Carolina Ophthamology Associates PA

Great staff, very comfortable environment while still maintaining cleaning practices which made me feel very comfortable.

Office lady who answered the phone for canceling an appointment was extremely rude. She was arrogant during the conversation and didn't allow me to explain or talk at all. Our family just started visiting a doctor there and we will never come back anymore! Talk about attitude in that office! Not friendly. My husband had same impression but I was willing to give them a chance.

Drs. Scroggs and Bryan are excellent. The assistant who answers phones is obnoxious. I called to find out why my on-line payment did not appear to have gone through and continued to show I owed a $35 co-pay. I tried to pay several more times but the system would not acknowledge my payment. I waited 12 minutes for someone to answer. I told her I was frustrated because I had a very long wait, and in an unpleasant, curt tone, she said "It's Monday and there are a lot of calls." OK, but, what ever happened to common courtesy?

It would be so easy to have just responded politely and professionally something like "I'm so sorry you had to wait so long, sir. On Mondays, we always get a very high volume of calls and it can result in long wait times. How can I help you?" During the conversation that followed she continued to be curt while I was trying to understand what was happening. (The answer is that, once submitted, the payment becomes "pending" until a person manually processes the payment).

A little kindness and sympathetic tone goes a long way to soothe a frustrated patient who is calling. Medical offices would do well to ensure that their front office is practicing proper etiquette.

My wife and I have used these doctors for decades. I have nothing but good things to say about the doctors. The nurses and the staff are equally professional and kind. The billing department on the other hand--I do not and would not trust them, and in my opinion, they do not treat their customers with any respect or courtesy. They refuse to acknowledge the possibility that they could make a mistake. Caveat emptor.

Deceptive practice. My niece was told her eye exam is covered 100% but was later charged. And when asked, was given a lie -- said the over charge is deductible. The office manager Shannon is very rude as well. Did not even listen to what I would like to say. So is one of the supposedly owner - Dr. Bryon. Don't go there. There are many other good eye doctors even in the same building. I was once a patient of theirs as well but changed after one visit. Guess my instinct was right.

My husband and I have been under the care of Dr. James Bryan for several years. Both of us have had cataract surgery and can't say enough about how well we were treated and how delighted we are with the outcomes. Rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. Staff is very efficient. Dr. Bryan answered all of my questions before I agreed to the surgery. The nursing staff at Davis Center were also wonderful!

Not well organized in regard to appointments and no consideration given to those who have to bring family members - no regard for their time. Several reschedules that were not our fault. Keep that in mind when you schedule with this group.

Deceptive practice, rude stuff. Don't go there, period! My 16 years old niece went there for an eye exam. She called before making the appointment. She was told it is covered by her insurance. Confirmed with the doctor when she was there. Then, she was later charged $61. She and her Mom went there and was told that is the deductible, which we confirmed with BCBS is not.

I went with them again -- only turned away by the rude office manager. They even called policy saying that I disrupted their business. They refused to offer any explanation for their lie, refused to let me speak, and refused to schedule appointment with the owners to settle the dispute. I was their patient once and changed as I just didn't feel right at the time. I guess my instinct is right. So, DON'T GO THERE. There are many wonderful eye doctors in Chapel Hill, even in the same building.

The doctors are good, but the receptionist is quite rude and messes stuff up a lot. I recently came in for an appointment that she insisted I didn't have. I was able to have my son text me a photo of the appointment card with the receptionist's handwriting. Once I proved her wrong, she blamed it on the computer and acted like it was a huge problem, but they'd do me a HUGE favor and try to fit me in. The other thing I hate is the horrific christian country music they play in the reception/ waiting room. It's torture. But hey, I can see better.

I was scheduled for cataract surgery and a week before the first surgery, I received a call from the office saying that the out-patient surgery center did not accept my insurance. I obviously cancelled the surgery because I don't have that kind of money. I expressed my dismay and moved on. However, I just looked at my credit card statement and noticed an office charge of $35.

When I called requesting a refund, the woman I spoke with refused to issue it. What did I get for that $35 charge? Time wasted. Frustration that I have to start a new search for a surgeon. But, hey, reading George T.'s and Kevin T.'s experiences, maybe I am lucky!

This was my first visit. The staff were not friendly. I was not greeted. I was sent in several directions before I was at the right desk to check in. Everyone acted as if they were frustrated about something. My first visit will definitely be my last. I also did not have my insurance card with me at my visit. I was unaware that my health and vision were on different cards.

I paid cash out of pocket for my visit and the next day, faxed my insurance information to the office and called to verify they had received it. It has been over a month and I have not been reimbursed. I called the office and they claim that they did not receive the fax and they could not back date a claim. I have never seen such poor customer service and disregard for patient. I too work in healthcare and I would never treat a patient the way I was treated. I would not recommend Carolina Op. to anyone.

Do not go here if you value your vision. Bryan did cataract surgery, and my right eye experienced extremely serious, serious problems. I called their emergency line in the evening, but the on-call doctor, Dr. Scroggs, failed to return the call until the next morning. If Scroggs had picked up he could have told me to start using the steroid medication, I had on hand already.

His failure might have caused me many months of misery and terror. One can only conjecture about why Scroggs failed to to return an emergency calls at 11pm, 12am, and 4am. The conjectures lead one to imagine Scroggs might have been involved in other unsavory activities. He never gave an excuse. Bryan insists the cause of the problem was one thing, while UNC records say something else. Regardless, the problem is on on him, and on that there is no denial.

