Rhode Island Hand & Orthopaedic Center

**** Before going any further, I want to make it very known that my scoring is a medium combined average between both the surgeon (Dr. Hubbard), their physical therapy department and their billing department. If you’re considering becoming one of his patients, there are numerous factors to consider as reviewing a specialist/​surgeon isn’t as easy or cookie-​butter as reviewing a coffee shop.
In May of 2014, after much searching for a good hand specialist, I stumbled upon RI Hand & Orthopaedic Center and read very positive things regarding Dr. Hubbard. I’ve suffered from terrible pain in both my hands, wrists and arms for many years and finally was ready to take care of things. I also had a ganglion cyst on my left wrist that appeared around 10 years ago but wasn’t actually causing pain and discomfort until recently.
The process of diagnosing my problems was fairly quick: the usual route of xrays, seeing a neurologist for a nerve conduction study & EMG, followed by short term physical therapy. Needless to say, physical therapy didn’t work and I was off for surgery over at Blackstone Valley Surgicare (see other review for the facility).
Dr. Hubbard did a great job in the OR and during the subsequent follow-​ups for all three procedures. The receptionist staff as well as the original physical therapist I had seen prior to surgery were absolutely wonderful. Both carpal tunnel releases went extremely well and even at this point, the pain is all but gone. However the cyst removal didn’t quite go as well. By December the cyst had grown back and causes excruciating pain.
Here’s where everything took a nose dive. After surgery I was scheduled for weekly physical therapy sessions. The original PT who had been taking care of me was always prompt, friendly and had me in and out without waiting. Shortly after she went on maternity leave and a new woman took over for a while. Unfortunately the wait time became excessive. Several times she left myself and several other patients in the waiting room for over an hour (even though the PT room is ample in space). On more than one occasion I actually had to leave before she could see me.
Later in winter around Christmas, my husband was fired from his job and we temporarily lost insurance. Thankfully we were eligible for coverage through the state and I happily called in February to make a follow up regarding the new cyst and terrible pain.
Which is where I had a very unfortunate encounter with the billing department. Unfortunately my prior insurance had left me with a bill around $ 500 which, back when we had income, was no sweat to pay. But at this point, we were completely broke. When I called to make an appointment the receptionist scheduled me in right away since the pain was intolerable. A few minutes later the billing department called to inform she had cancelled my appointment tentatively unless I paid the bill. I was more than happy to offer a payment plan of weekly payments but to my surprise, she refused me outright. Didn’t make a single effort to assist me or work with what I had to offer. Rude, unfriendly and curt, she told me outright no appointments unless I paid in full.
And that was that.
To be quite honest, I was a little shocked. I’ve always kept a great record as a patient: paid my deductible and any subsequent bills, kept my appointments, was friendly with the staff and yet when it came to actually having an outstanding bill for the first time, I was immediately treated like the scum of the earth.
Would I recommend Dr. Hubbard as a doctor and surgeon? Yes. However as a whole (including his affiliation with Blackstone Surgicare), especially when the billing department is involved, I would consider going elsewhere. Dr. Hubbard is a skilled, amicable surgeon as is his immediate staff. But the woman in billing seriously needs to learn how to treat patients.