Wake Orthopaedics

Dr Mark Wood is excellent. He and his staff strive for outstanding customer service. After two knee surgeries due to injuries, we recommend him to anyone and all. Our favorite office is Brier Creek, where the PT staff are ready to help you get back to normal.

Overall a great group of doctors. Dr. Wood, in particular, was awesome with my son and his shoulder surgery. 6 months out he is able to do yoga with no problem. Highly recommend him and his very caring staff.

While the docs deserve higher ratings, this review encompasses the practice as a whole, including the 3 visits I’ve had at 3 different locations.
Wake Ortho is a big clinical group that is spread out over the county. They have several offices and even more providers with different specialties. With one phone line for scheduling. And that phone system is FAULTY. Just the other day I was calling to see if I could change my appointment date and the first 4 times I tried it just rang and rang and rang. I called one more time and the hold system actually picked up (where they guy says «thank you for waiting» etc) and I waited ten minutes before hanging up. I called back later and was actually able to talk to someone and reschedule the appointment.
Reception customer service is based on who answers the phone. Some of the girls are very nice, but there is one girl that works at the New Bern office that is very abrupt. The first time I spoke with her on the phone all she asked to identify me was my birthday.? When I was a receptionist we were required to ask the patient’s name first even though it is easier to look someone up by their birthday and then ask their name because it’s more personal and as a patient you feel like you’re getting a better experience. Reception is the front line. That is everyone’s first impression of a clinic, either on the phone or in person. If the reception team is curt, rude or impatient it can ruin your impression of the clinic as a whole.
My first visit was at the New Bern office. It was busy. The front waiting area feels like you’re in some kind of free clinic. The general feeling I got was cold; it was not warm and welcoming. I had to wait a while to see the doc. When I was taken back to the exam room things got much better. The practice area is very nice and clean. The exam rooms are minimalist but comfortable. I spoke with a PA first and was examined by him. Then had xrays. The xray team was very nice. Then I saw an Orthopedic trauma surgeon. Also very nice. Very informative providers. On my way out I stopped by the front desk to check out after being told to schedule an MRI and she told me that I would be called by the medical assistant to schedule that.
The next day I still hadn’t heard from the medical assistant so I called because I was out of work and needed to know what was up. I was told that the medical assistant had been very busy and would not be able to schedule my MRI until the next day. So then I was called with an appointment without having been asked what would work with my schedule, they just arbitrarily scheduled it and I had to call and change it. I wonder how often that happens? Seems like if they asked me before I left the office what days/​times work best that would save some strife for the patients and Wake Med radiology.
Second visit was with a different surgeon because I was told that I wasn’t an Orthopedic trauma patient but was a sports medicine patient based on my injury. Went to the office in the building next to Wake Med North. Very nice office, but make sure you park in the lower parking lot because it is a LONG way to go if you’re on crutches and have to go down long hallways and stand in an elevator. Not too long of a wait. Dr. Chappell’s assistant was very nice. Dr. Chappell was very nice. Short and sweet visit. Everything happened in one room, even being fitted for a brace. I had to wait a while to get a work note even though I mentioned a couple times that I needed one so that I could go to light duty.
Third visit was in Cary. The office is in the back of the building FYI, it took me a few minutes to find it because there wasn’t anything on the sign when you drive into the complex until you round the bend. Another nice office. Long wait today. Nice reception. Told them about the phone issue and she seemed perplexed like this was the first time it has been a problem, but I see from a review from 2011 that it has been going on for a while. Dr. Chappell didn’t really examine me, just had me walk around a bit and then signed my work note, but he was still nice.
My case was very short: only 3 visits. A lot of patients that see Ortho are going to be going for a long time due to surgery and extended healing times for injuries. I’m young, healthy and wanted to get better quickly so I didn’t need much follow up care. If I were a patient requiring longer term care, the reception/​phone issues and long waits would be enough to make me consider a second opinion with a different group.
**I have worked for an Orthopedic group similar to this in the past in Washington State. I started there as a medical receptionist and was promoted to medical assistant, so I’m pretty familiar with the daily workings of an Orthopedic surgery clinic.

Full disclosure… I have never actually been to this doctors office. That is indeed why I chose to give them 2 stars. I was looking for an Orthopedist to get my foot checked out and came across these guys here on Unilocal.I called yesterday to make an appointment and was on hold for 5 minutes. Who knows how long it would have actually been if I didn’t hang up. Let me be clear, I was not on hold after speaking to an actual person. I was on hold after going through the prompts to make an appt. I called back a second time and this time, it rang about 15 times before I decided to hang up. Today I tried once more and again went through all of the prompts, only to be placed on hold. Are the doctors taking their own calls here, or is the receptionist THAT busy?! All I know is they lost out on a new patient, because I called somewhere else, they answered the phone and I made an appt.

This group has been taking care of mending my busted up limbs since early October. It hasn’t been easy for anyone in this process. Dr’s and trauma surgeons are not the gods we try to make them to be, they are human just like the rest of us and subject to making snap judgment calls based on the facts as they know them and the immediate circumstances at hand.
There is still a long road to go down, more specialists to see etc, and this group is providing the best guidance and care they can under the circumstances.