When I wrote them both doctors letters describing their missteps, the wrote me a letter of apology. Now, does anyone want their eyes operated on by doctors who have to send out letters of apology? Be forewarned if you should be thinking about this practice for anything other than an E I O eye exam. I would recommend a clinic, say UNC-Kittner or Duke-Eye Center. George Tauchen george.tauchen@gmail.com

This place employs the rudest people I have ever met. No one wants to help you & they act like they are doing you a favor just by being there. Also apparently my husband was diagnosed with a medical problem that was never discussed with him nor did he ever receive any information from the doctor concerning this problem. We only found out about it when we were billed. They can charge more for your exam if you have a medical problem.

This place is terrible. I was new to the area and will never recommend this place. I was fitted for contacts and they were giving me headaches. When I went in to try different contacts, the appointment secretary said I could come in and get new contacts and would not be billed for a new appointment. This was not true. They billed me and my insurance didn't cover the second appointment.

The billing specialist, Shannon was extremely rude in her approach with talking to me and I was appalled at the way she thought it was appropriate to talk to patients. The receptionists were very friendly and I wish I caught their names because they tried very hard to make the situation right. It's sad when a doctor's office cares more about the money than their patients.

I went to this office because I needed an ophthalmologist to monitor my eyes due to an autoimmune disorder. I was able to get in within 2 days of calling for an appointment. The doctor was professional, very nice, and able to explain the best solution for best vision in the work place. The staff was incredibly friendly and the optical shop went above and beyond to help me choose glasses, even staying past closing hours to finish my purchase.

This place is terrible only in it for the money and not really interested in their new patients or keeping patients. Had to reschedule my appointment three times twice because of weather and before they would ever see me on my fourth rescheduled visit they wanted 50 dollars for a no show fee. I walked out never to return and then they send me a bill for 50 dollars. I would stay far away.

Very competent staff, well treated, above and beyond service. Returned after six months when I sat on my glasses. The technician rearranged her lunch and schedule to repair my glasses so i could drive safely and wouldn't have to return - all for no charge.

OMG. A fantastic experience all around! COA is leagues better than another local place we frequented before making the change! And a **huge** shoutout to Christina G. & Yelp for recommending this business to my wife. Unlike my wife, I saw Dr. Scroggs for my annual eye exam. I truly appreciated his professionalism, friendliness and attention to detail. Honestly, one of the best experiences I've had in years seeing an Opthamologist.

The staff is timely, friendly, helpful and accommodating. Not once did they ever make me feel like I was being a burden to anyone throughout the whole process[1]. Before seeing the Opthamalogist, the assistant went through the usual battery of #1 or #2, #3 or #2 etc. The peripheral vision test was done manually (which I prefer) and the glaucoma test was done as a pressure test[2]. Dr. Scroggs had a great demeanor - very personable and relaxed with a great "bedside" manner.

He walked me through the whole process explaining every detail of the examination. Of course, the same could be said of all the staff there that I encountered on that visit. As others have already mentioned, they perform Lasik procedures and offer free consultations if interested. Maybe one of these days I'll consider it! The office is spacious and both the outer waiting room shares space with an ENT practice, but there are plenty of seats, reading materials and free wifi to occupy yourself while waiting.

The longest I had to wait was during the dilation process. Re: specific insurance policies: We have additional vision coverage through VSP which both COA and the adjoining Vision Center do accept. 5 easy stars for a great overall experience and we'll definitely be back next year with the rest of the family! [1] Yeah. I tend to ask lots of questions.;-) [2] Apparently, Dr. Scroggs prefers these over the air ones.

After a disappointing eye experience at another Chapel Hill opthalmology clinic, my husband and I decided to take our services elsewhere to Carolina Opthalmology Associates (COA), and I'm glad we did. Dr. Bryan was very thorough during my eye exam and took the time to explain potential changes to my eyes during my second pregnancy. Since I was a first-time patient there, he wanted to dilate my eyes to do a more detailed exam, but gave me special 0.5% drops in consideration of the growing baby.

I was impressed at his expertise, as well as the warmth and professionalism demonstrated by the other technicians on staff as well. Once the eye exam was complete, they handed me my glasses and contact lens prescriptions; there was no implied or overt pressure to take my business to the in-house eyeglass shop (although I did). After ordering my contact lenses and requesting that they be shipped to me so I wouldn't have to make another trip to the office, they arrived promptly a few days later.

Everything about the appointment- from scheduling the eye exam to purchasing contact lenses in the neighbouring eyeglass shop- was friendly, professional and efficient. I could not be happier that we switched opthalmology clinics, and COA will now be our permanent home for ocular care.

Although I live in Durham now, I still ride into Chapel Hill to go see Dr. Scroggs, as I have for several years now. Dr. Scroggs is friendly, and an excellent doctor. I really ought to still be irked with him, since last time he dilated my eyes to the point where I couldn't find my way to the Vision Center to pick up my lenses. Basically, I bumped off the walls giggling, as I walked down the hall. I've also been happy with the service I've received at the Vision Center.

I need my lenses special-ordered. Because I'm blind. I get them quickly and for a decent price - also, they offer a discount for University employees. I know that they do laser surgery; my friend had her LASIK here and was very satisfied. I haven't taken the plunge yet, but if you're bolder than me, this would be a good place to have the procedure done.

Nice offices, on-site Vision Center (for glasses and contacts), and two doctors to choose from (I use Dr. Scroggs). The staff is mostly friendly and definitely efficient -- it's still probably best to book an a.m. appointment as they can tend to fall a bit behind later in the day. In my experience, the Vision Center is super-speedy -- drop off your contact prescription and it's available for pick-up in like 2 days! They came recommended by two separate colleagues at my last job, and I will definitely pass the recommendation onward.