Women’s Healthcare Associates – Peterkort South Office

Im postpartum and I have to take my newborn with me (I got nobody to watch him or help me with my little one) to all my appointments. So today I was exactly 10 minutes late to my appointment (it is hard to go places with a baby and Im sure moms will totally understand me right now). Apparently Peterkort Clinic has 10 minutes late show up policy and a practitioner refused to see me because of that so here I’m came all the way from North Portland with the baby to hear that I’m late and get turned away. So after my one minute visit with the receptionist when we got back to our car I almost burst into tears. I can’t remember one time when i came right in to my appointment, usually there was a 15 – 30 minutes wait. In fact I was never late before. I was really frustrated today especially because there is no exceptions for new moms that have a legit reason to be late. At least once. Very disappointed at them!!!

Had a few days where wait times were very long, but over all really great care. This is my first child and so far I wouldn’t recommend anybody other then Dr. Hoffman. He genuinely cares. He hasn’t yet gotten the chance to meet my husband and asks how he’s doing each time, and looks forward to meeting him.
Very pleased with the care I have been receiving from the whole staff.

This review is Specific to Megan Hull. This was the first annual visit I’ve gotten through without intense stress and anxiety. Megan has great bedside manner and put me at ease. Would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a new gynecologist.

Avoid at all costs!!! I chose Julia St. Lawrence to be my midwife after hearing good things about her from a few people. At my first appointment, she told me that she no longer delivers. Uhhhhh… what’s the point then? I decided to switch to a different provider and canceled and transferred in October. About a week before Christmas, we get a final notice bill for $ 1250 for the deposit on my delivery. I had never received any other bill before this point.
I call and they tell me that billing/​coding isn’t always told when people cancel. Sounds super organized. :/​The woman told me that she voided out the $ 1250 and I only owe $ 300. I asked is that all or will there be more charges. The woman spends 10+ minutes with me on the phone looking up all the visits I had. She verifies that all of my appointments have been billed to insurance and tells me the $ 300 should be it.
Jump to this weekend when we receive another nearly $ 400 bill. I just called and the woman in billing claims the last woman I spoke to couldn’t have told me that they had billed everything to insurance in December because they didn’t bill until January. She also claimed there was no record of the call I had to get the $ 1250 voided, even though that was in the system. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told she doesn’t work on Mondays and there is no one else who takes over her duties while she is out. Seriously?
I am due in 6 weeks and now have a potential extra $ 400 on top of my actual delivery costs to pay. The office is super unorganized and each department doesn’t communicate, so it is a recipe for disaster for any practice. Just save yourself the trouble and chose any other practice!

I absolutely do not understand the negative reviews these patients are leaving. I had the most amazing experience with everyone at the clinic, pre-​labor, during labor and post-​labor. The receptionists are extremely friendly, everyone I’ve ever dealt with there were very supportive, and the midwives respected my choice of trying to have a natural unmedicated delivery. They never tried to push me to change my decision about medication, they never pushed for a c-​section to make more money out of me or the insurance like the lady below this comment seems to be saying, and they ALL respected my wishes, including not cutting the umbilical cord right away and letting me bond with my baby before taking him away. The nurses always check up on you after delivery, they make sure you and your baby are doing and feeling well, they change the diapers for you if you’re too tired, they readjust your pillow, they answer any question you have, they help you to move around, they support you emotionally physically and psychologically. I do agree with the Centering being a bit ridiculous. I find their exercises a bit odd and not my thing at all. I especially didn’t like having to take my own weight and blood pressure, I feel that this should have been the midwives’ job. It almost kinda felt like I was in an AA meeting for pregnancy. It just felt awkward to me. But hey, some women swear by it but I wouldn’t go back. I also ended up quitting the group but was never harassed to go back so again, they’re great at respecting your choice.
If I have another child, I will for sure, without hesitations, come back to Women’s Healthcare Associates.

Business /​billing /​coding office is completely screwed up. STAY AWAY unless you want a nightmare with your bills, your co-​pays and your insurance company.

Dr. Fitzpatrick was very cold and robotic. She seemed knowledgeable and addressed my concerns, but was aloof and in a hurry. At least she was kind enough to hand me the box of tissues when I started crying…
Her assistant Ashley was very similar. Cold and judgmental. I was nervous and was making jokes and chatting to try to make it less stressful. I never once even got a smile or an ounce of warmth. A little bit of human kindness can go a long way. Don’t expect to receive any from either of those two.

