty the whole time we were there. They went through the motions, collected our 20%, and I paid even though my insurance doesn't require it. Three stars for treating my daughter. I hope they gave us the right information. I'm not sure if we will follow up with them or not.

I may see another specialist just to feel more comfortable with the treatment and recommendations. It's difficult to trust someone who doesn't really get involved with a patient, especially a child.

Don't go here. We showed up with x-rays in hand, the bill to put the cast on cost 1200. They told me that my insurance would cover and then the mess started. The billing department is terrible! They are not helpful and you will need to follow up with them and do all of the lifting with the health insurance company. After almost a year of going back and forth with them and the health insurance companies, it was too late for my claim to be paid.

I agreed to a payment plan, I made a payment and they agreed to the payment plan. I then receive a letter from a collections company the is giving me 60 days to make a payment or it will go on my credit. The doctors are nice, however, I feel scammed and would not recommend this place to anyone.

ONLY FOCUSED ON PROFIT - SCAMMING THE PATIENT Our daughter had a small radial fracture and we were given several names of of pediatric orthopedists by the urgent care doctor. Having already had 2 xrays at urgent care, we knew it was fracture and needed to immobilize the wrist (just not sure with a cast or brace).which is why we went to the specialist, and this practice had an appointment available the next day and is near our house.

We saw the PA, who requested an additional xray to a different angle. She determined our daughter needed a cast and the nurse applied the cast. We paid the $40 copay at the beginning of the visit which is our benefit to see a specialist. Fast forward to 3 weeks later, the day before my daughter is to have her cast removed, I get a call from their billing office.

The rep tells me that my insurance company has processed the claim correctly and that I owe an additional $300+ to be applied to my deductible! What is more odd, is that a colleague of mine (covered under the same insurance plan/benefits) had to have her daughter seen by a pediatric orthopedist (different practice) for the same reason 2 weeks prior.

Her daughter was covered 100% by insurance. CODES! It all has to do with the CODES that are filed with the insurance company when the claim is submitted. Yes, my insurance company processed the claim correctly, but the Dr. provided them with code that gets the practice more money! Sure, code 25600 may be for a "closed treat distal rad frac", but it is a surgery code.

I was told by the billing specialist that POA only uses that code when they file claims like these.this puts the claim in an "in office surgery" category with the insurance company. Why bill for just putting a cast on, when you can bill for a "surgery". I have yet to hear from the Dr. or the billing supervisor. It is still unclear as to why they did not submit the claim with the codes: 99204 "Office Visit", 29075 "Application or Forearm Cast", A4590 "Hexelite and Light Cast". It appears to me that POA files claims for patient care using more costly codes than the care that was actually received.a cast is not surgery!

They are very good at what they do. My daughter had 2 surgeries, one on her femurs and one on her spine. Both went really well and we are very satisfied with the results. We dealt with 2 different doctors and were happy with both. They kept us informed about what to expect and everything along the way.

The office is filled with very nice, aware, and caring individuals, we saw plenty of smiles within our time there. My sister got taken care of as soon as all paperwork was complete, and the process of getting a cast put on was quick as well. I would definitely recommend them!

Very disappointed. I was not informed of the $300 deposit until I arrived! They said it was my insurance, however, we've gone to numerous specialist with no issues. I wish I had researched this facility instead of going off of the advice of the pediatrician, I would have definitely gone elsewhere. The PA was very nice, other than her, the other staff just seemed to rush us through. The doctor spent LESS than 60 seconds in the room, my daughter was given a high-five, then he was out the door. Hopefully, the next appointment will be our last.

I made an appt with Dr. Duxberry to see my 6 year old daughter. She was suffering from back pain and had been for several weeks. She is an athletic child and plays 2 different sports. He told her to jump up and down, touch her toes, and run up and down the hallway. He said she was fine and there was nothing wrong with her. He said I may never know where her pain is coming from.

He would not even xray her back. He referred us for physical therapy and to come to see him again in 2 months. I immediately took her to Children's Heathcare of Atlanta. Their orthopaedic doctor diagnosed my child with a fracture and a congenital abnormality of the spine. I am thankful I am a parent that listens to my child and knows when she isn't getting a thorough exam.

"Big Business" impersonal, unorganized and expensive We were referred to Pediatric Orthopaedic Associates by our pediatrician when our daughter broke her big toe. For our first appointment, we waited over an hour, with little communication, and never any acknowledgment that the schedule was running late. As part of check in, we were asked to provide a $300 deposit, and to sign waivers that were open-ended (no specific fees), but stated that we might be expected to cover equipment provided by the office that is often not covered by insurance. Lastly, we were warned that our situation was officially 'surgery' and overall fees would run $800-$1,200.

When we did get to a doctor, he and his PA were competent and engaged, but the overall feeling was that we were cattle being run through expensive gates. My daughter was given a boot to wear to protect her toe, and the doctor asked that we return in 2 weeks for checkup. When we arrived for the appointment, we were told that it had been cancelled, and that they had left me a message to reschedule.

My cell phone confirmed that I had received a call 2 days earlier, but no message. I understand that schedules need to change, but (1) they should have left a message, and (2) should have persisted with at least another follow up call. All in all, it is clearly a practice that is very focused on profit, and not terribly concerned with patients. I will not return.

We love our experience with this office along with Dr. Oswald. I would have given 4 stars but he only issue I have is that I was charged for a co pay when we have private insurance along with Medicaid for our son who is special needs. Our son is seen by this location for his scoliosis and he had rods placed in his back. Nice people and the doctor has great bedside manners.