This review is 2 years in the making. First let me say, I loved, loved! the midwifes Jody and Jabke. If I could schedule with them directly, and avoid the office all together, I would have a dozen babies. They really listened to me and support me through gestational diabetes and a drug-​free, natural, induced overdue birth-​yes, that combo is possible! Unfortunately, you have to deal with the office to get to them.
The office is a mess. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s clearly understaffed for as many patients they have. During my pregnancy (most of 2012), I could not get through on the phone. If you wanted to talk to the nurse, reschedule an appointment or call back, good luck. Takes 15 mins to connect, and 15 mins more after being put on hold. One instance (there was a few) They left me a message about my test results and to call back, 2 days later I found out I had GD. Nurse was busy and told me to leave a message. 24 hours later, no call. Called and left another message. Got a call from the diabetic clinic instead to schedule an appointment. Um okay! I guess I failed my test. Thanks for caring for my and baby’s health.
Fast forward 18 months. I need to take out my Nexaplon. Why? Because I’m having, ermm.“problems”. Possible due to have antibiotics a month ago. My lovely visitor hasn’t left. Clearly, I need it out. They can get me in a 5 weeks. Yes. Not hours and days, weeks. I call the advice nurse (Nobody was more surprised then me, I got through, maybe because I called at 9:01) she basically told me to «let my body do its thing» then told me I was probably getting another cycle-​since it’s been a month since my last menses. (Umm, what about the prior 3 weeks?) Put me on a waitlist and told me to relax the next 5 weeks. Needless to say, they don’t have room for a simple removal for a patients that’s having problems.
Sadly, I won’t be coming back. If by the grace of God (and my husband) I have a 3^rd child, I will be going else where for prenatal care. The need a more efficient office and maybe stop accepting new patients for a while, until they can catch up and care for the ones they already have.

Huge red flag for any one considering this place. Good glossy experience if you have a regular maternity. They cut costs in care, discourage from going for checkups and create unnecessary hurdles for working women. I will suggest you to avoid them strongly and find a doctor elsewhere who you trust.

Exceptionally bad service. Close to negligent providers and negligent staff. Very hard to find an appointment post partum. they try to save money at all costs. be prepared to wait for an hour when you are confused and miserable.

First of all, keep in mind that there is a Peterkort North and Peterkort South office at this location. The address for this listing is the Peterkort South location, and when I look at their list of providers, I don’t see any of the doctors that people have mentioned by name.
I have found the receptionists and other office staff to be incredibly nice. However, if you call in, be prepared to sit on hold for a long time. I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to quickly reach someone there by phone.
Since you never know who will be on call when you actually go into labor, I have tried to make a circuit of the midwives at the Peterkort South location. As expected, there have been midwives that I have really liked, and ones who I really didn’t «click» with. Once I found one I really liked, I tried to stick with her for the majority of my prenatal visits.
Big shout out to the phlebotomist at this clinic. She is the sweetest woman you will ever encounter, and she is excellent at her job. Blood draws have a way of going bad with me, and I have only had wonderful experiences here.
They try really hard to get you to join a «Centering Pregnancy» group that meets monthly rather than do monthly individual appointments with a midwife or OB. I tried the group, but it REALLY wasn’t my thing. I’m sure that for some people it is great — it’s like an ongoing pregnancy/​birth class with snacks provided, but the teambuilding excercises felt ridiculous to me (we played charades with pregnancy symptoms, and some poor, shy dad in the group had to pantomime «excessive vaginal discharge»), and I really felt like the group was rehashing things I already knew (deep fried food = bad, salad and veggies = good). Plus, you had to track how you are feeling in a journal, and take/​record your own vitals for the journal, and that is how you primarily communicate with the provider in order to save time with the group. I wasn’t feeling the whole process of communicating with my provider via smiley/​frowny face in a journal. I suppose you could say I just couldn’t get comfortable with the group format in general. Even though I was told that joining the group (or not joining) was my choice, when I decided against it, I had to deal with explaining myself at the next 3 or 4 appointments when I was repeatedly asked why I quit the group. They finally gave up trying to get me back in there, but I was preparing myself to ask them to stop bringing it up. I’m sure the class has value, and I would encourage people to try it out, just be prepared for the hard sell if you decide you don’t like it.
All in all, I would say that the people at this clinic seem completely competent, and I think I am in great hands with the providers here. I just wouldn’t say that my experience has been one that I would shout from the rooftops.
EDIT: When it came time to have my baby, it turned out that the midwife who did the delivery was one who I had thought I didn’t «click» with during prenatal visits. When it came down to it, she was fantastic and I had a WONDERFUL experience. I feel so grateful that she was a part of my birth experience. If I have another baby, I plan to come back.

Steer clear of this place. I had to switch mid pregnancy. I would never recommend this place to anyone. I had a problem mid pregnancy and was told at 2pm they couldn’t «fit me in» and to go to the ER! Not only did I go to the ER I waited 7hrs to find out everything was ok along with a great bill of $ 250, where it would have been covered under my maternity coverage.

I saw Dr. Carlyle during my pregnancy and had a great experience. She was wonderful! I never felt rushed in or out. She took time to talk to me and answered all of my questions. The staff was always friendly, facilities clean, waiting time was never too long. I attended the birth class here and found it be be very helpful when I actually gave birth. The ultrasound techs were really nice and put in extra effort to insure we got great ultrasound pictures.

I’m not one to air my personal business in public, so I will keep this simple.
I had one of the most traumatic experiences of my life thanks to Providence Women’s Health Associates.
The reason, multiple instances of obscene negligence from multiple areas of the practice.
I should mention, I never received a single apology.
My father, a lawyer tried to convince me to sue for pain and suffering. I could have sued for big $, but I’m not the suing type and honestly I did not want to relive the experience.
I want to warn anyone considering using this office to stay away, and if you happen to have to use them due to insurance reasons, etc., make sure you stay on top of their every move.

+6 stars for my doc, Richard Hamilton. Love him. Some of the best bedside manner I’ve seen. Really easy going even though my twin pregnancy was a little touch and go at times. The extra star is for his nurse, Deb, who was great returning my voicemails of panicked messages.
–3 stars for the cranky receptionist. It’s ok to make eye contact and smile once in a while, lady!
+1 star for US tech the younger. So smiley and nice. Talked us through every ultrasound… and there were many. Really made us feel at ease.
–3 stars for US tech the elder. I see you every week if not twice a week and you still have to ask if I’m having twins? Really? At least show some sign of recognition that we’ve interacted before. Like two days ago.
+1 star for US tech the elder. She may not remember who I am but she really knows her way around a womb. Ha!
+2 stars, one each for Dr. Schmitke and Dr. Kean who delivered my babies via C-​section without a hitch. The fact that they were discussing the quirkiness of hamsters during the surgery must mean things were going smoothly, right? Well my anesthesiologist assured me of this at least!

So, My doctor is Dr. Timothy Stewart. He is awesome.
He is so awesome he’s always delivering babies, and is generally hard to see.
I did get to see him this past spring when I landed in the hospital after they figured out my side pain (which I had for two years) was actually a 22 centimeter ovarian cyst.
Yes, you heard me. It wrapped it’s ugly little self around my poor helpless ovary. It took multiple trips to the ER, Urgent care, a gastroenterologist, and my regular doctor before a GREAT doctor in the ER at Prov St. V finally figured it out.
Dr. Stewart came to see me in my hospital room and was his usual awesome self, but referred me to an Oncologist Surgeon who was also awesome. Just honest and straight shooters and kind. Nice.
When I went in for followup Dr. Stewart was not available and I saw Katie Raetz, a nurse midwife.
She, I hate to say, was not awesome. She wrote my BMI on a piece of paper that had a fact sheet about obesity, and handed the paper to me, saying «this is you».
This is the first time she had ever met me, and I had just lost an ovary, and been informed by both Dr. Stewart and the surgeon that losing weight was my best bet towards not having to go through another ordeal like this again. I didn’t need her to do that, I needed her to be a little more appropriate with her bedside manner. I had already signed up for weight watchers and yoga and had a plan. I appreciate that she wanted to help, but, no ma’am, I am not my BMI. I am a woman who just lost an ovary and had a lot of questions to ask.
I didn’t like her. Don’t go see her.
Do see Dr. Stewart. I think he’s great.

I called this clinic up this morning because I thought something had gone awry with my IUD. I’m new to town, so I don’t have an established doctor. Several other practices I called said there’d be a 4 – 5 week wait because of the new patient thing. The receptionist I talked to at WHA was understanding to my plight and was able to get me in right away. I appreciated her sensitivity and the midwives I saw were excellent as well.
My babymaker is closed for business but I will come back here for my yearly well visits, for sure.

I was looking forward to meeting the people at WHA, and the majority of the people there were great. (Hence the 3 stars.)
However, I had one VERY LARGE problem. Upon my first prenatal visit with my OB/​GYN I had to go through a head to toe exam (which the purpose, I understood.) However, you MUST inform a patient before giving a vaginal exam. WOAH, big surprise!

I chose this clinic because it was one of the only places where I could be seen by a mid-​wife and have my insurance cover it. I have seen several of the mid-​wives here and have loved each one of them. My appointments are almost always on time and if they are late it is only by a couple of minutes. The nurses are spectacular. Even the ladies who check you in are super. The ladies that check you out, though, seem to be a bit more short tempered. Don’t know why??? Weird.
I do love the fact that though I am being seen by a mid-​wife, they all work side-​by-​side OB’s. So, if there were any complications with your pregnancy, an OB would not be far away to assist. But what I love about the mid-​wives is the slower pace at which they work. They do not rush your appointments and give you plenty of time to ask questions. I also like that they are not pushy when it comes to your pregnancy or your birth plan. They work with you the best they can.
The drawback to this clinic is the horrendous parking situation. I commonly have to walk quite a distance to the parking garage and climb two to three floors. (Elevators take too long). I guess in a way I need the exercise, but in the rain, and cold it is no fun walking that far!

This is a fantastic place for general women’s health and pre-​natal care. The staff is kind and accommodating. Dr. Karlsson is the best ob-​gyn I have ever had. She takes the time to listen and will offer options without bias. She will also work with your preferred approach to medical care (ie: high or low intervention)
I was most impressed when I came to the office after receiving bad news from an ultrasound. She was sensitive to the situation and made time in her busy day to meet with me immediately to discuss my options.
For ongoing care, she takes the time to call you personally to discuss lab results.
The only con: The office can feel rushed at times, but that is to be expected when medical emergencies occur.